This season in MLB there is one new rule that is making at least one coach upset.  The new "Mike Coolbaugh" rule that all basepath coaches must wear helmets when they're on the field has been set.  Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa it against it.

 Mike Coolbaugh was killed while coaching first base for Colorado's Double-A Tulsa affiliate last July 22. In a game at Arkansas, Coolbaugh was hit below the ear and knocked unconscious by a line drive. Coolbaugh was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died. He was 35. In 2008 a new rule makes it mandatory for all coaches on the base paths to wear helmets.

  Dodgers 3rd sack coach said in a story on MLB.com "That's not for me," said Bowa, a former player and manager in the Major Leagues in his first year with the Dodgers. "My question is, how can I be in the league 40 years and the league says who wears a helmet and who doesn't? One guy got killed and I'm sorry it happened. But bats break and they can be a deadly weapon. Do something about bats.

"Umpires get hit with line drives. I've probably seen 50 of them get hit. If coaches have to wear helmets, umpires should. I'll sign a waiver. And there should be a grandfather clause. These are very cumbersome. They talk about delay of game, and when the helmet falls off, you'll have to stop the game. It should be an option. I know I'm talking for a lot of guys who won't say anything. I'll write a check for 162 games if I have to not wear it."

I am not surprised the new rule had a complaint against it.  I am sure many more coaches didn't like it either.  The chances of getting hit and killed by a ball are so small that there isn't another case in the 120 plus year history of MLB. 

  Bowa has actually worn a helmet in the spring but he may just take a little more getting used to it than others.  It could be something much worse to have to deal with at your job like many other Americans are dealing with right now, not having one!

  Begin Rant-  Larry suck it up and forget about it.  Hockey players got used to it real quick and it was a good thing they did.  What he should be upset about is having to wear a full blown uniform with hat and cleats!  How about to add to the coaches looking so much like players they give the base coaches gloves to look like foul 1st and 3rd baseman!  I don't think putting on a batting helmet is going to hurt you!

  Maybe I am completely off base here (pun intended).  Maybe the NFL should make the coaches wear shoulder pads ,cleats, and helmets.  NFL coaches have more of a chance getting hit by someone or something that could severly hurt them than any other coach.  Maybe the NBA should have the coaches wear shorts and tank tops as well!

If you are a member at FANIQ.com than I have a poll in which you can vote on this topic.  FANIQ members can vote here.  If you would like to sign up you can sign up here.

 

  As the weather is getting warmer across the country and grass is getting greener, baseball gets closer.  I get excited when baseball starts because that also means that the long Michigan winter is over........for the most part.

One thing I have always talked about is going on a stadium tour and wanting to see every stadium in MLB and the NFL.  But my main focus has been on a stadium tour for MLB because you can hit so many stadiums, if timed correctly, in a very short period of time.

In my personal situation I am from Michigan and could easily hit Jacob's Field in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore's Camden Yard, Boston's Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium and back through to both sides of Chicago!  Even breaking these up into mini trips would be great.

I would also want to hit all the California teams as well.  Dodger Stadium, Whatever the Giants call their field now, Oakland, try to figure out where the Angels actually play, and San Diego's cool new place.

Something like this would have to be chronicled the entire way.  I would have to write a book about it with a ton of stadium pictures.  On this page are two that I took at Comerica Park in Detroit the last time I was able to be on the field before a game.

One often wonders how many people have done such stadium tours for any sport.  I am sure there have been a lot.  It is one of my dreams I would like to do in my life.

    We have entertainers come through our cities along with pro and college athletes.  Most people will think only about how much money someone is making for delivering to us entertainment for our money.  What most people never think about is life on the road.  What good does having all the money in the world if you have to keep working harder and harder at what you do?  So many end up having all the things in life money can buy, but none of the things it can't.

  Let me give you an example of a few types of life on the road.  One is the rock band life on the road.  Life on the road as a rock star more realistically is the everyday grind of travel.  Have you ever been stuck in an airport?  Think about being stranded  20 times in a year or more.   The road traveled between cities can be rough too.  Rock bands don't usually get the best drivers for the tour bus.  Think about how hard it would be to find a bus driver to drive a party bus from city to city for six weeks, away from their family, and free of full-time employment before departure.  At least you party every night and get to trash hotel rooms city to city!   But anyway who cares about rock bands anyway, this is a sports blog!!

Different sports have diffrent types of road trips.  Baseball may be the hardest.  You start off the season with 5 weeks on the road in Florida or Arizona for spring training.  Some teams when they do get back home and get ready for the season they start the season ON THE ROAD!  Baseball also has series when they play someone.  You may end up with a road trip of over a week at a time as a regular occurance.

Football may have the best.  They only play once a week and when they do go on the road, it is only for two days.  They are home a minimum five days of the week.  Hockey and basketball have similar schedules but road trips usually only max out and 5-7 games on the road.

Life on the road as a pro-wrestler is strange as well.  For instance WWE Superstar Ric Flair  said in his biography that he had wrestled Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat over two thousand times in a five year period, most of which were one hour draws.  They were on the road over three hundred days a year and Flair insists he wrestled eight times a week (twice on Saturdays) everyday for two years.  In 1975 in a effort to start to cut travel time down Flair had a guy with a small Cesnna airplane that ended up crashing and breaking his back.  He is still on the road today because his life has been spent on the road.  Life on the road for Flair has been stylin' and profilin'.  Adam Copeland spent a lot of time on the road.  He said part of his yearly trips through Canada included a two hour drive across a frozen lake to get to the next city.  Copeland who is known in WWE as "Edge" has paid his dues like many before him and many after him will do.

