The Stars are Out: Best of the Rest

On this rare, baseball-less day of October, I figured I'd roll out the remaining Stars are Out customs I've had in my folder. Most of these are fairly recent, too, with a few coming from playoff games.

We'll start with Ralph Lauren. Because...I mean, one of the most well-known clothing manufacturers in the world wearing a Yankee jersey is a rare enough sight as it is.

I'm gonna...curb a lot of my comments here. I mean, on one hand...yeah, it's cute that he and North came out to Guaranteed Rate Field and threw out a first pitch. But...on the other hand...okay, I'll do the criticism that'll piss the fewest amount of people off- dude hasn't put out a good album since My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Fill in the blanks yourselves.

...Okay, one more. The hell kind of iPhone passcode is '000000'? I mean, really? You of ALL PEOPLE should know about keeping your shit protected.

Okay, I'm done. I'm done. Onto someone a little happier.

...Alright, I'll say the other side of Chicago got the win here. Kevin Hart's in the apex of his career, he's making a ton of hit movies, and making people laugh everywhere. But...anyone notice that he does First Pitches in Chicago a lot...and he's FROM Philly? Like, isn't that a little rude to the Phils? We'd love to have him throw one out.

Speaking of comedians, Sebastian Maniscalco may be one of the best working standups out there right now, and I'm glad he's beginning to get more recognition. And, like a lot of comics out there for some reason, he's a Mets fan, so he got to throw one out at Citifield.

Moving into the category of 'other sports stars', here's yet another Chicago first pitch, this one from Jabari Parker of the Chicago Bulls, looking confident out there.

...and here is noted Coyotes hero Oliver Ekman Larsson, complete with 'Captain' logo adorned on his D-Backs jersey, hauling one over the plate in Phoenix.

And to top that, in Phoenix..

...uh, yeah, how about one of the greatest swimmers of all time? Big, tall, lanky dude Michael Phelps, in all his gold-medal-winning glory, getting his first pitch in. That's pretty cool.

Finally, a couple of MLB stars to play us out. Hisashi Iwakuma retired earlier this year, and was a Mariners hero for a few years, playing second banana to Felix Hernandez a lot, but getting an All Star nod, and throwing strikes a ton.

Gotta end on Bobby Cox, though. One of the most legendary managers in Atlanta history, commandeering those classic 90s teams, and a respected team leader all those years. He's also a Hall of Famer now, which is well-deserved.

So, unless we get some more in the playoffs, that'll be the last of the Stars are Out issues for this season. I think we had a good run.

And Now, An Absolutely Beautiful Hisashi Iwakuma Custom

Just wanted to brighten your day a little bit. Regardless of the Mariners' struggles, or whatever's going on in the world...at least we can all agree on how cool this Iwakuma custom is.

That's all. Go back to what you were doing. I'll give you a post with some substance later tonight.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2015: Mariners

So, the Mariners didn't have the greatest year in 2015...but at least they had this guy...

Nelson Cruz, the guy who almost singlehandedly led the Orioles to the ALCS last year, did some magic again in Seattle, notching a ton of homers and staying 100% afloat in a rocky Mariners roster.

Hisashi Iwakuma also had a pretty nice 2015, aside from notching a no-hitter. He's been a pretty consistent #2 guy to Felix Hernandez, and he's gotten some pretty nice starts himself. It's kind of fitting he's in a deep blue here, because he'll be the #2 guy to the best pitcher in the NL next season.

Taijuan Walker will definitely be ready to take over for him in that #2 spot, though, as his 2015 season proved he was more than just a prospect. Walker had a ton of great games and nice strikeouts, and is definitely proving his worth in Seattle.

Finally, Seth Smith, who the Padres decided wasn't fit to remain in their fourth-place outfield, had a pretty nice season on the Mariners, though not to the caliber of his almost-All-Star season last year, he did some nice damage, and is definitely sticking around for next season.

Coming Tomorrow- Another team that's a few moves away from competing, the Miami Marlins.

It's August. Anything Can Happen.

A fourth place team can no-hit a playoff-chasing third place team. Hisashi Iwakuma can throw nine innings of no-hit ball.

It may not matter in a month, but I don't care. It's baseball. It's cool enough that a no-hitter happened in the first place. I'm content with it.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Mariners

This guy had one hell of a season. Funny thing is so did the rest of the Mariners.

I was seriously thinking that Felix would win his second Cy Young this year. Apologies to Corey Kluber, but this year he actually deserved it. Still, he should be very proud of himself for how he pitched this year.

Meanwhile, Kyle Seager had an All Star season, and solidified his reputation as one of the better young stars of the Seattle lineup.

Hisashi Iwakuma has established himself as King Felix' right hand man, and the #2 guy in the rotation. Even if he doesn't have the strongest year, he's still a strong force and a versatile pitcher.

Mike Zunino isn't the most hard-hitting catcher, but he's a great defensive backstop, and he's a decent start to a rebuilding lineup.

This guy had a well-deserved Comeback Player of the Year season, and pitched a marvel for the Mariners.

This guy is the biggest sign of improvement in the Seattle lineup. Cano is a huge force, defensive and offensive, and if he stays healthy, he'll help the Mariners get back to the playoffs.

Coming Tomorrow- I actually have a lot of Marlins customs to share tomorrow.

Custom Card of the Day: Iwakuma Edition

I hate to give you another 'I'm tired, here's a card' posts, but it's been another long day for me. Hell, it's been a pretty long weekend. And there isn't too much to say about Hisashi Iwakuma, other than the fact that he's a great pitcher for the Mariners.

Coming Tomorrow- To prove that this isn't a bias against any race, tomorrow's an Ichiro custom.

Year by Year Customs: 1974

 

We lead off our 1974's with another World Series hero, one that was just re-signed by the Giants. 

 

 

This is my first Kubel custom. I know, I missed all his years with the Twins. Only this was his first truly great year.

 

Annnnd what failing team would be complete without a Japanese import.

Coming Tomorrow- Now we're getting to three awesome 70's designs in a row (not counting 1974). Tomorrow, we've got a Cubs star, a Phillies prospect, a Cardinals prospect, and a Mets prospect.