The Stew’s MLB Year in Review: Best social media moments
As the final days in 2015 tick down, we here at Big League Stew are in reflection mode. As part of our look back at all the things baseball gave us this year, we simply couldn’t ignore the role social media played.
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook allows the game and its players opportunities that didn’t exist before — whether that means letting fans in on behind-the-scenes jokes, seeing the charitable work players do, seeing how famous fans react to big news or giving players a platform to speak up for themselves.
[Elsewhere: Hall of Famer John Smoltz called up to join broadcast team at Fox]
So here are our top MLB social media moments of 2015, as picked by The Stew crew:
Jerry Seinfeld welcomes Yoenis Cespedes to New York
Even the comedic genius that is Jerry Seinfeld could not have known how fitting one of his sitcom’s most famous lines would be in 2015. On July 31, long-suffering Mets fans, which include Seinfeld, celebrated the arrival of outfielder Yoenis Cespedes. And with that, “a Festivus for the rest of us” became “a Cespedes for the rest of us” and the rest was history for the Mets.
Spelling blunder aside, Seinfeld’s tweet perfectly captured the moment, while reminding us that he’s still on top of his game. It also reminded us how sports can bring people together. From the most famous to the most casual, every Mets’ fan felt the same excitement in that moment. (Mark Townsend)
Jose Bautista challenges Colin Cowherd’s comments about Dominicans
Colin Cowherd was were already out the door at ESPN, but Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista made sure the king of ill-informed hot takes had some extra vacation time before starting his new job at Fox. Cowherd claimed that baseball was “too complex” of a sport for Dominicans — a sport that features many Dominicans that play on a high level — including Bautista. Instead of letting Cowherd’s comments slide, Bautista, one of the biggest stars in baseball, spoke out on Twitter:
That tweet got the ball rolling as Major League Baseball issued a statement the following morning, condemning the remarks by Cowherd. Later that day, ESPN announced Cowherd’s departure from the network would come a week earlier than expected. Yes, he follows more than 619,000 people on Twitter, but Bautista showed the true power of social media. (Marcus Vanderberg)
Any picture on Johnny Cueto’s Instagram account.
My greatest discovery of the 2015 season was Johnny Cueto’s Instagram account. Picking just one moment from his account is like choosing your favorite child. There’s just way too much going on in Cueto’s life. Whether he’s just lounging on a bed somewhere, riding a horse or seductively looking at the camera, I can’t get enough. The Royals postseason run was amazing on its own, but the fact that Cueto continued to update his Instagram page during the team’s run took things to another level. Follow Johnny Cueto on Instagram and thank me later. (Chris Cwik)
Dee Gordon Kit Kat-shames Giancarlo Stanton
It turns that Giancarlo Stanton, baseball’s top slugger, can’t handle a Kit Kat with the same mastery he handles a fastball. Stanton apparently refuses to eat Kit Kats piece by piece like most people and just bites into the whole bar. Who does that? Well, Stanton does.
These facts were brought to light by teammate Dee Gordon, who exposed Stanton’s Kit Kat secret on Twitter and it became a funny thing for a day or two.
Serious? Not at all. But definitely fun. (Mike Oz)
Anthony Rizzo, nice guy
It’s Christmas time and the spirit of giving reminds me of numerous acts of kindness and charity performed throughout the year by major league players on social media. One that stands out is all the hard work Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo puts in trying to do his part in the fight against cancer, including starting the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, which is dedicated to raising money for research and to support children with cancer and their families.
Rizzo is a cancer survivor, having been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he was 18. So it’s obviously a cause close to his heart and that shows in the numerous posts he shares on Twitter showing what he’s doing to help those with the disease and encouraging others to help as they can. During those efforts, Rizzo has developed a bond with 3-year-old Sophia Zematis, who is fighting a brain tumor with chemotherapy and a lot of love from those around her. (Kyle Ringo)
David Price gets his popcorn
When David Price was surprisingly traded to the Toronto Blue Jays he quickly took to Twitter to make one very specific request of his new team: popcorn, lots and lots of popcorn.
The Blue Jays were happy to oblige the All-Star pitcher they acquired in the hope that he could push them into the playoffs, so they bestowed Price with all the popcorn kernels he could handle.
Turns out the mounds of the tasty salty snack left in his locker inspired Price to even greater heights. He went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA with Toronto and was the runner-up for the American League Cy Young as the Blue Jays reached the postseason for the first time in 22 years. Now that he’s signed a record seven-year, $217 million contract with the Red Sox, Price won’t have any trouble purchasing his own popcorn. (Israel Fehr)
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