Life on the road for me as a wrestler throughout my life has been a great one.  My trips were almost always weekenders.  I loved traveling from city to city and state to state to test my skills and meet new competition.  My type of wrestling in not what you see on T.V. at all.  I was a freestyle wrestler.  The kind you or your buddy was in high school.  I started my adventure at seven years old, a 52 pound grapler, ready learn how to be a wrestler.  If you were a young wrestler in the midwest from 1981 to 1992, wrestled in extra tournaments, I may have twisted your head off or broke your will to compete, I am sorry, yeah right.  Now I spend my time as an adult as an instructor for a wrestling camp hosted by the U.S. Olympic coach Steve Fraser. That is a lot of time away from home but it is a great experience.  Sometime life on the road is great because you get to go away for a while and do what you love to do. 

If life on the road still sounded sweet to you, think about the fact that most athletes don't even live in the city they play.  Remember it is a business.  You don't know if you are going to finish your career with anyone.  So they will get a condo or rent a house and still live where ever they always have.  Look at Roger Clemens.  He lived this way his whole career.  His family in the Houston area and him playing in Boston, New York, and even worse........TORONTO!  When all your toys are at home and you live on the road, what is so great about that?

Hey this is just another way to look at something you may have never thought about.  I didnt even hit on hockey parents life on the road either.

  There is so much happening right now in sports.  Free agency starts at 12:01 EST tonight March 2nd, well that would actually be tomorrow morning officially, but who cares you know what I mean.  We have the NHL trade deadline passed and a story yet to come that you will see actually get coverage in an NHL arena of more than a highlight on Sportscenter.  Spring training has also began and steroid winds are blowing yet again.

  So we need to talk, well I need to write and you need to read.  I am going to start with a trade that actually happened in the NFL.  The big surprise to me is that there was actually three players involved in the trade as well.  The Detroit Lions sent Dre Bly and a 6th round draft pick to Denver for Tatum Bell, (T) George Foster, and a 5th round pick.  The winner to me is Denver but Detroit needed to make this deal as well so it works out for both sides very well.  The Broncos now have two very good pro bowl corners on their defense.  The Lions lose Bly but gain another solid RB to team up with injured Kevin Jones who currently is injured with a serious foot injury.  Bly is a very good cover corner but Detroit's defense is now designed to have run stopping CBs instead.  To me Denver gets the better end because they may have the best pair of corners in the game now and the Broncos always fit new RBs in their system and they seem to work every time. Detroit is now clearing out Matt Millen's guys he brought in, to bring in more of them.....uh oh  At least Matt got two players for Dre and will move up a round in the draft as well.  Good trade for both.

  Joey Porter was released by Pittsburgh today making him a free agent.  Joe Horn was released as well.  Most of the better free agents seem to be defensive players.  A team could actually bring in Nate Clements, Ken Hamlin, Joey Porter, Donnie Edwards and Adelius Thomas if they lay out the contracts correctly.  Not really but it does sound like the Washington (racist Indian name) NFL team for 2007!

Brady Quinn, what is the deal here?  He didn't throw at the combine?  He is a quarterback.  Now I read that he isn't going to interview for teams during Notre Dame's pro day.  He was over rated his entire career and now he is costing himself millions of dollars by falling even a few picks in the draft.  Or is he?  Maybe the less he says the better.  Kind of like how a woman knows if she wants to get it on with a guy unless he starts saying a bunch of stupid stuff by talking too much.  Maybe not but he may fall to picks 15-20 by doing this.  That is the difference in millions of dollars in guaranteed money.

  NHL trade deadline had a lower noted trade which involved league tough guy in Todd Bertuzzi to the Detroit Red Wings.  Bert goes to the Wings who are a team he was a former nemesis of.  He had a fued on ice with Chris Chelios.  Bertuzzi clotheslined Chris Chelios in a playoff game and instantly became the bull's-eye on every Detroit fan's dartboard?  Now the two are teamates.  Bert also may help revive a former rivalry.  Remember Bertuzzi is the guy who hit Colorado's Steve Moore from behind and has essentially ended his career.  The NHL may want to get the Wings-Avs rivalry revived because anytime they had these two play the ratings were actually on the ratings.  The Red Wings continue to be the team that gets ratings when they are on but unfortunatly for the NHL, they are the only team anyone ever wants to watch.  They are and have been a great team to watch and have never been afraid to bring in who they thought gave them the best chance to win the Stanley Cup.  Now they bring in a player in Todd Bertuzzi who has played all but seven games this year and had a 17 month suspension from the Moore hit.

Gary Sheffield has a new book coming out and it will cover a lot of things in his life he never talked about before including steroids.  Sheffield met with a Major League Baseball executive Thursday to discuss recent comments by the Detroit slugger on whether he would cooperate with former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's investigations into steroids.  Sheff was quoted in the an Associated Press report saying conflicting things at different times of the week "The (players') association told us this is just a witch hunt," Sheffield told USA Today. "They don't want us to talk to them. This is all about getting Barry Bonds."  Sheffield then told SI.com he would let the union decide whether he would talk with Mitchell's staff.  "I've always been more than willing," Sheffield told SI.com. "I'm not saying they're going to get much out of me, 'cause I don't know nothing."   I believe him when he says it too. He has always been a great player but never in the same place very long.  Sheffield has always been a contract guy.  By that I mean he always made sure he was "getting his."  If MLB was ever concerned about steroids in baseball and the intergrity of the game they would have never let it get this out of hand. 

