The BHOF: Introducing the Class of 1983

As part of an ongoing project, One More Dying Quail will be profiling the 182 current members of the Bizarro Hall of Fame, an organization that currently exists only in my mind. It was created in the wake of Major League Baseball’s infamous Steroid Era as a way of honoring those players whose careers were perfectly mediocre: the only requirement is that a candidate be listed on the official Baseball Hall of Fame ballot and receive zero votes.

Class of 1983

Mike Cuellar – Can someone explain why Cuellar wasn’t given a fighting chance to succeed at the major league level until he was almost thirty? Like Edgar Martinez, who lost years off his career languishing in the Mariners farm system in the early 1990s, the failure to spot Cuellar’s potential earlier might well have cost him a shot at the Hall of Fame. As it is, four twenty win seasons, four All-Star appearances and a Cy Young award should have put him in the running anyway.

Larry Dierker – On my eighteenth birthday, I bought a pack of cigarettes (just because I could) and a scratch ticket. Larry Dierker got a much better present: the Houston Colt .45s tabbed him to make his major league debut. He didn’t pitch well (two runs on five hits in 2.2 innings – at least he caught Willie Mays looking in the first), but at least he had a better day than Larry Yellen, the first man out of the bullpen: it was the fourteenth and final game of Yellen’s major league career. In the late 1990s, the Astros surprised a lot of people when they hired Dierker out of the broadcast booth to manage the team; he returned the favor by leading Houston to four NL Central division titles in five years.

Pat Dobson – One of four Baltimore Orioles to win twenty games in 1971, Dobson only posted a winning record three times in an eleven-year career that saw him play for six different teams. He passed away in November, 2006.

Al Downing – Yeah, Al Downing was a solid major league pitcher, a twenty-game winner and 1967 All-Star. But more importantly, he is the answer to an important trivia question: who gave up Hank Aaron’s record 715th homerun?

Joe Hoerner – Along with Willie Montanez and Cookie Rojas, Hoerner was one of three Bizarros involved in the famous Curt Flood trade in 1969. He made the All-Star team for Philadelphia the following year. His career numbers don’t look exceptional, but he DID have four seasons with thirteen or more saves and three with a sub-2.00 ERA.

Randy Hundley – Say hello to the man who brought us Todd Hundley. The two could very well become the first father-son in the Bizarro Hall when Hot Todd becomes eligible in ’09.

Carlos May – On first thought, I was very, very surprised that nobody voted for Carlos May for the Hall of Fame. Then I realized I was confusing Carlos, who had a couple of good seasons but nothing special, with his brother Lee (he of the 354 career homeruns and only three Hall of Fame votes). My bad. Carlos, however, WAS a first round draft pick.

Ken McMullen – Six teams, sixteen teams, never finished higher than 26th in MVP voting, was once part of a trade that involved Frank Robinson – guys like this are the reason the Bizarro Hall was created.

Bill Melton – Melton hit 33 homeruns in back-to-back seasons for the White Sox in 1970 and 1971, leading the league in the latter year. He bounced back from a 1972 injury with seasons of 20 and 21 homers, but his production steadily declined until the end of his career in 1977.

Gary Nolan – Nolan battled injuries for much of his career, but still had flashes of brilliance that included an 18-7 record in 1970 and two World Series rings with the Big Red Machine of the mid-1970s.

Doug Rader – Thanks to my baseball card collection, I’ll always remember Rader as the manager of the California Angels in the late 1980s. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that he had been a pretty good third baseman for the Astros a decade earlier, enjoying three seasons of 20+ homeruns and winning five consecutive Gold Gloves at the hot corner. He later played for the original Blue Jays in 1977. Ironically, the second most similar player to Rader on Baseball-Reference.com is Ken McMullen.

Cookie Rojas – Nothing stands out about Rojas’ major league career at first glance – except for his FIVE All-Star appearances, four of them consecutively as a member of the Kansas City Royals. How did this happen? The Royals weren’t bad during those years – on the contrary, they were actually pretty good. So…can anyone explain this? Were there no other second basemen in the American League? Was he a greater defensive player than his numbers indicate?

Diego Segui – David’s dad didn’t do much on the field, but his career is still full of fun little factoids. He played for the Athletics in the team’s last season in Kansas City and first season in Oakland. He played for the Seattle Pilots during their only year of existence. He was a member of the original Seattle Mariners, appearing in forty games, which might make him the only man to play for both Seattle franchises. Fun stuff.

Bill Singer – Teams couldn’t have enjoyed facing the California Angels in 1973: one day you get Nolan Ryan and his record 383 strikeouts, the next you’re up against Singer and his 241 Ks. Both pitchers won 20 games that year, but Singer headed downhill after and was done as a player by 1977 (when he played for the first-year Blue Jays).

Jim Wynn – That Wynn isn’t in the Hall of Fame isn’t surprising. There isn’t a lot of room in Cooperstown for .250 hitters with 1,400 career strikeouts. But the fact that not one writer voted for him is an absolute travesty. Overlooked, somehow, were his solid offensive numbers, which were compiled in a dreadful hitters park (the Astrodome) during a dreadful era for hitters (the late 1960s). Despite these obstacles, The Toy Cannon had three seasons with 30+ homers, four with 100+ runs scored, and two with 100+ RBI. He also stole 225 bases and walked over 1,200 times in his career (including a career-high 148 in 1969). The lack of consideration is inexcusable.

(Coming soon: the Bizarro Hall of Fame Class of 1982)

(All Hall of Fame voting results were obtained from the official web site of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Statistical information included in postings for the Bizarro Hall of Fame was, unless otherwise noted, originally compiled by Baseball-Reference.com.)

ESPN Is Physically Incapable Of NOT Relating Events To The Yankees

Craig Biggio picked up his 3,000th career hit tonight, lining a single to right-center off Aaron Cook in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ironically, the guy with the sixth most two-baggers in major league history was gunned down trying to sneak number 659.

Good for Biggio - he seems like a good guy, someone who always puts the team ahead of himself, and it's nice to see him reach such an important milestone. But why, pray tell, did the ESPN update guy feel the need to make a completely unnecessary association while narrating the highlight I saw this on?

It's not that he said anything bad - I think the exact words were, "He [Biggio] is to the Astros what Derek Jeter is to the Yankees." Probably not a big deal. But I guess it just sounded out of place, considering Derek Jeter and the Yankees had nothing to do with this game. Sure, you can make the argument that they're both hugely important to their teams, and have been for many years. But so has Tim Wakefield - why not throw his name out there? So has John Smoltz. So have any number of guys. Mentioning Jeter specifically was unusual.

On the bright side, they managed to announce Frank Thomas' 500th homerun without comparing him to Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig, so that's nice. Congratulations to Thomas as well - it's easy to forget that he was one of the most feared hitters for the first part of the 1990s. He's endured some tough stretches over the past few years, and might finally be on his last legs offensively, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be a Hall of Famer when his turn comes.

Baseball Ejections: Addendum Numero Uno

Every week or so, I will attempt to post an update to my compilation of 2007 ejections in Major League Baseball. At some point, the master list will be updated and linked on the left sidebar - can't say when, but it will definitely happen.

The past days started off pretty wild before cooling considerably. On June 23, six players and managers were ejected, including Atlanta's Bobby Cox. When Cox was tossed by Chad Fairchild while trying to protect Brian McCann from being thrown out (didn't work), it was the record-tying 131st early shower of his career (I think I said in the original ejection post that he was already tied. I was wrong - my bad). It was the fifth time this year he's been ejected.

My personal favorite moment from the week, however, was Paul Lo Duca's infantile tirade - on June 23 (was there a full moon on that day or something?). There's not much to say about it, other than this: it earned the highest rating to date on the Mikulik-Wellman Scale, a 7.9.

Atlanta Braves (9 total)
June 23 – Brian McCann, catcher (1)
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild for arguing balls and strikes

June 23 – Bobby Cox, manager (5)
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild for arguing balls and strikes

Boston Red Sox (6)
June 23 – Terry Francona, manager (2)
Top 6th by third base umpire Brian Knight for arguing a homerun reversal

Chicago White Sox (5)
June 24 – Ozzie Guillen, manager (2)
Top 8th by first base umpire Joe West for arguing an obstruction call at second base

Colorado Rockies (3)
June 23 – Yorvit Torrealba, catcher (1)
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Gerry Davis for arguing balls and strikes

Minnesota Twins (5)
June 24 – Ron Gardenhire, manager (3)
Top 4th by home plate umpire Larry Young for arguing balls and strikes

June 24 – Michael Cuddyer, right field (1)
Top 4th by home plate umpire Larry Young for arguing balls and strikes

June 26 – Ron Gardenhire, manager (4)
Top 8th by home plate umpire Mike Winters for arguing a call at home plate

New York Mets (3)
June 23 – Paul Lo Duca, catcher (1)
Bottom 6th by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson for arguing balls and strikes

San Francisco Giants (5)
June 20 – Bruce Bochy, manager (2)
Top 6th by first base umpire Brian Knight for arguing a call

June 23 – Bruce Bochy, manager (3)
Bottom 6th by first base umpire Phil Cuzzi for arguing a call

Seattle Mariners (4)
June 22 – Mike Hargrove, manager (2)
Top 2nd by home plate umpire Mike Winters for arguing balls and strikes

Visual Crack: Ah, Youth

If this had been written last night, you would be preparing to watch the Chris Benoit-Kevin Sullivan match I referenced ealier, the one from the 1996 Great American Bash. Given what I've read today, however, I can't do it. Not today, anyway.

So here's what you get: flaming tennis balls, full cans of Sierra Mist, pickles, and Poland Springs water bottles...all used for batting practice.

Oh, and be sure to watch until the end.

My Favorite Wrestler Is Dead

During my freshman year of college, I became a huge wrestling fan. This was back when WCW was still around and actually competing with the WWF for the Monday night viewing audience. Bill Goldberg and his "undefeated" record were a big part of that, as were the ongoing problems with the nWo and the attempted reformation of Ric Flair's legendary Four Horsemen.

My favorite member of those Horsemen, and my favorite wrestler overall, was Chris Benoit, one of the younger members of the group. A product of the Hart family's legendary Dungeon in Calgary, Alberta, Benoit was a remarkable technical wrestler who approached every match with what appeared to be genuine intensity and determination. Hampered by poor work on the microphone early in his career, he worked hard to improve and was rewarded with World Heavyweight champion belts in both WCW and WWF.

The best match Benoit ever worked, in my opinion, was a Falls Count Anywhere bout against Kevin Sullivan - I think it was the Great American Bash in 1996. Sullivan wasn't a great grappler by any stretch, but he and Benoit put on a terrific show, moving throughout the arena and utilizing a variety of innovative techniques before finally ending up in the ring. Like the best matches or sporting events, I can honestly say I don't remember who won; only that these two guys left it all out there in the interest of providing fans with a great show.

