Yesterday’s Astros/Padres game had to endure a 52-minute delay in the ninth inning due to a swarm of bees that set up shop near San Diego left fielder Kyle Blanks at Petco Park.

This would be an even bigger deal if it was the first time that something chaotic happened in a baseball stadium, but sadly, it’s not. In fact, it isn’t even the first time that bees caused a player to run for cover. Remember old friend Darren Oliver? He was forced to run from the mound in a 2005 spring training game while pitching for the Rockies. The reason? A swarm of bees attacked him, which he blamed on his hair gel. Every time he tried to go back to the mound, the bees accompanied him, so he was taken out of the game. Because of bees.

A few weeks ago I briefly touched on this sort of stuff as a result of the  Coco Crisp vs. Seagulls fiasco.

Doesn’t this all seem a bit too Little League? Running off the field because of bees? Losing a game because of a bunch of birds? Having a playoff game ruined by midges?

Then there are the roadbumps that come at the hands of Mother Nature. Obviously, delays and postponements due to rain, or even snow, aren’t anything that anyone can get too worked up about (unless you’re Mike Lowell and you’re miffed that the game was even attempted given the forecast).

The biggest case of a natural disaster in a stadium (besides Rosanne Barr in Jack Murphy Stadium — thank you, Mr. Werner) is obviously the Loma Prieta earthquake, which disrupted the 1989 World Series for 10 days after terrifying everyone in Candlestick Park prior to Game 3.

Rather than giving you the same old videos everyone has seen on the matter, here’s a pretty remarkable one-shot by a terribly nerdy-looking Giants fan that features some great before/after footage.

That video shows a lot of what went on from a fan’s perspective, but since people would probably rather hear Al Michaels’ voice than that guy’s, here’s the memorable ABC lead-in from that night.

The Loma Prieta Earthquake on National Television

Disasters at ballparks don’t always occur during the game or as fans are packing the stadium. In fact, three were killed when a crane collapsed during the construction of Miller Park back in 1999.

Normally, people will say it was an usual day at the ballpark when they see an infielder turn an unassisted triple play or an outfielder drop a homer into the stands. History is beginning to prove that not all shocking events at the stadium can be written into one’s score card.

As the Fourth of July fast approaches, Americans are heating up their barbeques, donning their star spangled banners, and heading down to the Cape. But this year, there will be at least one more celebrating the great American holiday: Red Sox slugger Jason Bay.

Taking the oath of allegiance just before becoming U.S. citizens

The 30-year-old leftfielder officially became a U.S. citizen Thursday in a naturalization ceremony at Faneuil Hall. Originally from Trail, British Columbia, Bay said he’s still proud of his Canadian heritage, according to ESPN.com.

“I don’t denounce being Canadian at any point, but I’m definitely proud to be an American,” he told reporters.

The Red Sox are certainly no foreigners when it comes to athlete citizenship. In 2004, Bay’s predecessor, the Dominican-born Manny Ramirez, missed a game against the Indians to become a U.S. citizen in Miami. The following day, he returned to Fenway waving a mini American flag as he ran out to leftfield.

Four years later, fellow Dominican and teammate David Ortiz swore his allegiance to the US of A, sporting a pin-stripe suit, dark shades, and his standard bling bling.

Still, others in the wide world of sports have never been too clear when it comes to their nationality – or, in the case of Alex Rodriguez, nationalities. Though he was born in the U.S., Rodriguez is also a citizen of the Dominican Republic and has constantly struggled with an identification complex. In 2005, while discussing which team he would play for in the World Baseball Classic, Rodriguez channeled his inner James Brown and declared, “I want to say it out loud: I am Dominican…and I am going to make the Dominicans feel proud.”

But come the 2006 WBC, the waffling Rodriguez was wearing a U.S. uniform and playing alongside fellow countrymen Derek Jeter and Jason Varitek.

In 2009, Rodriguez once again caused much confusion as he switched alliances and decided that it would be a “dream come true” to play for the Dominican team. But the Yankees third baseman was hampered by injuries and, tragically, his dream never came true. I guess no one told the advertising department.

All A-Rod bashing aside, there are some athletes who truly dream of making a better life for themselves and their families in the United States. They flee from the persecution of oppressive regimes in their respective countries, risking their lives to ultimately share in the democratic ideals our country values so much.

Take the Royals’ Brayan Pena, for example. On a tour with the Cuban Junior National team, the then 17-year-old catcher was forced to sneak out of bathroom window in Venezuela and go into hiding for several months in an attempt to defect to the U.S. He left behind his family, friends, teammates, and the life he had known for 17 years.

