The teams face off at 7:30 p.m., May 23rd at Busch Stadium.

Lately, the Premiership, or the Barclay's Premier League, or just the Premier League, has been called the world's "top league" -- mostly by players coming into the British league from France, Germany, Spain and yes, the United States. That's because in the twenty-team Premier League, play is faster, there are more games in quicker succession (they don't take the traditional Christmas holiday break) and, it's by far one of the most physical soccer leagues in the world.

On May 23, two of the league's top teams -- Manchester City and Chelsea F.C. -- are going to play an exhibition game at Busch Stadium. Here's why you should care about it.

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Twitter user @johnnyo57

See that smile?

The guys over at Deadspin unearthed a little Twitter mystery over the weekend. A tipster tagged them on a photo that appears to show Sluggerrr -- the beloved mascot of the Kansas City Royals -- taking in the sights and sounds of a very adult house party.

"Royals 2013 slogan: 'come to play,'" wrote @johnnyo57. "slugger the mascot sure is!"

The image below is absolutely, 100 percent not safe for work, as it shows a young lady giving Sluggerrr a very clear view of home plate.

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Lynn when he was better rounded.

So, here's the thing: Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn got skinny during the off-season. Like, really skinny.

Well, okay, not like really skinny compared to skinny people, but really skinny compared to Lynn, who, until this year, routinely showed up to spring ball in one of two coatings: Original Recipe or Extra Tasty Crispy.

For Lynn's health and baseball career, the weight loss is probably a good thing. Still, there's something charming about a really out of shape human being who somehow still succeeds in professional athletics. And outside of an offensive line, there's no better place to witness that particular marvel than in baseball where fat men in polyester can strike fear in both the hearts of opposing pitchers and the owners of Chinese buffets.

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baseballcardvandals.com

Big photos below.

Two Missouri brothers who love baseball cards and doodling have combined the two simple passions into one magnificent website. The name speaks for itself: "Baseball Card Vandals."

"We've been doing this since we were pre-teens," says Bryan Abbott, 28, who created the website with his brother Beau, 30. "It's just so fun."

It's fun to look at, too. It's old collectible cards made cool again with the magic touch of a sharpie. For your viewing pleasure, we've assembled some of the best below.

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Bob Costas delivering his eulogy for Stan Musial. Footage below.

Since news broke that St. Louis icon Stan Musial has died, fans have had many opportunities to pay tribute to the late, great Cardinal.

And on Saturday, fans got to say a final goodbye to the baseball legend, packed inside the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis for Stan the Man's public funeral service.

The ceremony included an emotional eulogy, full video on view below, from sportscaster Bob Costas, who said, "The bond and attachment between this player and this city is unique and lasting."

See Also:
- Stan Musial Bridge: Momentum Builds to Name Missouri-Illinois Connection After Late Cardinal
- Cardinals 101: This Week's Bestseller List

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Stan Musial

This is an easy one.

Lawmakers are now proposing that the Mississippi River bridge be named after the late, great Stan Musial, because, well, duh.

"It's obvious," says Senator John Lamping, a Republican who introduced the Stan Musial Memorial Bridge bill, full version on view below. "He strikes a chord, I think, with all midwesterners."

There has been a great deal of debate about what to call the new Mississippi River bridge connecting Missouri and Illinois, says Lamping, who is on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the State Senate.

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By all accounts, Stan Musial was a deeply humble man and may have been embarrassed by the outpouring of tributes following his death this past Saturday at the age of 92. But, as a devout Catholic, he may have also understood the urge to go on pilgrimage and visit the places where he played baseball, lived his life and where his relics are enshrined. Here, then, is a list of Stan Musial pilgrimage sites.

The statue of Musial outside the third base entrance of Busch Stadium (Broadway and Poplar Streets, St. Louis) has already been festooned with signs and offerings, and it's where the Musial family will lay a wreath after the funeral on Saturday. But Musial, during his long career, never actually played here, nor at its predecessor at the same location.

To see where Musial played, you'll have to venture up to north city to the corner of Grand Boulevard and Dodier Street, site of several incarnations of Sportsman's Park, later known as the first Busch Stadium. The ballpark itself was torn down in 1966, three years after Musial retired; it's now the site of the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club.

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Sam Levin

A note left for Stan Musial early Sunday morning. More photos below.

This Thursday, fans mourning the loss of Stan Musial will have an opportunity to formally pay their respects at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. But in the meantime, the Stan the Man statue at Busch Stadium has become a makeshift memorial site where fans are stopping by to pay tribute and say goodbye to the greatest Cardinal whoever lived.

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courtesy Mike Leahy

Young Mike Leahy and his Grandpa Earl.

Of all the reminiscences of former Orioles manager and St. Louis native Earl Weaver, who passed away on Friday, few are more touching than the one posted by his grandson Mike Leahy on Facebook. Leahy is the lead singer for the band 7 Shot Screamers and also the non-jumpsuited alter-ego of Clownvis Presley. Weaver's reaction to Clownvis was about what you'd expect.

Here, with Leahy's permission, is his tribute in its entirety:

Having Earl Weaver as a grandfather was the most amazing thing ever. He made the impossible seem possible. He made any dream seem obtainable. Here is a man who spent 21 years traveling the country in the minor leagues, only to go on to become a baseball Hall of Famer, and undisputedly one of the greatest mangers to ever play the game. When I was in the first few years of grade school he was still managing the Orioles. I distinctly remember getting his 1986 Topps baseball card on the very top of a pack I opened in the parking lot of Venture. It was a huge source of pride and confidence in my younger years, and continues to be today.

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Earl Weaver, a St. Louis native and Beaumont High School graduate who went on to become a Hall of Fame manager for the Baltimore Orioles, passed away Friday while on a cruise. He was 82.

Though drafted by his hometown Cardinals, he never played in the majors for them or any other team. During his first stint as manager with the Orioles, he guided the team to one World Series title (1970), four American League pennants (1969-1971 and 1979) and six division titles. In 1982, the final year before his first retirement, Weaver's Orioles nearly caught the Milwaukee Brewers for the A.L. East title, but were eliminated in a head-to-head meeting on the last day of the regular season.

In 1983, with a team largely built through Weaver's tenure, the Orioles won the World Series. The franchise has not returned to the fall classic since.

Weaver returned from retirement to manage the Orioles for most of 1985 and all of 1986, the only losing season of his career. In 1996, the Veterans Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame.

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