Local man takes photograph

During a late-morning storm that left several inches of rain on the streets of New Orleans, local man M.J. Lloyd took a photograph.

The local FOX News affiliate captured Lloyd capturing the photograph at 11:42 a.m. local time. 

Lloyd, who also captured a hermit crab last Thursday, was taking these photographs at the time:

Despite the sudden fame, Lloyd, a former wiffle ball Ty Young award winner, was more concerned with his bleeding right thumb, sustained from opening a champagne bottle at his workplace earlier in the morning. Or sustained from an entirely different incident that he can't remember.

"Why is my thumb bleeding?" Lloyd asked his Mizuno backpack, 17.

It's the third incident of hazardous walking conditions for Lloyd. He injured his left thumb while trying to walk on his hands through a similar monsoon in May, 2012, and while hoping to be part of the American dance craze of 1986 was only able to walk like an Algerian.

Other New Orleans residents with similar names, such as James Lloyd, Lloyd Roland Dupree, J. Lloyd and M.J. Abernathy, declined comment.

Baby Vlad Hit A Bunch Of Homers

Was Vladito's Home Run Derby record shattering performance better than Josh Hamilton's moon shot festival from 2008? It's hard to say. I only have a wooden ruler from the 1950's and I'm still not allowed within 200 feet of Mike Trout. Who knew writing tens of thousands of words amorously about a 17-year-old would get you a restraining order. 

Vlad Jr certainly put on a show, though. He hit 91 home runs which is the equivalent of *checks math* here to the Dominican Republic and back 4,000 times. I think. I don't know how the metric system works over water. 

Back to little giant Vlad. I guess you could call it his coming out party since he isn't exactly replicating his gaudy numbers from his stint in the minors. 

Oh, and he lost. So did Josh Hamilton in his record year. I know you know Pete Alonso won last night because it was last night. Do you remember who beat Hamilton in 2008? Of course you don't, it made no sense. Hint, it rhymes with Mustin Jorneau.

A brief nonsense history of the Federal League

The Federal League was one of the few now-defunct leagues in baseball history and its goal was to provide a way past Major League Baseball's reserve clause. Because it didn't follow the National Agreement of player payment, the so-called "outlaw league", which lasted just two seasons (1914 and 1915) could pay huge salaries for players it tried to recruit from the two established major leagues.

But enough of that.

We're here for the nonsense.

Inaugural champion

The Indianapolis Hoosiers won the league's first championship, winning their final seven games to finish a game and a half ahead of the second-place Chicago Chi-Feds. In the season's final game, Katsy Keifer, making his only career appearance, tossed a complete game in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Terriers. 

Keifer (photo aged 11,000 years)


Indianapolis' manager was Bill Phillips, who a year later would manage the FL's Newark Pepper.

Not the Newark Peppers, but Pepper.

Almost 100 years later, I managed to find the South Carolina Beach Pepper

Bruno

That Chicago team, managed by former Cubs' Hall of Famer Joe Tinker (who also was a part-time infielder), had a backup catcher named Bruno Block. That's an absolutely perfect name for a catcher. 

It was that century's Sal Fasano.

Bruno, who put together a .198/.274/.255 batting line, and his Chicago teammates weren't known for their offense, but rather an excellent pitching staff that led the FL in several categories. The Chi-Feds had a league-leading ERA of 2.44, anchored by Claude Hendrix, who led all pitchers in ERA, wins and complete games.

Dan Sherman was also a part of that staff, though Sherman started, last 1/3 of an inning & took the loss in his only appearance - a 5-4 Kansas City Packers victory on June 4. The two runs Sherman allowed were unearned and Block made three errors that day. That began a feud between the two that lasted for decades, a fact I made up when numerous phone calls from the Sherman & Block families remained un-returned.

Millville's Second Finest

How did I begin writing about the Federal League besides a possible acid flashback? Millville High School, of course.

The former home of Angels' great Mike Trout was also where Pittsburgh Rebels infielder Steve Yerkes played his prep ball. In limited playing time for the Rebels, Yerkes put together a .338/.386/.493 slash line in '14, then hit .288/.337/.371 in '15.

The third-best player in Millville High history was Andy Lapihuska, who had a 7 ERA for the Phillies from 1942-43, and who in 1951 knocked over this wheelbarrow.

The second and last champion

The Chicago Whales not only hold the distinction of playing in Wrigley Field before it was Wrigley Field (it was called Weegham Park), but won the league title in 1915.

Hall of Famer Moredcai "Three Finger" Brown was the anchor of an excellent Whales' staff (that also included Hendrix). Brown and the Whales actually finished in a virtual tie with the Terriers for the league title, but won the tie-breaker based on a doubleheader split with Pittsburgh on the final day of the season.

At the bottom of the league standings were the Baltimore Terrapins, who finished 47-107, thanks to a dreadful pitching staff that included Tommy Vereker.

Who is Tommy Vereker? Not sure.

The rest of the Federal League Question Marks

Baltimore actually went a respectable 9-13 against the Whales, which included a three-game home sweep in early-May. I think we'll all remember that series for Hack Simmons' tying, pinch-hit, three-run home run in the sixth in game three.

The Grovers

There were three Grovers in Federal League history, so let's just talk briefly about each of them.

Grover Land - catcher, Brooklyn Tip-Tops 1914-15. At first I thought this sounded like a failed amusement park devoted to the Sesame Street character, but it actually sounds more like a place where you can bring the family, and for an affordable price just look at guys named Grover.

Grover Gilmore - outfielder, Kansas City '14-15. "Look kids, it's Grover Gilmore!", for example.

Grover Hartley - catcher, St. Louis '14-15. Went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs in a 15-8 loss to Indianapolis on October 5, 1914.

Joey Chestnut Eats More Weiners

71. That is a lot of hotdogs to eat in 10 minutes. But Joey Chestnut is a pro at shattering records and plates. 71 was shy of his 74 dog eating display from last year. Could he have eaten more? Tough to say. Statcast doesn't track the speed at which stuff enters your mouth. There was little to no doubt that Chestnut was going to defend his (come on, buy a better belt, I have a belt guy and my got home from work belt is better than that) big mustard gold belt. 71 is still super impressive. Let's take a look at what 71 would be around in the rest of the sports universe.

1. Barry Bonds hit 73 homers in 2001. It took him 153 games. He didn't get back to me. Let's say he only consumed four hotdogs that year.

2. Earl Campbell rushed for 74 career touchdowns. One of those happened while he was playing for the New Orleans Saints and he might have been running out of the SuperDome for a Lucky Dogs cart.

3. Wayne Gretzky scored 71 goals in 1982 with Edmonton. He scored 73 in the 1984 season. He wasn't much of a hot dog but he brought the mustard. I have no idea what that last sentence meant. Don't hold it against me, Gretz, there's a theme.

Back to Joey, it was another impressive eating and near circling of the rest of the field. If you don't think it's a sport go watch the 30 for 30 on ESPN about him.