Monday Schmonday – Feel Good, See Stupid, Request Excellence 5/19/08

Upset of the Weekend
Double amputee wins right to qualify for Olympics

This is amazing.

“The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the 21-year-old South African is eligible to race against able-bodied athletes, overturning a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations.”

"I am ecstatic," [Oscar] Pistorius told reporters in Milan, Italy. "When I found out, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It's a great day for sport. I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people."

This story makes me love sports. Sports is about passion, hope and overcoming adversity; who better to show you this then a person who has gone through something as terrible as losing both legs when he was 11-months old!?!

I think this is one of the best stories in the world right now. Add this to the story on last Monday’s “American Gladiators” where one of the competitors had an amputated leg.

If this doesn’t make you think twice about the small, daily problems you might have in your life, then you need to take a closer look at the world. I know it made me look again.

The video on the site gave me chills.


The ‘not-so-much-an-upset-as-it-is-surprising’
Celtics will face Pistons in Eastern Conference Finals

We knew it would happen, but did we expect it to take 14 games? This is when I start to wonder if the Celts can actually win either of the next two series. They have been beaten up.

When you looked at the match-ups before the playoffs began, you would say that the Eastern Conference was going to be a two-horse race between the Pistons and Celtics. You were right and that is who is left…but, did you expect them to get beaten up on the way?

We all expected a 5-game max in each series and now we have seen that the great Celtics are flawed.

Case in Point: Ray Allen had a Field Goal Percentage of .445 during the season, but .385 so far in the playoffs. His 3-point percentage during the year was .398; the playoffs: .319. He also averaged 17.4 points, but in the playoffs that dropped to 12.7.

If they are going to win they need him to show up.


Biggest Disappointment of the Weekend
Not that it is a bad thing when people retire – they need to do what they need to do – but it is disappointing when in two days you watch two of the best players in their respective sports retire. Especially when it is out of nowhere.

Tuesday we heard from Annika Sorenstam who said that she would retire at the end of the LPGA tour season. The 37-year-old has 10 majors under her belt and a win total of $22,081,561. She has been seen as the best in the LPGA for at least the last three years. Now she will retire at the top of her game. She said it is so she can settle down with her husband and raise some children.

Then on Wednesday, Justine Henin – who was ranked number one in the world – released a statement that she would be immediately retiring. She has seven grand slam titles as well as 41 events overall.

A good photo listing of this year’s notable retirements.



Rumor of the Day
A new section today. Mainly because of this rumor, but also because I think it is fun to throw these out sometimes.

This is straight from ESPN.

“Multiple league sources said the Nets and Nuggets have discussed a blockbuster deal that would bring Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby to New Jersey. In return, Denver would get a package that includes Richard Jefferson, Marcus Williams, Keith Van Horn's contract and the Nets' lottery pick.”

Holy crap! I don’t care about either of those teams, but that is the type of trade that makes any fan smile. The Nuggets get to a couple of solid players and some expiring contracts; the Nets get one of the great young players. Add to that the Nets move to Brooklyn and their new stadium and you end up with the new face of your franchise.


The Play of the Weekend
Wow…wow…




Dumbest.Thing.Ever.
Little Leaguer Benched For Mom's No-Show

Remember that parents: if you don’t show up to work concessions, your kid will be benched for 2 games.

Good idea…punish a 7-year-old because his Mom had to deal with issues at work…way to go.

Aint fishing a bit$h?

We have been out on the Columbia River since 11 am trying to catch ourselves some sturgeon. It is now 4:15 and we are biteless.

We are moving to the 4th spot of the day, hopefully to catch that creepy, ugly, monster of a fish.

As they say, though: a bad day fishing is better then a good day at work.

We are on my Grandpa's boat. It is him, my father and me. Three generations talking shop and hoping to catch the elusive sturgeon.

We have tried different bait; my Grandfather tried smoking a different pipe (tobacco); my father and I realized we may have jynxed it with our losing team hats (him with a UW Husky hat, me with a Mariners).

Nothing...zilch, nada.

We are here...I gotta drop anchor.

Thursday and Friday

I will be out on a boat on the Columbia river, fishing for a giant,
prehistoric looking fish. I will try and do a post or two, but if you
don't see any...then that is the reason.
--
Mobile Post. Any spelling and/or grammatical errors will be taken care
of when I get to a computer.

Bush loves Utley

Good thing he took some time out of his busy day blowing up other countries to stop and answer this gem.

The Hoch’s Nest: Should we be mad at Lofa?

I have been told by some people that the views I posted yesterday in regards to Tatupu’s DUI were insensitive to the actual legal nature of the arrest. To those people I would like to ask you to read the words not the theme. I understand that a DUI arrest is bad – I abhor drunk driving – but this is a sports article and I was discussing the way it affects the team.