As I got older and WCW faded into the background, I lost touch with both wrestling and Chris Benoit. Still, if you had asked me at any time in the last eight years to name my three favorite wrestlers of all-time, The Crippler's name would have come up more often than not.

That's why it was hard tonight to see a post on The FanHouse with the headline, "Chris Benoit, 1967-2007". What? The Wolverine, dead? How is this possible? Is this real?

It was.

According to Michael David Smith's post, Benoit, his wife Nancy and their 7-year-old son were found dead in their Atlanta home. No official cause of death has been released, but police are working under the assumption that it was a murder-suicide.

Vince McMahon and the WWE wasted no time in organizing a tribute to Benoit; I missed most of it, catching only the end, and was literally chilled by what I saw: after Benoit outlasted Triple H and Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania to win the World Heavyweight title, he was joined in the ring by his friend Eddie Guerrero, with whom he had jumped from WCW several years ago. Twenty months later, Guerrero was dead from heart failure. And now, Benoit is gone.

Rest in peace, Chris.

Happy Birthday: June 25 - July 1

(Baseball birthdays found here have been compiled from the “Frivolities” section at Baseball-Reference.com. All other birthdays were taken from Wikipedia.)

June 25
Carlos Delgado (baseball) – 1972
Dikembe Mutombo (basketball) – 1966

June 26
Babe Didrikson Zaharias (track/golf) – 1911
Willard Brown (baseball) – 1915
Greg LeMond (cycling) – 1961
Derek Jeter (baseball) – 1974
Michael Vick (football) – 1980
Elijah Dukes (baseball) – 1984

June 27
Ross Perot (businessman/politician) – 1930
Rico Petrocelli (baseball) – 1943

June 28
Pat Morita (actor) – 1932
John Elway (football) – 1960
John Cusack (actor) – 1966
Kellie Pickler (singer) – 1986

June 29
Wilbert Robinson (baseball) – 1863
Harry Frazee (baseball) – 1881
Harmon Killebrew (baseball) – 1936

June 30
Terry Funk (pro wrestling) – 1944
Mike Tyson (boxing) – 1966
Monica Potter (actress) – 1971
Michael Phelps (swimmer) – 1985

July 1
Roger Connor (baseball) – 1857
John Clarkson (baseball) – 1861
Ben Taylor (baseball) – 1888
Dan Akroyd (actor) – 1952
Diana (Princess of Wales) – 1961
Carl Lewis (track) – 1961
Pamela Anderson (actress) – 1967
Jarome Iginla (hockey) – 1977

The Links: I've Gone To Work 179 Days In A Row - Is That Impressive?

People are way too fired up over this whole Miguel Tejada thing. Anyone remember a guy named Lou Gehrig, who had a little streak of his own and every so often used similar means to extend it? It's not the end of the world, guys (East Coast Bias)

Oh, to be young and a Griffey fan again (Diamond Hoggers)

Yes (The Big Picture)

A good reminder to avoid falling into the habit of lazy, cliche-filled writing (Pacifist Viking)

Could Matt Bush really be the next Trevor Hoffman? Or, at the very least, the next Tim Wakefield? (Can't Stop The Bleeding)

A note to young, talented big men who are good at basketball: if you want to enjoy a successful career in the NBA, playing your college ball at a Big Ten school might not be the best way to get started (Basketbawful)

The Dodgers might be regretting that Jason Schmidt signing right now (Signal to Noise)

Athletes Are Not As Friendly In Person As They Are On The Other Side

Regular readers of this blog (Hi Dad!) probably know that my first two years out of college were spent working for the Nashua Pride, an independent baseball team that played in the Atlantic League at the time. On one hand, it was one of the best jobs I've ever had: I got to watch quality baseball almost every night, met (and actually had conversations with) guys like Butch Hobson and Dante Bichette, and dressed up in a moose suit on the Fourth of July.

On the other hand, it was one of the worst jobs I've ever had: I turned out to be a complete failure as a salesman, almost single-handedly killed a deal that the team owner had been working on for months to put a team in another city, and dressed up in a moose suit on the Fourth of July (seriously, nothing signifies "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" like that goddamn suit).

During those two seasons with the team, one of my single greatest achievements was a feature article on the Pride that appeared in ESPN: The Magazine. It was done in 2003, when I was an intern, and put together for the most part by the PR Director at the time, but still - I was a member of his staff, the guy he referred to as his assistant, and therefore played an important role.

This story came to mind when I read Jeff Pearlman's Page 2 article on ESPN.com this morning about the Atlantic League's Long Island Ducks and its roster full of former major leaguers. It was, for the most part, a solid article that accurately captured the hopelessness that exists in independent leagues; players work as hard as ever and plead their cases to anyone who will listen in an effort to reach the major leagues, but the sad reality (as Pearlman points out) is that most just quietly fade away when time finally runs out.

One aspect of Pearlman's story that I didn't agree with, however, was his portrayal of Ducks co-owner and coach Bud Harrelson as the "resident goodwill ambassador". Actually, I can't really disagree with that because I've never seen Harrelson in action around the ballpark. He could very well come off as a pleasant individual who regales husbands with his stories of the time he fought Pete Rose, charms wives with that charismatic confidence that only professional athletes possess, and kisses babies while slipping a free ticket to a future game into their pocket.

All that may be true - like I said, I've never actually witnessed Harrelson's interactions with the general public. One thing I DID witness, however, was Harrelson's interactions with ME, and I came away with one very strong impression of the man:

Bud Harrelson is a douchebag of the highest order.

Here's the scene: once or twice a year, our front office took a trip somewhere - the All-Star Game, the winter meetings, things like that - for an official league function. We had a lot of free time on these little excursions, which typically lasted for a few days, but also had to put in our appearances at various league-related gatherings. Not a big deal, usually.

Well, one night, we had some sort of informal dinner to attend (one of my coworkers took great delight in referring to it as a "mixer"). Don't remember exactly where it was (although it must have been either Camden or Atlantic City), or why it was - just that we were in a reasonably nice, open, banquet-style room, a very nice place, and the meal was a self-serve buffet.

For some reason, I got there a little late, so everyone else had finished round one by the time I grabbed my first sandwich and started searching for a seat at a table with anyone I knew. After some looking around, I finally tracked down my general manager, who was sitting at a half-full table with none other than Bud Harrelson.

My position in media relations and my love of baseball history guaranteed that I would know Harrelson. He was Long Island's version of Butch Hobson, a guy who had played locally and successfully at the major league level and brought a certain cache to the franchise. I always objected to the classification of Hobson as a "New England Legend" in our official press releases, but how far was it from the truth, really? Both Hobson and Harrelson certainly had their legendary moments - Butch's were the thirty homeruns as a number nine hitter and the rearranging of bone chips in his elbow between players, Bud's was that meeting of the minds with Pete Rose in the playoffs one year in the early 1970s. Butch had always done well to live up to that position, treating those around him (except for umpires) with respect even in the most difficult of situations. Bud, from my experience...not so much.

So I sat down at the table and was preparing to eat my sandwich when Harrelson looked my way. Was he gonna talk to me, maybe tell a baseball story? That'd be cool - who doesn't love a good baseball story? I sure do.

As you probably know, there was no baseball story forthcoming. Instead, Harrelson looked over at me, noted my round frame and uneaten sandwich, and asked (loud enough for everyone to hear clearly), "Are you STILL eating?"

Wow. I mean, wow. Thanks, dick. Thanks for making me feel like a huge fat ass (note: I WAS a huge fat ass...still am) in front of everyone in the room, when really, all I am is hungry after a long day of classes about promotions and media relations and other fascinating topics. Classy move, you old bastard, classy move.

In retrospect, I should have told him to go fuck himself and continued about my business. That might have at least earned me some respect in the eyes of my boss, who pretty much sat there, heard what was said, and waited to see how I would handle it. I'm not sure anyone in our organization liked anyone with the Ducks anyway, and vice versa; at the very least, a nice verbal altercation would have proven my mettle.

Unfortunately, I forgot that I have no mettle, realizing it only as I muttered something about being hungry, downed my sandwich, and got the hell out of there. What can I say - I'm no Pete Rose.

So there you have it - "Bud Harrelson Is A Dick Because He Made A Crack About My Weight" in 5,000 words or less. If you read the entire thing and feel like you wasted the last ten minutes of your life, blame Jeff Pearlman. (Also, blame Pearlman for writing this sentence:

"Nary a one of the 13 ex-major leaguers listed on the 25-man roster of the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League belongs here, in a small brick clubhouse where the TV is normal in size, the cuisine du jour is a lumpy bowl of tuna fish salad (with a Jackie Gleason-sized fly buzzing around it) and the groupies are big-breasted, long-legged, scantily dressed … and 100 percent imaginary."

Either Pearlman didn't spend too much time around the players during their leisure hours or the obligatory "wink, wink" after "imaginary" was removed by the editors. Regardless of the reason, I am here to tell you that groupies do in fact exist, even in the independent leagues. I know because I've seen them with my own two eyes. And that's all I have to say about that.)

Rick Ankiel Is Thisclose To The Majors: Does He Stand A Chance?

WBRS Sports Blog ran this story on Monday, The FanHouse followed suit on Tuesday and Deadspin picked it up (with much glee) earlier today – Rick Ankiel, the most prominent and heartbreaking victim of Steve Blass Disease in recent memory, is tearing it up for the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Six years removed from his second-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year voting and nearly three years after his last appearance in a major league uniform, Ankiel The Outfielder ranks second in the Pacific Coast League in homeruns, fifth in runs batted in, second in slugging percentage and tenth in OPS.

At this point, Ankiel’s major league future is up in the air; as reported by The FanHouse, he is out of options – if the Cardinals call him up, they have to keep him for the rest of the season or risk losing him via waivers. Still, his situation got me thinking about some of the other players who started out as pitchers, shifted to a different position mid-career, and turned out pretty well.

Off the top of my head, there aren’t many.

The best example, of course, is Babe Ruth. Introduced to the major leagues as a nineteen-year-old left-handed pitcher, Ruth went on to win 80 games before his 24th birthday (for comparison’s sake, Hall of Famer Walter Johnson had 82 wins in the same time frame and ended up with 417 total; current youngsters Dontrelle Willis and C.C. Sabathia had 46 and 50, respectively) while leading the Red Sox to World Series titles in 1916 and 1918. You don’t need me to tell you that he was pretty good.

Unlike Ankiel, Ruth didn’t lose his ability to consistently get the ball over the plate, but he did have a problem keeping it in the ballpark – as a hitter. By the time his 25th birthday rolled around on February 6, 1895, the single season homerun record belonged to George Herman. By the time he was 28 (that’s how old Ankiel turns next month), he had the all-time career record and was on the verge of taking the New York Yankees franchise to the first championship in its storied history. The rest, as they say, is history.

