All-Star Snub?
July 12th, 2017
“Who are you?”
Did a legend big-league another yesterday?
Anyone who follows America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, on Instagram, has seen his Instagram videos this week from Marlins Park in Miami, the site of this summer’s MLB All-Star game.
Jameis, in case anyone is unaware, is a big baseball fan and, oh yeah, was a helluva pitcher, too. Might still be someday.
Monday, Jameis was on the field before the home run derby and yesterday, Jameis was on the field during batting practice prior to the game itself. Heck, Jameis was even interviewed by Harold Reynolds for a live stand-up on MLB Network during batting practice.
Jameis has ties to the All-Star game. Of course. he had to press flesh with his fellow Seminole, Giants catcher Buster Posey, and Jameis once played on a traveling baseball team with Houston Astros stud shortstop Carlos Correa.
While Jameis made the rounds, he noticed legendary Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina leaning on his bat waiting to take some swings. Jameis, as could be heard clearly on the Instagram video, yell, “Hey, Yadi!” Molina turns around and, by the look on Molina’s face, didn’t recognize or even know who Jameis was. So Molina sort of glumly nodded his head and waved his bat to politely acknowledge the shout out, like if a nondescript fan had hollered at him.
Even a Cincinnati Reds beat writer, who was on the field witnessing this took to twitter to chuckle that Molina had no idea who Jameis was.
It wouldn’t surprise Joe one iota if Molina didn’t recognize Jameis. Not one bit. First, Molina was born and raised in Puerto Rico, not exactly a(n American) football hotbed. Second, Molina has lived and played his professional career in St. Louis. Folks who aren’t familiar with the Gateway to the West have no idea how far down the sports food chain football is in that city. And that was when the city had an NFL team.
Naive folks even regularly get married during the football season there!
Shoot, Joe has been in many a watering hole in that area where high school basketball was talked about much more than football, and that is not hyperbole. Through an old high school friend, Joe has gotten to know a Division-III football coach in that neck of the woods who told Joe a year or so ago, “You are the only guy around here I can talk football with.” And Joe only sees the guy at most three times a year.
Joe is willing to bet a C-note that if Jameis walked down Broadway in St. Louis before a Cardinals game, at least half the people wouldn’t recognize him. That seems ludicrous to Bucs fans and folks from Florida, but anyone who has ever spent any time in St. Louis would not be shocked. Football, in that area, is background noise.
So it in no way would surprise Joe if Molina had no idea who Jameis was.
July 12th, 2017 at 9:05 am
I saw Joe walking down the street, didn’t notice him. but I noticed Rachel Watson arm in arm with him.
July 12th, 2017 at 10:13 am
Speaking of sunbs, where is Morning Cup of Joe?
July 12th, 2017 at 10:49 am
Joe just nodded his head at you Nole&aBuc. lol
Joe is clueless to your suggestion.
Joe says, “You take care of your coffee and I’ll take care of mine!” lol
I think the Joe that handles the coffee is under the weather. Be patient.
16 more days…
July 12th, 2017 at 11:02 am
Move the football Cardinals back to St. Louis. Football is Americas number one sport and rightly so.
July 12th, 2017 at 11:07 am
Michael Bidwill isn’t dumb.
July 12th, 2017 at 11:20 am
nawl…..yadi’s a gator fan!!!!….GO BUCS!!!!
July 12th, 2017 at 11:22 am
Is Joe’s editor on vacation? Sheesh, that was a hard read.
July 12th, 2017 at 1:09 pm
Saw Gibson pitch against the Big Red Machine at Busch Stadium, 1970 I think it was. Tell me…how does it get any better than that?
July 12th, 2017 at 10:05 pm
Who is Yadier Molina …. Fire the cannons!!!!!
July 13th, 2017 at 3:39 am
How many mornings now without my mornig cup of joe.
It’s all gone to hell.
July 13th, 2017 at 2:08 pm
If the football Cardinals move back to anywhere, they should go all the way back to Chicago. The home of Second City deserves a second football team. Chicagoans need a reason to smile, and they ain’t gettin no love from Da Bears.
July 13th, 2017 at 3:28 pm
I grew up in St Louis in the 50s and 60s. I just loved having baseball cards and football cards. Each was a two word name when written or spoken about. In high school and college our schools had the same mascot for all sports. I’d like it that way in cities. I loved it in St. Louis. The cities should own the mascots, not the team owners. I’d love Tampa Bay to have football, baseball, and hockey Bucs. Big cities, like New York could have had Yankees for all their first teams and Mets, or whatever, for teams that came later. Cities like Cleveland should have known they’d always have the Browns or Indians, whichever came first.
I’m glad this post is a day and a half old. Maybe I’ll get to skip all the hate mail.