This is what I plan on discussing today as well.

Yesterday I said that I would forgive him if he said something about it, and last night he did.

"I want to apologize to my family, teammates, the Seahawks ownership and organization, and the fans for making a poor decision and putting myself in a bad situation. I take seriously my role as a leader on this team, and in the community, and because of that I'm disappointed and embarrassed by the level of poor judgment I used last weekend. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. This will never happen again, and I hope through hard work on and off the field to begin earning your respect and trust again."

Yes, we need to step back and ask ourselves: why are we willing to cut him slack and not the normal shmuck on the street? Why is it seen as okay?

Well, it isn’t okay - it is illegal and thank goodness no one was hurt – but I believe that everyone makes mistakes and should be given the chance to redeem. If this happens again I believe something needs to happen, but once is not a good reason to condemn someone for something that – if you are honest with yourself – you have probably done.

I am looking at him as a young man who did something dumb and needs to know that he can’t do it again. Who hasn’t done something stupid that they wish they could take back? Who hasn’t been in a sticky situation and just needed a friend to help them out?

That’s what we need to do: forgive and allow him to know that we support him. Without that, he may turn into Koren Robinson.

SPORTS ALERT: Lofa Tatupu arrested on suspicion of DUI

From the Seattle Times:

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 1:30 PM

Lofa Tatupu arrested on suspicion of DUI

Seahawks linebacker Lofa Tatupu was arrested Saturday for investigation of driving while intoxicated. Tatupu was arrested in Kirkland at about 2:30 Saturday morning after an officer observed his car driving at what the officer estimated was in excess of 50 mph in a 35-mph zone.

For the latest news, see http://www.seattletimes.com/.

Son of a...

According to Dave Mahler on KJR, Lofa Tatupu has been cited by Kirkland Police for DUI.

This comes shortly after being signed to a big contract extension.

It doesn't make me happy, but you know what, this is the first time we have seen something like this from him. Everyone makes mistakes and I feel that he deserves a mulligan. He has been a pillar of the community and a for the team...We need to move on from this and not lambaste him for it. He made a mistake and as long as he takes responsibility, I will forgive.

If we hear nothing about it...that is a different story.

His blood alcohol level was supposedly 0.15.

Here is a report.

Athletes Are Just Like Us: Ichiro Edition

This season of baseball has shown us some strange winning teams and a few massively underachievers...like the Mariners.

TODAY: Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro is known for his extensive pre-bat ritual.

This has seeped down into the ranks of the Logan Tigers. He is very fan friendly; signing autographs when asked.
But shouldn't all celebrities do this?

He has a vast array of bobbleheads.

I have one, too! His catches are acrobatic, usually including jumping of some sort.
These people are also known for their jumps.

He has a great sense of humor and is able to laugh in public.
Which is a good thing to be known for.

Ichiro is very stylish; rocking the pink shirt when giving interviews.
But pink is the new black!

And just like anyone he has underwear issues.
But who hasn't been given a good wedgie?

Best Baseball Players by Uniform Number: 26-50

Please be sure to check out Best Baseball Players by Uniform Number: 0-25 before reading this.

Numbers define legends. Whether its 23 in basketball or 99 in hockey, greatness can often be described by the use of a single number and some clever adjectives. But no matter the sport, fans can identify these legends but just one look at the stitching on their back. And while many numbers have numerous Hall of Famers, others struggle to have just one All-Star.

So who is the best #27? There are a couple of greats that immediately come to mind. But what about 37? I dare you to even name one relevant #37 ballplayer.

#26 Satchel Paige
Paige was 58 when he threw his last pitch in the Majors! He only had a lifetime 26-31 record in the Bigs but he absolutely dominated the Negro Leagues. He claimed that he won 104 of the 105 games he pitched in 1934. If it wasn't for segregation, Paige might be known as one of the best pitchers of all time. Joe DiMaggio once said of Paige he is "the best and fastest pitcher I have ever faced."
Runner Up: Wade Boggs and Billy Williams

#27 Juan Marichal
The Dominican Dandy was known for his high leg kick and intimidating antics (clubbing Johnny Roseboro with a bat). Marichal was also a dominating pitcher sporting a career 2.89 ERA and winning 263 games. This 10 time All-Star had 52 career shutouts which ranks him 18th all time.
Runners Up: Carlton Fisk, Catfish Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero

#28 Bert Blyleven
The first time I ever heard Bert Blyleven's name was on Sportscenter. Chris Berman liked to call him Bert "Be home" Blyleven. That aggravates me that that is basically my only memories of this future Hall of Famer (2008 perhaps?). Blyleven was best known for his nasty curve ball. He collected 287 wins, a 3.31 ERA, and almost 5,000 innings pitched. Interesting aside: He was only a 2 time All-Star.
Runner Up: David Justice

