This week, With Leather has featured a lot of embarrassing attempts at the ceremonial first pitch. Tiffany Hwang of the K-Pop group Girls’ Generation adorably shanked her throw, and just this morning Burnsy wrote up the copycat who pulled the same fail in front of the Stetson Hatters. He forgot the cat ears, though.

Sometimes, believe it or not, the ceremonial first pitch can be GREAT. Want proof? Look no further than Tom Willis, a man who was born without arms who threw out of the first pitch at Thursday’s Orioles game. He may be the inspirational story you’re looking for. He may also be the neighbor on ‘The Jeffersons.’

Here’s the clip of his epic first pitch, which you should show to any Korean pop stars or Stetson fans you know, in an effort to shame them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to Major League Baseball scheduling today’s Game 3 of the NLDS between the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals at 1 PM, tonight’s sports action is pretty darn boring. How did the MAC get screwed out of a game tonight anyway? Couldn’t we schedule FAU against Middle Montana Community Tech State A&M? Just laziness.

MLB ALDS Game 3: Baltimore Orioles at New York Yankees – 7:30 PM ET on TBS

Like the Cards and Nats before them, the O’s and Yanks are all tied up at 1 game each in this best of 5 series of pure excitement. You know what’s been entertaining so far? Yankees fans crapping all over Derek Jeter. Stupid jerk hasn’t ever done anything for that team.

Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t ask for much in this life, other than an ageless super model girlfriend who poops million dollar bills, but if Houston Texans RB Arian Foster could grab me about 160 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Jets’ horrible run defense tonight, that would be groovy like a disco movie.

Monday Night Football: Houston Texans at New York Jets – 8:30 PM ET on ESPN

Tonight marks the 666th edition of Monday Night Football, and of course it involves the New York Jets and Tim Tebow. I’m almost excited to hear how many horrible jokes Chris Berman makes about it in the hours leading up to kickoff. The over under is 12 bad jokes… wait, 12? Like the number of apostles? The end is here! I cast a biblical plague upon your houses!

Read the rest of this entry »

I absolutely hate this new MLB wild card scenario. I think it’s utter hooey, and I’m sorry for being so vulgar. It’s important to remember, too, that I’m a classy and intelligent St. Louis Cardinals fan, and I still think this wild card play-in game is crap. Yes, the rule is the only reason that my underachieving team is even playing for a chance to be in the playoffs today, and I still hate it. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT.

It’s simply not fair to the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, and Baltimore Orioles. And don’t give me none of that “Well it wouldn’t have been fair for the Rangers or Orioles and their 93 wins either” because they still would have had a play-in game, and I’m damn grateful for the convenience of their matching records, because otherwise my argument would have sucked more than it probably already does. By midnight tonight, we’re going to have two upset fan bases, and the AL fans will really deserve to be pissed. The NL fans, perhaps not as much. Either way, Bud Selig will probably give himself another raise.

Read the rest of this entry »

Welp, it sure ain’t as exciting as last year’s Wild Card Wednesday, when the St. Louis Cardinals made the playoffs on the final day of the MLB and went on to win the World Series. Oh, and something else happened that day with the Tampa Bay Rays winning on a walk-off home run to make the playoffs or something like that, but nobody was even watching that game. Everyone was glued to the Cardinals blowing out the Houston Astros.

Since the Cards clinched the NL’s second wild card spot last night thanks to Mark Ellis and the Los Angeles Dodgers, I guess we can pay just a little attention to the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles tonight, as they could end up in a tie for first place in the AL East. You know, if that’s something that interests you.

Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, the latest issue of Sports Illustrated will feature a cover story on the (at the time of this post) wildcard-hopeful Orioles and the unlikely sports capital of Bodymore, Murderland. More importantly, the piece is written by David Simon, creator of The Wire, the best show in the history of television. The story even has “The Wire” in the title.

To celebrate David Simon’s appearance in SI and his willingness to go, “hey, remember that show I made about Baltimore” on the cover, here are 10 alternate suggestions for Orioles/Sports Illustrated/’The Wire’ story titles.

Read the rest of this entry »