Links: Some Discussion on the Top-5 Great Ballplayers Ever, The Pope Inconveniences the Yankees, Clayton Kershaw #5 Starter?
Posted by Alan Hull on March 7th, 2008
24 More Days until opening day as Obscure Sports Quarterly points out. Same as the number Willie Mays wore. That catch from the 1954 World Series was something else, wasn’t it? Willie May may be the second greatest player to ever play the game, depending on how you like Barry Bonds, Ted Williams and Honus Wagner.
If pressed, I’d go 1) Babe, 2) Williams, 3) Mays, 4) Bonds, then 5) Wagner. I think Williams’s offensive ability was second only to Ruth–.344/.482/.634 career line. Even with the time lost to war and spending his career in Fenway (his career OPS was actually better on the road), the man could simply hit. He was methodical and he was a genius. Mays was the greatest all-around athlete to ever play the game.
Bonds is tricky to rank, but he was a great ballplayer even when his career is taken in context. We know what he did before steroids, we know what he did after. Even without roids, he might have hit 600 home runs AND would have been the only player in the 500 homerun 500 stolen base club. I rank him below Mays because I think defense matters and is all-too-often over-looked.
I think Wagner was a great man and ballplayer but comparing eras–it was a different game. It should be noted, however, that Bill James ranks Wagner #2 all-time. Apparently, the Flying Dutchman was a wizard on the field and a pre-Ruth .327/.391/.466 career line is absurd. Those numbers would make him the best shortstop in the game today. Even though he hit “only” 101 career homeruns, Baseball Prospectus has a translated stats section on their DT cards. Wagner, in a neutral-era would have hit the equivalent of 615 home runs. These kinds of things should be taken with a grain of salt. Then again, Babe Ruth would have hit 1062 home runs out of the Polo Grounds. Again, food for thought.
I always wonder how the greatest in the game would fare against one another. I know everyone wonders this, but let’s clone Ruth, let him watch film of 1999 Pedro Martinez and square off. I’m pretty sure Pedro would make Ruth look like a fool, but again, Ruth would need to watch a lot of film beforehand. You just can’t help but wonder.
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The Pope inconviences the New York Yankees, but apparently, he likes baseball. (Larry Brown Sports)
You know what? I’ll bet Derek Jeter sold his soul to the devil. It would explain a lot. Here’s how the exchange might have went (circa 1992):
Derek Jeter: Man, I really hope I get drafted by the Yankees. I’d do anything to get drafted by the Yankees.
(Fire and poof: Satan appears)
Satan: You want to get drafted by the Yankees, huh? If you sell me your soul, I can make that happen. Hell,–pun intended–I will make you the face of baseball, you’ll get to bang supermodels and you’ll win some World Series titles.
Jeter: Wow. Wait–what’s the catch?
Satan: Hmm. First, you’ll be the worst defensive shortstop in the league your entire career; second, you’ll only win those titles at the beginning of your career, then never again; and three, you’ll catch an STD.
Jeter: Will I ever win a Gold Glove?
Satan: Yes, but it’ll be undeserved…and you’re not at all worried about contracting a ST–
Jeter: I’m in.
Satan: Oh and one more thing. Remember this name. Write this one down: Jessica Alba. That’ll come in handy one day for sure.
(Note: I don’t know where that came from, honestly–it’s been a long week)
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Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers #5 starter? (MLB.com)
Maybe, but it’s a bad idea as he’d run out of options by age 21 as Andrew of True Blue LA explained to me.
Another Dodger note: In the un-clutch moment of the Spring, Andy LaRoche, tears a ligament in his right thumb and will miss eight to ten weeks, losing his position battle to Nomar Garciaparra. Somewhere, Mia Hamm is dancing.
