Eric Davis...Batting Stance Guy Part Two?

How do you know when the "least marketable skill in America" is actually marketable?

You've appeared alongside David Letterman, written a book and, if the clip below is any indication...former Cincinnati Reds superstar Eric Davis is stealing your schtick.

Ladies and gentlemen...we're through the looking glass.

But...can Davis do Batting Stance Guy?  Does anyone even know what Batting Stance Guy's real batting stance look like?

"There are some VHS tapes in existence with me standing like Ryne Sandberg in real baseball," Gar (aka Batting Stance Guy) Ryness once told me.  "In college and post-college softball I like hitting lefty like Dave Justice, or when I’m trying to go opposite field…Will Clark."

Oh, and in case you were wondering...below (at the :48 mark) is Ryness doing his Eric Davis.  Your move, E.D.!

***Fist pound to CBS Sports Eye on Baseball.***

Introducing "Battery Stance Guy"

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Well, technically, "they" didn't say anything, an English author named Charles Caleb Cotton coined the phrase...but that's neither here nor there now is it?

Now, I realize the 12 Angry Mascots comedy troup has been out there for some time, but, admittedly...I just stumbled upon them last week.

And I'm glad I did.

Over at their site, the guys do a hilarious parody of Hall favorite "Batting Stance Guy".  And not only did they get Gar's demeanor and backyard down, but they also include a send up of the disembodied voice (and the co-author of Batting Stance Guy:  A Love Letter to Baseball) Caleb Dewert.

So, yeah, the boys did their homework.  And, no, not just because they got "Batting Stance Guy" right, but the players they selected to spoof.

Anyone can drop an imitation of perennial scafflows Miguel Cabrera or Jose Canseco...but to include Julio Lugo (arrested for assault in 2003) and Wil Cordero (arrested in 1997)?  Looks like someone did their homework.

Perhaps imitation is the sincerest form of, wait for it...battery?  No?!?

Alright...just watch the video.

The Brian Wilson Fitness Minute

I've been calling good friend Gar Ryness (aka "Batting Stance Guy") the "Weird Al" Yankovic of baseball for sometime now.

Tuesday, to celebrate the release of Yankovic's most recent opus "Alpocalypse"...I hit the Twitters to remind everyone of Batting Stance Guy's picks for the five best "Weird Al" tunes.

Today...dude poses the question "what if Giants closer Brian Wilson had his own workout show?" Thankfully...he's got the answer!

Fact.

The Brian Wilson Show: Episode 1

If Max Patkin was the "Clown Prince of Baseball"...Gar Ryness (aka "Batting Stance Guy") is, easily, its "Weird Al".

I got en email this morning (way early, too...does dude ever sleep?), and this is what it said:

MLBNetwork asked me what a Brian Wilson Late Nite TV Talk show would look like. Here's my answer.

Getting back to the top, given Gar's recent successes, should we be calling Yankovic the "Batting Stance Guy of Pop Music"? Anyway...here's his answer.

Fact.

Batting Stance Guy: "I'm Ross Grimsley"

You know why I love Gar Ryness (aka "Batting Stance Guy")?

Months ago I told him about The Hall's plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of of Ross Grimsley's Major League debut and amid everything he has going on (and it is a full slate, gang)...he sends me this video.

Enjoy! And remember, you can still get a copy of Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball over at Amazon.com or wherever it is you buy your books.

"They Don't Call the Candy Bar 'Baby Jimmie Foxx'!"

Alright, I'll admit it...it's been pretty quiet here at the home office.

Truth be told, whatever germtube funk I caught from the left coast last week (LAST WEEK!) still has me pretty much sidelined.

Thankfully, good friend of The Hall Gar Ryness (aka "Batting Stance Guy") decided to drop one of funniest videos I've seen in a long time.

Enjoy!

And in case you never read the interview The Hall did with Ryness last year...go enjoy that too!

Lil Ryan Howard is Awesome!

Looks like our good friend Gar Ryness (you can read The Hall's exclusive interview with the "Batting Stance Guy" HERE) has some competition. 

Check out this video of some random two-year-old at a Lehigh Valley IronPigs game imitating Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard.  Not too shabby...the tyke's even got he's even got the former MVP's batting glove tic down!



