April Fools: 3 of baseball's best pranks

It's April 1, which means it's time to be on high alert, as pranksters around the globe are ready to perform gaffes on any gullible people they possibly can.

From #fakenews to bogus Twitter accounts masquerading as journalists, anything can happen on this day of tomfoolery, so keeping your eyes and ears peeled is the best formula for dealing with these antics.

But while Aprils Fools' Day is a once-a-year occasion for the rest of us, pranks seem to be a never-ending story in Major League Baseball.

Here are three of the best, which never seem to get old:

Postgame pie

Whether it's full of whipped cream or shaving product, who can resist a pie to the face? Even recipients of this priceless gag usually find themselves laughing.

Sure, a pie to the face leaves the beneficiary looking like a mime until they clean up, but postgame interviews would be so much more of a bore without them.

Just ask Adam Jones - the perennial king of kings when it comes to pieing people in the face.

Feeling the burn

Former big-league pitcher Bert Blyleven may be remembered for owning a filthy breaking ball during his Hall of Fame career, but he's also the innovator of the hot foot - a classic baseball prank.

The dugout joke is a favorite among baseball circles everywhere, and includes different variations of igniting the flame.

Here is a version courtesy of the Los Angeles Dodgers, involving a piece of gum and some matchsticks.

Bubble-gummed

Bubble gum is a staple in big-league dugouts. Just ask Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona, who nervously chews through tubs of the stuff while manning the AL champion's bench.

While antics such as blowing big bubbles or placing gum on camera lenses are a constant, no trick highlights the use of the pink stuff better than "bubble-gumming" your own teammate.

(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)