I Have A New Favorite Baseball Player!

I can't hold it back any longer. I have a new favorite baseball player and his name is..........Johnny Damon.

After last season was over and the free agency period began, it seemed as though the Tigers were going to take a step back and throw in the towel on the season before it even began after trading away Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson and letting Placido Polanco go. It seemed as if they were in a payroll cutting mode.Then, just when I thought this was going to be a lost season, the competitive juices of Mike Illitch started flowing and he gave permission to sign a top notch closer in Jose Valverde along with an aging outfield veteran named Johnny Damon. Damon had been talking the Tigers up even when he was trying to negotiate a deal with the Yankees. At the time, I figured that he was just trying to leverage a position to get a better contract with the Yankees. And, maybe that was what he was trying to do, at least that is what sports writers were saying.

But the more I listened to him talk, the more I got the feeling that he did actually want to come to Detroit to play baseball. He seemed to know a lot about the city and the sports teams that play in Detroit, in particular, the Red Wings. Once again, people were saying that he was just saying the right things to get a contract or saying nice things because he wanted to leverage an offer from Detroit against other teams that he would rather play for.

Damon has always had kind of an odd reputation in baseball. After all, in Boston he nicknamed himself and some of the players as "The Idiots". So I was not sure what to expect with this signing other then they got a guy that could hit for a solid average but did not have a great reputation on defense. And, once again, that he was kind of kooky.

But as the season has progressed, I saw how when a young player like rookie Austin Jackson would make a mistake, he would be the first one to go up to that player to explain what just happened and why. And when he himself made a mistake, you could see him explaining what happened and why so that others wouldn't do the same. All while still professing his love for the city of Detroit, the Tigers and its fans. Still, the writers were saying "he's just a one year rental, he will be with another team next year, he's just doing this for next years contract."

As the yearly trading deadline approached, there were rumors flying around that the Tigers were going to trade him for a young prospect since the Tigers seemed to be out of playoff contention. When asked about the trade rumors, Damon said things like "I understand what the Tigers might have to do, but I still want to be here and if they do trade me, I would like sign with them again next year.....I love this team, my teammates, the city and the fans." Still, the writers were saying: "he's just saying the right things to not rock the boat, he would much rather be playing for a playoff spot."

Just this last week, the Tigers placed Damon on "Trade Waivers" which is something that every team does with almost every player on their roster. This time of year, the only way a player can be traded is to be placed on an option waiver system. If the player is claimed, then the Tigers can negotiate a trade with the team that claimed him. If they cannot negotiate a trade, then they can pull the player back off of the waiver wire. If no team claims the player, then the team can trade him to whatever team they want. When the Tigers signed Damon, they gave him a limited no-trade clause. There were 8 teams that he had to give the names of at the time of signing the contract that he could be traded to. It is unknown which 8 teams those are, but we now know that the Boston Red Sox were not one of those teams. Boston put in a waiver claim on Damon which meant that the Tigers either had to negotiate a trade with Boston or pull him back off of waivers. But Damon had veto power over the trade since Boston was one of the teams he did not want to be traded to.

Damon had 2 days to think about what he wanted to do. Instantly, he again talked about his love for the city of Detroit, the Tigers, the players and the fans and talked about how he did not want to leave. He again talked about how if he did accept the trade, that he wanted to re-sign with Detroit in the off season. Damon talked about how he understood what was going on and how Detroit might be able to get a good prospect to help out in the future.....but he really wasn't sure he wanted to go back to Boston. He talked to teammates and the front office. He was told by the players that they wanted him to stay. He was told by the front office that he should "do whatever his heart tells you to do". Damon chose to stay in Detroit and reject the trade. Again, Damon said "I love Detroit, my wife loves Detroit, I love the players, the front office and I love the fans." Again, the sports writers are saying; "If it were the Yankees that claimed him, he would be gone....or if it were the Rays that claimed him, he would be gone." They are also saying "He is just positioning himself for a contract next year."

Here is a crazy thought..................MAYBE HE LOVES DETROIT!!!!!

