One can always find a little good news to go along with bad news. The bad news is that it is April 15th, tax day. And Uncle Sam wants YOU...to pay up!
The good news is that Major League Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson Day. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball, thus shattering it in every other major North American sport 67 years ago today. The occasion is reflected upon at every major league ballpark. Among the festivities, every player wears Robinson's jersey number, 42, today.
Number 42 was permanently retired from MLB in 1997, with players wearing #42 at the time grandfathered in an exception to the rule. With future Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera's retirement following the 2013 season, there are no players remaining that don Robinson's number, except for on Jackie Robinson Day.
Today's retweet was something I simply found interesting. I don't know if this is any more than an anecdotal story, if it really happened, or if it is a bit of a tall tale. I don't remember the suggested controversy back in 1997, but that was 17 years ago. Even a sports junkie like myself can forget a few things that made everyone go, "hmm," at the time. The most interesting thing about today's retweet, from Paul R. Bear (@The_Paularbear): a reminder of who John Q. Fan thinks of as a good guy and a bad guy in the lexicon on baseball.
"Just so every1 knows, Ken Griffey Jr was the 1st to suggest everyone wear 42 on Jackie Robinson Day & Barry Bonds thought it was a bad idea."
The Daily Hat Trick reviews all angles of sports. It isn’t always about the athletes. Sometimes it is about the numbers. Recently, The Hat Trick shared some NFL statistics that the average fan may not have known. With the Fall Classic in Major League Baseball just a few weeks away, it is time to look at some “did you know” facts in baseball.
Todd Helton is in the top 5 all-time among active players in batting average, on base percentage, and on base plus slugging percentage.
The Colorado Rockies first baseman has been to several All-Star games and has been a steady mainstay in the Rockies lineup. Still, The Toddfather doesn’t have any shoe deals and is one of major League Baseball’s more quiet stars on one of its more quiet teams in one of MLB’s quieter markets. I have a lot of doubt as to whether the casual baseball fan thinks of Helton as a slam-dunk Hall-of-Fame player.
I wonder how many casual fans associate Todd Helton with "National League Champion", let alone "Hall of Famer". 1
Among Major League Baseball’s all time leading run scorers, the only active players in the top 50 are current or former New York Yankees.
First of all, with the superstars of the Steroid Era in the twilights of their careers, I find it surprising that there are no active players in the top 10. Alex Rodriguez is #15 all-time; Derek Jeter is #21 and former Yankee Johnny Damon is in the #37 position. Considering how steroids, supposedly, bastardized and tainted the records of Major League Baseball, one would expect the statistic most central to winning a game, runs scored, to be littered with accused juicers from the 1990s and early 2000s.
The MLB career leader in runs scored, who never wore Yankee pinstripes, is 40 year old Jim Thome of the Cleveland Indians, at the #52 all-time position. In fact, only non-Yankee name associated with the scandals of the Steroid Era in the top 100 on the all time runs scored list is Manny Ramirez. Ramirez, of course, never failed a steroids test or had his name mentioned during the Congressional hearings of the mid 2000s, but in 2009, he was suspended for 50 games for testing positive for a banned female fertility drug associated with masking the use of steroids.
Message: If you do enough of this, sooner or later you'll be wearing this uniform. 2
Omar Vizquel is among the top 50 all time career leaders in hits.
The 44 year old reserve infielder for the Chicago White Sox has had a longer career than one may think. Vizquel is #45 all-time for career hits with 2,841 (one hit behind Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez of the Washington Nationals as of September 22). While only an average to above average contact hitter (.272 career average), those hits pile up over the years.
To put Vizquel’s longevity into perspective, he debuted in the major leagues in 1989, the same year as Ken Griffey Jr. While the last player active to play with Junior, who retired last year, may not be identified for another 20 years, Vizquel has been the last active player to play with the future Hall-of-Famer, as a rookie, for several years.
Longevity, good health, and consistency have their rewards. Does anyone remember THESE Mariners lids from back in the day? 3
Alex Rodriguez is the only player among the 100 all time career leaders in games played age 35 or younger.
The only active players ahead of Alex Rodriguez are Vizquel, Pudge Rodriguez (age 39), Thome, and Jeter (age 37). In conducting research for this piece, I came to the conclusion that A-Rod is the most likely player associated with the scandal of the Steroid Era to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) is often punitive, sometimes to the point of being irrational. However, greatness is greatness.
A-Rod’s numbers, across the board – hits, home runs, RBIs, etc., are approaching those of some of the greatest record setting players of all-time. His alleged steroid use took place prior to the 2003 season, very early in his career. One could toss out his pre-2003 numbers and his statistical output would still be Hall-of-Fame worthy.