#29 Rod Carew
Carew could beat you with his bat and with his speed. He hit .328 with 3,053 hits. He also stole 353 career bases. He was the NL MVP in 1977 and went to the All-Star game 18 times (9 times as 2B and 9 times as a 1B.)
Runner Up: John Smoltz

#30 Tim Raines
Rock gets the nod here even though Orlando Cepeda was probably slightly better. Raines finished his career with 2,605 hits, 808 stolen bases (90 in 1983), 1,330 walks, and 1571 runs scored. Bonus point for having the wits to always slide head first to protect his cocaine he played with in his back pocket.
Runner Up: Orlando Cepeda, Nolan Ryan (Angels)

#31 Greg Maddux
Mad Dog basically invented how to pitch with a below average fastball and still be dominant. He perfected the 2 seam fastball that comes back over the plate against lefties and is still going strong today after 22 seasons. He has racked up 350 wins, 3,299 strikeouts, and 4 NL Cy Youngs. He is also known as one of the best fielding pitchers ever (17 consecutive Gold Gloves and counting).
Runners Up: Mike Piazza, Dave Winfield, and Fergie Jenkins

#32 Sandy Koufax
With a .655 win percentage, many regard Koufax as one of the best lefties to ever pitch. His stats aren't overpowering because he only pitched for 11 seasons but he was dominant posting a 2.54 ERA or less in his last 5 seasons. He pitched over 300 innings in 3 of his 4 final seasons. He also collected 3 Cy Youngs and an NL MVP award to go along with a 2.93 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio.
Runners Up: Steve Carlton, Elston Howard

#33 Eddie Murray
Murray was called Steady Eddie for a reason. An average year for Murray consisted of .287/.359/27/103. In 12 of his first 13 seasons he had over 20 home runs but never more than 32. He was the third player to collect 3,000 hits and 500 home runs. He is also the all time RBI leader amongst switch hitters with 1,917. Add that up for 20 seasons and you have a 2003 Hall of Fame inductee.
Runners Up: Mike Scott, Jose Canseco, and Joe Carter

#34 Nolan Ryan (Houston and Texas)
This first ballot Hall of Famer holds the record for most no-hitters (7), most strikeouts (5,714), and hits allowed per 9 innings (6.56). This workhorse started 773 career games (2nd all time) and threw over 5,000. The one knock against him is the 2,795 walks he gave up.
Runners Up: Kirby Puckett, Rollie Fingers, and Trevor Hoffman

#35 Frank Thomas
The Big Hurt has been abusing AL pitching for 18 seasons. He has hit 516 career home runs and drove in 1,695 runs. He is also a .302 lifetime hitter which makes him a rare hitting breed of power and average. Slugging .557 is also impressive. He was one of the most feared right handed hitter of the 90s.
Runners Up: Phil Niekro, Mike Mussina

#36 Gaylord Perry
Perry is notorious for doctoring baseballs and for making batters think he was intentionally throwing at them. He has admitted to throwing a "spitter" that led to 3,534 strikeouts and 314 wins. He also pitched over 5,300 innings and collected a Cy Young in both leagues.
Runners Up: Robin Roberts and Jim Kaat

#37 Casey Stengal
While Stengal was not a player with this number, he did manage the Yankees and Mets while wearing 37. The Old Professor had 1,227 wins between both NY ball clubs including 7 World Series titles with the Yankees.
Runner Up: Dave Steib

#38 Curt Schilling
Schilling has 3,116 career strikeouts. He was a six time All-Star and was an MVP of both the NLCS and World Series. Negative point for the whole bloody sock scam.
Runner Up: None

#39 Roy Campanella
Campy never put up monster numbers because his career was cut short by an automobile accident. He was however, a 3 time NL MVP and hit 242 homers (including a then catcher record 41 in 1953). He had a rifle for an arm and was a master at handling pitching staffs.
Runner Up: Mike Greenwell

#40 Troy Percival
Percival ranks 10th in career saves with 333. He's a 4 time All-Star and a career WHIP of 1.077.
Runner Up: Don Wilson

#41 Eddie Matthews
Eddie Matthews is on the short list of best third baseman. He and teammate Hank Aaron were one of the most feared power hitting combo's in history. Matthews slugged 512 home runs while driving in 1,453 runs. He also was a 9 time All-Star and twice finished second in MVP balloting.
Runner Up: Tom Seaver

#42 Jackie Robinson
Robinson transcended the game. Listing statistics here would not do the man justice. He is an American hero. His number 42 was rightfully retired around the major leagues in 1997.
Runner Up: Mariano Rivera, Bruce Sutter

#43 Dennis Eckersley
Eck took an interesting path to the Hall of Fame. He was a starter for half of his 24 year career. He posted over 150 career wins and then turned to his arm towards the bullpen. He then saved 390 games as a closer. He also struck out over 2,400.
Runner Up: None