A proverbial tip o' the hat to CrossingBroad.com for finding this gem.

A Year of Talkin' Baseball

'tis the season for plenty of things...returning Christmas presents, going back to work and, of course, year-enders!

The Hall of Very Good is no different.

Next week, following the Hall of Fame announcement (read as: I'm too busy/lazy to do it now), come on back for the Top Ten Stories of the Year.

Today...it's a year of "Talkin' Baseball".  That's right, the best of what has become my favorite part of doing this site...talkin' baseball with whoever will respond to the request.  Click the BOLD text to read the entire piece!

GAR RYNESS, aka "Batting Stance Guy" (February)

Manny (Ramirez) is great to me. I’ve done pre-game shows for visiting teams at Dodgers Stadium and Manny will always scream and whistle across the field while I’m filming. “Do Ethier! Do Ethier!” I’ll then hold up a finger, as if to say, “Hold on Manny, I’ll come over there after this.” The first time that happened the Cardinals TV staff said, “wait, do you know Manny?” That’s when it hit me how weird the last two years have been.

"Diamond King" DICK PEREZ (February)

As far back as I can remember, I had a desire to draw. On the margins around my school notebooks there were caricatures of school mates and images from my imagination. After I realized that there was no way I would ever achieve my real dream of becoming a professional baseball player, I concluded that I had to choose a real life career. I chose art.

Hall of Famer GARY CARTER (May)

The loss of my Mom was a huge impact on my life as we were a very loving family that went to church regularly. I didn’t understand why a loving God would take someone away as dear as her. It helped me to understand how fragile life is.

Author GEORGE CASTLE (May), Talkin' Andre Dawson (July) and Lou Piniella (September)

Sammy (Sosa) is still too raw for Cubs fans. Worse than alleged steroid use, he walked out on the team on the last day of the 2004 season. However, I don’t feel Sammy will be regarded in the same breath as Banks, Williams, Santo, Jenkins, Sandberg. His ego exploded as he got successful, and that will stain him forever.

Talkin' Ken Griffey Jr. with KEN GRIFFEY SR., JEFF MONTGOMERY and C.J. WILSON (June)

After announcing that I would retire at the end of the 1999 season, Junior asked me if I would give him a signed jersey…which I did. The next day in our clubhouse was an autographed Griffey jersey.

Competitive Eater PAT BERTOLETTI (July)

I usually spend most of the game wandering around trying to eat at all the food stands. I think the White Sox have the best food in the league. I would only go to a Cubs game if there were free tickets and Old Style involved.

Reality Show "All Stars" JONNY FAIRPLAY (September), ROB CESTERNINO (September) and RUSSELL KOOK (December)

If I were going to start an alliance with any past Mets, first on the list would be former (and hopefully future) manager Bobby Valentine. I also am very partial to both Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez and think they do a great job calling the game and are both really interesting guys and have great baseball IQ.. And Keith, on day one, would have the greatest mustache in "Survivor" history. Unquestioned.

Outspoken Pitcher JEFF JUDEN (October)

I would still like (a 1999 Yankees World Series ring) if they have any spare change left. I have room on my middle finger for it.

Former O.J. Simpson, nevermind...it's KATO KAELIN (November)

Airline ticket to Milwaukee…$450.00. Car rental…$150.00. Tickets to game…$55.00. Sitting next to Shawn from The Hall of Very Good…PRICELESS.

San Francisco Giants' Biggest Fan ASHKON DAVARAN (December)

I had a chance to meet Steve (Perry) before the World Series Parade, and he seemed to be pretty cool with it. I thanked him for writing one of the best songs of all time…he said thanks and that I did a good job with it.

All in all...a great year for talkin' baseball.  Sure, I'm biased and I wish I could add more of my favorites (for example DANIEL NAVA, GARRETT WITTELS and MATHER ZICKEL from "The Bronx is Burning"), but since most lists are "Top Ten" lists...I decided to keep it at ten.

Which was your favorite?  Please let me know below!

Happy Halloween from The Batting Stance Guy!

Earlier this week, the internets were introduced to, possibly, the best Halloween costume of the season.

This kid.

Today...Gar Ryness, the Batting Stance Guy, has five suggestions for some last minute, World Series-inspired Halloween costume ideas. 