Today, Pena is not only the starting catcher for Kansas City – he is, most notably, a U.S. citizen. In an interview with MLB.com, Pena said: “I feel like the happiest man on earth now.

“I’m proud to be a Cuban, too, but I’m proud to be an American citizen because this is the country I live in, this is the country I respect, the country that really gave me everything I’ve got. It’s amazing. There are things that money can’t buy, and American citizenship is one of them.”

Free agency has begun in both the NHL and NBA, with big-name players already on the move, including a few local college heroes landing in spots that will undoubtedly decrease their popularity in Boston.

In the NHL, the most popular free agent was taken off the market early when the Blackhawks decided it would be a good idea to pay Marian Hossa $5.233 million as a 42-year old. The 12-year deal is worth $62.8 million total, and while the average salary isn’t too devastating in the short term, Hossa will undoubtedly kill Chicago’s cap when he’s past his prime and the Blackhawks are trying to make improvements elsewhere.

While Hossa has played a part on almost-winning teams in the past (lost in Stanley Cup Finals the last two years with Pittsburgh and Detroit, respectively), the expectations placed on him by Chicago doubled when the Blackhawks watched leading scorer Martin Havlat defect to the Wild late last night for six years and $30 million. The Blackhawks also lost goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who is headed to Edmonton after going 25-8 in his final season in Chicago.

Gionta inspires youth hockey players despite being the same size as them

There may have been massive shakeup in Chicago, but perhaps the biggest splash was made by the Canadiens. After trading for Scott Gomezon Tuesday, the Habs opened free agency by inking Mike Camalleri, Jaroslav Spacek, and old friend Hal Gill, to name a few. While Gill will provide the team with size (and, as Boston has witnessed, probably not much else) it is the signing of a little man, Boston College alum and NCAA champion Brian Gionta, that should cause the most heartache around these parts.

Gionta played four years at BC, winning it all in the ‘00-’01 season before heading to the New Jersey Devils. Many pegged him as too small for the NHL– he is the second-shortest player in the league at what seems to be a generous 5′7″– he started for the Stanley Cup champion Devils in the ‘02-’03 season. After the lockout, it seemed as though the “new NHL” was designed for him, as the Rochester Rocket scored a career-high 48 goals in the ‘05-’06. Now at the age of 30, Gionta will make $5 million a year for the Habs. 

Not to be outdone, of couse, the Rangers threw some big money around too, but in what appears to be a less-logical fashion. Despite the fact that he only suited up in 17 games last season and has been notorious for his injuries, Marian Gaborik is headed to New York thanks to a 5-year, $37.5 million contract.

After missing significant time with a back injury last season, Gaborik was out for the final 38 thanks to hip replacement surgery. As Alex Katz wrote earlier today, hip injuries in sports are happening more and more often with each passing year.

As for the NBA, somebody just made Memphis’ recent pairing of UConn stars Rudy Gay and Hasheem look a lot less cool. The Pistons have thrown some big money around and should see a significant return when they team two UConn products– Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva– with former Husky Richard Hamilton.

While Gordon was a handful for the Celtics in their first-round match-up with the Bulls last season (42 points in game two, 33 in game seven), it is likely that both players will play a bigger role as nemesis to the Green than they previously have in their NBA careers.

 A call into Jonathan the Husky was not immediately returned, but all signs point to him remaining in Storrs and not replacing Detroit’s incumbent mascot, Hooper.

Meanwhile, ‘Sheed Watch continues in Boston, with Ainge apparently pulling out the big guns today. As expected, the Celtics aren’t the only team vying for the services of the 6-foot-11 forward, with the Spurs being the latest team to display their interest.

As for where Hedo Turkoglu is headed, you can forget about those Toronto rumors. Portland remains interested in Turkoglu, while it looks like David Lee is a more realistic option for the Raptors. 

Colleague Greg Cameron put together an impressive entry on NBA free agency in which he named Chris Andersen as a possibility for the Celtics. Unfortunately for local fans of tattoos and ridiculous hair, it’s looking like the Birdman will stay in Denver.

Here’s one to keep an eye on: the Cavaliers are apparently going after Ron Artest.

Music and Lyrics by Ronald William Artest, Jr.:

Paul!

I’m so sorry to humiliate you on TV by pulling your shorts down.

I won’t do it again!