#44 Hank Aaron
An average year for Hammerin Hank consisted of a .305 average, 37 home runs, and 113. In fact for being such a great power hitter, the Hammer never struck out 100 times in a season (his high was 97). He averaged only 68 k's to go along with the 37 home runs per season. He was a regular on the NL All-Star team 20 times.
Runner Up: Willie McCovey, Reggie Jackson

#45 Pedro Martinez
Martinez was perhaps the smallest dominant pitcher ever. He has posted a 2.81 ERA in the middle of the steroid era. He has 3 Cy Youngs and 8 All-Star appearances. He averages 10.19 strikeouts per 9 innings and 3,031 k's for his career. He also has a hefty .692 win percentage and has let to lose his 100th game.
Runner Up: Bob Gibson

#46 Andy Pettite
Whatever you may think of Pettite because of the supposed steroids, he has over 200 career wins and a 3.83 ERA. He has made his mark pitching in the postseason with a 3.95 ERA and 278 strikeouts in 50 games. He also has been to 2 All-Star games and has 4 World Series rings.
Runner Up: Lee Smith

#47 Tom Glavine
Glavine may be the last pitcher of his generation to get to the elusive 300 win plateau. He got their by nibbling on the outside corner for 21 years so far. He also has 2 Cy Youngs and 10 All-Star game appearances. Bonus point for a very hot wife.
Runner Up: None

#48 Torii Hunter
Hunter is more known for his glove work in center field than his bat. He is just 3 home runs shy of 200 however, he has a highlight reel full of spectacular catches he has made in center. He has been to 2 All-Star games (who can forget his robbing Barry Bonds in right center in 2002) and has earned 7 Gold Gloves.
Runner Up: No idea

#49 Ron Guidry
Louisiana Lightning had one of the greatest seasons ever by a pitcher in 1971. He was 25-3 with a 1.74 ERA in 273 innings. He has 5 Gold Gloves and 1 Cy Young on his mantle to go along with 4 All-Star games.
Runner Up: Tim Wakefield, Larry Dierker

#50 Sid Fernandez
OK, guilty as charged. I got really lazy with this last one. There really aren't that many #50s. It was either Sid or Matt Lawton so I'm going with Sid because those Mets pinstripes in 80s made his physique flourish. Surprisingly Ferandez ranks 3rd all time with 6.85 hits allowed per 9 innings.
Runner Up: None

Monday Schmonday – Plusses and Minuses - 5/12/08

Upset of the Weekend
Garcia ousts Goydos for triumph at Players
The “greatest-player-never-to-win-a-Major” took home the trophy from the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday. Sergio Garcia has been seen as a “choker” for several years now; destroying the first impression everyone had when he burst onto the scene as someone who may be able to beat Tiger. Since that time in 1999 he has had a suspect short game, which some believe is the only thing keeping him out of the winners circle more often.

Yesterday, he was able to force a tie-breaker which would be held on TPC Sawgrass’ infamous 17th-hole: a short, 130 yard par 3. The only thing standing between tee and the 15 yard by 25 yard island green is water.

I flipped to the match just in time to see the tee-shots and was glad I saw it. Why? Because, the 17th is iconic in golf; much like “Amen Corner” (12th and 13th holes) at Augusta or the 18th at Pebble Beach. (A great slideshow of some of the best in the world)

Whether Garcia uses this to turn around his career or not, his tee-shot on that playoff hole will live on in my memory for years to come. It was amazing: a solid iron shot that landed about 20 feet from the pin; the crosswinds then took it and placed it within 2-yards from pay dirt. An amazing shot on an amazing hole.


The ‘not-so-much-an-upset-as-it-is-surprising’
Mayo denies taking gifts at USC
Why do schools like USC and Notre Dame get away with things that no one else does? When the NCAA gets upset at a different school they place sanctions on the school; they take away scholarships, they levy fines and even –in some extreme cases- take away titles. So why is USC still okay?

O.J. Mayo has supposedly “accepted around $30,000 in cash and gifts during the past four years from Rodney Guillory, a 43-year-old Los Angeles event promoter. In addition to cash, the gifts included a flat-screen television for Mayo's dorm room, cell phone service, a hotel room, clothes, meals and airline tickets for Mayo's friends and a relative, according to Johnson, others with knowledge of the gifts and store receipts.”

This is the 3rd time in two years that the school has been in the news for the wrong reasons. The other two:

- Dwayne Jarrett lives with Matt Leinart in a house that Leinart’s father rents out. Why is this a problem? Because the rent was $3,866/mo and Mr. Leinart paid around $2,700 of that. This made Jarrett the “improper cash beneficiary” of Leinart’s father; a blatant breaking of NCAA regulations. He was suspended pending investigation, but was then given his eligibility again.

