RECORD NEVER TO BE BROKEN - completing a game is a lost art

After watching a high school pitcher in Washington pitch 10 innings and then recently reading in Sports Illustrated about the University of Texas pitcher Austin Wood pitching 12 innings it made wonder why we don't see complete games in the majors anymore. The starter is one of your best pitchers and with all the technology and training available, you can't tell me that pitchers today are not in condition to pitch 9 innings. The true test of a pitcher use to be if they could complete the game without relief. The old school starter was tough, gritty and wanted to finish what he started. They worked hard on the mound and didn't let a few hits discourage them. Today, pitchers get pulled after 5,6 or if they are lucky 7 innings. What kind of accomplishment is that? It is like the quarterback in football playing only 3 quarters because he is "fatigued" and having a special closer quarterback finish the game. This is not a good thing for baseball.

The complete game is a thing of the past. Complete games have steadily dropped since the 60's and the only active major leaguer with more than 60 complete games in his career is Randy Johnson with only 100. To compare, hall of famer Cy Young pitched an amazing 749 complete games in his career and Jack Chesbro holds the modern era record for a season with 49 complete games. These record will never be broken as the trend steadily shows:

Decade Leaders in Complete Games in a Season

1970's Catfish Hunter 30
1980's Rick Langford 28
1990's Jack McDowell 13
2000's Roy Halladay 9

Top 5 Baseball Records That Will NEVER Be Broken

1. Complete games in a career (Cy Young 749)
Randy Johnson's 100 tops the list of active players.

2. Complete game shut-outs (Walter Johnson 100)
Randy Johnson has only 100 CAREER complete games let alone shutouts.

3. Wins in a Season (Jack Chesbro 41)
20 wins is good for a pitcher these days since they only pitch every 5 days.

4. Lifetime Batting Average (Ty Cobb .366)
Albert Pujols is the active leader with a .334 average. Still a long ways to go.

5. Most Triples in a Career (Sam Crawford 309)
The current leader is Johnny Damon with just over 90 and he is on the later stages of his career. The most in a career since 1963 is 147...I think this one is safe.

REUNITED - coaches and players we want to see together again

My wish list for the summer is for hot weather, a great tan, and the reuniting of Larry Brown and Allen Iverson. Nothing would make me happier then to see those two back together again, bickering and ballin' all the way to the middle of the standings. We all remember Iverson and his idea of practice with Larry Brown.



Wouldn't it be fun to have one more go around. If the summer brings anything hot let it be Iverson, fuming over practice and playing time. Let it be Brown trying to reign in someone that is over the hill and on the downside of his career. Forget the summer movies, they don't have the drama and climax of this classic old school combo.

Top 5 Coaches and Players We Would Love To See Reunited

1. P.J. Carlesimo and Latrell Spreewell
We could make it into a reality TV show in which Spreewell and Carlesimo will live in the same house after practice like they do on the Ultimate Fighter. We know Spreewell could use the money.

2. Andy Reid and Terrell Owens
We could also bring in Donavan McNabb to spice it up a little more.

3. Joe Torre and Alex Rodriguez
We could also have a national book signing.

4. Larry Brown and Allen Iverson
We would definetly have to have a camera at practice.

2. Bobby Knight and Neil Reid, Steve Alford, Kent Harvey and Calbert Cheaney
In order to pick the player to be reunited with Knight for the season we would have to have tryouts and we would invite Charles Barkley.

Honorable Mention: Brad Childress and Brett Farve

HOWARD MAKES ALL-NBA COMMERCIAL TEAM

Dwight Howard has led his team to the NBA finals and is almost unstoppable when he gets in the paint. He has made the All-NBA 1st team, the All-Rookie team, the All-Defensive team and now he is a part of the All-NBA Commercial team. His hilarious ad for Vitamin Water ranks as one of the best NBA commercials ever.