Ruth’s position change was voluntary; he would have been a very good major league pitcher, maybe even a Hall of Famer, but as an offensive player he was BABE RUTH, one of the game’s true immortals. His teammate on the 1915 Red Sox, “Smokey” Joe Wood, wasn’t so lucky.

Wood was a hard thrower who, like Ruth, enjoyed lots of success as a very young man, with 81 wins before the age of 23. His on-field dominance was never clearer than in 1912, when he won 34 games (plus three more in the World Series) against just five losses, including a record-tying sixteen victories at one point. That was the year he earned the highest of praise from Johnson, considered by many to be history’s fastest pitcher, when the Big Train said, “Can I throw harder than Joe Wood? Listen, my friend, there’s no man alive can throw harder than Smoky Joe Wood.”

His life changed the next season when arm trouble stemming from a broken thumb cut short his pitching career: he performed admirably, but won just 36 games before his days as a full-time hurler ended in 1915.

A fair hitter even when he was pitching on a regular basis (he hit .290 in 1912), Wood stayed in the game from 1918 to 1922 after turning himself, out of necessity, into an outfielder. Sold to Cleveland in 1917, he hit .296 as more or less an everyday player in 1918 and played in the 1920 World Series before finishing up his career after another good year in 1922.

Other than that, how many other pitchers reached the major leagues, then made a successful conversion to playing the field? Bob Lemon came to mind, but he went the other way: third baseman in limited action before the war, Hall of Fame pitcher after (he could still hit, though – 37 career homeruns). Same with Tim Wakefield and countless others like him who were drafted as position players and converted to pitchers for some reason or another (most because they couldn’t hit well but could throw the hell out of the ball – and almost always in the lower levels of the minor leagues). But pitchers to position players? At the major league level? Doesn’t happen much.

This doesn’t mean all is lost for Ankiel in his pursuit of a return to the major leagues as an outfielder. It’s easy to forget that he was still a very young man at the time of his earlier difficulties. The last pitch he threw in anger for the Cardinals came in 2004, when he was 24; before that, he hadn’t played for St. Louis since 2001, at the age of 21. Somewhere in between those appearances, he surely realized that there was no future for him on the pitcher’s mound and set his mind to working on the offensive side of things. The natural talent was there (.250 – 17-for-68 – in 2000, his only full season), it just needed to be developed through hard work, practice and repetition at the minor league level.

With St. Louis having a difficult time defending last year’s championship, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ankiel back in a Cardinals uniform by the end of the year, if only so the team can take a look at what they have for the future. If he makes it, and he succeeds (even for just awhile), he’ll be in some damn good company.

(Note: Doberman On The Diamond points out Stan Musial and George Sisler as former pitchers who also turned out to be pretty good position players.)

Memo To All Red Sox Fans

I would like to suggest that all criticisms of Coco Crisp on the basis of his .247 batting average and limited power be suspended until future notice.

Exhibit A:

Really, the goal was to find a picture of Crisp's spectacular catch against the Braves last night, but it doesn't seem to exist anywhere on the Internet (despite the fact that NESN showed the replay about 37,000 times). This one will just have to do (thanks, Boston Dirt Dogs!), even if it's a little older than I would like. The point here, people, is that Crisp's glove more than makes up for a .247 batting average in the long run.

Visual Crack: Did I Say "Mid-July"? I Meant "Any Day Now"

Long story short: the wife and I spent our Tuesday in the hospital after an early morning trip to the doctor found that she had an elevated blood pressure and proteins in her urine. To me, that means nothing, but apparently those in the medical profession take it very seriously when it occurs in a woman who is 36 weeks pregnant. As a result, we will be spending the night (or two or three) in St. Joseph's Hospital (she gets the bed, I get a chair - lucky me) while they figure out if this kid is coming or not.

Not wanting to leave you without your weekly dose of visual crack, here is a video of Lynyrd Skynyrd doing "Simple Man" - not only one of my favorite songs, but remarkably accurate in terms of the wisdom we all want to pass along to our children.

First Cheney, Now Tiger? When Is Bridget Moynahan Due Again?

Nobody ever told me that the hardest part of becoming a new father would be choosing a name.

Several months ago, my wife and I settled on three names for our soon-to-be-born son (if I disappear for a couple of weeks in July, you'll know why): Thomas, Benjamin, and Samuel. As far as I was concerned, Samuel was the only real option - for whatever reason, it just sounded good.

Then, last month, Dick Cheney's daughter ("Dick Cheney's Lesbian Daughter", according to the site where I found the news) gave birth to a baby boy. What did she name him? Samuel David.

Argh.

No problem, right? Yeah, right. We don't have a patent on the name or anything - it's out there for public consumption. But as someone who has one of the most common names in the world (quick, off the top of your head: how many "Brians" do you know? I'll bet it's at least five. Welcome to my world), this was an omen that maybe Sam is making a big comeback and my kid will be one of about ten million little rugrats with the same exact name. Of course, he will hate me forever for this.

To compound the issue, I check the news before going to bed, and what do I see? Tiger Woods is a dad. Hey, congrats Tiger - we'll have to get the kids together for a play date. What's the little tyke's name?

You've gotta be kidding me.

Now, not only is my son gonna hate me for giving him a common name, he's gonna see Tiger's daughter on TV and wonder why Daddy gave him a girl's name. That sucks. I might as well just name him Sue and strip him of his masculinity right off the bat.

As the title indicates, I am now concerned about other celebrity due dates. Pretty sure we're scheduled for launch prior to Bridget Moynahan and Tom Brady, but who else is out there? Who else is a threat to steal all the good baby names?

I've long thought my younger sister an idiot for naming her kids Shakeira and Taliyah (? Still working on the spelling on that one), but now I realize the method to her madness. Nobody else is gonna name their kids like that. They're fairly original, so she's safe - they'll still like her when they grow up (until they find other reasons not to - kids are good like that).

*sigh* Alright, you'll have to excuse me. I need to stop this ranting and raving and go find the baby name book again.

Craig Biggio: Hall of Famer?

Lion in Oil had a good post yesterday about Craig Biggio and his long, slow climb toward the 3,000 hit milestone. The 41-year-old veteran of twenty major league seasons has not enjoyed one of his best years thus far in 2007 (.237/.279/.402) and it shows little sign of getting better: his on base percentage for the month of June is an anemic .241 through fifteen games. Still, Biggio has piled up 59 hits on the season to pull within eleven of joining the 3,000 Hit Club.

In the first paragraph of his post, Fun Sheriff made an interesting assumption, referring to Biggio as “a future Hall of Famer.” It’s not that I strongly agree or disagree with this assessment; the point caught my eye because after realizing over the weekend just how close Biggio was to 3,000, I had decided to write a post of my own discussing his chances at reaching Cooperstown.

The thing about Biggio is that while 3,000 hits has long been considered a threshold that guarantees Hall of Fame induction, he has played much of his career under the radar as a member of the Houston Astros and seemingly snuck up on most baseball fans as a viable candidate within the past few years (I seem to remember greeting the news that Bill James had judged him history’s fifth best second-baseman in 2001’s New Historical Abstract with something in the neighborhood of total disbelief. That ranking was, for the record, ahead of Ryne Sandberg, Charlie Gehringer, and Rod Carew, among others). But there’s the point: how good is Biggio, really, and just how viable IS his Hall of Fame candidacy?

To help answer these questions and determine Biggio’s place in history, I turned to James and his Keltner List, a series of fifteen questions he created several years ago as a means of subjectively judging a player’s chances of reaching Cooperstown. Described in his book, “Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? Baseball, Cooperstown, and the Politics of Glory”, James acknowledges that the method is imperfect because there is no statistical foundation for the questions and answers. He also notes, however, that it is his favorite way of ranking a player, one that “is more to help you clarify your own thinking on an issue, by breaking the great question down into smaller questions which have easier answers.”

We’ll see how it works.

Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball?

It’s crazy to suggest that Craig Biggio was ever one of the best players alive, right? Maybe not. A glance at his career stats shows that Biggio’s prime seasons were 1989-2001, years that almost directly coincide with the rise and continued dominance of all-time greats such as Ken Griffey, Jr., Barry Bonds, Frank Thomas and others, which would lead us to believe that he couldn’t possibly have been the best player in baseball at any given point.

Cracking open another James work, however, made me reconsider this point. “Win Shares” is a system that takes a player’s statistical contributions and attempts to gauge how many wins he “creates” over the course of a season. I’m not sure win shares are the be all and end all that we would like them to be (some people use it as an absolute indicator of a given player’s value; I don’t like relying on it to that extent), but it is more than adequate in this case.

Anyway, if we understand win shares to be an indicator of value, guess who was the second most valuable player of the 1990s? That’s right: Craig Biggio, whose 287 win shares trailed only Bonds (351) for the decade. What’s more, his 38 win shares in 1997 were the third most in baseball, behind only Thomas and Tony Gwynn (both with 39).

We might not think of him in these terms, but by at least one measure, Biggio was one of the best players in baseball during the 1990s. (And another fun fact: according to The Hardball Times, he currently has the third most win shares of any active player, after Bonds and former teammate Roger Clemens.)

Was he the best player on his team?

Most baseball fans will probably answer this question instinctively and go with Jeff Bagwell as the unequivocal best player on the Houston Astros teams of the 1990s. That’s not far from the truth, and the question is certainly up for debate, but Biggio makes it far closer than anyone might have realized without looking at the numbers.

With one extra year in the 1990s (Bagwell was a rookie in 1991), Biggio tallied 24 additional win shares, 287-263. In head-to-head matchups during the decade, Biggio was once again the dominant player, leading the team five times to Bagwell’s four. As the century turned over, Bagwell separated himself somewhat, but the fact remains that for an entire decade, Craig Biggio was no worse than Option 1b for the Astros.

Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position?

The only second basemen of his era who could hold a candle to Biggio were Roberto Alomar and Chuck Knoblauch (and later, Jeff Kent). The three run the gauntlet of Hall of Fame viability: Alomar is regarded as almost a sure thing, Kent is in the “I have to think about it” group, and Knoblauch’s lasting legacy was the bout of Steve Blass Disease that ended his career as a middle infielder.

Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races?

The Astros have made the playoffs six times in Biggio’s twenty-year career, falling in the NLDS four times before advancing to the NLCS in 2004 and the World Series in 2005. Ironically, he hit better in the latter two years, when he was presumably on the downside of his career.

Was he a good enough player that he could continue to play regularly after passing his prime?

He is and he has. Biggio is no longer the stolen base threat he used to be, but he has become a greater power threat in his old age: the 26 homeruns he hit in 2005 were a career high. The issue now, as seen in that Lion in Oil post, is that he has extended himself so far past his prime that he is reaching the point where he probably should be spending more time on the bench than on the field.

Is he the very best player in baseball history who is not in the Hall of Fame?

Tough call, since Biggio is still active, but a case could be made that Tim Raines deserves consideration ahead of many other candidates.