Maybe I am naive. Maybe I am just being a homer. But I believe him! I think he loves being a part of the Tigers organization. Maybe this is something new for the city of Detroit. A city that has been practically destroyed by the downfall of the economy. An area that is depressed beyond belief. Maybe it is hard to believe that someone could want to be a part of that. But maybe he sees hope. Maybe his heart is in a place where he wants to provide some relief to people in the form of entertainment on the baseball field. Maybe he appreciates the respect the front office shows him. Maybe he appreciates the owner that signed him to a contract when others would not. Maybe he likes wearing the "old English D". Is that really so hard to believe??

Well, he has made a believer out of me, and I hope he finishes the year out strong. I hope Detroit signs him in the off season. And if they don't, I will be cheering for him regardless of whatever team he is playing for. Maybe I will not cheer for that team, but I certainly will be cheering for Johnny Damon! In an era when people are grasping for loyalty and honesty, maybe we are actually seeing the real deal in Detroit right now and it is just hard to believe our eyes. I believe what I am seeing right now, and because of it, I have a new favorite player. Thank you Johnny Damon for wanting to be a Detroit Tiger.

Batting Practice at Comerica Park

As a kid growing up, my childhood dream was to play 2nd base for the Detroit Tigers. That dream never became a reality for me. I played summer league at Thomas Stadium in Niles, played on the J.V. team in High School and was the last one cut off of the Varsity team when I tried out as a Junior. Which was when the reality of my situation hit me. I just was not a good enough player! The glove was there, but the bat was not close to being good enough. Looking at my future, I had a choice to make my Senior year. Put more effort into a baseball future that really was not there or go to work as a co-op student so that I could try to pay for college since my parents were not in a financial situation to help. Nobody in my family had ever graduated from college and few had even attempted to go to college. So, I chose the latter of the two choices and even worked full-time between 2 jobs while going to college full time all while trying to build a solid relationship with the woman who would eventually become my wife. It was hard and I don't regret it one bit! I have been blessed with a great wife and a career in Real Estate that I genuinely enjoy and have met some great people along the way.

But, when the opportunity came up for me to step out onto a major league baseball field, I jumped at it. On Friday, July 30th, I had the awesome experience of taking batting practice at Comerica Park in Detroit. Home of my Detroit Tigers. It was a blast!! From taking warm up swings in the batting cages behind the visitors dugout to shagging fly balls and eventually stepping up to bat against former Detroit Tiger and 1984 World Champion, Dave Rozema, which was who was throwing BP.

There were over 60 people taking BP with me. Out of those 60+ people, only 1 was able to pop one over the fence. No, it was not me! But I was in Left Field when it was hit right over my head as I was heading back to the fence so I got a nice view of it sailing over the fence, over the gap between the stands and the field and then into the seats about 3 rows up.

I practiced leading up to Friday. Taking BP in the cages at Hackers up in Niles and worked my way up to the fast pitch machine. But I was not sure what to expect or how I would feel when stepping up to bat against a former Major League Pitcher in a profession ball park. I took the whole thing seriously. I had my Detroit Tiger batting practice jersey on, baseball pants, cleats, batting gloves and even the knee high blue socks. I made sure that I had an old school look about me with the socks and the way that I had the bottoms of my pants up high to show off those blue socks (not a big fan of the way the players wear the bottoms now a days).

When I stepped up to the plate, Rozema spoke out to me and said "At first glance, you sure have the look of a ball player! You have the uniform and the batting gloves, but I don't see a belt! Real ballplayers finish out their look!" It was funny, and said as a joke, but I did get his point. I laughed and had a hard time during that first pitch. He got in my head! Luckily, I re-grouped, focused and was able to get some good swings in. The best of those swings might have been a double in the gap in left center. The rest would have been line outs, ground outs or singles.

A couple of things became VERY clear from my experience.