- Reggie Bush supposedly accepted more then $100,000 from several marketing agents while he was still enrolled at USC. The money was to try and lure him to their businesses. The problem is the gifts (including cash and rent for his parents house) -which like the Jarrett situation – is breaking NCAA rules. This could lead to sanctions, the loss of titles and even Bush’s relinquishing of the Heisman trophy. The investigation is still pending.

This is frustrating. They slap sanctions on teams like Boise State and San Jose State for the lack of graduations, but they won’t do anything about kids getting THOUSANDS of dollars from marketing companies. Is there a problem here? It seems pretty cut and dry here: for the game to stay even you can’t just cut down the small schools but allow the big ones to get away with anything, then this is even more ridiculous then believing that Elvis is still alive.


Biggest Disappointment of the Weekend
Gagne out of closer's role
How far he has fallen.

Gagne was one of the most dangerous closers in the Majors up until 2007…then something happened. Now, everything he touches turns to pure crap.

He said it best: "Every time we get a little momentum, I come out there and kill that rally."


The Play of the Weekend

Dumbest.Thing.Ever.
Oklahoma City may sue if Sonics don't move
Sorry OKC, but you are stupid. If the Sonics don’t move it will be because they lost a lawsuit filed by either the city or the previous owners…so how exactly do you expect to get the team if a judge says no?

Open a law book.

The "All-Stupid Names" Team

My friends know how much I hate Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Why? Because his name is stupid and it makes me mad…so, I am going to build the All-Stupid Names Team – and I will try my hardest to not add a “foreign” name, because I don’t want to make light of something that might be normal – sorry Kiko Calero. Also, they have to be on a roster – sorry Dylan Axelrod.


Pitcher: Rocky Cherry – Baltimore Orioles
Full Name: Rocky Ty Cherry
Career Stats: 1-1, 5.46 ERA in 31.1 IP

Not only is his name totally dumb, he is totally mediocre…but it isn’t about his numbers; it is about their names. His name: Rocky Cherry. This guy sounds like a stripper in a Quentin Tarantino movie.


Catcher: Jarrod Saltalamacchia – Texas Rangers
Full Name: Jarrod Scott Saltalamacchia
Career Stats: .262 AVG, 11 HR

This guy is my mortal enemy. Some may think his name rolls off the tongue; I say his name sounds like a fish dish on a menu at a crappy restaurant in South Texas. Also, his name doesn't fit on a jersey!!!


1st Base: Josh Whitesell – Arizona Diamondbacks
Full Name: Joshua S. Whitesell
Career Stats: ZERO across the board

This guy should win an award for his dumb hat. Seriously, check it out. It was hard to find a 1st baseman with a dumb name, so I settled on a guy who sounds like a Labor Day “Blow-Out Extravaganza”.


2nd Base: Travis Denker – San Francisco Giants
Full Name: Travis Norton Denker
Career Stats: ZERO across the board

I almost gave it to him just because of his middle name: Norton? But he got it because of Denker. Good thing he played baseball or he could have ended up sitting at sum plush country club somewhere in middle-America. “Master Denker, your quiche is ready.”


3rd Base: Christian Colonel – N/A
Full Name: Christian Burkhardt Colonel
Career Stats: ZERO across the board

Okay, I know I said they had to be on a roster, but this “non-roster invitee” for the Rockies had too good of a name to pass up. Christian Colonel??!?!? I bet his family was really mad when he went in to baseball; I mean he has the perfect name for many other things: the papacy, the military, Rock ‘n Roll.


SS: Brian Bocock - San Francisco Giants
Full Name: Brian Bocock
Career Stats: .143 AVG, 0 HR

I am twelve. I giggle thinking about the Double Play: Bocock to Danker to Whitesell.


LF: Skip Schumaker – St. Louis Cardinals
Full Name: Jared Michael Schumaker
Career Stats: .296 AVG, 5 HR

Anyone who spells his real first name: J-A-R-E-D and then calls himself “Skip” is able to make this list, anyone. I also would love to hear the story of how he got called Skip. His name was Jared and then got changed? I had nicknames as a kid, but I don’t use them as my name.


CF: Coco Crisp – Boston Red Sox
Full Name: Covelli Loyce Crisp
Career Stats: .281 AVG, 49 HR

I know this is passé, even overused, but his name is that of a cereal. Why go by Coco when you have so many other options? This makes the list no matter what. You can deal with it.


RF: Vince Sinisi – N/A
Full Name: Vincent James Sinisi
Career Stats: ZERO across the board

“Non-roster invitee” for the Padres. I’m sure he is good…and probably has “connections” so I will not say anything. I am sure he is a very nice fella.



My Honorable Mentions:
These are based SOLELY on the name…not on where they are from.

Dallas Buck (P-AZ), Nick Noonan (2B-SF), Antonio Bastardo (P-PHI) and Wilmer Font (P-TEX).