Click on each picture to get a better view.

San Francisco Giants Thirdbaseman Juan Uribe

Texas Rangers Outfielder Jeff Francoeur


San Francisco Giants Centerfielder Aaron Rowand

San Francisco Giants Pitcher Tim Lincecum

Texas Rangers Pitcher C.J. Wilson

Throughout the remainder of the World Series, you can check out more of Batting Stance Guy's limited edition baseball cards via Twitter.  Follow him at @battingstanceg check out his website.

The Season That Was...May

With an exciting start to the baseball season in the rearview mirror...May brought just as much electricity as April. And I'm not just saying that because some dude I know put out a book.

One of The Hall's favorite players, Jamie Moyer, became the oldest pitcher in Major League history to throw a complete game shutout on May 7. Baseball's elder statesman was 47 years, 170 days when he beat the Atlanta Braves at (Senior) Citizens Bank Park.

See what I did there?

With the win, he also became the first pitcher to pitch complete game shutouts in four different decades.

On Mothers Day, with his grandmother in the stands, Oakland's Dallas Braden threw the season's first perfect game. Earlier in the season, the Michael Rappaport lookalike became an ESPN staple when he shouted down Alex Rodriguez for crossing his mound.

Friday 5: Batting Stance Guy

I hate to stray too far from the norm this Friday, but given I just got back from seeing "Weird Al" Yankovic perform live...I feel like I have to do something to tie-in to the show itself.

Faithful followers of this site know that the "Weird Al" baseball, Gar Ryness (aka "Batting Stance Guy" is a good friend of The Hall and, wait...given Gar's recent successes, should we be calling Yankovic the "Batting Stance Guy of Pop Music"?

Maybe not.

Either way...here's The Batting Stance Guy's five favorite "Weird Al" parodies.

1. "Taco Grande" (parody of "Rico Suave" by Gerardo)

2. "Yoda" (parody "Lola" by the Kinks)

3. "My Bologna" (parody of "My Sharona" by The Knack)

4. "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long" (parody of "Got My Mind Set on You" by George Harrison)

5. "The Brady Bunch" (parody of "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats)

"It's tough to rank the polka medleys on each album," Ryness added. "My Bologna gets in because how groundbreaking the burp was for my understanding of unexpected comedy."

After the show Thursday night, my friend "Foodstamp" Davis posted the following on Facebook:

If you get a chance to see weird al, regardless of your opinion of him now, do it. DO IT!

Honestly, he couldn't be more right. I was able to bring five people with me that had never seen the Grammy winning parodist in concert and too say that they were blown away following the two-plus hour set would be an understatement.

And, yeah, I know "Weird Al" has absolutely nothing to do with baseball, but still, I've gotta know...what's your favorite of his work?

Batting Stance Guy: All-Goatee Lineup

In conjunction with Mustache May, Gar Ryness (aka Batting Stance Guy) put out a series of videos celebrating a wide variety of facial hair stylings.

Well...he's back!

And while I know it goes against everything that the American Mustache Institute has taught me...here comes Batting Stance Guy's All-Goatee Lineup.



Also in May, Ryness released his first book...Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball. Back in February, I was fortunate to interview the man himself.

And since I am linking to seemingly everything else, check out the All-Beard, All-Fu Manchu and both All-Mustache Lineups (First Team and Second Team).

The HOVG Mid-Season Report

So here we are, folks…the All-Star break. What have we learned?

The Yankees, with their league-best 56-32 record are dominating their opponents. Home runs are making headlines night after night and big league umpires need, according to many fans…better glasses.

Now while you’re bound to come across plenty of first half re-caps, here are ten milestones (or stories) that The Hall of Very Good has found of particular interest.


Jason Heyward Hits Home Run in Major League Debut
With one swing of the bat, Atlanta Braves super rookie did something only 104 players had done prior to Opening Day 2010…ht a home run in his first at bat. Within weeks, three more players joined him…most notably was what Boston rookie Daniel Nava pulled off.


Mike Leake Skips Minors…Debuts in Reds Rotation
While most of the baseball world was applauding the debut of Jason Heyward and counting down the moments until Stephen Strasburg took the hill for the first time…Cincinnati starter Mike Leake was busy not playing in the Minors and taking his act to the pros, winning his first five starts in the process.