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FOX MLB schedule (Awful Announcing):
WEEK 1 – April 5, 2008
3:30PM NY METS @ ATLANTA BRAVES
3:30PM CHICAGO WHITE SOX @ DETROIT TIGERS
3:30PM LA DODGERS @ SAN DIEGO PADRES
WEEK 2 – April 12, 2008
3:30PM NY YANKEES @ BOSTON RED SOX
3:30PM COLORADO ROCKIES @ ARIZONA DIAMOND BACKS
WEEK 3 – April 19, 2008
3:30PM NY METS @ PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
3:30PM CLEVELAND INDIANS @ MINNESOTA TWINS
3:30PM LA DODGERS @ ATLANTA BRAVES
WEEK 4 – April 26, 2008
3:30PM NY YANKEES @ CLEVELAND INDIANS
3:30PM LA ANGELS @ DETROIT TIGERS
3:30PM ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS @ SAN DIEGO PADRES
WEEK 5 – May 3, 2008
3:30PM CHICAGO CUBS @ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
3:30PM NEW YORK METS @ ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
3:30PM BALTIMORE ORIOLES @ LA ANGELS
WEEK 6 – May 10, 2008
3:30PM NEW YORK YANKEES @ DETROIT TIGERS
3:30PM ST. LOUIS CARDINALS @ MILWAUKEE BREWERS
WEEK 7 – May 17, 2008
3:30PM MILWAUKEE BREWERS @ BOSTON RED SOX
3:30PM CLEVELAND INDIANS @ CINCINATTI REDS
3:30PM LA DODGERS @ LA ANGELS
WEEK 8 – May 24, 2008
3:30PM NEW YORK METS @ COLORADO ROCKIES
3:30PM ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS @ ATLANTA BRAVES
3:30PM LA ANGELS @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX
WEEK 9 – MAY 31, 2008
3:30PM LA DODGERS @ NEW YORK METS
3:30PM DETROIT TIGERS @ SEATTLE MARINERS
3:30PM ATLANTA BRAVES @ CINCINATTI REDS
WEEK 10 – JUNE 7, 2008
3:30PM CHICAGO CUBS @ LA DODGERS
3:30PM SEATTLE MARINERS @ BOSTON RED SOX
3:30PM CLEVELAND INDIANS @ DETROIT TIGERS
WEEK 11 – JUNE 14, 2008
3:30PM BOSTON RED SOX @ CINCINATTI REDS
3:30PM LA DODGERS @ DETROIT TIGERS
3:30PM PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES @ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
WEEK 12 – JUNE 21, 2008
3:30PM ST. LOUIS CARDINALS @ BOSTON RED SOX
3:30PM CLEVELAND INDIANS @ LA DODGERS
WEEK 13 – JUNE 28, 2008
3:30PM NEW YORK YANKEES @ NEW YORK METS
3:30PM CHICAGO CUBS @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX
WEEK 14 – JULY 5, 2008
3:30PM BOSTON RED SOX @ NEW YORK YANKEES
3:30PM CHICAGO CUBS @ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
WEEK 15 – JULY 12, 2008
3:30PM COLORADO ROCKIES @ NEW YORK METS
3:30PM SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS @ CHICAGO CUBS
3:30PM MINNESOTA TWINS @ DETROIT TIGERS
JULY 15, 2008
2008 MLB ALL STAR GAME
YANKEE STADIUM – NEW YORK, NY
8PM ET – 11PM ET
WEEK 16 – JULY 19, 2008
3:30PM BOSTON RED SOX @ LA ANGELS
3:30PM CLEVELAND INDIANS @ SEATTLE MARINERS
3:30PM SAN DIEGO PADRES @ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
WEEK 17 – JULY 26, 2008
3:30PM NEW YORK YANKEES @ BOSTON RED SOX
3:30PM ATLANTA BRAVES @ PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
WEEK 18 – AUGUST 2, 2008
3:30PM LA ANGELS @ NEW YORK YANKEES
3:30PM MILWAUKEE BREWERS @ ATLANTA BRAVES
WEEK 19 – AUGUST 9, 2008
3:30PM NEW YORK YANKEES @ LA ANGELS
3:30PM ST. LOUIS CARDINALS @ CHICAGO CUBS
3:30PM ATLANTA BRAVES @ ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
WEEK 20 – AUGUST 16, 2008
3:30PM LA ANGELS @ CLEVELAND INDIANS
3:30PM PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES @ SAN DIEGO PADRES
3:30PM SEATTLE MARINERS @ MINNESOTA TWINS
WEEK 21 – AUGUST 23, 2008
3:30PM LA DODGERS @ PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
3:30PM ATLANTA BRAVES @ ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
3:30PM SAN DIEGO PADRES @ SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
WEEK 22 – AUGUST 30, 2008
3:30PM PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES @ CHICAGO CUBS
3:30PM SEATTLE MARINERS @ CLEVELAND INDIANS
3:30PM COLORADO ROCKIES @ SAN DIEGO PADRES
WEEK 23 – SEPTEMBER 6, 2008
3:30PM PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES @ NEW YORK METS
3:30PM DETROIT TIGERS @ MINNESOTA TWINS
3:30PM ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS @ LA DODGERS
WEEK 24 – SEPTEMBER 13, 2008
3:30PM ATLANTA BRAVES @ NEW YORK METS
3:30PM MILWAUKEE BREWERS @ PHILADELPHIA PHILLES
3:30PM SEATTLE MARINERS @ LA ANGELS
WEEK 25 – SEPTEMBER 20, 2008
TBA
WEEK 26 – SEPTEMBER 27, 2008
TBA
And yes, I can’t stand Tim McCarver either.
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Fictional character NLF Draft. (Tirico Suave)
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