Tarps Off!

An MLBoyfriend first! We are celebrating the fans and the Tarps Off that is sweeping the baseball stadiums across the nation. Of course, college sports have a long tradition of male fans going shirtless to support their teams. However, this trend is new to Major League Baseball. There's some debate as to who did it first, but everyone seems to agree it was a group of St. Louis Cardinals fans the got the momentum going.

Oliver Marmol, the Cardinals' manager appreciated the Tarps Off energy so much, he gave the participants free tickets to the next game.

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The trend spread quickly. Click through to see Tarps Off fans from not only St. Louis, but also Detroit, Seattle and Tampa Bay.

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Congratulations to all who have participated in Tarps Off! You get the MLBoyfriend seal of approval.

Albert Pujols

Let's hear it for the oldest player in Major League Baseball. Albert Pujols is having one heck of a swan song.

Last week, Pujols had 6 runs, 2 home runs, 6 RBI, a .400 average and 1.638 OPS. As a fellow Gen-Xer, I'm proud that he put up stats any Millennial or Gen-Z player would be very happy to have.

Since I'm so late in posting today, I can report news from tonight. Pujols hit his 703rd career home run just a few hours ago. That gave him his 2,216th RBI. Putting him second on the list of most RBIs after Hank Aaron and one ahead of Babe Ruth.

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Pujols also happens to be quite the zaddy.

Cogratulations, Albert Pujols! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

Joe Ryan Feat. Ryan Helsley

I was sure I had found my MLBoyfriend of the week on Tuesday, September 13. I went to Target Field that night and saw Twins rookie, Joe Ryan, give a masterful performance on the mound.

Ryan had a no-hitter going through 7 complete innings with 9 strikeouts and only 2 walks. I was one of the crowd booing the decision to send in a relief pitcher at the start of the 8th inning--even though, in retrospect, the call makes sense.

#MNTwins fans aren’t too happy about Joe Ryan being pulled… 😬 pic.twitter.com/a03isNMSuf

— SKOR North (@SKORNorth) September 14, 2022

Ryan ended the day with a 0.00 ERA (obviously), a 0.29 WHIP, a win, a quality start, and an adorably awkward interview.

Joe Ryan became the first rookie in @Twins history to complete seven innings without allowing a hit. @KatieStorm spoke with Joe after the impressive performance against the Royals. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/49ycfz8pnd

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) September 14, 2022

Here's the pic I took with my phone of Ryan fumbling with his answer to that last "good question".

So, case closed, right? Joe Ryan will be my MLBoyfriend. Not so fast. On Saturday, I get a message from friend of the blog, friend IRL, and lifelong Cardinals fan Seán with a nomination for the week. Former MLBoyfriend Ryan Helsley pitched an immaculate inning on Friday, September 16.

That's right. Helsley went into the game in the 9th inning and threw just 9 pitches--everyone of them a strike. It is a very rare feat in baseball. Helsley is only the third pitcher in the history of the Cardinals organization to achieve it.

The #STLCards immaculate inning club:

Gibson in '69
Isringhausen in '02
Helsley '22 pic.twitter.com/cBX0jU7BK4

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 17, 2022

Helsley finished the week strong with 3.0 innings pitched giving up just 2 hits and 0 walks with 6 strikeout, a 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP and 2 save/holds. He was definitely giving Joe Ryan a run for his money.

Then, on Sunday, September 18, Ryan pitched another humdinger. 

He went 7.2 innings, giving up 3 hits, 2 walks, and no earned runs, with 5 strikeouts--giving him a second win and quality start for the week.

For the week, Ryan's stats are very impressive. Pitching 14.2 innings, he had a 0.00 ERA and 0.48 WHIP with 2 wins and 2 quality starts. Plus, it's always nice to have a fresh face on the blog. So....

Congratulations, Joe Ryan! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

Week 7: Nolan Arenado

I can't believe it's been four years since Nolan Arenado won the MLBoyfriend title. He's a great player and a handsome devil. Well, he's made his triumphant return. Let's take a look at some stats and pictures.

Last week, Arenado had...

A .400 batting average and 1.263 OPS (those numbers are both really high);

3 home runs;

4 runs, and 5 RBIs!

Congratulations, Nolan Arenado! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week. Let's not wait another four years for our next date.

