Fan News

Fifty games into the 2014 MLB season, the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox find themselves at the bottom of the AL East.  Even with over 110 games left, Boston fans should start to panic.  Here are the five biggest takeaways from the struggling Red Sox's season so far.

They Need to Start Hitting

A tough start to the 2014 MLB season has gotten even tougher for Carlos Santana, as the Cleveland Indians' slugger has been placed on the seven-day concussion list.   

The team's official Twitter account provided the details:

The Seattle Mariners have been searching for a reliable long-term answer at the leadoff spot for a number of years. They may have finally found one with center fielder James Jones.

Jones' major league career is only 22 games old, but his early returns are promising. He has all the traits you want in a leadoff hitter and has already established himself as a fan favorite as one of the Mariners’ most exciting prospects moving forward.

Houston Astros outfielder George Springer has hit home runs in four consecutive games to set a new franchise record for rookies, per Jose Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle.

The Baltimore Orioles are not only one of the most dangerous hitting teams in baseball, but they're also the best defensive squad in the game. 

So, despite the fact that many of their best players are still quite young, the O's are clearly in win-now mode.

Any time you can incorporate a wine glass, maracas and a Hawaiian lei into your dance routine, you're doing strong work. 

All of these essential components were found in the "Call Me Maybe" rendition that Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale put together.

As weird as it may sound, lucky cowboy boots could help explain how the San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval has turned things around this season.

Sandoval was below the Mendoza line through the early part of May, but he has bumped that average up substantially recently. He has hit .429 with four home runs and 11 RBI during his current six-game hitting streak.

Is there anything better than a playoff beard?

There is, in fact. An all-the-time facial hairdo. Whether its James Harden hiding his true colors or Brett Keisel's mane flowing from under his football helmet, we love when athletes rock eccentric styles in the field of play.

Being a professional athlete is so much more than simply performing well and winning. The most successful superstars build personas that exist off the court or field, allowing them to connect with people who don't necessarily identify with their sport.

Fans often forget that athletes have real lives when they're not in uniform. Players have families, social lives, businesses and hobbies, too. Playing a sport is just a job, albeit a great one, that also requires athletes to have a public persona in street clothes.

Philadelphia Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg can't handle Citi Field's Shake Shack, but his stomach apparently has no problem with cat food. Funny world.

It's tough to question anything Sandberg has done in his life given how much success he has had. The Chicago Cubs legend had a career good enough to earn a spot in Cooperstown, and he has now worked his way into a managing job.