Are most players who have comparable career statistics in the Hall of Fame?

Of the ten players listed as most similar to Biggio on Baseball-Reference.com, seven are in the Hall of Fame (Robin Yount, Joe Morgan, Paul Molitor, Ryne Sandberg, Cal Ripken, Brooks Robinson, and Charlie Gehringer). That’s some mighty fine company. Alomar, the second most similar on the list, should join that group in Cooperstown shortly after he becomes eligible in 2010.

Do the player’s numbers meet Hall of Fame standards?

In addition to the upcoming 3,000 hit milestone, Biggio boasts career totals of 1,813 runs scored (16th all-time, although two good years gets him into the top ten), 657 doubles (6th all-time, eight behind George Brett for fifth), 412 stolen bases, 286 homeruns, and 283 hit by pitch (2nd all-time, four behind Hughie Jennings). He has a Black Ink score of 17 (T-130th all-time) and a Gray Ink score of 106 (T-199th all-time). His HOF Standards score, with the average Hall of Fame score a fifty, is 54.9, good for 48th all-time. His HOF Monitor stands at 145.0 – anything above 100 is considered a likely Hall of Famer. So yeah, he meets Hall of Fame standards.

Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics?

None that I know of, although it’s scary to consider what his power numbers might have been had he played his best years at Minute Maid Park instead of the Astrodome.

Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame but not in?

The only other second baseman in Biggio’s league that will be eligible anytime soon is Alomar, who should be off the ballot well before Biggio is added (assuming he retires after this season, the earliest Craig could be listed is 2013. If Alomar hasn’t given his induction speech by that point, something’s wrong).

How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close?

The closest Biggio came to an MVP award was 1997, when he finished fourth, and 1998, when he finished fifth.

How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the other players who played in this many go to the Hall of Fame?

Biggio played in seven All-Star games between 1991 and 1998, missing only in 1993, but has not appeared in the Mid-Summer Classic since. He also turned in All-Star worthy seasons from 2004 to 2006.

If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant?

Put it this way: you can’t blame Craig Biggio for the fact that the Astros didn’t make the World Series until 2005 (just like you can’t blame Jeff Bagwell).

What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way?

None that I know of offhand.

Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider?

Another excellent point made by Lion in Oil: Biggio and the Astros have redefined the word “loyalty” over the past few seasons. An All-Star as a catcher in 1991, Biggio moved to second base the following season and became an All-Star and Gold Glove winner at THAT position. Then, with the signing of Jeff Kent in 2005, Biggio willingly changed positions again, moving to centerfield for two seasons until Kent moved on to Los Angeles. In an era in which professional athletes are often singled out for their selfishness and unwillingness to place team above self, Biggio is a positive example of what it means to be a team player.

In exchange, the Astros have stuck with Biggio longer than most teams would have, giving him the chance to reach 3,000 hits and finish his career in a Houston uniform.

Bill James was right about the Keltner List: it didn’t provide a clear cut statistical answer for whether or not Craig Biggio is a Hall of Fame player. After going through all the questions, however, and addressing each one individually, it appears that the answer is yes. Fun Sheriff was absolutely correct: Craig Biggio might as well start writing his induction speech.

Happy Birthday: June 18 - 24

(Baseball birthdays found here have been compiled from the “Frivolities” section at Baseball-Reference.com. All other birthdays were taken from Wikipedia.)

June 18
Red Adair (firefighter) – 1915
George Mikan (basketball) – 1924
Lou Brock (baseball) – 1939
Sir Paul McCartney (singer/songwriter) – 1942
Bruce Smith (football) – 1963
Martin St. Louis (hockey) – 1975

June 19
Lou Gehrig (baseball) – 1903
Paula Abdul (singer) – 1962
Doug Mientkiewicz (baseball) – 1974
Dirk Nowitzki (basketball) – 1978

June 20
Cum Posey (baseball) – 1890
Len Dawson (football) – 1935
John Goodman (actor) – 1952
Doug Gwosdz (baseball) – 1960
Larry See (baseball) – 1960
Nicole Kidman (actress) – 1967

June 21
Prince William (Prince of Wales) – 1982

June 22
Carl Hubbell (baseball) – 1903
Pete Maravich (basketball) – 1947
Bruce Campbell (actor) – 1958
Clyde Drexler (basketball) – 1962
Steven Page (singer) – 1970
Champ Bailey (football) – 1978
Dan Wheldon (auto racing) – 1978

June 23
George Weiss (baseball) – 1894
Marty Barrett (baseball) – 1958
June Carter Cash (singer) – 1929
Wilma Rudolph (track) – 1940
Clarence Thomas (Supreme Court Justice) – 1948
Felix Potvin (hockey) – 1971
LaDainian Tomlinson (football) – 1979

June 24
Jack Dempsey (boxing) – 1895
Petra Nemcova (model) – 1979
Philip Hughes (baseball) – 1986

The Links: Bob Barker Might Need To Take A Prozac

We all thought Bob Barker was kind and lovable; turns out he's an evil bastard who lives life according to a very strict clock, so hurry the hell up (Just Call Me Juice)

Chances are good that Kobe Bryant will still be in Los Angeles next season (Rumors and Rants)

Rick Ankiel is on the verge of a major, if unusual, comeback. Good for him (WBRS Sports Blog)

Craig Biggio is going to get to 3,000 hits, but at what cost to the team? (Lion in Oil)

I don't know if I share the level of outrage, but that definitely was a weird time to pull Wang. I mean yank Wang. I mean...never mind (Strike Zones and End Zones)

That there is a pretty solid All-Star team if you ask me (Stiles Points)

Ah, crazy athletes and their non-sports injuries (The Feed)

Harold Reynolds speaks out about his refusal to go quietly into the night (Deadspin)

Making a soccer team out of the world's best athletes (The Beautiful Game)

Who Doesn't Love A Good Baseball Ejection?

(Updated through August 6, 2007)

Some fans will try to tell you that the triple is the most exciting play in baseball. Others will cast a vote for the homerun, particularly those of the high, majestic variety. And a few will insist that nothing could be better than an important strikeout on a perfectly executed pitch.

All of those are great, for sure, and may well be the most exciting things that can happen when the ball is in play. But to me, the most exciting thing that can happen on a baseball field is when a call goes against a team, the manager or individual player takes umbrage, and somebody does enough to get himself tossed from the game.

So far this season, more than ninety players, managers and coaches have been ejected from major league games for reasons that range from the old standard of arguing balls and strikes to the more unusual “leaving the third base coach’s box.” The biggest stories are probably Atlanta’s Bobby Cox (currently tied for first all-time with 131 early showers in his career, including four this season) and Chicago’s Lou Piniella (only tossed once so far, but it was a good one that involved dirt kicking, cap tossing and a four game suspension).

On Sunday, Philadelphia’s Charlie Manuel picked up his league-leading fifth ejection of the season, moving one ahead of Cox and Houston’s Phil Garner. He was thrown out as part of a three-man mass exodus in the eighth inning of the Phillies’ game against the Tigers, an epic event that vaulted the City of Brotherly Love’s Nine into the overall team lead with eight ejections.

Also asked to leave early on Sunday was Tampa Bay’s Joe Maddon, who had previously been one of four skippers without an ejection this season (the others are Texas’ Ron Washington, Washington’s Manny Acta, and St. Louis’ Tony LaRussa). The Cardinals might do well to inject some passion into their lives: the struggling defending champions are the only team that has not had anyone thrown out of a game all year.

The (more or less) complete list of Major League Baseball ejections this season can be found below (only a handful may be missing). It will be updated periodically through the rest of the season, with the possibility of grading exceptionally angry performances according to the highly subjective Mikulik-Wellman Scale.

Arizona Diamondbacks (1)
April 25 – Bob Melvin, manager
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Mike Reilly for arguing balls and strikes

Atlanta Braves (9)
April 22 – Bobby Cox, manager
Bottom 6th by home plate umpire Paul Emmel for arguing balls and strikes

May 6 – Bobby Cox, manager
Bottom 7th by third base umpire Bob Davidson for arguing a check-swing

May 6 – Chipper Jones, third base
Bottom 7th by third base umpire Bob Davidson for arguing a check-swing

May 25 – Bobby Cox, manager
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Paul Emmel for arguing balls and strikes

May 25 – Edgar Renteria, shortstop
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Paul Emmel for arguing balls and strikes

May 26 – John Smoltz, pitcher
Bottom 3rd by first base umpire Ron Kulpa for arguing a foul ball call

May 26 – Bobby Cox, manager
Bottom 3rd by first base umpire Ron Kulpa for arguing a foul ball call

June 23 – Brian McCann, catcher (1)
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild for arguing balls and strikes

June 23 – Bobby Cox, manager (5)
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild for arguing balls and strikes

July 16 – Jeff Francoeur, right field
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez for arguing balls and strikes

Baltimore Orioles (3)
June 8 – Sam Perlozzo, manager
Top 6th by home plate umpire Larry Vanover for arguing a balk call

June 14 – Sam Perlozzo, manager
8th by first base umpire Ed Montague for arguing balls and strikes

June 14 – Jay Payton, outfield
8th by first base umpire Ed Montague for arguing balls and strikes

Boston Red Sox (8)
April 10 – Brendan Donnelly, pitcher
Top 8th by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi for throwing at a batter

April 10 – Terry Francona, manager
Top 8th by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi for throwing at a hitter

April 28 – Coco Crisp, center field
Top 8th by home plate umpire Bruce Froemming for arguing balls and strikes

June 6 – Terry Francona, manager
Top 8th by home plate umpire Dan Iassogna for arguing balls and strikes

June 15 – David Ortiz, designated hitter
Bottom 1st by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo for arguing balls and strikes

June 23 – Terry Francona, manager
Top 6th by third base umpire Brian Knight for arguing a homerun reversal

Jul 20 – Terry Francona, manager
Top 2nd by third base umpire Tim McClelland for arguing a homerun call

August 6 – Manny Ramirez, left field
Top 4th by home plate umpire Jamie Hoye for arguing balls and strikes

Chicago Cubs (5)
May 20 – Cliff Floyd, pinch-hitter
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Joe West for arguing balls and strikes

June 2 – Lou Piniella, manager
Bottom 8th by third base umpire Mark Wegner for arguing a call at third base

June 10 – Ted Lilly, pitcher
Bottom 1st by home plate umpire Jim Wolf for arguing a warning

June 16 – Gerald Perry, hitting coach
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Mike Everitt for fighting

June 16 – Derrek Lee, first base
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Mike Everitt for fighting

Chicago White Sox (8)
April 15 – Joe Crede, third base
Top 6th by home plate umpire Jerry Meals for arguing balls and strikes

May 21 – Jermaine Dye, right field
Top 6th by home plate umpire Chris Guccione for arguing balls and strikes

June 3 – Ozzie Guillen, manager
Bottom 3rd by home plate umpire Alfonzo Marquez for arguing a check-swing