No-Hitters, Perfect and Notso Perfect Games
If one more person calls 2010 the “Year of the Pitcher” I’m going to vomit. So here we are…living in the Year of the Pitcher! Never before have we seen two perfect games (Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay), two no-hitters (Ubaldo Jimenez and Edwin Jackson) and whatever you call what Armando Galarraga pulled off…all before the All-Star break! I’m almost afraid to see what the second half of the season has in store for us.


Matt Stairs…Professional Hitter
My fascination with Matt Stairs started in his first season in the Minors…1989. More than 20 years and a Major League best 20 pinch hit home runs later…Stairs is still swinging for the fences. Matter of fact, he’s done so for more teams (11) than anyone else out there today.


Junior Retires
Fifth on the all-time home run list with 630 career bombs, "The Kid" was regarded as one of the game's premier players throughout the 1990s, nabbing ten straight Gold Gloves while playing with Seattle and being elected to start eleven straight All-Star Games. Quietly, he called it quits June 2 and made the 2016 Hall of Fame induction an easy day to schedule.


Stephen Strasburg Makes His Historic Debut
What can be written about Stephen Strasburg that hasn’t been written before? How about the fact that dude sold more jerseys (78,000) in June than any Washington National has in their history? Oh…a big thanks to those who have found The Hall while Googling “Stephen Strasburg shoe size”.


Home Run Milestones Aplenty!
Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Scott Rolen all reached the 300 home run plateau for their careers. Not to be outdone, Andruw Jones hit his 400th. The next big home run milestone on the docket? Alex Rodriguez is a mere three longballs from 600.


Jamie Moyer Becomes Home Run King
And speaking of home runs…did you hear the one about Jamie Moyer becoming the all-time leader in home runs by a pitcher. Last month, Moyer served up home run number 506 and later this month…he’ll get his AARP card. You know…because he’s old. ZING!


Jon Adkins Sets Save Record
Sure, it’s not a Major League milestone…but it IS a milestone. Good friend of The Hall, closer Jon Adkins became the all-time saves leader for the Cincinnati Red Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats back in June. Unfortunately, Adkins won’t be able to add to his career total…the Reds released the pitcher on the eve of the Major League All-Star break Sunday night.


Goodbye, Old Friends
In a season full of memorable debuts…we’ve also seen our fair share of departures. In May, the baseball world lost both Ernie Harwell and Jose Lima. And right before the All-Star break, longtime Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard passed. But in what will be regarded as one of the top sports/news stories of the year…Yankees owner George Steinbrenner succumbed to a heart attack early Tuesday morning.


To put a cap on the first half of the baseball season, Gar Ryness, better known as Batting Stance Guy was at the All-Star Game in Anaheim Tuesday night and ran into “reputable reporter” Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.

Here’s their round up of the 2010 season so far.

Buy. This. Book.

In my continuing efforts to shill for Batting Stance Guy, I present to you the latest promotional video for his book.

Find, if you can, Elvis, Spiderman, Derek Jeter, Batman, Kobe Elmo, Rickey Henderson, Freddy Krueger and Nomar Garciaparra.

Then...go buy Gar's book Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball wherever you buy books.

***This past February, I had the chance to catch up with "Batting Stance Guy" and put his thoughts to paper, er, the internet. Check out the interview HERE.***

Batting Stance Guy: All-Fu Manchu Lineup

You know the drill by now. A few months back, I was tasked with something by my friend Gar (aka "Batting Stance Guy")...to help him come up with as many facial-hair-laden baseball players as we could.

This week took Batting Stance Guy on a whirlwind adventure. Tuesday, he was all over ESPN, Wednesday was the MLB Network and Thursday saw him back on the left coast signing books. All the while, however, Ryness was grounded enough to still bang the internet and treat us with what made him famous...his stances.

Now, firmly entrenched in Mustache May, YouTube wunderkind (and now author...you can check out his book Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball over at Amazon.com) is bringing his love for the lip sweater to you! Monday, he debuted the First Team All-Mustache Lineup, Tuesday it was the All-Beard Lineup. Wednesday it was the the Second Team All-Mustache Lineup.

Naturally...the Fu Manchu was the last on the list.




