NBA All-Star Joins the Bleacher Creatures

"Bald Vinny" and the famed Yankee Stadium "Bleacher Creatures" were joined by a pretty big fan Friday night. 

Literally.

Right before the New York Yankees squared off against the New York Mets, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison took part in the famous roll call.  And at 6'9"...he was probably the tallest cat in Section 203.

But the NBA All-Star isn't the only big name to have made his way to the bleachers in recent years.

According to my buddy, "Bleacher Creatures" leader "Bald Vinny" Milano...there have been a few names of note, including director Spike Lee, Yankees GM Brian Cashman, boadcaster Jack Curry and even current Yankee Nick Swisher's wife Joanna Garcia.

So how does one make their way to the bleachers to join "Bald Vinny" and the gang?

"(Yankees) PR me in the afternoon and asked if they could come visit," Milano told me.  It's that easy I guess.

Suffice it to say...the "Bleacher Creatures" obliged.

"Linsanity" Invades the Baseball Diamond

Linsanity.  Linspirational.  Whatever you call it, the story of New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin has captured the heart and imagination of everyone with a pulse that follows sports.

And as it turns out...the baseball world is just as enamored with "Super Lintendo" as the rest of us.

Of course, it helps that dude is fresh from leading the Knicks to their sixth straight win and, to top it out, Lin hit a game-winning three with 00.5 seconds on the clock.

Naturally, the baseball world took to the Twitterspehere.

@TheJK_Kid (Jason Kipnis):  Okay, I'm sold.. I think I'm on board with this Linsanity train after that game tonight!

@BenRevere9 (Ben Revere):  O wow just saw it he is a beast!!!!!!

@thisisdspan (Denard Span):  I know I'm late but just saw the game winner Lin hit tonight. I love stories like this!

@jfinch27 (Jennie Finch):  #Linsanity Amazing!

@lukehughes38 (Luke Hughes):  Ok I'm finally on the #LinSanity train. All aboard choo choo.

@BarryEnright54 (Barry Enright):  #Linsanity w/ 27 & 11 and game winner front deep!! Love seeing @FloydMayweather EAT those words! Keep doin it @JLin7 #GodisGood

@skinnyswag9 (Dee Gordon):  Jeremy Lin just hit a game winner thoooo!!!! #LINNING

@ColinCurtis425 (ColinCurtis):  Lin is sick

I don't know about you, but I love seeing professional athletes giving others their due.

Twitter Tuesday: The NBA Finals

It's amazing to me how much pro athletes follow other sports. That said, this past week saw the baseball Twitterspere buzzing with tweets about the World Cup and the NBA Finals.

It didn't matter if they were rooting for the Lakers, Celtics or neither...plenty of guys had something to say about last week's Game Seven and its outcome.

@BrettAnderson49 (Brett Anderson): Whose gonna win tonight?

@broshuis (Garrett Broshuis): Trying to finish off The Atlantic while watching NBA Game 7. The two are as compatible as Hugh Hefner and Margaret Thatcher.

@cpettit815 (Chris Pettit): eating Pedros Tacos while watching the LakeShow... it doesn't get much better than this...

@GrillCheese49 (Jason Grilli): Watching Celtics vs Lakers. Who will win? I am saying the refs will play a big part in the result. What do ya think?

@TommyLasorda (Tommy Lasorda): Lakers - How sweet it is; the fruits of victory! Congratulations

@jonadkinsWV (Jon Adkins): Hey Lakers or Kobe Bryant fans....Michael Jordan didn't ever need a game 7....just sayin!

@MattAntonelli9 (Matt Antonelli): Why do idiots start fires and riots when their city wins a championship...people love an excuse to act like idiots I don't get it

@OzzieGuillen (Ozzie Guillen): Thanks lakers to make my son happy loved congrats one more mr jackson I wish I was you

@Craw_Daddy26 (Evan Crawford): I'm wondering. . .what does someone have to do in their career to take the title of best player ever from Michael Jordan?

So, the NBA Finals aside, I've got to share two of my favorite tweets of the week. The first came from St. Louis Cardinals farmhand, and one of my favorite new tweeters named C.J., C.J. Beatty.

@cjbeatty44: Yo check this out!!!! Mr. Belding from save by the bell came by before our game!!!

The second came from former Major Leaguer (and current Edmonton Capital) Cliff Brumbaugh.

@Brum24: Benches Clear At Royal Athletic Park Getting too old for this stuff!!

So there you have it, some NBA Finals thoughts, a mention of the World Cup and absolutely NO mention of vuvuzelas.

Well...maybe just one.

@cogz4Christ (Chris Coghlan): Im having a hard time sleeping cause i have this painful ringing from those stupid horns at the game tonight!!

White Sox minor leaguer set to join elite company

Typically, I am not one to deviate from my self-imposed niche (whatever THAT is)...but E posted this over at his site and since it had the words "hall" and "fame" in it, I thought I'd re-post it for you all.

Enjoy.

Four more players from this picture have been nominated to join the six already in the Basketball Hall of Fame. The remaining three aren't already in because they're either a) not eligible until next year, or b) Christian Laettner.

My thoughts on this year's nominees:

MICHAEL JORDAN

Depending on your school of thought, probably the best basketball player ever. There's really no need to discuss him any further; he's one of the reasons basketball was invented. And while his bona fides are indisputable, he somewhat damaged his legacy by retiring twice and coming back both times, the second time to a different team in a different city, where he was merely an "All-Star". I won't even mention his attempt to play minor league baseball for the Chicago White Sox. An absolute lock; anything less than 100% of the vote is an insult.

DAVID ROBINSON

Excepting (unfortunately) Shaquille O'Neal, the dominant center during the '90s. He almost single-handedly drug the Spurs into the playoffs every year he played, and the one year he missed, the Spurs were so bad that they got the #1 pick and drafted Tim Duncan. Shoo-in.

JOHN STOCKTON

While he is not the greatest all-around point guard in history, there was no one better at passing the ball. The only player in history to have 1000 assists more than once (something he did seven times). After he broke the career assist mark, he tacked on another 5000 just for the hell of it. In fact, if it weren't for Stockton, Karl Malone wouldn't go into the Hall next year. And pretty good defensive player to boot, with at least 700 more steals than Jordan, Gary Payton and Alvin Robertson. This guy's numbers automatically put him in the Hall.

CHRIS MULLIN

The weakest of the four, Mullin was THE small forward in the late '80s/early '90s. A consistent top 10 scorer who would absolutely kill you from 3-point land. He was the man in Golden State's "Run TMC" days, but was shoved to the wayside once their offense was re-tooled for Sprewell and Webber. If anything, the fact that he went from one of the best players in the NBA to a third option in a year, a move from which he never recovered, hurts his chances in the Hall.

We'll find out in April who goes in.

Oh, Jerry Sloan, Don Nelson, Bernard King and Dennis Johnson are up for the Hall, too. But they're not in that picture, so who cares about them.