June 7 – A.J. Pierzynski, catcher
Bottom 8th by home plate umpire Bob Davidson for arguing balls and strikes

June 24 – Ozzie Guillen, manager
Top 8th by first base umpire Joe West for arguing an obstruction call at second base

July 31 – Ozzie Guillen, manager
Bottom 1st by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi for arguing balls and strikes

July 31 – Paul Konerko, first base
Top 6th by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi for arguing balls and strikes

August 1 – Charles Haeger, pitcher
Bottom 8th by home plate umpire Tom Hallion for hitting a batter

Cincinnati Reds (3)
May 20 – Jerry Narron, manager
Top 8th by third base umpire Gary Darling for arguing a call at third base

May 30 – Jerry Narron, manager
Top 1st by home plate umpire Bill Welke for arguing balls and strikes

July 7 – Ryan Freel, third base
Top 8th by first base umpire Chad Fairchild for arguing a call at first base

Cleveland Indians (2)
April 27 – Eric Wedge, manager
Bottom 1st by home plate umpire Bill Miller for arguing balls and strikes

July 14 – Ryan Garko, first base
Bottom 8th by home plate umpire Mark Carlson for arguing balls and strikes

Colorado Rockies (3)
May 7 – Clint Hurdle, manager
Top 9th by home plate umpire Bob Davidson for arguing a homerun call

June 8 – Clint Hurdle, manager
Top 8th by home plate umpire Larry Vanover for arguing balls and strikes

June 23 – Yorvit Torrealba, catcher
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Gerry Davis for arguing balls and strikes

Detroit Tigers (5)
May 31 – Gary Sheffield, designated hitter
Top 5th by home plate umpire Greg Gibson for arguing balls and strikes

June 2 – Justin Verlander, pitcher
Bottom 4th by second base umpire Greg Gibson for arguing balls and strikes

June 2 – Jim Leyland, manager
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo for arguing balls and strikes

June 29 – Lloyd McClendon, hitting coach
Bottom 1st by home plate umpire Marty Foster for arguing balls and strikes

July 12 – Ivan Rodriguez, catcher
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Mike Winters for making contact while arguing an obstruction call

Florida Marlins (4)
May 24 – Fredi Gonzalez, manager
Top 3rd by first base umpire Chuck Meriweather for arguing a call at first base

June 12 – Fredi Gonzalez, manager
Top 6th by home plate umpire Brian Knight for throwing at a batter

June 12 – Taylor Tankersley, pitcher
Top 6th by home plate umpire Brian Knight for throwing at a batter

June 12 – Aaron Boone, first base
Top 6th by home plate umpire Brian Knight for arguing an ejection

Houston Astros (7)
April 13 – Phil Garner, manager
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Greg Gibson for arguing a balk

May 11 – Phil Garner, manager
Bottom 7th by home plate umpire Dale Scott for arguing balls and strikes

June 5 – Phil Garner, manager
Top 9th by third base umpire Ed Rapuano for arguing a warning issued to his team

June 5 – Lance Berkman, outfield
Top 8th by third base umpire Ed Rapuano for arguing a check-swing

June 6 – Woody Williams, pitcher
Bottom 7th by home plate umpire C.P. Bucknor for throwing at a batter

June 8 – Phil Garner, manager
Top 4th by home plate umpire Sam Holbrook for arguing balls and strikes

June 8 – Lance Berkman, outfield
Top 4th by home plate umpire Sam Holbrook for arguing balls and strikes

Kansas City Royals (4)
April 9 – Buddy Bell, manager
Bottom 2nd by third base umpire Gerry Davis for arguing fan interference

May 30 – Buddy Bell, manager
Top 8th by home plate umpire Marty Foster for arguing balls and strikes

May 30 – Emil Brown, left field
Top 8th by home plate umpire Marty Foster for arguing balls and strikes

July 6 – Buddy Bell, manager
Top 9th by home plate umpire Tom Hallion for arguing balls and strikes

Los Angeles Angels (2)
May 13 – Mike Scioscia, manager
Bottom 7th by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez for throwing at a batter

May 13 – Hector Carrasco, pitcher
Bottom 7th by home plate umpire Hector Carrasco for throwing at a batter

Los Angeles Dodgers (1)
June 3 – Grady Little, manager
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Bill Welke for arguing a call at home plate

Milwaukee Brewers (4)
April 10 – Tony Graffanino, second base
Top 8th by home plate umpire Doug Eddings for arguing balls and strikes

May 15 – Ned Yost, manager
Top 4th by home plate umpire Larry Vanover for arguing balls and strikes

May 25 – Ned Yost, manager
Top 7th by home plate umpire Jerry Layne for arguing balls and strikes

May 25 – Geoff Jenkins, left field
Top 7th by home plate umpire Jerry Layne for arguing balls and strikes

Minnesota Twins (6)
May 2 – Ron Gardenhire, manager
Bottom 5th by first base umpire Angel Hernandez for arguing a call at first base

May 10 – Ron Gardenhire, manager
Top 5th by home plate umpire Derryl Cousins for arguing a call at home plate

June 24 – Ron Gardenhire, manager
Top 4th by home plate umpire Larry Young for arguing balls and strikes

June 24 – Michael Cuddyer, right field
Top 4th by home plate umpire Larry Young for arguing balls and strikes

June 26 – Ron Gardenhire, manager
Top 8th by home plate umpire Mike Winters for arguing a call at home plate

July 3 – Torii Hunter, center field
Top 8th by home plate umpire Ron Kulpa for arguing balls and strikes

New York Mets (3)
April 14 – Orlando Hernandez, pitcher
Top 6th by home plate umpire Mike Winters for throwing at a batter

April 28 – Willie Randolph, manager
Bottom 6th by first base umpire Tony Randazzo for arguing a call at first base

June 23 – Paul Lo Duca, catcher
Bottom 6th by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson for arguing balls and strikes

New York Yankees (4)
May 6 – Joe Torre, manager
Top 7th by home plate umpire Mike Everitt for throwing at a hitter

May 6 – Scott Proctor, pitcher
Top 7th by home plate umpire Mike Everitt for throwing at a batter

June 1 – Joe Torre, manager
Top 5th by third base umpire Jerry Crawford for arguing a caught stealing

June 1 – Scott Proctor, pitcher
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Brian O’Nora for throwing at a batter

Oakland Athletics (2)
May 1 – Bob Geren, manager
Top 5th by home plate umpire Charlie Reliford for arguing a check swing

July 8 – Joe Blanton, pitcher
Top 7th by home plate umpire Travis Reininger for fighting

Philadelphia Phillies (8)
May 1 – Charlie Manuel, manager
Top 7th by home plate umpire Joe West for arguing a balk

May 23 – Rod Barajas, catcher
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing a call at home plate

May 23 – Charlie Manuel, manager
Bottom 9th by home plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing a call at home plate

June 1 – Charlie Manuel, manager
Top 2nd by first base umpire Tim McClelland for arguing a check-swing

June 7 – Charlie Manuel, manager
Bottom 6th by home plate umpire Jerry Layne for arguing a homerun reversal

June 17 – Charlie Manuel, manager
Bottom 8th by home plate umpire Bill Welke for arguing balls and strikes

June 17 – Carlos Ruiz, catcher
Bottom 8th by home plate umpire Bill Welke for arguing balls and strikes

June 17 – Steve Smith, third base coach
Bottom 8th by first base umpire Laz Diaz for arguing balls and strikes

Pittsburgh Pirates (3)
May 5 – Matt Capps, pitcher
Bottom 7th by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez for throwing at a batter

May 8 – Jim Tracy, manager
Top 7th by first base umpire Tom Hallion for arguing a call at second base

July 25 – Jim Tracy, manager
Bottom 3rd by third base umpire Larry Vanover for arguing a call in left field

San Diego Padres (9)
April 18 – David Wells, pitcher
12th by first base umpire Doug Eddings for arguing a call at first base

May 29 – Marcus Giles, second base
Top 2nd by first base umpire Joe West for arguing balls and strikes

May 31 – Josh Bard, catcher
Top 11th by home plate umpire Ed Rapuano for arguing a homerun call

May 31 – Bud Black, manager
Top 11th by third base umpire Joe West for arguing a homerun call

June 16 – Jake Peavy, pitcher
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Mike Everitt for fighting

June 16 – Chris Young, pitcher
Bottom 4th by home plate umpire Mike Everitt for fighting

July 7 – David Wells, pitcher
Top 4th by home plate umpire Ed Hickox for arguing balls and strikes

July 22 – Bud Black, manager
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Chris Guccione for arguing balls and strikes

July 22 – Michael Barrett, catcher
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Chris Guccione for arguing balls and strikes

San Francisco Giants (5)
May 5 – Dave Righetti, pitching coach
Top 7th by first base umpire Jim Reynolds for arguing balls and strikes

May 18 – Steve Kline, pitcher
Bottom 8th by home plate umpire Bill Miller for arguing balls and strikes

May 18 – Bruce Bochy, manager
Bottom 8th by home plate umpire Bill Miller for arguing balls and strikes

June 20 – Bruce Bochy, manager
Top 6th by first base umpire Brian Knight for arguing a call

June 23 – Bruce Bochy, manager
Bottom 6th by first base umpire Phil Cuzzi for arguing a call

Seattle Mariners (7)
April 10 – Jose Guillen, right field
Top 8th by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi for charging the mound

May 6 – Mike Hargrove, manager
7th by home plate umpire Mike Everitt

June 8 – Carlos Garcia, third base coach
Top 9th by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez for leaving the third base coach’s box

June 22 – Mike Hargrove, manager
Top 2nd by home plate umpire Mike Winters for arguing balls and strikes

July 8 – Miguel Batista, pitcher
Top 7th by home plate umpire Travis Reininger for fighting

July 22 – John McLaren, manager
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild for arguing balls and strikes

July 29 – Richie Sexson, first base
Top 6th by second base umpire Mark Carlson for arguing a call at first base

St. Louis Cardinals (3)
July 28 – Tony LaRussa, manager
Bottom 6th by home plate umpire Greg Gibson for arguing a check swing

August 2 – Scott Spiezio, left field
Bottom 10th by home plate umpire Bob Davidson for arguing balls and strikes

August 5 – Tony LaRussa, manager
Top 5th by home plate umpire Mark Wegner for arguing balls and strikes

Tampa Bay Devil Rays (4)
May 10 – Ty Wigginton, third base
Bottom 5th by third base umpire James Hoye for arguing a call at third base

June 17 – Joe Maddon, manager
Bottom 7th by home plate umpire Ted Barrett for arguing balls and strikes

July 25 – Steve Henderson, hitting coach
Top 4th by home plate umpire Tom Hallion for arguing balls and strikes

July 28 – Joe Maddon, manager
Top 11th by home plate umpire Mark Wegner for arguing balls and strikes