Hitting a Home Run is a very hard thing to do! You truly have to hit the ball perfectly and with a lot of bad speed in order to hit that baseball 345 ft down the left field line or worse the 420 feet in left center. I really do not see how there could be such a thing as a cheap home run after having the experience of being out on that field.

The people that play baseball for living work really, really hard at what they do! To be in playing shape and to be able to hit a little white ball that is coming at you 95 mph takes skill and dedication. There is no way these players can just show up and play.

And, if you have an opportunity to take BP at a Major League Ball Park.....TAKE IT! It was worth what I paid and it is an opportunity to do something that you would not be able to do otherwise!

The Perfect Game That Wasn't

Dear Mr. Selig

It has been said, that if you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will instantly jump out. But if you put a frog into a pot of water and gradually turn up the heat until it boils, the frog will stay in the pot of water until it dies.

Umm, excuse me, Mr. Selig. The pot of water you are standing in appears to be boiling.

Last year during the playoffs, Mr. Selig, you were gifted with several reasons why we need instant replay in Major League Baseball. For failing to act on that opportunity, now you have a public relations nightmare on your hands after Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost his perfect game last night on a bad call by 1st base umpire Jim Joyce.

I understand that you are a purist, Mr. Selig, and do not like the thought of instant replay. "It takes away from the charm of baseball" many say. Well, what is charming about a very negative story about your sport? All because you did not take action after last years playoffs when most of the fans were screaming for instant replay. Why not give the fans what they want? Why not improve your sport?

Today, the fans and the media are not talking about the incredible career of future Hall Of Fame Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. who decided to retire yesterday after 22 seasons and 630 Home Runs.

We are not talking about the incredible catch that Austin Jackson made to start of the 9th inning to save the perfect game.

We are not talking about how Galarraga only needed 88 pitches to get his perfect game, which would have been the least amount of pitches thrown in a perfect game.

We are not talking about how for the first time in MLB history that there were 2 perfect games thrown in less then a week from each other.

We are not talking about how for the first time in MLB history that there were 3 perfect games thrown in the same season and all with in a 1 month time period.

We are not talking about how, by using technology, that MLB was able to get this call right.

And, because a story like this brings out the worst in fans and the media:

We are not talking about the incredible amount of Grace that was shown by Galarraga towards Jim Joyce after the game.

We are not talking about how this call has devastated Jim Joyce, a man that has been considered one of the best umpires in MLB. A person who takes his job very seriously and immediately was apologetic to Galarraga to the point of tears after he realized his error.

We are not talking about how Jim Joyce stood up and accepted responsibility. Something few of us actually do when we make a mistake.

We are not talking about how when the call was made, Galarraga just stood there and smiled as if to say "really, you're just joking right?" and then he did not blow up when he realized it was no joke. He just concentrated on getting the next guy out.

Mr. Selig, you need to fix this problem! It is too late to fix The Perfect Game That Wasn't. What is done, is done and I don't see how you can over turn this play. However, this game will always have an asterisk by it. As will the careers of Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce. And that is directly from your inability to act on instant replay. Give the fans, players and umpires what they want. Give them instant replay.

Jim Joyce said this after the game: "Every Tiger there was telling me that I had kicked the call because they had seen the replay, so the first thing I did when I got in this locker room I told Tim the clubhouse guy to Que it up and..and...I missed it, I missed it."

Mr. Selig, you are setting your umpires up to fail by not equipping them with the tools they need.

Sincerely,

Barry Skalski

Who Is Hall Of Fame Worthy?

I just read a post on Facebook a little while ago about how at any one time there are 15-20 active MLB players that will make it to the Hall Of Fame. So, I thought it would be interesting to look at the current list of MLB Active (which means they have not retired) players to see if I could find 15-20.

First, I thought I should look at who I feel are the "no-brainers" that if their career ended today, would be in the HOF. I have that list at 7 players. These are the first ballot guys.

Derek Jeter- #44 in Hits @ 2812, #44 in Runs @ 1606, #89 in Doubles @ 449. Not to mention all of his awards, his clutch hits in the post season and he plays Short Stop which does not typically produce big time stats.