  This is just another reason why trained profesionals should be in the booth before former athletes.  As you may have read below I went off on this subject a little.  Bert is a fine announcer and I think it is pretty funny. You can watch it here!  I am not sure what is worse though, an announcer dropping F bombs on accident or announcers that sound like they have a mouth full of marbles.  I recently went off on this subject because of the lack of talent on air these days.  Bert isn't one of those bad ones though which is why it makes it funnier.


  If you missed the rant here it is:  

  Announcers have changed in recent years. More and more former athletes have gone into the booth. It has actually made the way games are called worse in my opinion. You don’t need to have played the game to break it down or give insight. But you do need to be able to actually speak correctlyand communicate your thoughts. Having watched almost every team in preseason telecasts on NFL Network it is pretty common to have just bad announcers in general. Here in Detroit we had a former Lion Kelvin Pritchett in the booth with long time announcer Frank Beckman. Kelvin has got to go though. It is embarrassing to have a guy calling a game when he sounds so uneducated. One small example, Kelvin repeatedly called Mike Martz - Mikes Mart and has the infamous annunciation of the double f instead of the th. What I mean is instead of Smith it is Smiff. Having someone in the booth just because they are a former player is a waste of time and money. The people that deserve to be in the booth are trained professionals and people with top notch communication skills. Three people in the booth is even better though. I know I pick on Kelvin but it isn’t just him and it is a very tough job to do. However there are much higher qualified people to call games that may be trying to get their break and are calling minor sports on the radio. Hey we all want guys to get chances in the NFL as head coaches that have earned it, why not in the ####?

I was thinking about all the different types of sellouts around sports and I think I have come up with a few different examples of how many different ways Players, teams, and or fans are sellouts or will sellout. In no order of significance.

1. Yankee fans selling out on A-rod. It is already happening in New York that many fans and reporters are willing and advocating the trade Alex Rodriguez. Trust me now is not the time to bail out on the youngest player to hit 450 HRs because he is the highest paid player of anything in the World. This is the same guy that the Yankees traded Alphonso Soriano for and have been rumored to want to reacquire. The Yankees and fans sold out on Soriano in trading him, the fans and media are selling out on A-Rod and Brian Cashman (ironically named in being the Yankees GM) has sold out the Yankees future by making far too many trades.

2. The city of Detroit for not scheduling a Lions game and Tigers game on the same Sunday. When the Lions open up their season and the Tigers close theirs down, it would have been possible to sellout two games on the same intersection of downtown. The Lions continually sellout the home games and the Tigers have been selling outain and are making a playoff run which in turn may be the only way they would be able to have the two-fer of sellouts in October. Being the great sports town that Detroit is, the fans would sellout both games for sure.

3. Chris Brown of the Tennessee Titans is selling out on the Titans and his fans. The oft injured Brown is in the final year of his contract. The Titans drafted Lindale White as well. Brown's agent, Wynn Silbermann, formerly asked for a trade last week. Brown and his agent believe being traded away from a crowded backfield is his best career move. To me that tells me he is either not competitive or just does not believe he is good enough to get the bulk of the carries. How much does he think he is really going to get as a free agent? I am not looking for a player who wants out at the first sight of serious competition for his job. To me he is just a sellout.

4. Monday Night Football is a sellout for selling out to itself. They moved MNF to ESPN this year and changed the crew up. To me if they were really looking for an improvement in ratings, they would have made adjustments to the actual games! There were so many things to tweak but they never really did anything bout the actual games. They should have had more variety of teams on, less Packers (so we didn't have to hear Madden say Brett Favre's name over 100 times per and besides he is washed up now, move on!), and had an 8 O'clock start time EST. They should have had some signs that the games didn't mean anything because there wer so many games that weren't sold out.

5. The Brewers and Carlos Lee are sellouts. The fans of the Brew Crew are the big losers in this though. The Brewers need to trade Carlos Lee or resign him to a multi year deal. The fans have not had a World Series contender since 1982 and have never even won the World Series. They need to run the team less like a business and more like a team that wants to win. How about making a run for once instead of setting new lows in mediocrity. The Brewers and Detroit Lions are like distant sports cousins I guess, but do they both Sellout on their fans?  Either way they have never won it all.  The Lions only claim to a chamtpionship in way back in 1957 before it was even called the Super Bowl.

6.  Maurice Clarrett was a sellout to the team that made him famous, the Ohio State Buckeyes.  He was also a sellout to the fans of OSU, and he was a sellout to coachs of OSU.  Then to top it off he sold out his NFL career by having a year off.  He then sold out his future when he was arrested for aggrevated robbery.  He is now better known for non football activities, which is not good.




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     Major League Baseball has made the error. The MLB having the All-Star (exhibition) game decide home field advantage in the World Series is absurd. Next year they need to put a stop to this. Now I am happy that MLB tries to be innovative. However they need to just say that the All-Star game will only be played in nine innings or maybe even ten. But to have an All-Star game decide who have home field advantage is just terrible. It is like deciding a world wide tournament that only happens every four years be decided by a shoot out........oh wait.

     If MLB is so intent on bringing meaning to the All-Star game they need to forget about it. This is supposed to be a fun game and teams do NOT want their guys getting hurt. They wouldn’t even be in this predicament had the All-Star game in Milwaukee had not been called a tie in the 11^th inning. Bud Selig getting on that microphone to tell the crowd they were going to end the game was surreal to say the least. It did cause quite an uproar by fans everywhere. That is when it was decided that they will try to make the All-Star game have more meaning.

