Cal Raleigh smacks his 50th bomb and grabs the first-ever Better Man MVP Award, heating up the Mariners-Padres rivalry big time.
Seattle Mariners took down the San Diego Padres in the very first Vedder Cup, and Cal Raleigh was the man of the hour with his 50th homer of the season.
That clutch performance also earned him the inaugural Better Man MVP Award, named after the iconic Pearl Jam track.
The Vedder Cup, made official in 2025, is a unique rivalry between the Mariners and Padres, celebrating Eddie Vedder’s deep connection with both squads.
Born near Chicago, raised in San Diego, and forever a Seattle rock legend, Vedder even helped design the trophy: a custom Fender Telecaster guitar, with proceeds going to the EB Research Partnership to fight Epidermolysis Bullosa.
This isn’t just baseball — it’s music, culture, and charity all rolled into one. After the second series in Seattle, Eddie himself was in the house and snapped a pic with Cal Raleigh, making the moment pure gold for fans.
Vedder Cup 2025 details:
• Series 1: May 16-18 in San Diego
• Series 2: Aug 25-27 in Seattle
• Trophy: custom Fender Telecaster designed by Vedder
• Charity: funds to EB Research Partnership
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Mark Lanegan, R.E.M., Radiohead, Cat Power, Dead Kennedys