Ken Griffey Jr.- #46 in Hits @ 2781, #5 in HR's @ 630, #36 in Doubles @ 524, #14 in RBI @1836 and #31 in Runs @ 1662. He numbers also indicate the strong possibility that he never used any performance enhancing drugs as he showed a natural decline in statistics and never had the outrageous statistical seasons that some others have had, not to mention all of the injuries he had over his career.

Ivan Rodriguez- All time hits leader for a catcher and #46 overall @ 2751 and #23 in Doubles @ 556. Next to Johnny Bench, possibly the best catcher to ever have played. Brilliant defensively for most of his career, the last couple of years have been a little shaky. The only knock on him, that I can think of, is that he has been linked to PED's which was evident in his drop in weight and muscle 1 yr after being named in a Canseco book.

Alex Rodriguez- #80 in Hits @ 2583, #7 in HR's @ 589, #20 in RBI @1741, #25 in Runs @ 1712, #84 in Doubles @ 456. The big question here is how long did he use PED's? Their is no doubt that his stats are hall worthy. Another question might be "what statistic will he not be the leader of?" when he is completely finished.

Manny Ramirez- #87 in Hits @ 2522, #14 in HR's @ 549, #18 in RBI @ 1812, #59 in Runs @ 1520 and #30 in Doubles @ 537. Just a pure hitter. Not great in the field, but who cares with that kind of bat. Once again though, another player linked to PED's.

Gary Sheffield- #62 in Hits @ 2689, #24 in HR's @ 509, #25 in RBI @ 1676, #36 in Runs @ 1636 and #74 in Doubles @ 467. Another pure hitter that has a hard time on defense. And another player linked to PED's. Hard telling if it was the wrist injury in Detroit that really started his decline or the lack of PED's or both. But one thing for sure, he has some serious stats.

Mariano Rivera-#2 in career Saves @ 536 and a career ERA of 2.25. I don't there has ever been a player so dominant with just one pitch! When you look at his post-season career, it just gets even more ridiculous.

Here are a few more that are "not so slam dunks" but I think will definitely get in. In other words, they might or might not be 1st ballot guys. My guess is that they probably will not be and it will take them 2-4 ballots to get in.

Pedro Martinez- #13 in Strikeouts @ 3154, #76 in Wins @ 219, and a career ERA of 2.93. I had a hard time figuring out where to put him because I would like to see the Win total higher. No doubt though, a dominant pitcher. I do think he will get in, it just might take a couple of ballots.

John Smoltz- #88 in Wins @ 213, #16 in Strikeouts @ 3084, a career ERA of 3.33 and 154 Saves during his time as a closer. Dominant in the post season, perhaps the best starter in post season history. Injury problems lessened his stats a little bit. Personally, I think he is a first ballot type of player, but the voters seem to be weird with players that split time at different positions like he did.

Trevor Hoffman- #1 in Saves @596 and a career ERA of 2.85. This one might be a stretch to put him this high, only because closers do not do well in HOF voting. Lee Smith isn't even in the HOF yet, but his ERA is up over 3.00 which really hurts him.

Chipper Jones- #39 in HR's @ 428, #54 in RBI @1464, #74 in Runs @ 1477, #69 in Doubles @ 482 and 2440 hits. I would like his Hits number to be higher, but the power and production numbers should get him in.

That brings my total to 11 players. Here are the rest that need more stats to get in, in my opinion:

Albert Pujols- In only his 10th season, he is already #62 on the career HR list @ 378. His other numbers are 1775 Hits, 400 Doubles, 1150 RBI and 1102 Runs. He just needs to add stats, but there is no doubt that he should get them.

Miguel Cabrera- It is only his 8th season, so this might be an early call. He has 663 Runs, 1284 Hits, 801 RBI and a career .313 AVG. But he is only 27 years old and has a lot of playing left. Providing that he does not have injury problems, he should get his numbers.

