Thursday’s Hot Clicks: Baseball Game Interrupted by Dog Who Wants to Play Fetch

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Now is not the time

The Tulsa Drillers’ Bark at the Park night was going swimmingly—until one of the dogs realized there was a game of fetch going on. 

This is a bit of a problem for infield practice, but I don’t see why a team can’t start using dogs to warm up its outfielders. There’s always one outfielder left to use a ball boy as a throwing partner. Why not just have him toss the ball toward the foul line and have a dog bring it back to him?

(Random bonus: The news anchor who posted this video had a priceless reaction when he learned the score of the Super Bowl live on air.)

A fortunate case of mistaken identity

Best accidental text ever. Thank you @Buccaneers and @MikeEvans13_ Go Bucs 🏈 pic.twitter.com/YDOl0psgU5

— Deeds (@justin_deeds) June 7, 2018

A football player in Ohio got a text a few months ago from the Bucs reminding him that they had a meeting set up after Ohio State’s pro day—the only problem is the player is still in high school. The staffer didn’t realize that he’d texted Justin Deeds, a safety at Twinsburg High School, and not an NFL prospect. The staffer apologized and offered to send Deeds some Bucs memorabilia, so the high schooler requested a signed Mike Evans jersey.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” Deeds told the Tampa Bay Times. “If I didn't ask, I wasn't getting it, so it didn't hurt to ask.”

Sure enough, the jersey arrived last week. 

The old Waxahachie Swap

Cubs manager Joe Maddon got a little funky with his strategy in yesterday afternoon’s game against the Brewers, swapping Brian Duensing and Steve Cishek between the mound and leftfield in the eighth inning of a 1–0 game. 

If there’s ever a time to attempt this it’s in a one-run game with a lineup of alternating lefties and righties, but it sounds like the two pitchers involved weren’t too jazzed about going out in the field. 

“Was hoping one day it would happen,” Cishek said. “I don’t know who gave me the [sun]glasses—I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus—but they were prescription glasses. They made me nervous. It was tough to see out there.”

“It was a little terrifying,” Duensing said after the 1-0 loss. “A lot of praying going on out there ... Something I’ve never done before. Not that it was a box, but something I can check off.”

Bits & Pieces

An NHL ref is among the amateurs competing at the U.S. Open this week. ... The NCAA actually did something good and changed two rules to benefit athletes. ... You may have seen photos of the World Cup stadium with seats protuding way outside the walls of the venue. It might not be as stupid as it seems. ... That FBI agent who accidentally shot a guy while breakdancing (not a joke) has been arrested. ... The Rangers and Dodgers had themselves a nice little brawl. 

That’s not breakfast

My bfast Chili cheese cornbread #TTBOW #Oakinthekitchen#BNBA pic.twitter.com/9jbaW6CS9e

— Charles Oakley (@CharlesOakley34) June 14, 2018

But do you really want to tell Charles Oakley what to do?

I hate this so much

Eli to Latimer for a red zone TD! Now that’s how you start Day 2 of minicamp! 🎯

— New York Giants (@Giants) June 13, 2018

I don’t know what kind of maniac wants live updates from an NFL practice in early June but I’m certainly not one of them. 

DJ Khaled will be happy the Marlins made him so thin

DJ Khaled bobblehead being offered at Marlins Park August 12 vs. the Mets pic.twitter.com/3d4fR4InR6

— Fish On First Spaces (@MarlinsSpaces) June 13, 2018

#BungLife

Join #BungLife! On August 4th we are changing our name to the Beer City Bung Hammers in honor of this great beer city that we live in!

Find out what in the world is a bung and why we're doing this: https://t.co/2j1McqwuUz. pic.twitter.com/XQgUYVq4wF

— West Michigan Whitecaps (@wmwhitecaps) June 13, 2018

This is my favorite genre of tweet

I forced a bot to watch over 1,000 hours of Olive Garden commercials and then asked it to write an Olive Garden commercial of its own. Here is the first page. pic.twitter.com/CKiDQTmLeH

— Keaton Patti (@KeatonPatti) June 13, 2018

This happened at a music festival in Minnesota over the weekend. The woman, unsurprisingly, was cited for underage drinking. 

Sound on for this one

#AskShaq pic.twitter.com/16aHnuPA19

— SHAQ (@SHAQ) June 13, 2018

Not a bad consolation prize

The Belize tourism commission is offering a free vacation to whichever U.S. Open competitor posts the worst score at the notoriously difficult par-3 No. 7. 

For all you football nerds

Great stuff from Joe Whitt Jr. on the mechanics of passing off receivers in the secondary. (Prompted by a great question from @Michael_Cohen13) pic.twitter.com/ATr7w7iRfd

— Aaron Nagler (@AaronNagler) June 13, 2018

Lorenzo Cain paid attention in Little League

Los Angeles, 70 years ago vs. today

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_dkGZYYecs]

I really have to go to New Zealand

A good song

Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or ping me on Twitter. Click here for previous editions of Hot Clicks. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.