Babes Love Charity Events

A Major League Baseball player's job isn't always to hit a fastball out of the park, or make a spectacular game saving catch. Some of their best work is done outside of the ballpark. Many players get involved with charities and community events, and they don't get nearly enough credit for doing so. That being said, Babes Love Baseball would like to tell you about - and commend - Denard Span and Orlando Hudson from the Minnesota Twins, along with Friends of St. Paul Baseball, for the upcoming "Twins & Pins Bowling Classic."

The folks who brought you the Mauer Golf Tournament and the Molitor Golf Classic are doing it again, this time they're hoping for lots of strikes - on the bowling lanes. Hosted by Orlando Hudson and Denard Span, members of the Minnesota Twins are signing up to participate in the Twins & Pins Bowling Classic to raise money for charity, and you can join them. The Classic will be on Thursday, July 29th at 7pm at the Brunswick Zone XL in Brooklyn Park, MN, and there are still spots open for you to participate as well.

Random MLB Signings

The Minnesota Twins have signed Orlando Hudson to a one-year, $5 million contract, agreeing not to offer salary arbitration next fall if he becomes a Type A free agent, which means he'd rank in the upper 20% of second basemen in the game... which could totally happen.

This move not only takes care of their second base problem (no offense, Nick Punto) it also forms a whole new pairing up the middle with spankin' new shortstop J.J. Hardy, who was acquired by the Twins early in the offseason in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Continue reading and comment on this story at Sports Untapped.

Prince Fielder: Angry Base-Stealer

What's awesome about this picture? First of all, Prince Fielder stole a base yesterday. That marks two on the season. Second, Orlando Hudson can jump really high.

Welcome to Orlando

Los Angeles Dodgers fans sure do love their new second baseman.

Orlando Hudson accomplished one of the most difficult feats in baseball Monday, hitting for the cycle in his team's 11-1 rout of the San Francisco Giants.

"Dodger fans can’t expect this every day," he said, "The cycle is very hard. First of all, getting a hit is hard."

Tell that to his .389 OBP this season.

Hudson, who agreed to a free-agent deal in February after three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, completed the first big league cycle of the 2009 season with a sixth-inning triple off Brandon Medders. The 31-year old also singled in the first, homered in the third and doubled in the fourth, becoming the first Dodger since Wes Parker in 1970, the ninth in franchise history, and the first ever to hit for the cycle at Dodger Stadium.

Way to go, buddy!

[LA Times] | [Fanhouse] | [6-4-2] | [Mop Up Duty]

Squeeze Play

vs.

It'll be a heated battle between two guys with initials for first names tonight when right-hander A.J. Burnett takes the hill for the Toronto Blue Jays (13-12), opening a three-game series against C.C. Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians (14-8) at 7:05pm ET.

The Tribe is 5-0 when Sabathia has started this season, but the lefty has not gotten a W since defeating the Chicago White Sox on April 15th. He is a career 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA in four home starts against the Jays.