Ichiro Suzuki- Another player that is in his 10th season. An exceptional defensive player that nobody tries to stretch extra bases on. He has 2099 Hits and has never had less then 206 Hits in a season. He also has 996 Runs. The knack on him is a lack of power. Only 85 HR's and 525 RBI. And at 36, how much longer can he do this? My guess is that he can play another 4 years which will get him close to 3,000 hits. Close enough for the HOF.

Johnny Damon- A couple of years ago, I would not have thought he was a possibility. But, after a couple of World Series rings and no drop off in production, why not? He is #94 in Hits @2474, #60 in Runs @ 1518, #76 in Doubles @ 465 and he has 1014 RBI. A couple of more seasons after this one and he should be at 3,000 hits which is the magic # I think he needs to get to, and I think he will.

That gets me to 15 players. Here is the remainder of who I was looking at. There no doubt will be a few that will certainly get talked about. A few of these may or may not get in.

Vladimir Guerrero- #42 in HR's @ 419 and #77 in RBI @1362. 2313 Hits, 1214 Runs and a career .322 avg. He is 35 though and has tailed off the last couple of years.

Jim Thome- #11 in HR's @569, #38 in RBI @1582, #69 in Runs @1496 and 2158 Hits. If he gets in, it will be because of the HR's for sure. But he was a defensive liability and DH'd a lot which will count against him. But, just when you think this guy is done, he comes back with another good year. He will be 40 this year, so I think it is safe to say he is close to the end.

Carlos Delgado- #30 in HR's @ 473 and #49 in RBI @1512. Just barely crossed 2,000 hits @ 2038 and has1241 Runs. But, he is without a team this year which might signal the end for him. He did not DH as much as I thought he did at only 184 games, but I think he might suffer the same as Fred McGriff, a sudden end to what was a very good career...... but just a little short of the HOF. Though I do think that McGriff should be in.

Jason Kendall- I bet that one shocked you more then just a little bit. Shocked me too until I started to look more closely to his numbers. His 2,132 Hits rank him high on the all time Hits list for catchers and he should be at #4 for Catchers by the end of the year. He also has 1002 Runs, 717 RBI and 181 steals while also being a very very good defensive catcher and a career .290 hitter. Not saying he is getting in, but his numbers are surprisingly good and he is very consistent. There are only 15 catchers in the HOF.

Omar Vizquel- #57 in Hits @2715, #92 in Runs @ 1382 and 910 RBI. He seems to be a "hanger on" at 43 years old and still playing, but he has accumulated some impressive numbers and is great defensively. Still, if he gets in, the Larkin and Trammell had better have gotten in as well.......just sayin.

Garrett Anderson- Yeah, I know, but look at his numbers. #90 in Hits @ 2513, #78 in RBI @ 1360, #39 in Doubles @ 518 and he scored 1.080 Runs. Those are not bad numbers. But I do think he will fall short.

Todd Helton- This was one of those players that I really dismissed early on, but his name kept coming up in my research so I put him on the list. Hits-2,173, RBI-1,211, Runs-1,239, HR's-326 and a .326 career AVG. But, he will be 37 later this year and he really needs 3,000 hits, I think.

Magglio Ordonez- It looked like he was done with a serious knee injury in 04-05, then again last year. This year, it looks like he is back again. If that is the case, he may have 2-3 more seasons at age 36, which means he still has a shot to make it. Hits-2031, HR's-284, Doubles- 408, Runs- 1,021 and RBI-1,179.

Andy Pettitte- #61 in wins @ 235, #53 in Strikeouts @ 2186 and a career ERA or 3.88. A great post season pitcher. I see him in as being similar to Jack Morris only left handed. Ok, maybe not as good as Morris, but close. I guess what I am saying is, if Morris gets in then it is a good sign for Pettitte. If Pettitte gets in and Morris doesn't, then I will give some consideration to blowing up the HOF...........just kidding, but seriously, Morris should get in before Pettitte.

Jamie Moyer- I can't believe I typed his name, but he will get some votes. At 47 he is still pitching. He is #39 in Strikeouts @ 2,374 and #40 in Wins @ 263. But, his 4.22 ERA will keep him out. Plus, come on, it's Jamie Frickin Moyer.

