Pitcher Joe Kelly Finds Tony La Russa's World Series Ring in His Glove, Demands $1 Trillion Ransom

Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly said it was one of the "funniest, coolest and randomest" baseball stories he's ever been part of. It all went down at Boston's Fenway Park last week, and this is what happened...

Tony La Russa, who owns three World Series rings and happened to be wearing one of them during Thursday night's Red Sox game, was asked to catch the ceremonial first pitch.

The Hall of Fame manager is now a special assistant with the Red Sox and was ill-prepared to catch the toss from his former boss, the 88-year-old Roland Hemond. All La Russa had available, according to Kelly, was an old pancake glove with no pocket. It looked like a vintage mitt from 1905.

So La Russa, now 73, asked the 30-year-old Kelly if he could borrow a mitt for the ceremony. Kelly agreed, the ceremony went off without a hitch and, soon after, the Red Sox pitcher noticed that his glove was returned to his locker.

What Kelly didn't know was that La Russa was in a panic. Somehow, he had misplaced his 2011 World Series ring and had no idea where it could have fallen off. He told the clubhouse attendants to keep their eyes peeled.

The next day, during a pre-game warmup, Kelly grabbed the glove that La Russa had borrowed and ran out to the field to loosen up his arm.

"I stuck my hand it in and my [pinky] got stuck," the right-handed reliever told WEEIradio.com. "It jammed my pinky. I pulled it out right away because it hurt. I thought someone put seeds in my glove to mess with me. But then I looked and I was like, ‘What the [heck] is this?’ I spread my glove open and there it was: Tony’s World Series ring. At first I thought it was a joke, but then 10 seconds later I realized you don’t joke around with something like that. It probably means a lot to him so I don’t think he would joke with something that was [worth] $50,000."

Kelly has his own theory on how the World Series ring got stuck in the pinky slot of his mitt. He believes that La Russa switched the ring from his ring finger to his pinky finger prior to catching the ceremonial first pitch because the massive World Series bling wouldn't fit in the ring finger slot of his glove. Baseball mitts are designed with a bigger pinky slot, which gave him just enough room to fit the ring.

When La Russa pulled off the mitt, the ring stayed where it was.

With the World Series ring in his possession, Kelly decided to have some fun on social media, hinting with a hashtag that he intended to demand a $1 trillion ransom.

He posted a series of photos to Twitter, along with this caption: "Hey @TonyLaRussa I might have something you are looking for... thanks for using my glove during the first pitch ceremony #finderskeepers #findersfee #trilliondollars @RedSox @Cardinals

Kelly, who has a reputation for being a jokester, called the La Russa incident "one of funniest, coolest and randomest baseball stories I've ever been a part of."

Credits: Images via Twitter.com/JosephKellyJr.

New Study: Blue Diamonds Form 400 Miles Below the Surface, Far Deeper Than All Others

By studying minute inclusions trapped within blue diamonds, scientists have been able to determine that their origin is far deeper in the Earth than other diamond varieties.

The journal Nature recently revealed that blue diamonds form about 400 miles below the surface, four times deeper than about 99 percent of all other diamonds.

“We knew essentially absolutely nothing about where they grow,” said geologist Evan M. Smith, a lead author of the Nature report and a research scientist at the Gemological Institute of America in New York (GIA). Smith and his colleagues investigated this question by reviewing 46 blue diamonds that were submitted to the GIA. The team focused specifically on other minerals trapped within the blue diamonds.

To gem cutters, inclusions are flaws, but to geologists, they are clues. “If you had to design the perfect capsule to bring something from below, a diamond would be it,” said geologist Jeffrey E. Post, curator of the mineral collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, who was not involved with the Nature report.

The creation of a blue diamond requires a complex geologic sequence. Geologists determined that trace impurities and contamination with the element boron, turn diamonds blue. A boron atom can replace a carbon atom in the crystal structure. A loose electron from boron absorbs red light, giving the diamond its blue hue.

Because boron exists in seawater, Post hypothesized that the rocks in descending crust carried the boron below, as if the element were on a boat ride to the lower mantle.

“That is a good circumstantial bit of evidence, at least,” he said.

Within the inclusions, Smith identified remnants of calcium silicates and other minerals that form only at extreme high pressure. He noted that as the diamonds worked their way back toward the surface, the high-pressure minerals within became unstable and shattered, leaving fragments stuck in the diamonds. An analysis of these ruptures, plus the list of minerals found in the inclusions, pointed to a very unusual birthplace.

