Dugout Diary by Joe Boesch

Once he was called up to the Reds, Elly De La Cruz has been a mainstay, making his name well known. From baseball card enthusiasts chasing Elly's rookie card to him hitting a monster home run onto the steamboat deck, he's here to stay. From his quick thinking base running and sliding into bases head first, he brings an energetic kid spirit to the game, and it's good for baseball.  So if you're chasing Elly baseball cards, keep chasing them. If you watch him with amazement, keep watching. He's in the big leagues to stay. He's one piece of the Big Red Machine.  Until then, see you at the park. — Joe Boesch 

You're going to struggle. You're going to do well. You can't really let the past or the day before - whether you had a good day or bad day - dictate the day you have that certain day.   — Andrew Benintendi — Joe Boesch 

The Mets will be 10 games without closer Edwin Diaz due to the umpires ruling that he had "sticky stuff" on his hands. The 10-game suspension hurts the Mets at a pivotal time when they have won 8 out of the last 10 games they played. They head into the Subway Series with the Yankees, who are in first place in the American League with a 52-28 record. The Mets "sticky stuff" situation is not the Mets' first time dealing with it, as they had Drew Smith and former Mets hurler Max Scherzer suspended over it. Diaz was the eighth MLB pitcher to be suspended since MLB implemented the rules. With regard to MLB's Rule 6.02, it states that players cannot "have on his person, or in his possession, any foreign substance." Pitchers are permitted to use a rosin bag on their hands, wrist and forearm but cannot apply it to their gloves or uniforms. This really hurts the Mets. The Mets now will have to rely on Grimace to be their closer. Until then, see you at the p...

The Diagnosis Stage 1, but the game goes on I always cringed when I heard the word cancer. It scared me to the point of making my mind think that it's the end. I would always tell myself, I hope that in my life I never get cancer and have to deal with it.  Well, my most feared thought came true — I was diagnosed with Stage 1 Classic Seminoma.  My mind went blank, and I looked at my wife and said "Yes" after I hung up the phone with my doctor's office. I'm not going into great detail about my diagnosis, but I just want to express that it's important to get checked by a doctor when something doesn't feel right. Before I knew it, I was being rolled on a gurney into the operating room. The hardest part for me in this journey, besides telling my wife, was my family, especially my parents. In life, there are phone calls that are hard to make, and that was the hardest.  Now back to baseball and the first inning in my new game. Even though this is a baseball publi...

2024 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball Release Date: June 26, 2024  Here's Beckett's recap of information regarding Panini's 2024 Stars & Stripes USA Baseball cards. 2024 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball cards at a glance: Cards per pack: Hobby – 8, H2 – 5 Packs per box: Hobby – 1, H2 – 12 Boxes per case: Hobby – 20, H2 -20  Set size: TBA Release date (subject to change): June 26, 2024 Shop for 2024 Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball boxes on eBay: Hobby Boxes H2 Boxes What to expect in a hobby box: Autographs or Memorabilia Cards – 7 Total Inserts or Parallels – 1 Total What to expect in an H2 box: Autographs – 2 Memorabilia Cards – 1 Parallels – 18 Recent Panini Stars & Stripes USA Baseball releases: 2023 2022 2020 — Joe Boesch 

Official Media Release: 715 at 50: The Night Henry Aaron Changed Baseball and the World Forever By Randy Louis Cox Hank Aaron wasn't just a home run hitter. He hit for average, stole bases, won a World Series title, an MVP in 1957, and did everything a complete ballplayer should. He was the consummate pro. Consistent. Excellent. Every single game for 23 years. His career was as remarkable as any in baseball history, as he compiled an unprecedented record of achievements that we still marvel at decades later. Two batting titles. Three gold gloves. 25 All-Star Games. 3,771 hits. 2,174 runs. 240 stolen bases. 2,297 runs batted in. 12,364 at-bats. A lifetime .305 batting average. Remarkable. But on the evening of April 8, 1974, Hank Aaron's date with history had everything to do with his amazing power. On that cool and rainy Monday night, "Hammerin' Hank" would surpass one of the most cherished numbers in the history of the game—Babe Ruth's all-time h...

In order to excel, you must be completely dedicated to your chosen sport. You must also be prepared to work hard and be willing to accept constructive criticism. Without one-hundred percent dedication, you won't be able to do this.  — Willie Mays — Joe Boesch 

The opening scenes in the movie  The Natural , are synonymous with any  Father  and  Son  relationship.  Baseball , bring Fathers and Sons closer than one realizes.  In the opening scene it goes: "You have a gift Roy, but if you just rely on that gift…you'll fail." Fathers always pave the way for a Son to do good — they are there in a time of need and a time of happiness. They take you to the game, or, when older, follow you to the game.  Sometimes we connect different ways with our Dads, I connect with my Dad through baseball. The connection becomes even stronger, because I wanted to be a baseball writer, so I combined the two passions. I tend to see myself in the closing scenes of  The Natural , when coach  Pop Fisher  tells  Roy Hobbs : "My Mother wanted me to be a farmer." Hobbs responded : "My Dad wanted me to be a baseball player." On that note,  Happy Father's Day  to all the  Dads  out there. Until t...

Today is the day to get your Topps Series 2 baseball cards. From Topps.com to Steel City Collectibles they are ready to be bought. Some real nice cards in Series 2 from autographs, parallels to inserts, Topps has it covered. Enjoy. Until then, see you at the park! — Joe Boesch

You can talk about teamwork on a baseball team, but I'll tell you, it takes teamwork when you have 2,900 men stationed on the U.S.S. Alabama in the South Pacific. — Bob Feller — Joe Boesch 

First season on the Yankees and Juan Soto has elevated the team to be even better. Along with Aaron Judge, Soto is the one-two punch the Yankees need. Judge was also named MLB Player of the Month for May, batting . 361 with 27 RBIs over 28 games in May. He also hit 14 homers and 12 doubles. Wow! Will they get to the World Series? Hopefully for the New York faithful they will make it. Still a long season to go, but the Yankees do have the best record in the American League at 42-19. Fingers crossed, one game at a time. Here's a quote from Juan Soto on his desire to win: One day I'm going to be older, and I'm still going to want to win championships, win rings. And when that happens, I have to make sure the next guys saw how to play the game the right way. If I just jog, they are watching. If I don't go all-out, they are watching that. I know they are always watching.  — Juan Soto Until then see you at the park! — Joe Boesch