                                              
      Could you imagine any other sport letting their respective All-Star game decide this. I am guessing that the NBA isn’t going to do this anytime soon. If they want to have the players play harder and the game to mean something, give them another payday. That is what gets these guys going is money. They could have each player on the winning team get 500K and the losing team get 50K. I think you would then see both teams having fun and playing hard. There is also just something about players deciding where the World Series will be played at that won't even be in it. But hey what do I know?

 

Both the Red Sox and the Yankees have both been a staple of the playoffs the last few years. One team will win the American League East and the other gets in via the Wild Card. This year it looks as if only one of them have a shot. But to be that team they are going to have to win their division because right now the White Sox have a seven game lead on New York in the Wild Card standings. The two teams (Yankees and White Sox) play each other right out of the box following the All-Star Break in a three game series at Yankee Stadium. This has the potential to either move closer and almost put out in July. If the Yankees were swept they would be possibly ten or more out in July depending on how both teams finish going into the All-Star break. They would then need to solely focus on catching Boston.

 
 As for Boston coming out of the break and the rest of July. They get a steady diet of west coast teams in a eight game home stand that includes Oakland, Seattle, Kansas City, and Texas before going out west for six games back in Oakland and Seattle.

  The White Sox also have a huge July. After playing in New York for three games, they then head to Detroit, the best team in baseball right now, the team they are also only one game back of currently for a three game home stand.  They play a three game series with Boston this weekend as well.  So July is going to be a big month this season and the trade deadline is getting closer as well.

  Detroit will be playing the divisional teams all month with the exception of a three game home stand with the Athlectics, a team that just took 2 of 3 from the Tigers. With Detroit playing divisional teams they may just separate the teams a little more or bring it a little closer. They need to take advantage of Chicago in by winning the series with them. Chicago has already taken 5 of 6 on the season.  Detroit really needs to win that series, they aren't must wins, but they need to prove they can beat the White Sox in a series.  They may have to steal Bobby Abreu from Philadelphia to do it though.

 

For some teams in baseball right now they are looking to make a significant move via trade to make a playoff run.  Some teams need and will acquire starting pitching, or a big bat.  Some teams really truely need to make a move, but for some teams, no move may be the right move.

I am not going to go through all the teams but here are a few that need a new face in the clubhouse and a few that no move may be the best move.

Chicago Cubs - With the Cubs struggling all season long now it is time to make some moves.  They have several players they can trade and if they want to have a better future it is time to move some players and stock up some younger players.  They have starting pitching and several veteran players they can move.  Kerry Wood and Mark Prior however should not be traded, they should be rested.  This is not the season they hoped to have but next season at least they could start over.  Any baseball franchise needs a solid 1-2 punch to start the rotation, with Wood and Prior they have that when they are healthy.  If they can make any trades they need to get as many players in return as possible.

Washington Senators - They are in great position to trade Alphonso Soriano and possibly Nick Johnson.  They also are a team who needs to get as much in return as possible.  Getting cash back for these players is not a smart option.  They can't afford to make a deal to get a prospect and cash for Soriano.  They should be looking for several players in return even if they are all prospects.  Cash does not win you games, look at the Yankees, they pay over $200 million for a team in second place in the AL East and 6.5 games back of the wild card.

Cincinnati Reds - Staring pitching is needed most.  They have also been very streaky this season as well.  Every time they have been counted out they put a string of wins together like as of late.  They now lead the wild card race for the National league.  The Reds should not be looking to move Griffey either.  With Dunn and Griffey in the line up in gives them two solid left handed hitters that most teams only dream of.

Florida Marlins - if they have another fire sale they may as well move this franchise.  No team in baseball has let more talent go than them.  It is a shame that baseball fans in south Florida have had to be a part of a team that has won two World Series and traded away any player that remotely has a fan base.  Maybe baseball should have a minimun cap as well to prevent teams like the Marlins from selling out on their fans as many times as they already have.  Have they ever thought about trying to win back to back championships?

Chicago White Sox - No move may be best for them.  They won the World Series last year and have only the Tigers in front of them in all of baseball.   Bullpen help may be the only move they make.

Detroit Tigers - Rumored to be trying to work out a deal with Philadelphis for Bobby Abreu to add a left handed hitter to an already potent line up one through nine.  They have also been rumored to be involved with a John Smoltz for Joel Zumaya trade.  To trade Zumaya for anyone would be a mistake they would regret for many seasons to come.  He is the future closer and has three pitchs already in his arsenal.  It would be ironic if they did make that move since it was Detroit who traded Smoltz for a veteran pitcher in the first place when they traded him to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander in 1987.  As for a left handed bat, they have Dmitri Young rehabing in the minors and he is a switch hitter.  He has been almost the only force in the line up the Tigers had in years past.  He may be just what they need and they already have him.  No move may be the best move.  They have the best record in baseball, they should go with what has gotten them there.

Milwaukee Brewers - If they can trade Carlos Lee they must.  They have been fading fast and Lee makes a lot of dough.  He will be a free agent at the end of the season and they need to get something for him. Lee will be in high demand but his impending free agency may hinder what they get in return.

New York Yankees - Starting pitching is imperative to acquire for the Yanks.  They have had injuries and weak pitching all season.  They need to look to National league to get what they need as American League teams will be less willing to trade with them.  They will get their star outfilders back before the playoffs.  Pitching wins anyway.  And if they really want to win that is the direction they need to go.

