Bonds was wrong about one thing...Costas knows more about baseball than most people...that has always been his love and specialty.  Earlier in Costas' career the network he signed with was determined by what network had the baseball package.  He keeps a Mickey Mantle baseball card in his wallet, and named his son Kirby after the Twins outfielder...and he had lots of analysis in Ken Burns' PBS Baseball series.  I think Costas was on the mic when Marquis Grissom caught the last out in the 95 World Series.

 

I've always liked Costas, particularly for his love of baseball, as well as references like that Morrison one...he slips them in without being overbearing and obvious like Chris Berman.  That late night show of his was just too late for me.

 

Since the Giants play two series on the road (LA & SD)...six straight before three more home night games...perhaps Barry will sit in two of those six road games.  That would mean he'd only play nine games before my game.  Sounds like they have the Pac Bell Park all rigged to go off whenever he hits 755 and 756.  It would be too much to ask for Bonds to not break the record until we see him?  Wednesday is a night game and Thursday is a day game, so he should play the Friday game we have tickets to.  Maybe the pressure will keep him from hitting his second HR until then.  That would be one HR per series.

 

Interesting chatter out there on Glavine.  The HOF now decides what cap the Honoree wears…it’s not like if the fans boo that he’d go in as a Met.  Boggs tried that in Tampa and it didn’t fly.  Interesting point by Rowland, that the fans love Julio…who did the same thing Glavine did.

 

CPA: The Bonds/Costas thing is so ridiculous because Costas was not even the one saying anything about Bonds... Costas used to have a late night (1:30) talk show on NBC I used to watch as I was getting home from work (late 80's)...whenever he talked to a guest and mentioned singer Jim Morrison, he always said "the singer Jim Morrison, not the Atlanta Braves infielder"... 

A little from my side of a "could Andruw outhomer Hank" discussion...

Andruw Jones is the fourth-youngest to reach 300 home runs (wasn't ARod third?), and is actually ahead of Aaron's pace. But I don't think he can pass Aaron.

Aaron played, and was productive, for such a long time. Jones started young and got a fast start, but he sure takes a lot more of a beating in the OF, much more so than Hank. Then Aaron switched to first.

Never thought about how Aaron started at 2B, then RF, then LF, then 1B, then DH. Dale Murphy went from C to 1B to CF (then LF or RF?). Rose went from 2B to 3B to 1B, and OF somewhere along the line. Didn’t Rose set the record for making the All-Star team at the most different positions?

Aaron played for the longest time in right, but I remember sitting in the LF bleachers, behind him, late in his career. Later on in the game they put in Sonny Jackson, and a fan who had come to see Aaron started to really ride Jackson, for no real reason. Then Jackson charged a base hit and threw home, but the throw hit the backstop in the air. The fan didn’t say anything, but as he walked back to his position, Sonny tipped his cap to the stands.

Jackson was mainly an infielder (SS). Now he’s still coaching with Dusty Baker, right?

Two other notable position changes, besides Ruth…Robin Yount (SS to CF) and Craig Biggio (C to 2B…to CF?). I also remember watching Ron Gant come up as a second-baseman.