Friday, August 10, 2007

Chew on this Lassie!

I heard about this last week but it slipped my mind until I ran into it today...for the dog that has everything:

The Michael Vick Dog Chew Toy

For only $10.99 (plus S&H) your dog can gnaw on Mr. Vick's rubber cranium. Some of the proceeds supposedly go to raising awareness for animal abuse, however, I would not be surprised if that awareness begins and ends with a bumper sticker on the owner of this website's new Mercedes. And remember:
Disclaimer: Vick's Chew Toy is a fictional character. It's use is not intended to harm anyone living or dead. It is a novelty character and a pet chew toy. Vick's Chew Toy is being used to bring awareness to animal abuse. Any similarities to The National Football League MVP and All Star Michael Vick are false. The image of Vick's chew toy used on our website is not an exact representation of Vick's Chew Toy, however, satisfaction is guaranteed.
Satisfaction is guaranteed! And that is not Michael Vick. My bad.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Oh, by the way...

Barry Bonds hit home run #756 last night, giving him sole possession of number two on the all-time list comfortably behind Sadaharu Oh who checks in with 868.
"Oh's record doesn't count," you say?
"He played in Japan," you mention?
"The Yomiuri Giants don't play in the National League," you point out.
Whatever, I say. Check out these facts:
  1. Led the League (the "League" is プロ野球 or Puro Yakyū or Nippon Professional Baseball) in home runs fifteen times, including thirteen straight seasons.
  2. Led the League in RBI's for thirteen seasons.
  3. He was a five-time batting champion and won the Japanese Central League's (NPB is split into the Central and Pacific League's, like the National and American) batting triple crown twice.
  4. While Oh was there, the Yomiuri Giants won eleven championships.
  5. Oh was named the Central League's Most Valuable Player nine times and was an All-Star team eighteen times. [SOURCE] (I have seen various versions of these numbers, like he was an All-Star 20 times, but you get the idea.)
That's pretty good. "Yeah, but he played against inferior talent." I hear you. I just don't believe you. At last glance, Ichiro is pretty good. Daisuke Matsuzaka ain't a bad pitcher by any means. Hideki Okajima has an astronomical ERA of 1 this year. Are you trying to tell me that Dennis Springer, Rick Vanden Hurk, and Mike Bacsik make Barry Bonds' number more legitimate? Bonds hit HR's 71 and 72 off Chan Ho Park (admittedly, South Korean) in 2001. And who's to say that Babe Ruth would have hit 714 HR if MLB had been integrated? Is his record diminished because a fairly decent sized contingent of good to great baseball players wasn't allowed to suit up and play on the same field?

If the recent influx of international talent has shown us anything, it is that the United States does not have a demonstrable edge in baseball talent over the rest of the world. Give Oh his due. A good case for Oh is HERE, with links to further statistical analysis as well.

Not only should he be in the Hall of Fame, we should recognize his home run total as well. At the very least it gives the players yet another number to shoot for - and as a baseball fan I love those numbers to shoot for. It's funny how that works. I always thought Roger Maris' 61 in '61 was holy ground - a number that was much more fascinating on a pedestal way up there than as a number anyone should actually approach. Then lo' and behold it was surpassed six times in three years (1998-2001), three times by Sammy Sosa alone.

Put Oh in the Hall, tell Barry he has 112 to go, and give me call when A-Rod gets to 860.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

300?

Mr. Bonds hit his 755th Home Run a couple nights ago, tying him with Hank Aaron for the all time lead. He will finish this season with around 770. That's what the mark will be for A-Rod, who became the youngest player to hit 500 homers. So you see, that number is attainable.

On the other hand, Tom Glavine got his 300th win the other night. This number may be farther away from being seen again than any other number in baseball. The closest people to it are Randy Johnson at 284, but he's going to try and comeback after his 2nd back surgery at 42 years old. Mike Mussina at 245 is a grinder and a Yankee, but what happens when his contract is up at the end of the season? Are you throwing 10 million at an aging guy again? With the current swirl around the YES network being up for sale, and the rumors of "The Boss'" health in decline, the Yankees could be also. David Wells has 235 wins, but he's a coronary waiting to happen. You can't carry that weight and get another 65. 225 sees Jamie Moyer who spends too much time on the DL. Curt Schilling is at 213, but he came up in 1986. Do the math. Pedro Martinez is in the 200 club by 6, and he has no chance of getting a sniff of 300.

Cal Ripken's 2,632 consecutive games, Rickey Henderson's 1,406 stolen bases, and Pete Rose's 4,256 hits are astronomical numbers. Even Barry's 73 homers in a season is mind blowing, but fresh in our collective memory. Baseball is a numbers game, and these numbers may be imaginable but only if you're a fan. 300 wins has been placed into a new group of numbers - the numbers that are set in stone as we watch these things happen. The one caveat to 300 wins is that most team's starters are only going 6 innings an outing and bullpens are the soft underbelly of the team. Long gone are the days of complete games and dominate closers going one inning.

Professor's Poll: Here's a list of some of the "unattainable" numbers in baseball. Feel free to add your own with the "Other" answer.