Adding some catching insurance for the stretch run, the Pirates have agreed to a minor-league deal with Kelly Shoppach.
Shoppach was released by the Mariners in mid-June and briefly latched on with the Nationals before opting out of his minor-league deal after three weeks at Triple-A.
He’ll head back to Triple-A for the Pirates, who recently called up former first-round pick Tony Sanchez to back up Russell Martin following Michael McKendry’s season-ending knee injury.
MLB.com reports that long time umpire Dutch Rennert has died at the age of 88.
Rennert retired as a National League umpire after the 1992 season, so a lot of you didn’t get a chance to see him. But believe me, if you got a chance to see him in action, you’d remember him. He had one of the most distinct strikeout calls in history. He’d go turn to the side, go down on one knee, point with purpose and bellow “STRIKE . . . ONNNNNNEEEEE!”
It was quite the scene, man:
I used to love it when Rennert called a game I was watching on TV. I always knew the count.
Rest in Peace, Dutch. I cannot vouch for the peace of whoever is on the cloud next to yours, though.