Here is my All-NBA Commercial Team

PG Penny Hardaway (Lil Penny)




SG Michael Jordan (Nike - Lars Blackmon)



SF Charles Barkley (T-Mobile)



PF Dwight Howard (Vitamin Water)



C Yao Ming (Visa)



Honorable Mention: Larry Bird (McDonalds)

Take a look at ESPN's list of the 25 Best Commercials

NOTE TO NBA: Lakers are good for business

One thing NBA history has shown us is that people love to watch the Lakers. It doesn't matter if its the "Showtime" Lakers, the "Shaq" Lakers or the "Kobe" Lakers they all get respect. TV ratings go through the roof when the Lakers take the floor for those final seven games. Maybe its the celebrities or maybe its the style of play, all I know is that the NBA makes out like bandits when the Lakers battle for a title as they will do tonight. Just look at what history has shown us; when the NBA is down bring on the Lakers and all is well:

Example #1: 1980 NBA Finals
Boston plays a mediocre Moses Malone led Houston Rockets team and wins in 6 games. The Nielson TV rating was the lowest since 1976 at 6.7. The Lakers make the 1981 NBA finals and the ratings jump to the highest ever at 13.0. That is whole lot of Laker fans.

Example #2 1990 NBA Finals
The Bad Boy Detroit Pistons beat up on the west coast Portland Trailblazers in 5 games. The Ratings for the finals were 12.3 the lowest since the 1981 Lakers/Sixers final. The Lakers make the finals in 1991 and ratings jump to the 2nd highest ever to that point at 15.8 (The Lakers/Celtics final in 87' was the highest at 15.9). That's a whole lot of Laker fans.

Example #3 2003 NBA Finals
The lowest rated final ever of 6.5 was a match up of the San Antonio Spurs and the New Jersey Nets. The Spurs won in 6 but nobody cared or watched. Then along comes the Lakers in 2004 and guess what the rating jump a who five points to 11.5. That's a whole lot of Laker fans.

Example #4 2007 NBA Finals
Even a LeBron led Cleveland Cavalier team can't stop ratings from tumbling to an all-time low 6.2 rating. People turned to American Idol for their entertainment and the NBA was in dire needs so who do they call...you guessed it the Lakers. In 2008 the Lakers take on the Boston Celtics and ratings go up for the 4th time. The ratings for the 2008 series went from 6.2 to 9.3 and everyone in the NBA was again happy.

If history has shown us anything its that the Lakers are a big draw and with questions about the league's integrity the NBA needs all the help it can get. The NBA isn't about the LeBron's or the Howard's its about the Lakers. So bring on the Lakers to once again save the day and the fan base. If history is any indication of future TV success then I think the NBA is good hands with the Lakers.

RANDY JOHNSON IS NO PUD

Randy Johnson is about to win his 300th career game and become one of only 23 other major league pitchers to do so, but looking at the list he just doesn't fit in. Yeah, I know he was one of the most dominating pitchers of the 90's and has proven to be extremely durable over his 22 year career but he still does not fit in. Yeah I know he is the greatest strikeout artist of all-time, he won 4 ERA titles and his slider was almost unhittable, I don't care, he still does not fit the list. And no its not because he beaned more batters than anyone on the 300 list...no, its because his name is WAY TOO MODERN.
Members of the 300 club have names that are from an era long gone. Names that make me think of a time when starting pitchers went all 9 innings and the spit ball was the most perplexing pitch. Old school names like Cy and Grover or Hoss and Early. A time when names meant something, A left handed pitcher was accurately named "Lefty" and a youngster was named "Kid". The name Randy just doesn't fit with these other names. Players on the 300 list are special because they had to deal with the certain psychological torture of their childhood...being named Gaylord, Pud or Christy was sure to take its toll on a youngsters mind. Randy...no one can make fun of a name like Randy. Randy Johnson may one of the best pitchers on the 300 list in terms of accomplishments but he sure doesn't belong on this list of names:


Top 10 Unusual Names of 300 Game Winners

1. Pud (Galvin) 361 wins
2. Hoss (Radbourn) 309 wins
3. Early (Wynn) 300 wins
4. Gaylord (Perry) 314 wins
5. Lefty (Grove) 300 wins
6. Kid (Nichols) 361 wins
7. Grover (Alexander) 373 wins
8. Cy (Young) 511 wins
9. Mickey (Welch) 307 wins
10. Christy (Mathewson) 373 wins

STRASBURG TAKES ON DRAFT HISTORY

With Major League Baseball's June 9th amateur draft fast approaching, Stephen Strasburg will have a tough test ahead of him. Strasburg has scouts drooling over his 100 mph fastball and he should be the 1st pick in the draft but questions still remain. Can Strasburg buck the odds and become the 1st pitcher to be drafted #1 that actually became a bonifide star in the league? No other pitcher that was drafted with the 1st pick has ever gone on to end his career with an era under 3.90 (David Price of the Rays has an era of 2.35 but his career is far from over). The best pitchers to come from the 1st pick were serviceable but far from star quality: Ben McDonald 1989, Andy Benes 1988, Tim Belcher 1983 and Flyod Bannister 1976. None of these pitchers became household names. Stasberg with his 6'4, 220 LLB frame and live right arm has all the tools to be great but will he pan out?



Position Players have fared far better but still nothing to write home about.

Top 5 Major League Players Chosen With the 1st Pick

1. Ken Griffey Jr, 1987, Seattle Mariners
Griffey has been amazing over his career with 616 home runs, .288 batting average and an OPS over .900. He was a true 5 tool guy, who proved his worth leading the Mariner's division titles in 1995 and 1997.

2. Alex Rodriguez, 1993, Seattle Mariners
Rodriguez's image has been tarnished by the steroid scandal but his numbers show outstanding production over his career. With .305 career batting average and over 500 home runs he set the standard for shortstops. If you can excuse the use steroids he could be the greatest all-time number one pick.

3. Chipper Jones, 1990, Atlanta Braves
Chipper Jones has become one of the all-time greats, by batting over .300 eleven times in his career and hitting over 400 home runs. Jones a 5 time all-star at third base has also led the league in batting and is 138th in stolen bases.

4. Darryl Strawberry, 1980, New York Mets
Strawberry had some high expectations placed on him coming out Crenshaw High School and in many ways he fulfilled them hitting over 300 home runs and 1000 RBIs.

5. Josh Hamilton, 1999, Tampa Bay Rays
In his short Major League career, Josh has already led the league in RBIs but more impressive was his home run derby barrage where he hit 28 in the first round. We will see if he can move up this list.

Honorable Mention: Harold Baines, Bob Horner, Darin Erstad

TOP 5 BAD BOYS GONE SOFT

They walked the athletic battle field with intensity in their eyes as fear washed over their opponent's faces. These bad boys of sports intimidated their way to stardom. But oh how far we have come, to the day, when these once menacing and scary men are now just soft and mushy entertainers. These 5 men have taken their bad boy image and made it into something unique. From the ballet to the WNBA, these men no longer bring fear into their opponents eyes but instead bring laughter (but make sure you laugh from a reasonable distance away).

The Top 5 Bad Boys Turned Soft

1. Lawrence Taylor (Dancing with the Stars)
Hall of Famer, Lawrence Taylor was one of the greatest defensive players to ever play the game. He changed the linebacker position forever and put fear in the quarterback's eyes. HE BROKE A MAN'S LEG (Joe Theisman's career would never be the same). So what happened Lawrence? Do you really need the money? Why not "Celebrity Survivor" where you go and tackle a bear or eat the bones of a lion? But not this:



2. Rick Mahorn (WNBA - pushing Lisa Leslie)
Once an enforcer on the basketball court, Rick Mahorn brought toughness and muscle to the bad boy Detroit Pistons. No one messed with Isaiah Thomas because Mahorn was his protector. He feared no one...no one until he ran into Lisa Leslie. Come on Rick pick on someone your own size or at least your own gender:



3. Merlin Olsen (Delivery of Flowers Commercial)
Hall of Famer, Olsen was a part of the original "Fearsome Foursome" that terrorized opposing teams. He was 6'5 and intimidating on the field but soon became better known for his soft side. He was a character on Little House on the Prairie and this commercial officially ended his bad boy image:



4. Dennis Rodman (Dressing like a women)
Rodman was arguably the dirtiest and meanest player in the NBA. He kicked a camera man, got into it with Karl Malone and was truly a bad boy until this:

And This:

And This:

And These:

5. George Foreman (Boxer turned cook)

George Foreman pummeled opponents in the ring with his fists on his way winning the heavyweight boxing title and for a short time being known as best fighter in the world. Foreman was not only big but he was also mean. Now, Foreman is better known for his recipes and grilling techniques then his boxing. His famous smile does not intimidate anymore it just makes people hungry. Foreman is a genius for giving up his bad boy persona for an apron.

This Didn't Help Either:

TARKENTON CALLS THE KETTLE BLACK - Favre not only one overrated

"Boy could he scramble", my dad use to say over and over about his favorite player of all-time Fran Tarkenton. "But dad could he pass?", "but dad did he ever win a Superbowl?", "but dad didn't he throw 32 interceptions in one season?" "dad don't you think Tarkenton is overrated?" He would pause a moment and then reply, "yeah...but boy could he scramble." Fran Tarkenton was possibly one of the most overrated quarterbacks to play the game, even my dad (who idolized him) could admit that. So when Tarkenton came out and called Brett Farve a bad teammate and an overrated quarterback, I took offense. I agree but I take offense:

"I think he has been a great flamboyant quarterback, but he has made more stupid plays than any great quarterback that I've ever seen. Look at his final game in a Packers uniform. He blew that game against the Giants. He's playing against Eli Manning, I love Eli Manning, but he's still not a great quarterback. He's not Peyton yet, or Tom Brady. He's just a guy. And they're (Packers) are playing at home, and they're in a tight situation, they went to overtime and he (Favre) throws the interception that allows them (the Giants) to come back and win the game. He has done that and driven his coaches crazy all of his career."

Fran Tarkenton


If this isn't calling the kettle black, then I don't know what is. Fran Tarkenton may be one of the most overrated quarterbacks of all-time. Yeah, I know he is 5th on the all-time passing list (only because he played 18 years), made 3 Super bowls (lost them all) and once led the league in passing (he also led the league in interceptions that year). Tarkenton couldn't hold a candle to the games best quarterbacks...Unitas, Montana, or Marino. How dare he attack Farve. Now if Manning or Montana said that same quote then I would say "yeah I agree Farve is overrated" but when an overrated qb calls another qb overrated I got a problem. Tarkenton needs to look in the overrated mirror. Even my dad agrees.

Check for yourself:
Fran Tarkenton's Stats

Top 5 Most Overrated Quarterbacks

1. Joe Namath
Living off his Super bowl victory and his panty hose commercials. Led the league in interceptions 4 times,completed only 50 percent of his passes and threw for over 20 tds in only 1 year of his career. Your good looks got you a long way Broadway Joe.

2. Warren Moon
Only 3 winning seasons as a starting qb and no Superbowl rings come on. He also led the league in interceptions (twice) and run-ins with the police.

3. Troy Aikman
This was a tough one. Aikman won Super bowls and did everything a qb is suppose to do...if a quarterback is suppose to hand off to one of the all-time great running backs every time. Even Jason Garrett or Vinnie Testeverde could have won a Superbowl with Smith carrying the load. Look at his numbers: Aikman averaged less than 14 tds a year, never led the league in any major category and was a lousy FANTASY player (he cost many fantasy fans league titles...lucky for me I was an Elway fan).