Smith explained that it required the union of two rocks: oceanic crust from the surface and the underlying ocean mantle. That is a match made in the abyss — where the motion of tectonic plates forces a slab of ocean crust to descend like a conveyor belt for hundreds of miles.

Appearing in nearly every color of the rainbow, colored diamonds are extremely rare, but blue diamonds are considered the rarest. Recent survey research indicates that of 13.8 million diamonds found, only 0.02 percent were blue.

Perhaps the most famous blue diamond in the world is the legendary Hope Diamond, which resides at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The fancy dark greyish-blue diamond weighs 45.52 carats and is estimated to be worth more than $250 million.

Blue diamond discoveries are still very sporadic and are considered astonishing occurrences. And they still make headlines. In November 2015, Hong Kong businessman Joseph Lau purchased "The Blue Moon of Josephine,” a 12.03 carat blue diamond, for $48.4 million. The gem was named after Lau’s seven-year-old daughter. In May 2016, the world's largest blue diamond, “The Oppenheimer Blue,” a 14.62 carat gem, won the title of the world's most expensive blue diamond ever, selling for a jaw-dropping $57.5 million.

Photo Credit: The Hope Diamond, Smithsonian Institution.

Music Friday: Her Thai Nickname Means 'Pink Sapphire,' But Jannine Is Singing About 'Diamonds'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you new songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Thai-German pop star Jannine Weigel performs "Diamonds," a tune about a boyfriend who gives her the confidence to shine like a precious stone.

In the song, the multi-talented 18-year-old — whose Thai nickname "Ploychompoo" happens to mean "pink sapphire" — uses diamond terminology to tell her love story. She admits that she doesn't always "wake up feeling flawless," but her boyfriend recognizes that beauty is only skin deep. He's the only one who's been able to discover her true essence, and his love has transformed her. She describes her new self as a faceted diamond.

She sings, "All of the stars are aligning / My heart, it beats like a lion / 'Cause every time you hold me / And tell me that you love me / You got me cut like a diamond."

In his interpretation of the song, co-writer and producer Gabriel Alberto Azucena, also known as Gawvi, references the immense pressure that is needed for a beautiful diamond to form.

"The song is simply about understanding that we all at some point have struggled with doubts," he said. "Sometimes we can find ourselves questioning our identities and purpose, but we have to remember that the pressure and tough times we experience are simply ingredients to allow for our inner true beauty to shine.”

Weigel was born in Steinfurt, Germany, in 2000, to a German father and a Thai mother. She and her family moved to Thailand in 2010, where the youngster started working as a model. After just three months of training, at the age of 11, she earned third place in a national singing contest for children. In 2013, she started her own YouTube channel which now has 2.9 million subscribers. By 2015, she had released her first single and shortly thereafter earned movie and television roles.

Please check out the lyric video of Weigel performing "Diamonds." The lyrics are below if you'd like to sing along...

"Diamonds"
Written by Gabriel Alberto Azucena, Jannine Weigel and Jordan Adelberger. Performed by Jannine Weigel.

I may not wake up feeling flawless
And my emotions can be reckless, yeah
And I know, yeah I know, yeah I know
Yeah I know I ain't perfect
But I glow, yeah I glow, yeah I glow
You say that I'm worth it

You're the only one who saw beyond my skin deep
And into my heart completely
You got me cut like a diamond

All of the stars are aligning
My heart, it beats like a lion
'Cause every time you hold me
And tell me that you love me
You got me cut like a diamond

The difference in me is so drastic
From day to night it's automatic
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know
Who'd I be without ya
But I glow, yeah I glow, yeah I glow
It's not a question

You're the only one who saw beyond my skin deep
And into my heart completely
You got me cut like a diamond

All of the stars are aligning
My heart, it beats like a lion
'Cause every time you hold me
And tell me that you love me
You got me cut like a diamond
You got me cut like a diamond
You got me cut like a diamond
'Cause every time you hold me
And tell me that you love me
You got me cut like a diamond

You're the only one who saw beyond my skin deep
And into my heart completely
You're the only one who saw beyond my skin deep
And into my heart completely
You got me cut like a diamond

All of the stars are aligning
My heart, it beats like a lion
'Cause every time you hold me
And tell me that you love me
You got me cut like a diamond
You got me cut like a diamond
You got me cut like a diamond
'Cause every time you hold me
And tell me that you love me
You got me cut like a diamond

Credit: Screen capture via YouTube.com.

Mined in Ancient Times on the Island of Topazios, Peridot Was Originally Called 'Topazion'

Here's a fun piece of trivia regarding peridot, August's popular yellowish-green birthstone. According to the Smithsonian, peridot was first discovered on the Egyptian island of Topazios around 300 BC. The ancients anointed the vibrant green stone as the “gem of the sun” and appropriately named it "topazion" to honor its place of origin. Eventually, the name was shortened to "topaz."

