'Off the Bat' to feature Alvarez, Kershaw
Pirates third baseman returns home, will appear in MLB Fan Cave studio
NEW YORK -- The ninth episode of "Off the Bat" airs at 11 p.m. ET Tuesday on MTV2, and this one features Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez as an in-studio guest and Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw painting the corners in a brand-new way.
Alvarez grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, and he celebrated his latest homecoming by dropping by the MLB Fan Cave during the day of the Bucs' second game in this series against the Mets. He answers "questions from left field" from hosts Sway, Fat Joe, Melanie Iglesias and Chris Distefano.
Alvarez has reached base safely in 23 of his last 27 games for the Pirates, who have won five of their last six, and he ranks among the National League leaders at third base with nine homers and 27 RBIs. It remains to be seen whether he also ranks among the NL's top five in All-Star voting at that position. Major League Baseball will reveal that league's first All-Star balloting update on Wednesday, a day after the first American League update was announced.
Kershaw's artistry on the mound is well-known, but this segment, shot during the offseason, will show him creating an actual work of art -- by dipping foam balls in paint and tossing them against a canvas on a wall. The finished piece currently resides in the MLB Fan Cave art gallery.
In addition, this episode features an in-studio segment with hip-hop star Asher Roth. The baseball fan stopped by to talk about his new summer album, and he takes a crack at doing play by play for his beloved San Francisco Giants.
The season-long series is executive produced by Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. In addition to Alvarez, previous episodes of "Off the Bat" have featured in-studio guests Yasiel Puig and Dee Gordon of the Dodgers, Robinson Cano of the Mariners, Bryce Harper of the Nationals, Adam Jones of the Orioles, CC Sabathia of the Yankees, David Price and Chris Archer of the Rays, Eric Young Jr. of the Mets, and Cardinals starting pitchers Adam Wainwright, Shelby Miller and Michael Wacha.
"Off the Bat" is a weekly 30-minute series hosted from the MLB Fan Cave at 11 ET each Tuesday night. Each week, MLB players will be in-studio for interviews and segments with series hosts Sway, Fat Joe, Distefano and Iglesias, spotlighting the stars' personalities and passions. Every episode will also feature on-location segments with players.