In addition, A-Rod said his steroid usage was isolated. Based on his physical appearance before and during that time and his performance over his career, that claim may be credible. Last, ‘roids won’t help anyone very much trying to hit a baseball well, but they will increase the velocity and stamina of the pitchers he faced during his career.
Finally, Rodriguez may have five or more good years left in his career. He has not shown many signs of slowing down at the plate, though he has missed more games due to injury this year than in the past. With an on base plus slugging percentage still over .800, Rodriguez may completely shatter all of the all time MLB records, except for Pete Rose’s 4,256 career hits.
It is so hard for me to compliment...this guy! 4
Ryan Howard’s 58 home runs in 2006 is the highest single season total among active players.
Fifty-eight dingers seem like a pittance in a decade that produced a new single season record of 73 (Barry Bonds, 2001). It is also a reminder of how the legacy of the Steroid Era will probably taint baseball for decades to come. Excluding Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa, players whose accomplishments have been clouded by the steroid scandal, Roger Maris’ 61 homeruns in 1961 is still the highest single season total in the history of Major League Baseball.
Because the full fallout of the steroid scandal had yet to develop in 2006, Howard’s single season bash fest looked like just another MVP-caliber year. When excluding the potentially tainted players, however, Howard’s 2006 output was the highest since Maris’ record breaking season of ’61 and tied with Jimmie Foxx (1932) and “Hammerin’” Hank Greenburg (1938) for the fourth best single season total of all-time (Babe Ruth hit 60 and 59 in 1927 and 1921, respectively).
Last name, "Ever"...middle name, "Greatest" (first name, "Fourth").... 5
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With this week being the first of 2011, you have probably been inundated with notable events an occurrences from 2010. Have no fear. The inundation will continue! Today, The Daily Hat Trick looks back some of the most noteworthy men in sports uniforms that said goodbye to the games they have contributed to over the years.
Major League Baseball
Ken Griffey, Jr. - "Last name 'Ever'...first name 'Greatest'."Junior was the greatest centerfielder of his time. Over the 22 year stretch of his career, I cannot think of anyone who was close. Other than Willie Mays, I think he is the greatest centerfielder of all-time and other than Barry Bonds (ignoring the big, muscled up elephant in the room) the greatest player of his time.
I could spend all day throwing out batting averages, home runs, RBIs, stolen bases, gold gloves, etcetera. Simply consider how many games Junior missed due to injury. Take his numbers, which already blow away all but a handful of men ever to play the game, and extrapolate them over just half of the games he missed and add those numbers to his career totals. What always made me stare in awe at Griffey, Jr.'s resume is that one can reasonably say that Griffey DID NOT REACH HIS POTENTIAL due to injuries!!!
Of course, like many all-time greats, Griffey stayed in the game a little longer than he should have. Griffey stopped being the premier power threat he had been in 2008 and his 2010 campaign ended in a somewhat embarrassing fashion. He retired, mid-season, very shortly after a story broke that the 40 year old Griffey fell asleep in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse during a game and missed a pinch-hitting appearance when called upon. Come on! The old man needed his rest!
Still, Griffey is one of my all time personal favorite athletes and I know that I am not alone. The baseball world got a little colder this past summer.
Gee, Barry. You're looking good! A little too good.... 1
Lou Pinella - Sweet Lou, former World Series winning manager of the 1990 Cincinnati Reds and manager of the Chicago Cubs last season, announced that the 2010 campaign would be his last early in the year. However, due to family commitments (and a Cubs season going down in a ball of flames like a Kamikaze pilot), Pinella had to ramp his retirement up and leave the game in August.
In a touching moment, Pinella wept after his final game as a manager, an 11 run thrashing at the hands of the Atlanta Braves, as he said it hit him that it would be the last time he would wear his uniform. There are times when a grown man can cry, without question of one's masculinity, and that moment was one of those times. But I could not help but wonder if the opportunity to get a "man pass" for tearing up was as good a time as any for Pinella to let out the waterworks in response to that day's game or the Cubs season as a whole.
Bobby Cox - Bobby Cox, manager of the Atlanta Braves for a total of 25 seasons and leader of the most dominant National League ballclub in a generation, finally hung it up after this past season. Cox is yet another example of someone who achieved amazing accomplishments, yet did not live up to his full potential.
In spite of 14 consecutiveNational League East Division Championships (1991-1993, 1995-2005, no 1994 post-season - strike), and five National League Pennants ('91, '92, '95, '96, '99), the Braves only won one World Series, in 1995 over the Cleveland Indians. Cox's final game was a loss in game 4 of the 2010 National League Divisional Series against the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants. It was not a storybook ending, but it was fitting that Cox was able to leave the game in the postseason (after a four year absence), in which Cox had the most memorable moments of his managerial career.