Texas Rangers (6)
April 18 – Jerry Hairston, Jr., left field
Top 3rd by first base umpire James Hoye for arguing a call at first base

May 14 – Sammy Sosa, outfield
9th by home plate umpire Tim Timmons

July 3 – Art Howe, bench coach
Top 8th by home plate umpire John Hirschbeck for arguing balls and strikes

July 8 – Frank Catalanotto, left field
Bottom 1st by home plate umpire Lance Barksdale for arguing balls and strikes

August 6 – Michael Young, shortstop
Bottom 11th by home plate umpire Bill Miller for arguing balls and strikes

August 6 – Ron Washington, manager
Bottom 11th by home plate umpire Bill Miller for arguing balls and strikes

Toronto Blue Jays (4)
April 21 – John Gibbons, manager
Top 5th by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi for arguing balls and strikes

June 27 – John Gibbons, manager
Top 9th by home plate manager Mark Wegner for arguing balls and strikes

June 27 – Frank Thomas, designated hitter
Top 9th by home plate umpire Mark Wegner for arguing balls and strikes

July 20 – John Gibbons, manager
Bottom 6th by home plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing balls and strikes

July 30 – John Gibbons, manager
Bottom 8th by third base umpire Tim Welke for arguing balls and strikes

Washington Nationals (5)
May 23 – Ray King, pitcher
Bottom 7th by home plate umpire Lance Barksdale for arguing balls and strikes

July 2 – Robert Fick, pinch-hitter
Top 8th by home plate umpire Scott Barry for arguing balls and strikes

July 19 – Dmitri Young, first base
Bottom 3rd by home plate umpire Rob Drake for arguing balls and strikes

July 26 – John Lannan, pitcher
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt for throwing at a hitter

July 26 – Manny Acta, manager
Bottom 5th by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt for throwing at a hitter

The Links: Fare Thee Well, Brave, Brave Fasano

Watching Verlander's no-hitter from inside Comerica Park (Sports Show On Mute)

Omar Minaya should probably call Sports Illustrated and ask them to please stop doing stuff like this (The Happy Recap)

My wife will never be a GSF; she does, however, have an unnatural love for Tim Wakefield (Why Don't We Get Drunk and Blog?)

When some teams are playing well, the world is just a better place (Just Call Me Juice)

The Moustache quietly moves on (The 700 Level)

I don't know what to feel right now. Verne Troyer and Shaquille O'Neal are one thing...but how can anyone hate Dorothy Zbnorak? (Run Up The Score)

An invaluable guide to keeping track of Major League Baseball's numerous Tony Penas (The Feed)

I have no comment (Boiled Sports)

2007 College World Series Alumni Team

This has probably been done before, but while watching college baseball the other night I found myself wondering what type of talent came out of this year’s eight World Series entrants in the past. Some of the schools, such as Mississippi State, Arizona State and Cal State-Fullerton, are baseball hotbeds that churn out quality players on a yearly basis, while others – the Rices, North Carolinas and Oregon States of the world – are slightly less prolific.

The only real rule that was followed here was that all eight programs had to be represented by at least one player (therefore, it doesn’t matter if a guy actually played in the College World Series; as long as he went to one of this year’s eight participants, he was up for consideration). For the most part, that wasn’t a problem, although Louisville and UC-Irvine both had slim pickings.

The 2007 College World Series Alumni Team is below. Starters are listed first, followed by reserves, with the pitching staff bringing up the rear. If anyone takes issue with the batting order or the inclusion/exclusion of a certain player (it’s not easy getting a roster down to 25 guys), let me know in the comments.

(All school information was taken from Baseball-Reference’s extensive database.)

Starting Lineup

OF – Lance Berkman, Rice (1999-2007) – Not renowned for his speed, he earns the leadoff spot with six consecutive .400 OBP seasons. His power numbers prevent him from batting this high under normal circumstances, but this lineup is stacked enough in the middle that he won’t be missed.

1B – Will Clark, Mississippi State (1986-2000) – “The Thrill”. Got on base fairly regularly throughout his career and provides some pop from the second spot in the order.

OF – Barry Bonds, Arizona State (1986-2007) – Hits third for the CWSAT after primarily batting fourth in San Francisco the past several seasons. Most feared hitter in baseball history would see a lot of RBI opportunities with Berkman and Clark on base in front of him.

OF – Reggie Jackson, Arizona State (1967-87) – “The Straw That Stirs The Drink”. Reggie should probably hit third, Bonds fourth, but that just doesn’t seem right. If ever there was a guy who was SUPPOSED to be a cleanup man, it was Mr. October.

DH - Rafael Palmeiro, Mississippi State (1986-2005) – Stanozolol be damned: 500 and 3,000 puts you in this lineup. Just bring the earplugs.

3B – Bob Horner, Arizona State (1978-1988) – First overall pick went straight from Arizona State to the Atlanta Braves in 1978 and won the NL Rookie of the Year award the same year. Hit four homeruns in a game in ’86 and never, to my knowledge, spent a day in the minor leagues.

2B – Buddy Myer, Mississippi State (1925-41) – Getting old school here: the only true old-timer on the squad played second base for some bad Senators teams in the 1930s (and, to be fair, one decent one in 1933). Never a big power-hitter type, he once drove in 100 runs in a season while going deep only five times.

C – Paul Lo Duca, Arizona State (1998-2007) – Where’d the power go, Paul? 25 homers in his first full season, only 44 in 5+ years since. Made four All-Star Games in a row for the Dodgers, Marlins and Mets, and will probably be in Pittsburgh next month.

SS - Walt Weiss, North Carolina (1987-2000) – Baseball’s best rookie in 1988 was drafted out of North Carolina by Oakland in 1985. Played for the original Florida Marlins in ’93, then sampled the Rockies for a few years. Even that thin air couldn’t provide respectable power numbers: four years, fourteen homers.

Reserves

C – Brent Mayne, Cal State-Fullerton (1990-2004) – What can I say about Brent Mayne? Seriously, what can I say – I got nothin’.

UTIL – B.J. Surhoff, North Carolina (1987-2005) – For the last five years of his career, consistently surprised people with the mere reality that he was still playing.

UTIL – Steve Lyons, Oregon State (1985-93) – Once pulled his pants down on the field because he had dirt on his legs; they didn’t call him “Psycho” for nothing.

OF – Brady Anderson, UC-Irvine (1988-2002) – 1996 was one of the flukiest seasons in major league history.

Starting Pitchers

SP – Floyd Bannister, Arizona State (1977-92) – Brian’s dad won 134 major league games. Unfortunately, he lost 143. Slim pickings among pitchers, however, means he’s the ace of this particular staff.

SP – Ken Forsch, Oregon State (1970-86) – Might have done something as a starting pitcher had he not been used primarily as a reliever from the ages of 27 to 31. Known to me personally throughout my formative years as “Bob Forsch’s less successful older brother”.

SP – Willie Mitchell, Mississippi State (1909-19) – 2.88 career ERA is a lot more impressive if you don’t look at the overall league mark for the same time period (2.98).

SP – Larry Gura, Arizona State (1970-85) – 18 wins for Kansas City in both 1980 and 1982, but no love in the Cy Young voting.

SP – Dave Ferriss, Mississippi State (1945-50) – Short career: two 20-win seasons, a complete game shutout in the 1946 World Series, then arm trouble and oblivion.

Relief Pitchers

RP – Sean Green, Louisville (2006-07) – Ladies and gentlemen, Louisville’s contribution to this team.

RP – Norm Charlton, Rice (1988-2001) – An early member of the B.J. Surhoff Memorial “He’s Still Playing?” School. How his left arm is still attached to his body is a medical mystery.

RP – Jeff Brantley, Mississippi State (1988-2001) – Bad starting pitching on this team, good bullpen. 44 saves in one season should earn a guy a closer’s job – not here, Jeffrey. Not here.

RP – Matt Anderson, Rice (1998-2005) – Saved 1/3 of Detroit’s 2001 wins, then his arm fell off. Last MLB action was 2005, so he might still be kicking around somewhere, biding his time until the next opportunity arises.

SU – Bobby Thigpen, Mississippi State (1986-94) – 44 saves doesn’t earn you the closer’s job on this team – 57 in one season (176 in five seasons) should. I’ll explain in a minute.

SU – Chad Cordero, Cal State-Fullerton (2003-07) – Safe to say he enjoyed the move from Montreal to Washington as much as anybody – 47 saves and 1.82 ERAs have a way of easing the pain of relocation.

CL – Jonathan Papelbon, Mississippi State (2005-07) – Papelbon is young, you say? Papelbon is less established than Thigpen and Cordero, not to mention Jeffrey Hoke Brantley? True and true. But after being forced to cut Marty Barrett and Kevin Romine, two late ‘80s Sox favorites, I decided to put Paps wherever the hell I felt like; therefore, he’s my closer.

Team Doctor – Moonlight Graham, North Carolina (1905) – I wonder if he looked anything like Burt Lancaster in real life?

One Hit (By Pitch) Wonder – Adam Greenberg, North Carolina (2005) – No real place for Greenberg on the team, but the dude needs to be here. 2005, major league debut, playing for the Chicago Cubs, and the first pitch he sees? WHAM – fastball, right upside the noggin. They had to put a pitcher in to run for him. Hasn’t sniffed the bigs since. Damn shame.

Well Played, Justin Verlander, Well Played

I'd love to write a quick blurb about Justin Verlander's no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers this evening, but the chances of yours truly coming up with something like this are slim:

Justin Verlander pitched the first no-hitter in Comerica Park history, mixing 99 mph heat with crazy curveballs to lead the Detroit Tigers over the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 on Tuesday night.

You know it's an impressive effort when the Associated Press uses the words, "crazy curveballs" in a story. We usually don't see that sort of descriptive sentiment from the guys and gals at the AP. They even worked in a "tantalizing changeup" in the extended recap that showed up later.

Then, of course, Orsillo and Remy at NESN have to take it up another notch with the following exchange (bear in mind, this is paraphrased):

Orsillo: We'll have more about Justin Verlander's no-hitter coming up.
Remy: No-hitter? I didn't know about that.
Orsillo: Well, you were in the bathroom.

Oh, you guys.

About that no-hitter, though: it was nice to see another one in the major leagues this season. Whenever a season or two or three passes without someone accomplishing the feat, fans and the media begin to murmur about it. They get confused - if there are no no-hitters, does that mean pitching is at an all-time low? Where is Nolan Ryan? What is happening to the world we used to know? Lots and lots of overreaction.

I ran through the numbers some time ago in preparation for a post that never happened, and quickly found that random long stretches without no-hitters are very much a part of the game. The most recent streak in the American League might have been a record (I can't remember offhand), but it was only a record because it was a random stretch that ran a bit longer than other random stretches. That's it.

