Video: Baker Walks Off, Puig Injured in Marlins' Victory

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Yankees, Marlins to Honor Mo with Legends Series in Panama

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For the first time since 1947 Major League Baseball will be played in Panama, the country that gave us one of the game’s all-time greatest players. For Mariano Rivera, one of the elite pitchers in the game until his retirement at the end of last season, this is a dream come true and something even more special than all he accomplished in his baseball career, which is a lot.

Besides having spent his entire 19-year career with the New York Yankees and helping them earn five World Series rings; Rivera is the all-time saves leader with 652. It’s a record that is virtually untouchable and may last forever. Now, the 13-time All-Star is bringing his beloved Yankees to play in his home country of Panama. It’s a dream he’s had since 1998, just his second year as the Yankees closer. To unite his team and his country, Rivera told the New York Post Thursday morning is,

“…the icing on top of the cake, a cherry on top of the cake.”

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Zambrano Brawls, Sandoval Injured During Venezuelan League Championship Game

It's news to most, not all but most, baseball fans that there is plenty going on in the game during Major League Baseball's off-season. Besides just contract negotiations and player trades, there are leagues being played in other countries such as Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Those leagues also just happen to be filled with future, current and former Major League Baseball players who are practicing for the upcoming season, preparing for their future careers or finishing up what's left of theirs.

Saturday's game three of the Venezuelan League Championship Series between the Navegantes de Magallanes and Caribes de Anzoategui was full of excitement. It started with a bench clearing brawl led by free-agent MLB pitcher Carlos Zambrano, formerly of the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins, and ended with an injury to current MLB player, Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants. 

Zambrano, only 32, should be trying to resurrect his dying career but this incident was not conducive to such a plan. Already known for his fiery temper, Zambrano was not even on the field when the brawl began. As soon as it did however, he was suddenly found in the middle of the fray swinging furiously at any player around. Despite having tried to get his anger issues under control over his 11-year MLB career, it appears little or no progress has been made by the right-handed pitcher.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported from during the brawl. However, it appears that the Giants' third baseman was injured during the game. According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Francisco Chronicle, Sandoval tweaked something while attempting to run out a grounder during the eighth inning. The extent of the injury is unknown. While the third baseman did spend time on the disabled list last season with a strained tendon in his left foot, there is no indication that this injury is at all related to that one.

Yet two incidents in one game, in one of many winter leagues, does show that there is plenty of baseball excitement all year round.

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& now a quick note from Oakland A's Sock's Girl to any of you gnats "fans":

** Any of you gnats "fans" probably won't be reading this because you don't care about baseball at all unless the gnats are winning, let alone even actively playing during the MLB regular season - Sandoval is that guy you call "Panda" who btw is NOT your mascot though thanks to Bat Kid you probably now know that your actual mascot is a ______. (either you know or you don't but I won't help you out! ha!) Anyways, I just think it's funny because last week was all about his weight loss and consequently his GINORMOUSLY disproportionate head and then this week he may be injured ... that's funny to me. Can't imagine why .....lmao! (to those of you Giants fans actually reading this I am not talking to or about you!! Because you're well - reading this - I just had to get in my little dig because it's my blog and because I can!) **