There are several other pitchers like, Roy Halladay and such, but Pitchers are so here today gone tomorrow because of arm problems that it is hard to put them in consideration until they get the numbers compiled.

So, that is what I could come up with. There may be some names I left off that you feel should be on here......see Jorge Posada, but he doesn't even have 1,000 RBI or Runs or even close to 2,000 hits. But let me know what actives you think will make it or if I left one off that you think should be on it.

My Tim Tebow Rant

Whether you are a sports fan or get into politics, one major theme that resounds over and over is a lack or role models for kids. So why do so many people dislike Tim Tebow, the QB from Florida, so much? Scratch that, why do so many Christians dislike Tim Tebow so much?

That's right Christian's, I am speaking right to you on this post.

He doesn't get into trouble. He gets good grades. He is a great college football player. And, he seems to be a very devoted Christian. The eye black that he wears during games has bible verses engraved into it. He is unquestionably a great leader. He claims to be abstaining from sex until he is married. He even goes on mission trips during his spring and winter breaks during school.

What is not to like about this guy? I REALLY want to know!

For the record, I am not a big college football fan. When I do cheer for a team it is for Michigan or whom ever is playing Notre Dame. So, I am not a Florida fan. If Michigan were playing Florida, I would be cheering for Michigan and hoping that Tebow would have an off day. But I would never wish him to be hurt.

Several weeks ago, Tebow got his bell rung pretty good during a game. I was disappointed by the number of people on Facebook etc.., that are Christians that stated how happy they were that this guy got hurt. I don't get that! They posted videos of it and made some pretty bad remarks. Hope that he under performs against your team, or that someone from your team picks him off and runs it back for a TD, but don't cheer for him to get hurt. That is just wrong.

Most of these people are fathers of young children. Wouldn't you want your kid to be like Tebow when they get older? Or would you rather have your kid grow up to be like one of the countless other players that score a TD and point to the sky only to get arrested later that night for smacking their babies mama or for taking an illegal handgun into a bar?

This guy seems to be walking the walk, and as Christians we should be standing by this guy and cheering him on and supporting him. Not condemning him for doing the things that we should all be doing.

And maybe that is what the problem is, too many of us are not doing the things we should be doing, while he is and that makes us jealous. If so, I think that is the wrong attitude to take. We should be inspired to be better, not take someone down that seems to be better. The rough part, I think, will be if he does slip up and falter some time down the road---something we all do. Many of these same people will be there saying "see, I told you so! What a fraud!".

I guess my question is "who is the real fraud?"

And now Tebow is taking flack for doing an anti-abortion commercial that is scheduled to air during the Super Bowl.

If you don't like it, then turn the channel! Let him and his mother speak. Stay strong Mr. Tebow, not everyone is against you.

America's Past Time

With the admittance of yet another steroid/human growth hormone user today in Major League Baseball, it got me to thinking about the History of America's Past Time and how it is looked at or maybe how it should be looked at.

Today Bud Selig released a statement saying that the "Steroid Era" of baseball is pretty much closed. I agree. The "Steroid Era" has been closed for about 7 or 8 years. Now we are in the "HGH Era" as steroids are an outdated way of getting a head of the game. And, as soon as there is a HGH test that is reliable, baseball players will move onto something else that is undetectable.

My point I guess, is that baseball always seems to have something like this going on. Look back at history. Maybe it is not always cheating, although that is the main constant through the years. It's interesting, that putting vaseline on a pitched ball or scuffing a ball or stealing signs all seem to be acceptable when put in the light of doing performance enhancing drugs. What's it matter. It's all cheating. But it seems that if it comes down to drugs or gambling, those are the 2 big taboo's for baseball that seem to be unforgivable. There are actually players in the Hall that have killed someone else.