Best Baseball Players by Uniform Number 0-25

Baseball uniform numbers have come a long way.

They first appeared as small numbers on the sleeves of the 1916 Cleveland Indians, as a way of identifying the players. Perhaps Tris Speaker's .386 batting average that year didn't distinguish him enough from fellow outfielder's Jack Graney and Braggo Roth. Amazingly, the numbers experiment was short lived.

(Warning: somewhat large digression, proceed at your own risk - What has happened to the art of a good nickname? Take the '16 Indians. Braggo Roth was known as The Globetrotter, pitcher Charles Smith was Pop-Boy, 3B Terry Turner was Cotton Top, and pitcher Guy Morton was simply known as Alabama Blossom. Nowadays we have A-Rod, K-Rod, and I-Rod. How unoriginal. Maybe we can start calling Tim McCarver T-Mac. Oh wait, that's already taken in sports. I guess gone are the days of the cool nicknames like The Georgia Peach, the Little Steam Engine, the Human Rain Delay, and the Mad Hungarian. And while I'm digressing did you know that the 1916 Indians home run leader was the aforementioned Graney who hit 5? And 5 of the starting 9 Indians didn't even homer once during the entire season. OK I'm done. Back to the originally scheduled column.)

In 1929, the New York Yankees decided to wear numbers on the backs of their jerseys. The numbers corresponded to each player's general position in the lineup. For example lead off hitter Earle Combs wore #1 right on down to Bill Dickey wearing #10 since he shared batting last. (By the way Combs nickname was the Kentucky Colonel and Dickey was the Man Nobody Knows.)

Visible from long distances, the numbers made it easier for fans to distinguish players from their seats, and easier for play-by-play radio announcers to identify players during their broadcasts. Other teams soon followed, and by 1932, every one of the 16 major league teams featured numbers on the backs of their jerseys.

Since then, there have been countless players to use all of the numbers. But who exactly is the best player to wear each number? Let's take a look.

#0 Al Oliver
One of the most forgotten about ballplayers of his generation, Oliver hit .303 and drove in over 1,300 RBI during his major league career that spanned from 1968-85. He also racked up 2,743 hits.
Runner Up: Rey Ordonez

#1 Sadaharu Oh
Oh is most known for his 868 career home runs he hit for the Yomiuri Giants. That is 106 more than Barry Bonds hit.
Runners Up: Ozzie Smith and Pee Wee Reese

#2 Charlie Gehringer
The Mechanical Man hit .320 with 1,427 rbi's. 9 times he finished in the top 14 for MVP . He also sported a .404 lifetime on base percentage and slugged .480.
Runners Up: Derek Jeter and Nellie Foxx

#3 Babe Ruth
The Bambino is arguably the greatest baseball player or all time. If Alex Rodriguez had played his entire career with number 3, this could have become an interesting debate.
Runners Up: Alex Rodriguez (Mariners and Rangers), Jimmie Foxx (Athletics and Red Sox) and Harmon Killibrew

#4 Lou Gehrig
Gehrig is most known for his then record 2,130 consecutive games played. He also hit .340 and finished 5 rbi's shy of 2,000. He also won a triple crown in 1934 along with 2 MVP awards (1927 and 1936)
Runners Up: Paul Molitor, Mel Ott, Ralph Kiner and Luke Appling

#5 Joe DiMaggio
The 3 time MVP winner hit .325 with 361 career home runs. He made 13 all star game appearances and had the famous 56 game hitting streak. Bonus point for being married to Marilyn Monroe.
Runners Up: Johnny Bench, Albert Pujols, Hank Greenberg, George Brett, & Brooks Robinson

#6 Stan Musial
Perhaps one of the most underrated players of all time, he played in 24 all star games and won 3 MVP trophies. Along with 7 league batting titles, Musial collected over 3,600 hits and 475 home runs.
Runner Up: Al Kaline

#7 Mickey Mantle
He won his jersey number in World Series rings along with mashing 536 career homers. Bonus point for his liver lasting as long as it did.
Runners Up: Al Simmons and Ivan Rodriguez

#8 Cal Ripken Jr
Ripken was an all star for every one of his 21 big league seasons. He holds the record for most homers by a SS with 431. Oh, and there was that little record of 2,632 consecutive games he played.
Runners Up: Yogi Berra, Bill Dickey, Carl Yastrzemski and Joe Morgan

#9 Ted Williams
Perhaps the best hitter of all time? He hit .406 in 1941 and .344 for his career. He also won 2 Triple Crowns.
Runners Up: Reggie Jackson, Roger Maris, and Minnie Minoso

#10 Lefty Grove
Robert Moses Grove had a lifetime .680 win percentage (300 wins with 298 complete games), a career 3.06 ERA, and 2,266 strikeouts.
Runners Up: Andre Dawson and Phil Rizzuto