  First of all I would like to thank all the people who voted and left comments.  Everyones opinion was considered.  I don't want to give the entire list to you all at once though.  Check back to see who the next players are as I roll them out. 

  There was a lot to condiser when putting together a list like this.  Some of the things that were taken into consideration were not just based on stats.  There is only one pitcher on the list as well and you will find that out when I get to it.  I quickly realized that this was a tough subject due to the amount of players that have played the game.  Remember they have been keeping stats since 1876.  MLB was established in 1845 though.  One hundred and thirty years they have been keeping stats, at least by my reasearch.  I guess I would have been a Detroit Wolverines fan in 1883 and that was also the year that the Philadelphia Quakers team ERA was 8.96.  Anyway back to the list, coming in at number:

10. Pete Rose (Charlie Hustle) - Rose is the career leader in hits (4,256), singles (3,215), at-bats (14,053) and games played (3,562). He is second all-time in doubles, fourth in runs, and collected at least 100 hits in his first 23 seasons, a record. He had more than 200 hits in a season 10 times, also a record, led the league in hits in seven seasons, and is the most prolific switch-hitter in history.  He played 1B, 2B, 3B, OF, and managed as well as being a player manager several seasons.  He played for Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Montreal.

Pete is known for a lot of things in and out of baseball.  The important thing to remember with Pete is that he was nicknamed Charlie Hustle for a reason.  He is well known for crashing into Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star game to score the winning run in the 12th.  Some may say he hung around way to long to pad his stats which is not true.  Many players have played until they just can't anymore.  Everyone always says they remember Willie Mays limping around the bases in his final season. It is more of a testament to the character, heart, and durability to a player if he plays a long time. It is about the love of the game.  Pete once said "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball."  Rose had more heart than almost all the other players from his era.  He was a great sports hero and will always be remembered for "hustling".



9. Stan Musial -  Stan was a three time NL MVP winner, two time player of the year, and winner of the Lou Gehrig award.  The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was established by Lou Gehrig's college fraternity, Phi Delta Theta at Columbia University. The award is presented annually to the Major League baseball player who both on and off the field best exemplifies the character of Lou Gehrig.  His career stats are compared to the games best including several players to be named in this list.  On a 162 average of 22 seasons he has stats of 25 home runs, 104 RBI, and a .331 average. He played from 1941 - 1963.  One of the best things about his longevity in MLB is that all 22 seasons were played with the Cardinals.  He also was dubbed "Stan the Man".  In 1954, Stan Musial became the first player to hit 5 home runs in a double header against the New York Giants.  A statue of Musial was dedicated at Busch Stadium in 1968.  He played 22 seasons but every place and bio for him says he was selected to 24 straight All-Star games.  He won three World Series rings (42', 44', and 46')  and had 475 career home runs.  For one who played so long, Musial was unbelievably consistent. He smacked 1,815 hits at home and the same number on the road.  All the statistics and awards were accomplished by a 175 pound man,  the same size as Derek Jeter.  To top it all off he gave up the 1945 season to serve his country in WWII.  Stan Musial will always be remembered as one of the most feared hitters in the National League and for being a diplomat to the game.


8. Joe DiMaggio - Joltin Joe still holds the hitting streak record at 56 games!  He was a 3-time MVP winner and 13-time all-star who was widely hailed for his accomplishment on both offense and defense, as well as for the grace with which he played the game, at the time of his retirement at age 36 he had the fifth-most career home runs(361) and sixth-highest slugging percentage (.579) in history.  In 1969 a poll was conducted to coincide with the centennial of professional baseball voted him the sport's greatest living player.   The "Yankke clipper" was touted by sportswriters as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Shoeless Joe Jackson rolled into one, he made his major league debut on May 3, 1936,  batting ahead of Lou Gehrig. The Yankees had not been to the World Series since 1932, but, thanks in large part to their sensational rookie, they won the next four. DiMaggio is the only athlete in North American pro sports history to be on four championship teams in his first 4 full seasons. In total, he led the Yankees to nine titles in thirteen years.  A 162 game average of his career would be 34 HR and 134 RBI per season, so in other words he would get paid about $12 million per season these days, maybe more playing for the Yankees.  He also enlisted in WWII but was sent to California because it was thought that if he were killed or injured in the war it would devastate morale.  Joe was also famous for visiting childrens hospitals.  Broadway Joe loved to visit with kids.  At the time he was probably the biggest icon in America and for him to take time away for the kids says something about how great of a person and player he was.  Once he retired he met, fell in love with, and married Marilyn Monroe.  The relationship was loving yet complex, marred by his jealousy and her ambition. DiMaggio biographer Richard Ben Cramer asserts it was also violent. One incident allegedly happened after the skirt-blowing scene in "The Seven Year Itch"  was filmed on New York's Lexington Avenue before hundreds of fans, director Billy Wilder recalled "the look of death" on DiMaggio's face as he watched.  When she filed for divorce just 274 days after the wedding, Oscar Levant said "it proved that no man could be a success in two pastimes". 