***This past February, I had the chance to catch up with "Batting Stance Guy" and put his thoughts to paper, er, the internet. Check out the interview HERE.***

Batting Stance Guy: Second Team All-Mustache Lineup

A few months back, I was tasked with something by my friend Gar (aka "Batting Stance Guy")...to help him come up with as many facial-hair-laden baseball players as we could.

And in case you were wondering what era had the best upper lip adornment, this video ends that thought process. Clearly, based on this compilation, it is the early 80s...the Golden Age of baseball mustaches.

Now, firmly entrenched in Mustache May, YouTube wunderkind (and now author...you can check out his book Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball over at Amazon.com) is bringing his love for the lip sweater to you! Monday, he debuted the First Team All-Mustache Lineup, Tuesday it was the All-Beard Lineup. Today...it's the Second Team All-Mustache Lineup.




***This past February, I had the chance to catch up with "Batting Stance Guy" and put his thoughts to paper, er, the internet. Check out the interview HERE.***

Batting Stance Guy: All-Beard Lineup

A few months back, I was tasked with something by my friend Gar (aka "Batting Stance Guy")...to help him come up with as many facial-hair-laden baseball players as we could.

And while beards do seem to be making a slight comeback (see Jason Werth), the iconic stances of the bearded are not are prevalent.

Yet.

Now, firmly entrenched in Mustache May, YouTube wunderkind (and now author...you can check out his book Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball over at Amazon.com) is bringing his love for the lip sweater to you! Yesterday, he debuted the First Team All-Mustache Lineup. Today...he's tackling the beard.



***This past February, I had the chance to catch up with "Batting Stance Guy" and put his thoughts to paper, er, the internet. Check out the interview HERE.***

Twitter Tuesday: Batting Stance Guy

It's rare that a guy with a WiffleBall bat becomes a YouTube sensation. It's even more rare when that guy ends up chatting it up on national television with David Letterman, featured in ballparks everywhere and writing a book!

The good thing about following Gar "Batting Stance Guy" Ryness is that he'll let you know when he's updated his repertoire AND ask for your insight on who he should tackle next.

TWITTER HANDLE: @BattingStanceG

SAMPLE TWEETS:

DallasBraden perfect thru 8! This crowd here at LongBeach Airport for massively delayed JetBlue flight is not going crazy.

Starlin Castro debuted last night w/ 6 RBI's. Born=1990!?! My Gerardo "Rico Suave" cassette single is older.

When Twitter posts began w/ describing a right handed pitcher as RHP, for a split second I think that player is dead.

Kids, trust me: pick up a Wiffle bat, go in your backyard, the NYTimes will follow. http://bit.ly/9fD2dd

The YouTube wunderkind's book Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball is available over at Amazon.com or wherever you buy your books.

Batting Stance Guy: First Team All-Mustache Lineup

A few months back, I was tasked with something by my friend Gar (aka "Batting Stance Guy")...to help him come up with as many facial-hair-laden baseball players as we could.

After a few minutes swapping emails and IMs, we had compiled quite a list. Tom Brookens, Rod Beck...the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers!

Now, firmly entrenched in Mustache May, YouTube wunderkind (and now author...you can check out his book Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball over at Amazon.com) Gar Ryness is here to bring you his First Team All-Mustache Lineup.



***This past February, I had the chance to catch up with "Batting Stance Guy" and put his thoughts to paper, er, the internet. Check out the interview HERE.***

Batting Stance Guy: "Livin' the Dream"

Gar Ryness and I started swapping emails about a year ago yet, for some reason, when I see his name pop up on my Blackberry...I get all giddy. Could it be another story about baseball, mustaches, Ron Kittle's glasses...or just a simple "how ya doing"?

This morning...it was none of the above.

Hey Posse-

Excited the season is upon us. I have a book releasing in May. Simon & Schuster wanted a summary of past two years. Thanks for your encouragement.

Peace-
g

If you remember earlier this year when Ryness did an exclusive interview with The Hall, the book was mentioned. Who knew that Simon & Schuster (home to such literary nobility as Stephen King, Bob Woodward and Todd Bridges) was behind it?

Feel free to check out the summary video Ryness alluded to over at his website. His book, Batting Stance Guy: A Love Letter to Baseball, is out May 11...you can pre-order it over at Amazon.