Postseason, Week 1: Ryan Helsley

Ryan Helsley is my MLBoyfriend of the week because he had the courage to speak out against racism. I worked on this post for about half an hour, and realized I was going to bury the lede way too deeply.* So, let me put this upfront, Ryan Helsley, a member of the Cherokee Nation, got my attention and won my heart when he had this to say about the Atlanta Braves' horrible "Tomhawk Chop":

“I think it’s a misrepresentation of the Cherokee people or Native Americans in general. [It] just depicts them in this kind of caveman-type people way who aren’t intellectual. They are a lot more than that. It’s not me being offended by the whole mascot thing. It’s not. It’s about the misconception of us, the Native Americans, and it devalues us and how we’re perceived in that way, or used as mascots. The Redskins and stuff like that. ...That’s the disappointing part. That stuff like this still goes on. It’s just disrespectful, I think.”

Ryan Helsley is a rookie who just played his first postseason game. He showed a lot of strength and civility in what has to be a both a very exciting and stressful time. That makes his stand all the more impressive.

Congratulations, Ryan Helsey! You are my MLBoyfriend.  Before this season began, I said I would keep an eye out for "My Ethical MLBoyfriend", and you definitely fit the bill. Plus, you're super cute.

UPDATED 10/9: I didn't include the Atlanta team's official response to Ryan Helsley's comments in this post. I was skeptical, to say the least, that they "appreciate and take seriously Mr. Helsley's concerns". I was equally leery of MLB Commisioner Rob Manfred saying that the ball team has "taken steps to take out" the Tomahawk Chop chant. The headline of Deadspin's post on Sunday about the chant and Helsley's response to it summed up my feelings: "Braves Give Lie To Rob Manfield's Insistence That The 'Tomahawk Chop' Is Being Discouraged". In short, I didn't think Helsley's comments would have any effect.

I am happy to report that I was wrong. Ryan Helsey's criticism has actually caused the Atlanta organization to make some positive changes. 

Week 23: Kolten Wong

Kolten Wong in literally my favorite baseball photo this week.

Kolten Wong is know for his excellent defense.

Check out this play he made earlier today.



Last week, Wong also put up some really big numbers on offense. He went 11 for 16 at the plate with 3 runs, 6 RBIs, a .688 batting average, and 2.049 OPS. He had 2 stolen bases to boot.

Wong hit "only" one home run last week which was his tenth of the season. This year, when everyone his hitting dingers left and right, it's easy to overlook a player like Wong who is having a very good year at the plate but isn't hitting tons of homers.

We here at MLBoyfriend pride ourselves on recognizing players that other might overlook. Especially when they look like Kolten Wong.

Week 22: Dakota Hudson

Dakota Hudson did this on Monday, August 19:



That's right, before he was pulled from the game, Hudson had a no-hitter going through 6.2 innings. You can argue that his stats were not that great that game--the 7 strikeouts were good, but he gave up 4 walks and the ball was put into play 13 times against him. Still, pitching a no-no in 6+ innings is impressive.

Then, on Saturday, August 24, Hudson threw another gem:



That's right, Hudson pitched 6.0 scoreless innings.

In less than a week, Hudson pitched12.2 innings, gave up just 2 hits, and 7 walks, while throwing 9 strike outs, He had a 0.00 ERA and 0.71 WHIP for the week and had 2 wins in 2 quality starts. That's a very good week for a pitcher.

As if his stats last week weren't enough to win the MLBoyfriend title, Dakota Hudson has several other qualifications for the title.

Week 26: Tyler O'Neill

This should be the most exciting time in baseball with lots of teams fighting to get into the postseason. Unfortunately, there aren't that many exciting races this year. That's why it's fun to watch teams that are in the hunt for one of the few spots left open. The St. Louis Cardinals are one of those teams and they have been having a great run. On Saturday, September 22, Tyler O'Neill gave the Cards a much needed win with a walk-off home run, and it is a joy to watch.



Wait a minute. Is O'Neill shirtless at the end of that clip? I believe he was. Is there a better look at what happened? Why, yes, there is.

Tyler O’Unit with the #walkoff.

You’re going to want to watch to the end. 😉 pic.twitter.com/8pEGN6uRD0

— MLB (@MLB) September 22, 2018

How does O'Neill feel about having his jersey and undershirt ripped off by his teammates? Fortunately, at least two news outlets thought to interview him about just that after the game. And, they both included more footage of the event.





Anyone who follows this blog knows that O'Neill gets bonus points for being Canadian. He gets double bonus points for having a father who named Mr. Canada.