7. Ty Cobb - Tyrus Raymond (Ty or Georgia Peach) Cobb is a name that every baseball fan knows and it is for a reason. He didn't have a lot of power, but no one really did when he played.  He was known for his aggressive play and ability to will his team to victory.  He is also know as one of the best hitters of all-time.  After a mediocre year for the Tigers in 1906, owner Frank Navin hired the enthusiastic, aggressive Hughie Jennings to be the manager. Jennings knew what Cobb could do and let him run the bases on his own, without signals from the manager.  The main tenet of Cobb's baserunning strategy was that the base paths belonged to him. He felt that he had every right to do whatever he could to keep it that way. An example of this was against Cleveland in June 1907, when he tripled. Instead of stopping at third, Cobb continued to home where the catcher, Harry Bemis, was waiting with the ball. Cobb lowered his shoulder and plowed Bemis over, knocking the ball loose. Bemis picked up the ball and beat Cobb over the head with it until the umpire pulled Bemis off Cobb and ejected the catcher.  Cobb claims in his autobiography that because Bemis beat him over the head with the ball and verbally abused him, he became one of only two intentional-spiking victims in Cobb's career. He also claims that although he missed Bemis with his spikes, the message had been clear and Bemis never again bothered him. Cobb liked to talk about his exploits, and even in his autobiography, when he states that he is writing it to dispel vicious rumors about him, it is clear that he revels in the image of him as a demon.  It is hard to say whether or not most stories about him are true or the accuracy of them, either way he liked being portayed in the manner that he was.

One of Cobb's most devastating approaches to baseball and perhaps the one that left the most lasting impression was his psychological intimidation. One part of that particular program was to nurture his image as a monster that both he and the media were creating. The more horrible that opponents thought that he was, the more that he felt that he could manipulate them to his advantage. For example, it was a good thing that opposing fielders thought that he sharpened his spikes. It seems that in 1908 at Highland Park in New York, a couple of Detroit benchwarmers sat outside their dugout sharpening their spikes. Eventually, the story became that Cobb would sit "with mouth twisted and eyes ablaze" filing his spikes in front of the dugout. Cobb waited until after his playing days to publicly refute those allegations, since they undoubtedly helped add to the Cobb aura. Cobb once said "Baseball was one-hundred percent of my life." 

  Cobb won 12 batting titles, including 9 in a row from 1907 thru 1915 and he was the youngest AL player to reach 1,000 hit level (24 years old).  He played 22 seasons  for the Detroit Tigers and two years with the Philadelphia Athletics.  He never hit more than 12 HRs in a season but averaged over 100 RBI per season for his career. He batted over .400 three times and hit under .320 once.  One of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 where he received 98.23% of the votes (222 out of 226).  He is number 2 on the all-time hits list and had a career batting average of .366 which puts him with the all-time greats of the game. A 162 game average fo Cobb would be 6 HR 103 RBI and a .366 BA.  The only thing that made him fall to number 7 is lack of power and the era he played in.  However he stole home 54 times in his career which is unheard of in todays era.    He could be argued as the best ever, but no matter where he is on a list like this he will always be a name synonymous with baseball greatness.



6. Barry Bonds - The book on Bonds stills has chapters to be written which may someday move him up this list (as if he cares).  Barry Bonds career has been one of the most prolific of all-time.  He is currently 2nd on the all-time career home runs list. He has already played 20 seasons and has averages of 42 HR, 110 RBI,
and a .300 BA.  He has only played for two teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Fransisco Giants.  Bonds is a 13 time All-Star, 7 time NL MVP, 8 Gold Gloves, and 3 time Player of the Year Award winner.  The 7 MVP awars is a record including 4 straight from 2001 through 2004.  Oh and there is that other thing, he holds the Home Run record for a single season with 73 in 2001.  Bonds has generally been known as reclusive in the clubhouse, and is not a favorite with the media. Teammates have occasionally remarked that they do not have any conversations with Bonds, but after passing Ruth on the all-time home run list, Bonds himself spoke of his teammates's support and their having celebrated the event together.   He is now in pursuit of Hank Aaron's all-time career home runs record which he will more than likely pass in the 2007 season. 

Players like Bonds only come along every so often.  Bonds has reached and raised the bar for players to come as players before had done for him in the past.  In order to measure greatness the bar has to be set, and later to be raised by the next great player.

Bonds career has been marred in steroid allegations the past few seasons.  He has had a syringe thrown at him, he is booed every at bat on the road, and fans yell at him every chance they get.  The thing that bothers me most about this is that Bonds has never tested positive for anything.  Steroids weren't even illegal in MLB at the time.   People have even said that the stats he has should have asterisks next to them.  Isn't this America?  We have found him guilty without even testing him positive?  Raphael Palmero tested positive after testifying to congress and pointing at them while he said he never took steroids.  What about all the current players that have tested positive, including pitchers?  No one really ever talks about it.  The U.S. Government launched an investigation into Bonds and steroids in baseball.  This is actually being lead by Senator George Mitchell.  I have an idea, how about we launch an investigation into why gas is almost $3.00 a gallon now.  I would like to see money they spend on this investigation (which could be hundreds of thousands) put into our school systems!  How about an investigation into why we have cut backs in education year after year or why so many jobs keep going over seas day after day with out any hope that will change.  "Nothing is more important to me than the integrity of the game of baseball," said Selig, commenting on the investigation after the publication Game of Shadows, a book written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters that details alleged steroid use by Bonds and others.  No matter what is said about him he can still be argued as one the the best ever, and maybe he is or will be.



5. Lou Gehrig - Standing inside Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig declared himself the “luckiest man on the face of the earth.” Remarkably humble and modest for a man of his stature, he was not used to the outpouring of public support showered upon him by 62,000 fans in attendance. It was on that day Lou Gehrig officially retired from Major League Baseball.  It is probably one of most famous speaches in baseball if not in American History.  The image of Gehrig a humbled man in front of his peers and fans will be remembered forever.  Lou Gehrig said "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.  