#11 Paul Waner
Big Poison was the 1927 NL MVP. He sported a .333 lifetime batting average and over 3,000 career hits.
Runners Up: Carl Hubbell and Luis Aparicio

#12 Roberto Alomar
In the top 5 of best second basemen's ever, Alomar had over 2,700 career hits, 210 home runs, and won 2 world series titles. He also went to 12 all star games. Negative point for spitting on John Hirschbeck's face.
Runner Up: none

#13 Alex Rodriguez
When all is said and done, he may become the greatest player of all time. A couple of postseason hits and a title will surely help his cause as he is well on his way to becoming the all time home run leader.
Runner Up: Dave Concepcion

#14 Ernie Banks
Who would you rather have: Player A with 2, 583 hits, 512 hrs, 1,636 rbis, .500 slg, 2,528 games played or Player B with 4,256 hits, 160 hrs, 1,314 rbis, .409 slg, 3,562 games played. Player A is Mr. Cub and Player B is Charlie Hustle. Its a toss up and I'll take Banks because of character.
Runners Up: Pete Rose

#15 Dick Allen
Allen slugged .534 and hit 351 home runs. He was also a NL Rookie of the Year and MVP. Thurman Munson would have been this if his career wasn't tragically cut short at age 32.
Runner Up: Thurman Munson

#16 Whitey Ford
The Chairman of the Board boasts a .690 win percentage and 236 career wins. He was lights out in World Series play and went to 10 all star games. Had a lifetime 2.75 career era.
Runner Up: Hal Newhouser

#17 Dizzy Dean
Wasn't dominant for very long but was a center piece of the Gang House Gang. He collected over 20 wins in 4 straight seasons including 30-7 with a 2.66 era in 1934. He was league MVP that season. Dean as elected into the Hall of Fame in 1953.
Runner Up: Mark Grace

#18 Ted Kluszewski
Big Klu finished his career with a .298 batting average while slugging .498 and hitting 279 home runs.
Runner Up: Mel Harder and Moises Alou

#19 Bob Feller
Whether you called him Rapid Robert or the Heater from Van Meter, Feller knew how to throw gas. He is also believed to have thrown the fastest fastball on record at 107 mph. Along with the heat he managed to rack up 266 career wins and a 3.25 era.
Runners Up: Tony Gwynn and Robin Yount

#20 Mike Schmidt
Schmidt is arguably the best third baseman ever and with 548 career home runs it's no wonder. He also collected 1,595 rbi's and was one of the most feared batters in the 1980's.
Runners Up: Frank Robinson, Lou Brock and Pie Traynor

#21 Roger Clemens (Red Sox and Blue Jays)
Steroids and current day events aside, Clemens is one of the best pitchers to ever toe the rubber. 4,672 strikeouts, 354 wins and a 3.12 era along with 7 Cy Young Awards.
Runners Up: Roberto Clemente, Warren Spahn, and Sammy Sosa.

#22 Jim Palmer
Palmer collected 3 Cy Young Awards as a prominent member of the Orioles pitching staff. He won 268 games and had eight 20-win seasons. Fun fact: He pitched his entire 19 year career without allowing 1 grand slam.
Runners Up: Jack Clark and Will Clark

#23 Ryne Sandberg
Ryno batted .285, had 282 career homers and over 1,000 rbi's. He was the 1984 NL MVP and a 10 time all star. He also collected 8 consecutive gold glove awards from 19883-91.
Runner Up: Don Mattingly

#24 Willie Mays
Some call the Say-Hey kid the best all around position player of all time. He won 12 straight Gold Gloves in the OF and went to 20 straight All-Star games. He was also a 2 time NL MVP and hit a then record for an NL player with 660.
Runners Up: Ken Griffey Jr. (Mariners), Manny Ramirez, Rickey Henderson, Tony Perez

#25 Barry Bonds
Just like Clemens, if you put the steroids issue to the side, Bonds is on the short list of best players of all time. Whatever your opinion of him is, it is clear that he was the most dominant player of his generation putting up video game like statistics. He is a 7 time NL MVP, holds the current MLB record with 762 home runs, over 2,500 walks, and is just 4 rbi's shy of 2,000.
Runner Up: Mark McGwire

Sexson Ejection may be a good thing for team

When a team struggles on the field, anyone who follows sports starts coming up with ways to fix the mediocrity. They come up with amazingly crazy ideas about what the team could do to change the problem; usually including a trade that could not happen, a signing that would never happen or a firing that is nowhere near happening.

The other day I broke down what I thought was the problem with the Mariners, and why I felt they were in the hole they were in. (Addendum to that article: Bavasi trades Greg Norton who has no won two games with his bat for the Braves.) Now I want to discuss the way that I feel is the ONLY way to fix the team.