National Basketball Association
Allen Iverson - Allen "The Answer" Inverson was one of the quickest, most explosive and exciting young star players in the NBA when he was drafted out of Georgetown in 1996. He is also the only player that I have ever seen break Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan's ankles. Iverson ended his career ranked sixth in career points per game (minimum of 10,000 points scored) 2 and was the MVP of the league in 2001. He also led the 76ers to an Eastern Conference Championship in 2001, losing the NBA Finals to the Lakers in 5 games.
As great as Iverson was on the court, he will also be remembered for being outspoken, leading some to question whether he needed an attitude adjustment. Men lie; women lie; numbers don't. Throughout most of A.I.'s career, he talked the talk while he walked the walk. Just do not ask Ivvy about "practice".
"PRACTICE???" I am sure that Allen Iverson could find some empathy from Jim Mora ("PLAYOFFS?!?) 3
Rasheed Wallace - Rasheed Wallace had a standout career in the NBA. He was a lengthy forward who could do it all - shoot, post up, rebound, block shots, play defense, and he could dish the ball pretty well for a big fella, when called upon. He was also a walking technical foul. Many an office pool could have been taken on not if, but in which quarter would Sheed get tee'd up. If he racked up two in a quarter, should you get a double payout?
The NFL named its championship trophy after Vince Lombardi, one of its greatest coaches. Should the "tech" be renamed to a "Sheed"? 4
National Football League
Kurt Warner - Have there been many more inspirational careers that concluded in the last 10 years than that of Kurt Warner? The story has been told dozens of times, but it never gets old. Warner went from bagging groceries to playing in the Arena Football League to becoming an unheard of backup with the St. Louis Rams, to a Super Bowl MVP, eventual two-time league MVP, three time Super Bowl starting quarterback, and (in my opinion) future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
How did he throw with that glove on his hand? 5
Being a Saints fan, I absolutely loathed The Greatest Show on Turf in St. Louis. That did not stop me from dropping my jaw, at times, in amazement, though. I found Warner's perseverance through adversity to be as inspiring as his rags-to-riches rise. Warner was released by the Rams in favor of Marc Bulger following the 2003 season, only to be benched (in spite of leading his team to a winning record) by the New York Giants for Eli Manning in 2004. Warner landed with the Arizona Cardinals, thought to be a graveyard destination. What happened? The Cardinals were two minutes away from winning Super Bowl XLIII.
Junior Seau - A lot of people may have assumed that Seau had been long retired in 2010. Seau did fade into relative anonymity, spending 2008 and 2009 as a reserve with the New England Patriots, playing until age 40. However there is no denying the ferocity and dominance with with Seau played the middle linebacker position during his 20 seasons in the National Football League (1990-2009). A 12 time Pro Bowler, six time All-Pro, and two time Super Bowl participant, Seau should be a slam dunk for the Hall of Fame when he is eligible in 2015.
Photo from 2010 crash in which Junior Seau drove his car off of a cliff.
I hope that Seau approaches improving his skills behind the wheel as much as he sharpened his skills on the gridiron. 6
Isaac Bruce - Bruce was a quiet assassin at wide receiver. In a draft class (1996) that included a couple of the best known "diva" receivers (though some of the best receiving talent) in the history of the National Football League (Keyshawn Johnson, Terrell Owens, Joey Galloway, Mushin Muhammad, Marvin Harrison, among others), Bruce did his talking on the field. A member of "The Greatest Show on Turf" Rams teams of the late 90s and early 2000s, Bruce is currently ranked in the top 10 for career receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Jeff Feagles - Can anyone name the record holder in the NFL for consecutive games played. Here is a hint: he is not known for "Dillo huntin'" or overestimating the aesthetic appeal of his private parts. Feagles record 352 consecutive games played may never be broken. During his 22 years in the NFL, he was known as one of the best coffin corner punters in the league. Regardless of the average fan's awareness of or attention paid to NFL punters, defenses and coaches appreciate the luxury of having a cushion of 95 yards, as opposed to 80 or 70, between the line of scrimmage and their own end zone.
Jason Elam - Elam is the only kicker to match Tom Dempsey's, 40 year old, record 63 yard field goal. He played in the NFL for 17 years, winning two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. He was one of the most accurate kickers of his time. as I have stated before, a reliable kicker may be the most underrated asset on any football team.
1) Image from http://cheapseatsplease.files.wordpress.com 2) Source: basketball-reference.com 3) Source: You Tube 4) Image from hardwoodhoudini.com 5) Image from vikingsgab.com