 

Gehrig played seventeen years all in New York.  He had 162 game averages of 37 HR, 149 RBI, and .340 BA.  This does include three seasons (1923, 1924, 1939) in which Gehrig played less than 13 games.  He is considered one the most prolific hitters to ever play the game.  He won the Triple Crown in 1934 as well as winning the AL-MVP award in 1927 and 1936.  He is a seven time All-Star and helped the Yankees win 6 World Series titles.  Gehrig also holds the record for most grand slams in a career with 23.  He set a record by playing in a consecutive streak of 2,130 professional baseball games throughout his career, despite 17 fractures in his hands and other minor injuries. Gehrig’s record stood until Cal Ripken, Jr. broke it in 1995.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. In light of his progressive illness, the usual two-year waiting period after a player retires was waived in Gehrig’s case.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), is now known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is an incurable fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness, resulting in paralysis.  On June 2, 1941, Lou Gehrig succumbed to ALS and the country mourned.  He is now honored by many and considered one of the best players to ever play and one of the finest men to represent the greatest game ever played, baseball.

4. Henry "Hank" Aaron - "Hammerin" Hank Aaron is the all-time Home run record holder with 755 in his career.  A career that spanned 23 season (21 with the Braves).  The Atalanta Braves were still in Milwaukee and then were moved to Atlanta.  He played his last two seasons back in Milwaukee with the Brewers.  In a 162 game average of his career he would hit 37 HR, 113 RBI, and a .305 BA.  The durability fort a player to accomplish such high numbers for suach a long period is only compounderd by the racism endured through this time period as well.  Lesser men would have broken.  The chase to beat the Babe heated up in the summer of 1973 and with it the mail. Aaron needed a secretary to sort it as he received more than an estimated 3,000 letters a day, more than any American outside of politics.  Unfortunately, racsist initially did much of the writing. 

The letters came from every state, but most were postmarked in northern cities. They were filled with hate; more hate than Aaron had ever imagined. "This," Aaron said later about the letters, "changed me."  Aaron hit his 700th home run off of the Phillies', Ken Brett. The 1973 season ended with Aaron at 713 homers after hitting a remarkable 40 in just 392 at-bats. He was 39.   Aaron broke baseball's all time RBI record in May of 75' and in July of 76' he hit his 755th and final home run.
 
Aaron was a 21 time All-Star, the 1970 Lou Gehrig award winner, and the NL- MVP in 1957.  He also is the All-time RBI leader (2,297), All-time total bases leader (6,856), All-time extra-base hits leader (1,477) and was the first player to reach 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

3.  Willie Mays - Mays was a 20 time All-Starand is regarded as one of the finest players to ever play the game of baseball.  He played in a time when whites weren't exactly ready for the best baseball player to be black.  If you have ever heard the term "the catch" it is him.  With his back to home plate, Mays caught the ball over his left shoulder, and "then whirled and threw, like some olden statue o####reek javelin hurler, his head twisted away to the left as his right arm swept out and around ... And as he turned, or as he threw -- I could not tell which, the two motions were welded into one -- off came the cap, and then Mays himself continued to spin around after the gigantic effort of returning the ball whence it came, and he went down flat on his belly, and out of sight." The Catch helped the Giants win the World Series in four games, their first series win since 1933, and their last to date.  The catch is widely known as one of baseballs finest plays of all time and one of the most memorable.

In 1952 the "Say-Hey-Kid" traded in his spikes for military boots after being drafted.  The Giants lost Mays for most of 1952 and all of 1953.  He returned to the team in 1954.

Mays has no shortage of awards for his storied career as well.  He is also the first player to have 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs, he finished with 660 HR.   His combination of speed, fielding and hitting put him in the top five of the all century team created in the late nineties. 

For 22 seasons in baseball Mays had a 162 game average of 36 HR, 103 RBI, and a .302 BA.  Mays was a 12 time Gold Glove winner, 20 time All-Star, 1951 Rookie of the year, 1954 Player of the year (after returning from the Korean War), two time All-Star MVP, 1971 Roberto Clemete Award winner, and two time NL-MVP.  While he only won one World Series he apeared in four.  He led the Majors from 1956-1959 in stolen bases.  He was also in the top five in all of baseball every season he played in extra base hits.  Mays said that Joe Dimaggio was the greatest living player, until he died in 1999.  Now with Mays it's worth looking back at the 20-time All-Star,  who is now, officially, the "greatest living baseball player" -- much better late than never.

2. Ted Williams - He is also simply known as "Teddy Ballgame".   He is widely know as the pure hitter of all time.  He served in two different wars during his career which also only heightens the lure of one of baseballs greatest players.  In May of 1942 , Ted signed up for duty.  He went to the naval recruiting station on Causeway Street in Boston where he met with Lieutenant Donahue. Lt. Donahue swore him in and signed Ted up for naval aviation. He didn’t have to report until the end of the 42’ season.  He returned to baseball in 1946 and promptly hit 38 HR, 123 RBI ant batted .342 for the season.  In 1952 he again was serving his country in the Korean War.  He flew 39 missions before returning home of July 1953.

  Ted Williams has some hardware as well, and you knew I was going to let you know what it was.  It is quite a list of accomplishments.  He was the Rookie of the Year in 1939 (according to his website) he is a 17 time All-Star, two time AL_MVP, two time Triple Crown winner and five time Major League Player of the year award winner.  He had a 162 game average of 37 HR, 130 RBI, and a .344 average.  He is the last player to hit .400 as well.  He led the league in On base percentage as well.