The gem we know as peridot happily existed as "topaz" for about 2,000 years before something bizarre happened...

The Smithsonian noted that, for reasons that still remain unclear, the name topaz was hijacked during the 18th century and assigned to the gem we call topaz today. The vibrant yellowish-green stone was given a new name — peridot, derived from "faridat," the Arabic word for gem.

To this day, topaz continues to be the oddball namesake of an island that never produced topaz. Geography fans should note that the ancient island of Topazios is now called Zabargad or St. John’s Island.

Peridot has the distinction of being one of only two gems that form in the Earth's mantle. The other is diamond. Most other gems form in the Earth's crust, three to 18 miles below the surface. Peridot forms 20 to 55 miles deep, while diamonds form 100 to 150 miles below the surface.

The non-gem variety of peridot is called olivine, a mineral component of Hawaiian lava and one of the first crystals to form as magma cools. Mahana Beach on Hawaii’s Papakolea coast is one of only three green sand beaches in the world. The sand owes its astounding color to olivine crystals eroded from an ancient volcanic formation and delivered to the shore by ocean waves.

While most peridot originates deep in the Earth's mantle, scientists have also proven that August’s birthstone is truly extraterrestrial. It has been found embedded within meteorites and scattered across the surface of Mars.

The finest peridot hue is a saturated green to slightly yellowish green — and free from brown tints, according to the Gemological Institute of America.

Peridot can be found on five continents. The gems represented in the photo, above, are from the U.S. (Arizona), Egypt, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Pakistan, Antarctica and Norway. They range in size from 8.9 carats to 311.8 carats and are residents of the Smithsonian's Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals in Washington, D.C.

Credit: Photo by Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution.

This Romantic Marriage Proposal Came With a Diamond Engagement Ring and Side of Guac

We love to write about off-beat marriage proposals — especially when they're related to food. For example, in February, we detailed a tasty McNugget proposal in Lincoln, Illinois, and earlier this month featured a sweet Kit Kat proposal in Washington, D.C. Today, we spotlight a Sacramento, California, proposal that came with a free side of guac.

Chris Piwinski and longtime girlfriend, Natalie Neach, have been fans of Chipotle since they started dating in high school. As their relationship has blossomed, the gourmet burrito restaurant has been there every step of the way.

“Chipotle... has always been an important fixture in our relationship,” Piwinski told The Knot. “We have countless memories of great times, long talks and loud laughs. It was also the place we went when we needed to ‘talk things out’ or work through tough times. I think I could credit Chipotle for helping keep us from doing the ‘high school breakup’ thing more than once.”

In January, Piwinski purchased a diamond engagement ring and was ready to pop the question, but couldn't decide on the perfect venue for the proposal. After months of deliberation, he had the answer — Chipotle.

In May, the 27-year-old suitor contacted Chipotle’s public relations department with a request for some creative assistance.

After 70 back-and-forth emails, Chipotle's PR team agreed to handle all the logistics of the surprise proposal, as well as sponsoring an engagement party that included a custom "burrito" cake, music, balloons and a professional photographer to capture the excitement.

The proposal was set for Saturday, July 21. Piwinski and Neach spent a romantic day visiting places that were special to them. They went to a winery and popped in on their favorite coffee shop. And, for dinner, they visited their local Elk Grove Chipotle.

While Neach was enjoying the first bites from her burrito bowl, the couple's family and friends were hiding out in a nearby pizza restaurant watching the proposal unfold from a security cam feed.

But then she realized something must be brewing when Piwinski handed her a poem and the couple's favorite song, “Kiss Me” by Ed Sheeran, started playing on the restaurant's loudspeakers. Piwinski's hands were noticeably shaking.

“I went blank!” Neach, 25, told The Knot. “I couldn’t even eat my burrito bowl! I read the poem and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him stand up and get down on one knee. It clicked that he was proposing. We looked at each other and I saw the tears in his eyes. It was such an unbelievable moment.”

Of course, she said, "Yes."

Within moments, the friends and family who had been hiding nearby joined the couple with well wishes and hugs. The Chipotle staff cheered from behind the counter.

“I was not suspecting it at all,” Neach told The Sacramento Bee.

“What better way to celebrate love than over a shared love of Chipotle?” said Quinn Kelsey, a spokesperson for Chipotle. “We are so happy for this wonderful couple and are thrilled to have been a part of their special day.”

Credits: Images courtesy of True Love Photo.