Truly one of the sincerest moments in NBA history. How could that guy in Detroit not like him? Oh well, art isn’t for everyone. Seriously though, the Celtics may have the Big Three, but do you think a team that featured LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Ron Artest wouldn’t sell out every road game they play? Artest would bring Cleveland defensive prowess, but his insanity may sell just as much.

Undergoing hip surgery used to be a tell tale sign of old age – just another component of the senior citizen’s standard operating procedure along with playing mahjong and eating tapioca pudding.

Hip injuries have recently swept the MLB, affecting both young and old alike

But in recent months, an astounding number of major-league baseball players have fallen victim to hip ailments, and were consequently forced to undergo surgery. Thing is, these are no ordinary hip injuries: torn acetabular labrums are a new phenomenon among major leaguers, one that doctors had never even heard of a decade ago.

In the last eight months alone, prominent players including Alex Rodriguez, Chase Utley, Carlos Delgado, Alex Gordon and Mike Lowell have all undergone hip labrum surgery. But since this injury is only beginning to gain national recognition, its long-term effects are still unknown.

Lowell, who underwent surgery last October, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained right hip. The 35-year-old Red Sox third baseman seemed to have recovered well as he batted .308 with eight homers in the months of April and May. But as the season wore on, he followed that up with a June in which he hit only .206 with two homers.

Only three and a half months after his surgery, Rodriguez hasn’t quite yet returned to his true form: this season, he’s only batting .239 with 13 homers. The Yankees third baseman also recently admitted that during his 15-year MLB career he used performance-enhancing drugs, which some doctors say might be the cause of this recent spike in hip injuries.

Others insist it’s simply an improvement in technology that’s brought the acetabular labrum injury to the forefront of sports medicine. In a recent New York Times article, University of Southern California Associate Professor Christopher Powers said:

“People and doctors are just more aware of it diagnostically. We’ve always had hip problems; now we are just finding it better.”

Still, according to the article, the number of players on the DL because of hip and groin-muscle injuries rose from 20 in 2007 to 34 in 2008. What’s more, at least 13 players have gone on the DL this season with hip injuries. If recent trends continue, that number seems likely to rise.

For the last twelve hours or so, NBA free agency (or in other words, the sport’s biggest square dance) is under way. This year’s free agent class includes quite a few notable names — including a few that could be in Danny Ainge’s sights.

Our own Dan Guttenplan takes a good look at Rasheed Wallace and the chances that he’ll be playing on Causeway Street. Guttenplan points out Wallace has excelled in situations with a great deal of discipline, and would do well in a disciplined environment playing with the always intense Kevin Garnett. Let’s face it — the Celtics most glaring needs are in the frontcourt. This past season, the Green certainly could have used another P.J. Brown or James Posey.

A name that could also intrigue Ainge and Celtic Nation is that of Chris Andersen. Andersen was on the Celtics radar late last summer after coming off of a drug use suspension and was close to signing with the C’s. (Andersen was also involved in one of the biggest dunk contest blunders back in 2005. Just ask the Birdman, he’ll tell you that good things take time.)

The Birdman isn’t the only former dunk contest participant on the free agent block this summer. Both Celtics alum Gerald Green and Miami small forward Jamario Moon were involved in the famed 2008 contest.

Sadly, there are no superheroes on the free agent block this summer.

Much was made in 2004 of Danny Ainge’s supposed infatuation with Bakersfield, California high schooler, Robert Swift. However, Swift was selected by the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics three picks ahead of the Celtics’ first pick that year. However, if Ainge so desires, he could finally be united with the Ronald McDonald look-alike at long last. Chances are the seven-footer would come at a small price tag considering the tattooed center has been a disappointment by averaging just 4.3 points per game and an even less impressive 3.9 rebounds per game.

If the Celtics are looking for a back-up point guard there are two future Hall-of-Famers available  in Jason Kidd and Allen Iverson.

Kidd became part of a good-sized controversy when Globe columnist Bob Ryan made some fairly disparaging comments about Kidd’s family on WBZ’s Sports Final back in 2004. The comments directed at Kidd’s now former wife, Joumana, landed Ryan in a one-month suspension from both the Globe and ESPN’s Around the Horn.

And last and certainly not least, this quick jaunt around the free agent market takes us to  Iverson. Where does one even think to begin when writing about Iverson? Sure, he’s a former MVP and 10-time All-Star. He’s also won the NBA scoring crown four times, but let’s be honest, there’s one thing we all know that Allen Iverson will be known for from here on out.

Iverson or anyone else detailed here at the LEEInks, are probably not be the “answer” to the Celtics free agent questions, but how sweet would it be to see any one of these names wearing Celtic green?