  Ted Williams was not close at all with the media.  He was very uncomfortable around them.  He felt they liked to discuss his personal life as much as his baseball performance. Insecure about his upbringing, stubborn because of the immense confidence in his beliefs, Williams made up his mind that the "knights of the keyboard" were against him and treated most of them accordingly, as he describes in his memoir, "My Turn at Bat."  Williams also had an uneasy relationship with his fans as well.  He was great one-on-one with fans.  Williams felt at times a good deal of gratitude, for their passion and their knowledge of the game. On the other hand, Williams was temperamental, high-strung, and at times tactless. He gave generously to those in need, and demanded loyalty to those around him.

Ted Williams will be forever known as Teddy Ballgame and as one of the most iconic Personas in all of sports.  He fought in two wars, never won a World Series, and still managed to have one of the most prolific careers in all of sports.  Ted Williams retired from the game in 1960, and hit a home run in his final at-bat, on September 28, 1960, in front of only 10,454 fans at Fenway Park.


1. George Herman "Babe" Ruth - The Babe is the first name in baseball.  He is the name that all have heard.  He became a Major Leaguer at the tender age of 19. He pitched and played outfield for the Red Sox for the next six years. Ruth made an immediate impact both on and off the field. Stories of his off-the-field eating and drinking escapades have become as legendary as his baseball accomplishments.  He will always be remembered as one of the greatest hitters of all time, but he was an equally adept pitcher. In his first World Series game for Boston in 1916, Babe set a record that still stands today. Ruth took the mound in Game 4 against the National League Champion Brooklyn Robins. He got off to a rocky start in the first inning by giving up a quick run, but settled down to pitch 13 scoreless innings for the 2-1 win. The 14-inning gem stands as the longest complete game in World Series history.

During his 22-year professional career, Babe cemented his name as the most prolific home run hitter of his time. In 1927, he hit 60 home runs during a 154-game stretch. This record stood until 1961, when Roger Maris hit 61 homers in an expanded 162-game schedule. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick decided Maris' record would enter the record books with an asterisk denoting the difference in the schedule. He may no longer be the career home run king, but his record .690 lifetime slugging percentage may never be topped. Writers attempted to capture the essence of his greatness by giving him nicknames like "The Great Bambino" and "The Sultan of Swat."


There is also the famous called shot.  Perhaps the most famous moment in baseball history, and certainly of Babe's career, came during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. In 5th inning, after he had already hit one homer, Babe came up to bat. He ran the count to two balls and two strikes. Before Cubs pitcher Charlie Root hurled the next pitch, amid the heckling of Cubs fans, Babe pointed to the center field bleachers. Then he slammed what is believed to be the longest home run ever hit out of Wrigley Field, directly above the spot where he had pointed. This story has been as debated as often as it has been celebrated. Did he really call his shot, or was he simply pointing at the pitcher? The world may never know. However, to many fans this moment symbolizes the golden age of baseball. The Yankees went on to win the 1932 World Series, their third sweep in four years.

The Babe was also a quite the elder statesman of the game and was almost always pictured with bunches of kids all around him.  He also promoted the game overseas as well.  Which at the time was a lot harder than it is today.  Babe spent his post-baseball years giving talks on the radio, orphanages and hospitals. He also served as a spokesperson for United States War Bonds during World War II. He was acknowledged for his legendary status as a player when he was among the first five inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, along with Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Honus Wagner.

While it was nearly impossible to compare these players through all the different eras than can be arguments made all around as to who should be on this list.  Mickey Mantle and Roberto Clemente should have maybe been on the list as well as Tris Speaker and many others.  The were so many factors that made the comparison almost impractical.  It is always imperative to remeber that some of the players didn't play intergrated baseball and todays players have strength and conditioning programs as well.  Anyway here you have it, my list of the top tep players in baseball of all time.

  There has always been debate on who the top 10 baseball players of all time are.  I have seen many lists of this subject as well.  I have been a fan of the history of baseball my whole life.  I have read some great lists with arguments made for each player being in the top ten and to me it is imperative to include a little more than stats, as we all know that stats do not tell the whole story but sets the mark that we look to compare greatness of players. 

   I have a few that are automatic top five no matter what, I want your input on who should be considered.   Vote below, if not just leave a comment, the list will be out soon.  Also maybe there is a player you have always that has been grossly underrated let me know.  Maybe Roberto Clemente should be considred as well.

Top 10

who of these players deserves to be in the Top 10 of all time? Pete Rose Honus Wagner Mickey Mantle Sandy Koufax Stan Musial Pee Wee Reese Cal Ripken jr Carl Yastremski Hank Greenberg view results

I was going back through some articles I have written about the Detroit Tigers recently and I was pretty happy with what I wrote about.  The story "Timing is something" I wrote about Jim Leyland being the right coach at the right time.  Check it out, I even called Pena getting the axe!  It was written on 3/12/06. 

The second story was written back in February.  It was about Justin Verlander taking the 5th spot in the rotation.  Not only did he get that spot but he has shown no signs of giving it up either.  He recentley beat Johan Santana in a pitchers duel at Comerica Park in which he got the win.  He proved to be up to the challenge, matching Santana inning for inning, and giving up no earned runs on six hits through eight frames.   Now, if I could only predict an NFL game, or get 50% or better on parlay sheets I would be in  business..............and in Vegas.