One more fact that I found interesting: the Brewers had not been no-hit since 1994, when Mr. Lisa Guerrero took care of business in Minnesota. This means that despite having played in the National League since 1998, Milwaukee has still never been no-hit by a National League team.

Visual Crack: The Closest Thing To The Real Thing

YouTube has next-to-nothing on Justin Verlander (big surprise there), so I guess we'll have to be content with this video of George Plimpton pimping an Intellivision baseball game.

Sometimes it's fun to think about just how far technology can advance in a quarter century.

The Links: Free Genarlow!

What is it about professional athletes that attracts the crazy ladies? (Sports Gone South)

The story of Genarlow Wilson takes a positive turn - then stalls (The Starting Five)

Rules to live by (Welcome to The Binder)

So, whatever happened to Dan and Dave? (The Extrapolater)

Dodger Stadium is all about patriotism (The Big Picture)

If I catch the ball that Bonds hits for his 756th homerun (tough play, considering I have no plans to attend a major league game any time soon), pretty sure I'm holding on to it (Our Book of Scrap)

Sometimes, awards can be deceiving (The Feed)

Happy Birthday: June 11 - 17

(Baseball birthdays found here have been compiled from the “Frivolities” section at Baseball-Reference.com. All other birthdays were taken from Wikipedia.)

June 11
Roger Bresnehan (baseball) – 1879
Ernie Nevers (football) – 1903
Vince Lombardi (football) – 1913
Joe Montana (football) – 1956
Diana Taurasi (basketball) – 1982

June 12
Sol White (baseball) – 1868
Bill Foster (baseball) – 1904
George H.W. Bush (former president) – 1924
Anne Frank (diarist) – 1929
Marv Albert (broadcaster) – 1941
Hideki Matsui (baseball) –1974
Adriana Lima (model) – 1971

June 13
Red Grange (football) – 1903
Mary Kate Olsen (actress) – 1986
Ashley Olsen (actress) – 1986

June 14
Don Newcombe (baseball) – 1926
Steffi Graf (tennis) – 1969

June 15

Billy Williams (baseball) – 1938
Wade Boggs (baseball) – 1958
Helen Hunt (actress) – 1963
Leah Remini (actress) – 1970
Neil Patrick Harris (actor) – 1973
Mary Carey (adult film star) – 1980

June 16
Roberto Duran (boxing) – 1951
Ultimate Warrior (pro wrestling) – 1959
Phil Mickelson (golf) – 1970)
Kerry Wood (baseball) – 1977

June 17

Crazylegs Hirsch (football) – 1923
Dermontti Dawson (football) – 1965
Venus Williams (tennis) – 1980

The Links: Vote For Pedro!

Nothing like a good Ken Tremendous rant to start the week off right (Fire Joe Morgan)

Just how good will the New England Patriots be this season? (The FanHouse)

Do as Shaq says, kids, not as Shaq does (The Serious Tip)

Jon Lester is getting closer to a Boston return every day. Let's hope his contribution to the team is better than Julian Tavarez's 3-4, 5.25 (Red Sox Superfan)

This is annoying, frustrating, and infuriating - but somehow, not at all surprising (Off Wing Opinion)

Campaigning for the Ladies... tournament (The Extrapolater)

How dare you write about the College Baseball World Series!? The nerve of some people (The Postmen)

One of the best last names in all of sports (Seal Clubbers)

The Links: If Skip Bayless Is Right About Something, Will The World Implode?

Only a Red Sox fan could be upset at Julio Lugo for costing Curt Schilling a chance at a perfect game. My guess is that even with a perfecto going, he still shakes off Varitek and "announces his presence with authority." (Sox Gal)

Tom Browning and Rob Dibble might not be the best names to mention in association with a 21-year-old rookie savior. Why not throw Jose Rijo into the mix as well? (Flyers Fieldhouse)

Schilling "didn't have his best stuff in the bullpen" before yesterday's game and he was helped by his defense, therefore the near no-hitter was not an impressive performance. I would love to crawl into Skip Bayless's brain, "Being John Malkovich"-style, and see what's going on in there sometimes (Larry Brown Sports)

A bunch of guys who belong in Cooperstown. Hard to argue with most of the selections, although Gil Hodges probably does have a case over Steve Garvey (Bugs & Cranks)

Hmmm...so Schilling's performance yesterday was only the 38th best by a Red Sox pitcher in the last fifty years? Does this mean I owe Skip Bayless an apology? (Yanksfan vs. Soxfan)

Roger Federer will play for that elusive French Open title against Rafael Nadal. A win could secure his place as the sport's all-time greatest player (The FanHouse)

Why do I get the feeling I've seen someone like this Durant kid before? (The Extrapolater)

Believe it or not, I'd take the real Kelly Clarkson over the overly photoshopped one any day (Our Book of Scrap)

Is it wrong that I just don't find this girl as amazingly hot as the rest of the world does? Not that she's not attractive, but...hell, it's still a yes (The Big Picture)

The Links: Better Late Than Never

A nearly unbelievable story of D-Day and "The Beast of Omaha" (World History Blog)

Rick Reilly doesn't know how to hold a grudge (Signal to Noise)

Getting cut from a basketball team turned Michael Jordan's life around; why not LeBron? (TrueHoop)

Dustin Pedroia is near the top of my "needs a nickname" list. I'm leaning towards "Lucky Charms", because something about his face screams, "LEPRECHAUN!" at me, but suggestions are always welcome (The Extrapolater)

When I was nine, I once cried and demanded a do-over during a baseball game because the first baseman interfered with me; at the age of nine, this kid is an online gaming animal. My life becomes more depressing almost on an hourly basis (We are the Postmen)

The Royals have not had the best luck with first round draft picks (Royals Retrospective)

It's a miracle that anyone ever gets married these days (I'm Always Right)

No-Hitter or Not, Orsillo and Remy Called It Right

"Only one batter has reached for the A's, it was on an error."

I heard that line (or some variation of it) from Don Orsillo several times in the final three innings of today's Red Sox-Athletics game, and I liked it. Curt Schilling was flirting with a no-hitter, the Sox were holding on to a slim 1-0 lead, and Orsillo wasn't messing around. Call me old-fashioned, but there's something old-timey and fun about an announcer refusing to come right out and say the words "no-hitter" until someone actually gets a hit.

And Remy played along, even though he could have uttered the magical hyphenated words at just about any time he liked. Just another reason to enjoy the work that these two do in the booth.

(Note: in the interest of full disclosure, I should probably mention that I wasn't watching the game until ESPN's Karl Ravech informed me that, "Curt Schilling has a no-hitter through six!" So if you're the type of crazy person who actually blames announcers for jinxing no-hitters, there's your scapegoat.)

Position Players Are Slightly More Valuable Than Pitchers In The Number One Spot

Contrary to the performances turned in by pitchers taken with the first overall pick, position players drafted in the same spot are often solid and occasionally spectacular. A full 17 out of 30 played in the major leagues for more than ten seasons, including future Hall of Famers Ken Griffey, Jr., Chipper Jones and Alex Rodriguez (three out of the top four position players selected between 1987 and 1993; the other was Phil Nevin).

Not everyone had a career as great as the three mentioned above, but many had at least one moment of fame during their playing days:

• Rick Monday (1965), in addition to being the first ever draft pick, was best known for stopping two young men from burning the American flag on the field in 1975.
• Steve Chilcott (1966) was the only position player selected first overall never reached the major leagues (2004's Matthew Bush and 2005's Justin Upton don't count yet)
• Ron Blomberg (1967) was the first designated hitter.
• Jeff Burroughs (1969) won an MVP award and fathered Little League World Series hero Sean Burroughs.
• Danny Goodwin (1971, 1975) is the only player taken first overall in two different drafts.
• Dave Roberts (1972) and Bob Horner (1978) went directly from the draft to the major leagues. Horner later became one of the few men to hit four homeruns in one game.
• Josh Hamilton (1999) was out of baseball before overcoming drug addiction, returning to the game and making his big league debut in 2007.
• Delmon Young (2003) and Justin Upton (2005) are both the younger brother of a top five pick. Dmitri Young was taken fourth overall in 1991, while B.J. Upton went second in 2002.
  
  

  Year	Player	Team	Yrs	HR	RBI	OPS
  2005	Justin Upton*	Arizona	DNP
  2004	Matthew Bush*	San Diego	DNP
  2003	Delmon Young *	Tampa Bay	2	10	38	.727
  2001	Joe Mauer*	Minnesota	4	29	170	.875
  2000	Adrian Gonzalez*	Florida	4	43	145	.836
  1999	Josh Hamilton *	Tampa Bay	1	8	18	.857
  1998	Pat Burrell *	Philadelphia	8	194	668	.838
  1995	Darin Erstad*	California	12	116	646	.753
  1993	Alex Rodriguez*	Seattle	14	484	1394	.961
  1992	Phil Nevin	Houston	12	208	743	.815
  1990	Chipper Jones*	Atlanta	14	369	1224	.946
  1987	Ken Griffey, Jr.*	Seattle	19	575	1640	.930
  1986	Jeff King	Pittsburgh	11	154	709	.749
  1985	B.J. Surhoff	Milwaukee	19	188	1153	.745
  1984	Shawn Abner	New York (N)	6	11	71	.592
  1982	Shawon Dunston	Chicago (N)	18	150	668	.712
  1980	Darryl Strawberry	New York (N)	17	335	1000	.862
  1979	Al Chambers	Seattle	3	2	11	.618
  1978	Bob Horner	Atlanta	10	218	685	.839
  1977	Harold Baines	Chicago (A)	22	384	1628	.821
  1975	Danny Goodwin	California	7	13	81	.674
  1974	Bill Almon	San Diego	15	36	296	.648
  1972	Dave Roberts	San Diego	10	7	208	.643
  1971	Danny Goodwin	Chicago (A)	7	13	81	.674
  1970	Mike Ivie	San Diego	11	81	411	.745
  1969	Jeff Burroughs	Washington	16	240	882	.794
  1968	Tim Foli	New York (N)	16	25	501	.592
  1967	Ron Blomberg	New York (A)	8	52	224	.833
  1966	Steve Chilcott	New York (N)	DNP
  1965	Rick Monday	Kansas City A	19	241	775	.804

This Could Get Interesting...

As far as I know, only one picture of me has found it's way onto the Internet. Always wondered what I look like? Knew me way back when and have forgotten what I look like? Realize exactly what I look like but never had the chance to comment on the fact that my hair and beard are two different colors? If so, go visit the Ladies.... Tell them I sent you. Do not tell them if you are a New England sports fan.

While you're over there, feel free to cast your vote for me in the gloriously epic Hot Blogger Tournament. The first round began today and will continue until late into the night on Saturday. I'm matched up against a guy named Paul, who writes The Happy Recap, a Mets blog that will be entering my RSS feed reader shortly. (There, done - see how quick that was?) Paul and I first crossed paths today, but I already like him for two reasons:

1) His blog has the same background previously sported by One More Dying Quail. There will always be a place in my heart for white lettering on solid black. If nothing else, the OMDQ T-shirts in that style would have been AWESOME.

