Kennedy: It’s no longer “love thy neighbour, hate thy opponent” in MLB

“Yet there is one baseball rule that gets broken every day and by virtually every player, coach and manager. Disobedience is rampant, and not only are the rule-breakers never punished, they're never caught. They defy and disobey the rule with a sort of unwritten impunity. The illegal practice is far too widespread. Rigid enforcement and suspensions would wipe out the rosters of every team. We speak of Major League Baseball Rule 4.06, the most fractured, least-honoured, oft-overlooked law in the MLB rule book.

Rule 4.06 states: “Players in uniform shall not address or mingle with spectators, nor sit in the stands before, during, or after a game. No manager, coach or player shall address any spectator before or during a game. Players of opposing teams shall not fraternize at any time while in uniform.

Haha! Rule 4.06 gets battered and broken before and after each game, whether it's signing an autograph or tossing a ball into the stands. Opposing players, usually a baserunner and an infielder, break the rule each time they talk on the field, even if they're just comparing the amount of zeros in their new contract extensions.”

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McFarland: Vanneste shares taste of home with Mavericks’ teammates

“Being the parent of an athlete, you come to expect that you will occasionally have a few visitors to the house.

So when Tyler Vanneste asked his parents, Joey and Patty, if he could have his Medicine Hat Mavericks’ teammates stop by his hometown of Warman, Saskatchewan during a July roadtrip, they rolled out the red carpet.

With a full spread of pulled pork, fruits and veggies, and some Nestea iced tea waiting for them, the team bus pulled in on June 13 for a pre-game meal and plenty of memories.

Believe it or not, the visitors didn’t eat the family out of house and home.

“There were lots of leftovers,” Vanneste told Alberta Dugout Stories. “They cooked up a LOT of pork.”

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Ex-Raptors Lowry and DeRozan will be following Nori, son of ex-Raptor coach

“More than once we have been asked either in person or via email:

“Why is a player from Northville, Mich. listed No. 1 on the Canadian Baseball Network draft list?”

Well, Dante Nori was born at Mount Sinai Hospital on University Avenue in downtown Toronto. He lived here for two years. And Dante often hung out at the Air Canada Centre before, during and after Toronto Raptors games.”

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ICYMI - McFarland: Canadian Futures Showcase HR derby champ Flewelling impresses at MLB Draft Combine

“When Nathan Flewelling squared up a Riley Burton pitch on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Gulls Field in Sylvan Lake, everyone in the crowd knew the baseball wasn’t coming back.

The three-run seventh inning home run to deep right field tied the game against the Lethbridge Bulls, which the Gulls would later go onto win 7-6.

It was a big moment for the team, and for the Innisfail native who hit his first Western Canadian Baseball League home run with family in the stands.”

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