Dirk Hayhurst: In for a penny, in for a pound

By Craig CalcaterraMay 3, 2013, 9:46 AM EST
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Most folks who help create firestorms take a step back a day or two later and let the heat die down. Not Dirk Hayhurst:

Yesterday, aided by close-up video clearly showing Clay Buchholz going to his arm and wiping his fingers across a foreign-looking substance, I made the statement that he was cheating … I stand by that statement.

Furthermore, I don’t feel a damn bit sorry about it.

He goes on to explain how he’s happy Buchholz is, in his view anyway, cheating.

I don’t agree with Dirk in all of this. But man, I love that he’s willing to be a bad guy. Baseball needs more Bobby “The Brain” Heenans.

Rakuten Golden Eagles sign Jabari Blash

Jabari Blash
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By Ashley VarelaDec 15, 2018, 7:45 PM EST
2 Comments

Former Angels outfielder Jabari Blash has signed a one-year deal with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball, the team announced Friday. Per the Japan Times, the deal is said to be worth around $1.06 million. Blash was released from his contract with the Angels at the end of November.

The 29-year-old outfielder has had a rough go of it in the majors, where he failed to duplicate the promising results he delivered in the minors. While he consistently batted above .250 with 20-30 home runs per season at the Double- and Triple-A level, he petered out in back-to-back gigs with the Padres and Angels and slumped toward a .103/.200/.128 finish across 45 PA for Anaheim in 2018.

The hope, of course, is that the environment in NPB will help him get a better handle on his issues at the plate — in a best case scenario, resulting in a full-scale transformation that could make him more marketable to MLB teams in the future. To that end, Blash expects to be utilized as a cleanup batter in the Eagles’ lineup and will focus on assisting the club as they make a run toward the Japan Series.