Queen of Sports

Drinking To Be Banned In All MLB Clubhouses?

After reports of drinking in clubhouses and dugouts in the MLB, the league assigned executive vice president of baseball operations Joe Torre, to look into the matter. According to ESPN, Torre may choose to ban drinking in all clubhouses as a result.

How the investigation will be conducted has not been disclosed, but Torre told The Boston Globe, “If we do happen to bar alcohol from the clubhouses, you have to understand the intent of this thing and what it looks like. We’re up there and we’re role models, or we should be role models for the youngsters and how they behave.”

Currently 13 of the MLB’s 30 teams allow alcohol in the clubhouse.

What do you think? Should baseball players be allowed to drink in the clubhouse?

New York Post Disses A-Rod After Khadafy’s Death

The New York Post this morning reported on the killing of Libyan dictator Muammar Khadafi (also Gadhafi, Qadaffi, or Gadaffy depending on what news source you’re reading) on the front page of their paper in classic NY Post fashion.

Images of Khadafi’s shooter show him in a New York Yankees hat. Below the main headline, “Khadafy Killed By Yankee Fan,” they take a shot at Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez saying, “Gunman had more hits than A-Rod.”

Ouch. That one must have hurt.

Albert Pujols: Hot Or Not?

Albert Pujols is one of the top players in the MLB. This year, he helped his team, the St. Louis Cardinals, reach the World Series. This year is not the first World Series Pujols has made it to: the Cardinals won the title back in 2006.

Pujols (full name Jose Alberto Pujols Alcantara) was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. He and his family immigrated to the U.S. in 1996. A year after graduating high school, Pujols was drafted to the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft. Pujols was assigned to a minor league team in Kansas City. In 2001, he moved up to the major leagues. During his rookie season, he was named the National League Rookie of the Year and played in the All-Star game. Pujols won his first World Series against the Tigers in 2006. That same year, he earned the Golden Glove award.

Pujols is married, with four children. His wife’s daughter from a previous relationship, Isabella, was born with Down syndrome. Pujols and his wife started the Pujols Family Foundation, a non-profit that promotes awareness of Down syndrome and aids families affected by it. The foundation also aids the poor in the Dominican Republic and supports people with disabilities and/or life-threatening illnesses.

The Cardinals won the first game of the Series last night against the Texas Rangers. Pujols has a chance at another title year.

What do you think? Albert Pujols…hot or not?

Photo: PRK / PR Photos

Sports Date Of The Week: 2011 World Series

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Texas Rangers begin their battle for a World Series title tonight in St. Louis.

The Rangers are making their second consecutive attempt at a World Series title. After losing to the Giants last year, the Rangers are hoping to make up for last year’s loss. For the Cardinals, this year’s World Series is the team’s first appearance since 2006 when they beat the Detroit Tigers to win the title.

The World Series is a best-of-seven series. The Cardinals and Rangers are set to play their first two games at home. The following three games will be in Texas and should there be a final two games, they will be played back in St. Louis. Many are predicting the series to go all the way to seven games.

Check out the games this week or weekend. The two teams will be playing tonight, Thursday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, and should they need to: Monday night, Wednesday night, and next Thursday night.

Red Sox Pitchers Deny Allegations They Drank In Dugout

After the Boston Red Sox blew their lead in the AL East and weren’t able to make it into the postseason, questions began to arise about the seriousness of some players. Then came allegations from two anonymous Red Sox employees that pitchers Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and John Lackey would drink beers in the dugout during games. The anonymous sources claimed to have seen this happen on multiple occassions at Fenway Park. The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham reported that he independently confirmed this information.

Now the three pitchers accused of imbibing during games are denying the details of the allegations. The Red Sox released the following statements:

From Jon Lester, “The accusation that we were drinking in the dugout during games is completely false. Anonymous sources are continuing to provide exaggerated and, in this case, inaccurate information to the media.”

From Josh Beckett, “I cannot let this allegation go without response; enough is enough. I admit that I made mistakes along the way this season, but this has gone too far. To say that we drank in the dugout during the game is not true.”

From John Lackey, “There are things that went on this season that shouldn’t have happened, but this latest rumor is not true, and I felt that it was important to try to stop this from going any further.”