2) I'm winning (note: were I losing this competition, I would probably hate Paul, which would be a shame, because he looks like such a nice guy. Yes, even though he's a Mets fan).

The best thing about this whole contest (besides the reason behind that picture, which is a pretty amusing story that I'll get to at some point)? The Ladies..., after continually reminding the eager participants that writing counted just as much as looks, gave me an eight seed (out of 22 in this "region"). Eight! Either I'm better looking than previously thought (not likely), the selection committee was blinded by the "gimme hug!" pose (more likely), or my writing is so remarkably awesome that it's a crime I don't get paid for this shit (wishful thinking). Regardless of the reason, there I am, number eight. I'll take it.

The Links: The Channel 4 News Team Fights Back

The NFL's franchise tag is not a good thing (I Want to be a Sports Agent)

Coming up with a better way to measure the value of middle relievers (The DiaTribe)

For the record, the Red Sox are something like 8-1 when I attend games at Fenway Park (Pyle of List)

It's almost like somebody took Bill James or Rob Neyer reprogrammed him to like hockey instead of baseball (On the Forecheck)

Ah, Red Sox fans - we ARE a crazy bunch (Red Sox Super Fan)

I loved Hot Pockets until the day my microwave started to die and only heated my Three Cheese Chicken Quesadillas halfway through. Hot Pockets are amazing; Lukewarm Pockets, not so much (Why Don't We Get Drunk and Blog?)

This dark tale of international intrigue is probably not entirely true...but you just never know (The Extrapolater)

Roger Goodell is on his way to a sobering realization (Kissing Suzy Kolber)

Planning on reading John Feinstein's latest book? Don't bother (We are the Postmen)

Wait a minute - didn't Marco just move to Boston? And isn't he a Yankees fan? (With Leather)

I can overlook a lot of things in this world, but failing to pay for Girl Scout cookies? Advantage: RUTS (Run Up The Score)

The Lowell Spinners never have a shortage of great marketing ideas (Lion in Oil)

Pitchers and the First Overall Pick: Is It Worth the Risk?

If you are a major league general manager with the first overall pick in the draft and you’re thinking about selecting a starting pitcher to serve as the ace of your staff for the next ten years, let me give you some advice: don’t do it. History is not on your side.

Twelve pitchers were taken with the first overall pick between 1973 (David Clyde) and 2006 (Luke Hochevar), nine of whom played at least five seasons in the major leagues (Brien Taylor injured his shoulder in an off-field incident in the minors and was never the same pitcher; Bryan Bullington appeared in one game for Pittsburgh in 2005 before missing the entire 2006 season with a shoulder injury; and Hochevar is only in his second professional season after being drafted last June). Four of those nine played more than ten seasons and won more than 100 games, including Mike Moore (161), Andy Benes (155), Tim Belcher (146), and Floyd Bannister (134); Moore (176) and Bannister (143) each had losing records.

As of June 5, none of the twelve pitchers listed below had appeared in a major league game in 2007, although Bullington will almost certainly be called up by the Pirates should he continue to pitch well in Triple-A Indianapolis (9-2, 2.92). Hochevar and Kris Benson are currently on the 40-man rosters for Kansas City and Baltimore, respectively; Hochevar is 3-5 with a 4.71 ERA for Wichita, while Benson is out for the season with a torn rotator cuff.

Year	Player	Team	Yrs	W-L	SO	ERA
2006	Luke Hochevar*	Kansas City	DNP
2002	Bryan Bullington*	Pittsburgh	1	0-0	1	13.50
1997	Matt Anderson	Detroit	7	15-7	224	5.19
1996	Kris Benson*	Pittsburgh	7	68-73	787	4.34
1994	Paul Wilson	New York (N)	7	40-58	619	4.86
1991	Brien Taylor	New York (A)	DNP
1989	Ben McDonald	Baltimore	9	78-70	894	3.91
1988	Andy Benes	San Diego	14	155-139	2000	3.97
1983	Tim Belcher	Minnesota	14	146-140	1519	4.16
1981	Mike Moore	Seattle	14	161-176	1667	4.39
1976	Floyd Bannister	Houston	15	134-143	1723	4.06
1973	David Clyde	Texas	5	18-33	228	4.63

Given a chance to do it all over again, I'm not sure any team would take any of these pitchers with the first overall pick in the draft. Taylor and his unrealized potential might be an option (just keep him out of bar fights - or teach him to swing with his right hand), but who else stands out? Benes? Hochevar? Moore (terrible numbers early in his career with Seattle, averaged 16-17 wins a year in four seasons with good Oakland teams)? Honestly, you're better off taking a position player first (as we'll see tomorrow) and picking up pitching later.

Tomorrow: career statistics and commentary on the thirty position players who were taken with the first pick.

Visual Crack: Steven Seagal + Knife Fights = Awesomeness

I feel for the children of today who think that Steven Seagal is nothing more than a fat, low-talking actor with bad hair and little to no talent. Some awful movie has been on Spike for the last twelve or so hours (probably more like two) and it's making me sad. Seagal used to be so cool. He was such a bad ass, the type of guy who could get shot - with a shotgun, no less! - spend years in a coma, then wake up and kill everyone that had ever wronged him. Talk about a role model. Now, he's a joke, a parody of his formerly great self.

The only way to make the sad go away was to revisit the old days. Thankfully, YouTube had the perfect clip available. It truly demonstrates the mix of greatness (those martial arts skills) and awfulness (the low talking and bad acting has always been evident) that made him amazing. Thank you, YouTube. Thank you.

Be warned: one naughty word and some violence in this video. Also, it's one of the last scenes in Under Siege, so if you haven't seen that, go rent it first.

The Links Redux: I Also Subscribe To Sports Illustrated

Kobayashi's got some competition (Shot to Nothing)

David Stern could use a geography lesson (Golden State of Mind)

Believe it or not, I have been a Baseball Digest subscriber for nearly twenty years (The Wayne Fontes Experience)

Furman Bisher might have some questions for Roger Clemens (Stiles Points)

Josh Hamilton is back with the Reds (Diamond Hoggers)

Know where my father was when I was born? At home, in the yard, raking leaves. And I turned out okay. Play on, LeBron, play on (Larry Brown Sports)

Some people take their pickup basketball very seriously (Basketbawful)

A rundown of the additions to Calvin Johnson's contract with Detroit (The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes)

An in-depth interview with David Aldridge (The Starting Five)

Jason Miller did not have a good game last night (Larry Brown Sports)

Chris Webber's career in television shows (Pyle of List)

Roger Goodell jumps in the way back machine to take care of some previous misbehavior in the NFL (Bristol In My Rear View Mirror)

So long, Clete (Can't Stop The Bleeding)

Happy Birthday To You: June 4 - June 10

(Baseball birthdays found here have been compiled from the “Frivolities” section at Baseball-Reference.com. All other birthdays were taken from Wikipedia.)

June 4
Tony Pena (baseball) – 1957
Darin Erstad (baseball) – 1974
Angelina Jolie (actress) – 1975

June 5
Jack Chesbro (baseball) – 1874
Art Donovan (football) – 1925
Robert Kraft (football) – 1941
Tommie Smith (track) – 1944
John Carlos (track) – 1945
Chuck Klosterman (journalist) – 1972
Zydrunas Ilgauskas (basketball) – 1975

June 6
Bill Dickey (baseball) – 1907
Bjorn Borg (tennis) – 1956
Cam Neely (hockey) – 1965
Paul Giamatti (actor) – 1967

June 7
Thurman Munson (baseball) – 1947
Liam Neeson (actor) – 1952
Prince (singer) – 1958
Mick Foley (pro wrestling) – 1965
Mike Modano (hockey) – 1970
Allen Iverson (basketball) – 1975
Anna Kournikova (tennis) – 1981

June 8
Van Lingle Mungo (baseball) – 1911
Eddie Gaedel (baseball) – 1925
Barbara Bush (former First Lady) – 1925
Jerry Stiller (actor) – 1929
Lindsay Davenport (tennis) – 1976

June 9
Bill Virdon (baseball) – 1931
Dick Vitale (broadcasting) – 1939
Michael J. Fox (actor) – 1961
Natalie Portman (actress) – 1981

June 10
Dan Fouts (football) – 1951
John Edwards (politician) – 1953
Tara Lipinski (figure skating) – 1982
Amobi Okoye (football) – 1987

Photo: My Money Blog

The Links: Do Not Anger Bill Simmons!

Greg Oden is a freak of nature who will certainly dominate the NBA for years to come... (We are the Postmen)

...or not (TrueHoop)

Honestly, The Last Will and Testament of Orson Swindle was one of the best things I've read in a long time (Dawg Sports)

Kenny Lofton, flashin' some leather (Gheorghe: The Blog)

Citizen's Bank Ballpark may not be a pitcher's delight, but it's not as bad as some people would have you believe (Welcome to the Binder)

Bill Simmons fires one across the bow of Colin Cowherd...and Cowherd slaps back (Awful Announcing)

Optimism is a beautiful thing (Yanksfan vs. Soxfan)

Some of these teams would have done well to increase the scouting budget (The Feed)

Asante, you're thisclose to joining Kenny Anderson and Latrell Sprewell in the "No Concept of Money's Value" Hall of Fame (The FanHouse)

This belongs in this space simply for the use of the phrase, "My flast was gabbered." (Bill Simmons)

Consistency is key, Commissioner Goodell (Signal to Noise)

Samkon Gado is not content to be just a professional football player (Lion in Oil)

The Links: So, What's This I Hear About A Game Last Night?

In fairness to the city of Cleveland, I'm pretty sure this show was on during the first half of the Cavs-Pistons game (Awful Announcing)

It's pretty amazing when LeBron can basically tell his teammates, "Just play defense - I'll take care of the other end." (The Wayne Fontes Experience)

Good thing clay-court tennis isn't an indication of a country's overall power (Larry Brown Sports)

The sports blogging fraternity adds another (smaller) member (East Coast Bias)

Can I possibly be the only one who wants Roger Federer to beat some no name in the French Open, then completely break character and deliver a scathing WWF-style challenge to Rafael Nadal? Wouldn't that be great? (I've Made a Huge Tiny Mistake)

An offensive lineman gets his day in the sun (Every Day Should Be Saturday)

It was only a matter of time... (The Big Picture)

On the one hand, the idea of a fan demanding a trade from a team is awesome. On the other, I don't care how great you are, there is no way Bill Simmons and Dennis Leary should ever be included in trade talks involving David Arquette (Rumors and Rants)

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had some great teams over the years, but never a consistently great pitcher (Mondesi's House)

Speaking of the Pirates...what good can possibly come from having their representatives in China? (The Feed)

Cuban baseball fans and players are a polite group (Lion in Oil)