Matt Tuiasosopo currently plays for the Tacoma Rainiers

Last Tuesday, July 21, 2009, my daughter and I went to watch the Tacoma Rainiers lose 11-7 to the Sacramento River Cats. The Rainiers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Here are some important facts you may need to know about Rainiers third baseman Matt Tuiasosopo (pictured above):

• Matt Tuiasosopo has good speed and is an excellent bunter. In his first at-bat, he bunted down the third base line and reached first base without a throw.
• Matt Tuiasosopo comes from a very athletic family. His father, Manu Tuiasosopo, played for the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. One of his brothers, Marques Tuiasosopo, played quarterback for the University of Washington Huskies and later briefly with the New York Jets and Oakland Raiders of the NFL. Another brother, Zach Tuiasosopo, also played for the UW Huskies.

Below, Marques Tuiasosopo

• According to one of the gentlemen sitting behind us (see photo below - I am not sure which gentleman it was, however), his granddaughter played fast pitch softball with Matt Tuiasosopo's sister, and the entire family, including the more famous brothers, would come to watch her games.

• Matt Tuiasosopo was called out for interference in the first inning when he slid too hard into second base trying to break up a double play. The slide was more of a roll than a slide and was similar to the kind of block an overmatched running back might make on a blitzing linebacker.
• Matt Tuiasosopo's at-bat theme song is the same as my wife's ringback on her cell phone.
• Matt Tuiasosopo had a double at some point during the game.
• At another point, one of the Rivers Cats batters hit a pop up down the left field line. Matt Tuiasosopo turned and ran after the ball, and it looked like he was going to make a nice over-the-shoulder catch, but then he missed it. The batter ended up with a double, I believe.

Above, Matt Tuiasosopo at third base

• Matt Tuiasosopo struck out twice during the game. (See video below - watch how Matt Tuiasosopo refuses to leave home plate for a long time after being called out.)

• Matt Tuiasosopo grounded into a double play to end the game. This was one of four double plays the River Cats turned that night.