The players admitted to drinking beer in the clubhouse during games. Lester said, “It was the wrong thing to do. But most of the times it was one beer, a beer. It was like having a Coke in terms of how it affected you mentally or physically.”

The team’s former manager, Terry Francona, said, “In 32 years of professional baseball, I have never seen someone drinking beer in the dugout.”

The President and CEO of the franchise said on behalf of the Red Sox, “It is time to look forward and move forward, rather than allow a reckless, unsubstantiated accusation from ‘anonymous sources’ to mislead the public.”

Rihanna Back With Matt Kemp?

Rihanna has been linked to two different boxers in recent weeks. She’s been seen out with Dudley O’Shaugnessy and more recently David Haye.

The pop star showed up to Stringfellow’s Gentlemen’s Club in London with Haye, but rumors the two have been dating were quelled when Rihanna got into a car to leave. Former beau and Dodgers star Matt Kemp was sitting in the front seat.

Now that Kemp is in the off-season he must have some time to try to work things out with RiRi again.

Photo: source

Sneak Peak Of “Bodies We Want” From ESPN The Mag

In anticipation of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue hitting shelves this Friday, ESPN has posted a gallery of their “Bodies We Want 2011″ photos on their website.

Some of the athletes who posed nude for the photos (in strategic poses to cover any parts that could make the photos X-rated) provided commentary and some behind-the-scenes footage of their shoots. To check out behind-the-scenes videos from Blake Griffin, Gretchen Bleiler, and Jose Reyes, go here.

Photo: ESPN The Magazine

Sports Date Of The Week: MLB Wild Card Showdown

Today is the official last day of the MLB  regular season. Four teams are tied for the wild card spot but only two spots are open. Who will clinch the wild card spots and advance to the playoffs?

It’s an exciting night for baseball fans, and sports fans in general. That last shot at advancing to a shot at victory opens up the possibility for excitement that only comes in playoff games, in the last 5 minutes of a tied game, or at the end of the MLB’s regular season. The Red Sox and the Braves both suffered setbacks this week that allowed the Rays and the Cardinals to swoop in and tie up the showdown.

Get together this evening with a date and catch the baseball excitement. Watch multiple games at a time on the many large screens of a sports bar and grill. If one of your favorite teams is competing for the wild card spot, get decked out in your fan gear to cheer your team on.

The Red Sox play the Orioles at 4:05 pm PST on ESPN, the Rays play the Yankees at 4:10 pm PST on ESPN, the Braves play the Phillies at the same time on ESPN2, and the Cardinals play the Astros at 5:05 pm PST on ESPN2.

Florida Marlins Take The Field For The Last Time

The Florida Marlins will be taking the field today for the last time as they take on the Washington Nationals.

The Marlins are being rebranded. They will get a new stadium, a new name, a new logo, new team colors, and a new manager. The Miami Marlins will make their debut on November 11th with infamous former Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen heading up the team for the 2012 season. Already, we have some sneak peeks of the new logo via SportsLogos.net.

The Miami Marlins cap logo for 2012 will look like this:

The new full logo will not be released until November 11th, but will look similar to the cap logo with an added team script.

The Marlins play the Nationals at 1:10 pm PST today.

ESPN’s Third Annual “Body Issue” Hitting Newsstands Soon

ESPN The Magazine will once again be celebrating athlete bodies in their third annual “Body Issue” hitting newsstands Oct. 7.

Athletes who will be posing nude or semi-nude for the best-selling issue include gymnast Alicia Sacramone, snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, soccer goalie Hope Solo, NBA star Blake Griffin, MLB star Jose Reyes, and the NFL’s Steven Jackson.

Other female athletes who will be featured: the WNBA’s Sylvia Fowles; LPGA rookie Belen Mozo; track and field star Natasha Hastings; hockey player Julie Chu; tennis player Vera Zvonareva; surfer Steph Gilmore; roller derby player Suzy Hotrod and bowler Kelly Kulick.

And some more men who will be posing include speedskater Apolo Ohno; NHL player Ryan Kesler; UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones; IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves; boxer Sergio Martinez; marathoner Ryan Hall and paralympian Jeremy Campbell.

Over 20 athletes will be featured in the “Bodies We Want” section of the issue that is an “exploration and celebration of athletic form.”

Photo: ESPN the Magazine’s second annual “Body Issue”