Passion.

Webster’s dictionary says passion is: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction; an outbreak of anger.

When you lose your passion you stop caring, right? When you stop caring you stop winning. Yet, if you stop winning you might stop caring, causing you to lose passion; a vicious cycle.

I may not play professional sports, but I have played enough that I know that it gets frustrating to lose, and can spawn even worse play. I think I have said this before but deal with it: losing gives you that feeling in your stomach that you would get when your sibling would hold you down and punch you with your own hand. While he is saying “stop hitting yourself” you lose your cool, the knot in your stomach snapping, and you lash out. Sometimes this is a good thing in a sport because it makes everyone else know that you care, and may help them step it up.

This is why I am fine with – almost happy about – what happened in the Mariners/Rangers game last night. You may be down on “Big” Richie, but he is still leading the team with Home Runs and 5 of his 7 HRs have come when the team was losing; this says he deserves more credit then saying he isn’t clutch…

But this video is why I am gaining more respect for him.



Sexson said: "I'm 6-foot-8. He can hit corners at will. 6-8 and all of a sudden he's up that high? I'm a huge target. How hard is it to hit me? Hit me in the back or thigh. Up near my face is no good. I've been in the game a long time. I've been hit on purpose before. But it's been the right way. You go to first. It's part of the game. You know how it works…It's a rage. If that ball hits me in the face, what are we talking about here? Who knows what that could have led to?"

Rangers Manager Ron Washington was, of course, upset: "I thought that was bullsh-. How tall is he, 6-13? Then you go out there on a little guy and throw a helmet?"

First off…that isn’t an actual height, Ron. Second: Sexson knew what he did was wrong: “I know throwing the helmet was the wrong thing. It was a chicken (expletive) move. I lost it right there, I was thinking about a lot of things.”

I am going to get barraged with comments that I am saying to throw your helmet. But, no, I am saying that it was nice to see some passion from this struggling club that has the worst offense in the league. I think that the media is making too big of a thing out of this (this is NOT the first time this has happened) and fans from other teams should not be calling Sexson names. Pick a team and I will tell you something bad that they did.

The point of this is that hopefully this will spark some sort of fire under the benches in the Mariner’s clubhouse.

Thursday Headlines: 5/8/08

MLB:
A-Rod needs another MRI before returning to play
They want to make sure that his lack of "heart" was still intact.

U.S. GM: Clemens not welcome on Olympic team
Probably the first time he has heard that...well...maybe not the first from a man.

Fans tossed after tauting injured Nats C Lo Duca
They were only asking where they could get some of his good "stuff".

Agency that could buy Wrigley would keep name
Says that the idea of making money "really does nothing for" them.

MLBPA looks into unsigned free agents like Bonds
Supposedly they can't understand why no one wants 40+ year-old clubhouse cancers...

Gomez hits for cycle as Twins rout White Sox
Ever heard of him? Didn't think so.

Votto hits 3 of Reds' seven HRs in rout of Cubs
Griffey hit ZERO.


NBA:
Nets' Jefferson charged with assault in Minnesota
He just wanted to show that New Jersey had some offense left.

Kobe only unanimous pick for All-NBA first team
The Hawks think that Al Horford got robbed.

Kobe receives MVP in ceremony before Game 3
Is being asked by teammates to pass it around.


NFL:
Former Pats employee sends tapes to NFL
10 bucks says he is dead by tomorrow...Pats fans are crazy.

Judge orders Vick to pay Canadian bank $2.4M
That is a lot of license plates.

WR Henry 'willing to visit whoever is interested'
HA ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...I don't think a high school team would pick him up at this point.

RB Rhodes signs one-year deal to return to Colts
I guess the Raiders "experiment" is over and Rhodes actually wants to win.

Son of Eagles' Reid smuggles drugs into jail cell
Wow...wow...


Other:
Olympic torch reaches peak of Mount Everest
Thousands who have tried hang head in shame.

Jockey Club group to study horse health, safety
Just let it go. Jesus, the animal is dead...give it a rest.

Athletes Are Just Like Us: LeBron Edition

I had to discuss the Bobby Engram situation yesterday, so I neglected the Athlete...but here it is.


TODAY: LeBron James

LeBron likes to point out to people when he sees something interesting

This guy thought the camera was pretty interesting. He stretches to try and keep himself fit.
Which is something that people of all ages should do. He takes good care of his kid.
Which is more then these people can say! Here he was seen being fancy.
Which is a pretty popular thing to be.James is known for his amazing dunks.
He needs to watch out for Madison Rottinger, though..."BOOM, goes the dynamite!"He will slap a high five with a friend when something good happens.
But so do Noble Prize winners.Ohio fans didn't like when he wore a Yankees hat to an Indians game.
But would they prefer he was this guy?