4. Dan Fouts
His numbers were great but whose numbers wouldn't be great playing in nice weather every game, with stars all around you (John Jefferson, Lydell Mitchell, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler) and with "Air Coryell" at the helm. With all those passing yards you would think that he would at least have gotten a sniff of a Superbowl ring. In fact Fouts had only 3 playoff victories and threw 16 interception compared to only 12 tds in the playoffs.

5. Fran Tarkenton
(See above)

Honorable Mention: Brett Farve, Jim McMahon, Randall Cunningham

WORST BASEBALL HAT EVER

I have officially seen it all...a scratch and niff baseball hat. I guess chewing gum, seeds and tobacco is no longer good enough to keep a players attention between pitches, we now need something to smell. 10 years from now the makers of this hat will saying "what in the heck were we thinking". I just hope we don't have a turn-back-the-clock night where everything is old school scratch and niff (can you imagine). Well, lets take a look at some other decisions where someone must be saying "what were we thinking":

Top 5 Worst Major League Baseball Hats

1. Montreal Expos 1969

2. Pittsburg Pirates 1976

3. San Diego Padres 1984

4. Millwaukee Brewers 1978

5. California Angels 1962

Any that I missed?

NFL NETWORK FOR THOSE WITHOUT - Top 10 Part I

NFL Network reached an agreement to be a part of Comcast's packaging a couple of weeks ago so I decided to give the Network a try and see what all the fuss was about. I figured I wasn't really missing anything especially since Thursday night football is like Tuesday night church service...it doesn't feel right but you gotta participate. So I flip to it and guess what, I was hooked. Besides the fact that the Cincinnati Bengals are on "Hard Knocks" (the NFL's version of Cops and Judge Judy), one show really intrigued me...a show called "TOP 10". This show takes a look at the classic top 10 lists of the NFL. From the top 10 backfield tandems to the 10 best Dallas Cowboys to the top 10 most fearsome tacklers, the NFL Network analyzes them all. What a great concept.

So here I am using my DVR to provide those unfortunate souls who do not get the NFL Network (no I do not work for NFL Network) a chance to enjoy the TOP 10 lists along with some Retro Sports Talk analysis. So here goes:

Top 10 Biggest Changes to the NFL

1. AFL - NFL Merger

2. T.V. and Monday Night Football

3. Free Agency

4. Paul Brown

5. Instant Replay

6. Astro turf (because of all the injuries and the increase in speed)

7. Defensive Back Rule Change (rule that a defensive back can't touch a wr past five yards)

8. NFL Films

9. West Coast Offense

10. Soccer Style Kickers

Honorable Mention: Hash Marks, Pete Rozell

Analysis:
The first change to the list would be to move PAUL BROWN up. He should be #1 on the list (for starters he has a team named after him). Everything football starts with Paul Brown. He truly revolutionized the game and his impact is still felt in the game today. Lets take a look at the impact Brown had on the game:




a. Coaches such as Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Sam Wyche, Bill Walsh, Weeb Ewbank, Bud Grant played or coached under Brown
b. The Face Mask
c. The Playbook
d. The Helmet Ear Piece
e. The Full Time Coaching Staff
f. Using game film
g. Sending in plays with a guard
h. Diagrams for passing plays
i. The Chalk Talk

No other coach has done more to change and improve the game than Paul Brown.

Next, I would definitely put FANTASY FOOTBALL on the list. Fantasy football not only gave millions of football geeks a reason to watch EVERY NFL game but it also made name recognition for many lesser known players. Fantasy football made millions of dollars for the sport.

Lastly, why in the world would you put kickers on the list? Don't they know that kickers are always the last pick in most fantasy football drafts. Jeez!

Part II (Next Week) - NFL's Top 10 Most Fearsome Tacklers

Links:
NFL Network Top 10 Schedule