Back in 2011 the Pablo Sandoval reported to Spring Training in Arizona looking much like, well, a Panda Bear, to the chagrin of the powers that be for the SF Giants.
The Panda belongs to the Boston Red Sox now and is no longer the problem of Bruce Bochy and the San Francisco Giants. I get that. But I’ve had so many searches on my blog today looking for for David Letterman’s Top 10 List on Pablo Sandoval that aired last night, I had to dig it up and view it myself.
I never personally cared about Pablo’s weight while he was with the Giants because to tell you the truth it didn’t seem to slow him down much. He wasn’t hitting as well, but he could sure round the bases at top speed when he needed to and he dove and caught most of the in-flight balls and grounders that headed his way towards third base. He never lost the fan base, they loved him, even though the press rode him pretty hard about it.
So now it appears the Panda’s put on another few pounds and it’s going to be interesting to see how the Red Sox organization deals with it. I wonder if there’s a “Panda Pounds” clause in his new contract?
Because, honestly, if he keeps his stats and numbers up, who cares?
David Letterman’s Top 10 List of Things you Don’t want to hear During Spring Training!
Pablo Sandoval "Before"
I’m not a huge fan of David Letterman, but still ……. this was kinda sorta funny. I’ve been following Spring Training this year, more than in the past and I’m seriously thinking about running down to Arizona next year to see what all the fuss is about! One of the things that struck my funnybone this year was all the
Pablo Sandoval "After"
hubbub that’s going around about Tim Lincecum‘s In ‘n Out Burger runs. When one of the analysts asked him today if he took the Panda with him, Tim assured him he always went solo, at least during spring training. Panda, if you’re not from the Bay Area, refers to Pablo Sandoval who, at the end of last season, weighed in around 289 pounds much to the dismay of management. At the threat of being sent back to the Minors this year if he didn’t get back into serious shape, Panda Pablo managed to drop 38 pounds, while adding some muscle, and looks and acts fit as a fiddle. Good news for Giants fans, that’s for sure! But the conversation about Timmy’s lunch relates to his daily routine of three double-decker burgers, two orders of fries and a vanilla/chocolate combo milkshake. That’s about 3,400 calories just for lunch each day and Tim only weighs 165 pounds! Sure would be great to have a metabolism that could burn that off!
Luis Salazar
One thing that always bothers me about spring training is how many players get injured. I’m pretty sure the reason for spring training is to get back in shape after the three months “vacation” from regular and postseason. One of the injured this year is Chase Utley, who’s always been a powerhouse for Philadelphia. But a real casualty this year happened not to a player, but to a spectator. Actually, he’s Luis Salazar, a Minor League Manager for the Atlanta Braves and he was hit in the face by a line drive during a Spring Training game on March 9. Salazar, 54, was leaning up against the railing on the top step of the dugout when Brian McCann slammed a foul ball directly towards Salazar, who didn’t see it coming. He ended up losing his left eye, a real tragedy in any ballpark. I know, I know, accidents happen, and this was indeed a tragic accident, but it’s still really sad when we hear about them. We still have a few more weeks of Spring Training left and let’s cross our fingers we can get through without any more casualties. A big hug and a “get well soon” to Luis!
Popping the corn and getting ready to settle in for the WBC Finals. I've been seen a lot of baseball in my travels… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…1 week ago
"I was the worst hitter ever. I never even broke a bat until last year when I was backing out of the garage." Lefty Gomez, Yankees pitcher.
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. ~George F. Will.
"Does Pete Rose hustle? Before the All Star game he came into the clubhouse and took off his shoes and they ran another mile without him." Hank Aaron.
More Baseball Quotes!
“You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time.” - Jim Bouton
"I was such a dangerous hitter I even got intentional walks during batting practice." - Casey Stengel
"This isn't a job. This is a privilege, that's what this is!" - Mike Krukow, TV Commentator, on being at the ballpark each day.
"I've found that the knowledge of the game is usually in inverse proportion to the price of the seats." -Bill Veeck, Chicago White Sox owner.
"Derek Jeter's accomplishment puts Pete Rose's hits record in perspective. 3,000 hits is phenomenal. 4,000? Freakish!" - Anthony Castrovince via Twitter
"The best possible thing in baseball is winning the World Series. The second best thing is losing the World Series." - Tommy Lasorda
"You teach me baseball and I’ll teach you relativity.... You will learn about relativity faster than I learn baseball." - Albert Einstein
"Baseball is a game of race, creed, and color. The race is to first base. The creed is the rules of the game. The color? Well, the home team wears white uniforms, and the visiting team wears gray."
Joe Garagiola
GARLICFRIESANDBASEBALL is written by a long-time fan who simply loves the game. I write my own articles (hence the grammar and occasional misspellings). If I include an article from another source, credit is given to that source and will include links when appropriate. The opinions are my own.
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