How about telling a whole race of people that they cannot participate in the game. To me, that's worse. But during those years, when baseball refused to allow black players to play with the white players, are the records and statistics that baseball "purists" seem to worship the most. Seems to me, if you do not allow all of the best players to play the game, then those stats are no more valid then todays meaningless stats when everyone is built like superman.

And how did baseball make up for not allowing people of color play with the white players? They give them their own wing of the Hall Of Fame.......away from all of the rest of the players. Still seperated. Ironic, isn't it.

Hall Of Fame Rant

Every year, my best friend Dave and I talk about Major League Baseball's Hall Of Fame. Every year, we come up with players who should be in, but are not. So, this year I decided I would put my part of our rant into print for you all to enjoy.

In case you did not know, players can be inducted or voted into the Hall Of Fame after they have been out of baseball as a player for 5 years and then receive 75% of the vote. How does the vote work? You might ask. Well, a bunch of writers gather and cast their ballots. Mind you, most of these writers have never played a day of professional.....anything, not for a day in their lives. Sometimes they vote because they like the person, sometimes they do not vote because they dislike a person. It is really a poor process that, the best that I can determine, exists to make people that should not be a part of the game to be a part of the game. So lets throw my, just as meaningless, opinion in on that mess of a process as well.

Anyway, here is my short list of players who once again were short changed by these writers and why they should be in the HOF.

I will start with Jack Morris and by trying to prove his worthiness, it will prove Bert Blyleven's worthiness as well killing 2 birds with one stone..... so to speak.

Out of all of the players to have ever played, which is tens of thousands, Jack Morris is #43 in career wins at 254 over 18 seasons. Of the 42 players ahead of him, all but 13 are in the hall of fame. Of those 13, 6 of them are not eligible to be voted in yet because they have recently retired. Of the remaining 7, 4 of them pitched in the 1800's. The other 3 are Jim Kaat who is ranked #31 on the wins list at 283 and took 25 years to get there, Tommy John who took 26 years to get to #26 with 288 wins and is more famous for the surgery named after him and Bert Blyleven at #27 with 287 wins. The knock on both Morris and Blyleven, seem to be that they both gave up a lot of home runs, which is true. But so did Nolan Ryan and he is in the hall. Morris also would have a higher ERA then the others at 3.90, but so what! Morris was THE dominate pitcher of the 1980's and into the early 90's. He won a World Series with the Tigers, Twins and Blue Jays. Who can forget that 10 inning game he pitched for the Twins in 91? To this day, one of the best pitched games in World Series history. He also threw a no-hitter in 84 for the Tigers. Blyleven won World Series rings in 79 with the Pirates and again in 1987 for the Twins. The next 4 players below Morris in career wins are all in the Hall of Fame, one of which is Bob Gibson. Blyleven, had 15 1-0 wins, more then any pitcher in the last 50 years and had a career total of 60 shutouts which is more then the ENTIRE American League has had combined over the last 18 years! If you are not convinced that these 2 belong in, then I do not know what can convince you!

Next on the List is Roberto Alomar. Alomar missed out on getting elected today by only 5 votes! I can't help but to think that the reason he did not get those 5 extra votes was because of the "Spitting Incident." If the umpire that he spat on can not only forgive him, but become friends with him, then I think the writers need to look past it as well. Alomar was a 12 time All-Star, 10 time Gold Glove Award winner that had a career .300 batting average. Over his 17 year career, he compiled 2,724 Hits and was an incredible fielder. He also won back to back World Series rings with the Blue Jays in 92 & 93. This guy should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer!

The last 2 on my list I will also knock out together. Why? Because they are basically the same player. It has been said that Barry Larkin was the Derek Jeter before Derek Jeter. If that is true, and I feel that it is, then Alan Trammell was the Barry Larkin before Barry Larkin! There are 21 Shortstops currently in the Hall of Fame and nobody disputes that Ozzie Smith should be in the Hall. If you throw Trammell and Larkin into the mix, Smith would rank #9 in Hits (2,460), Trammell #10 (2,365) and Larkin #11 (2,340). In RBI, Trammell #10 (1,003), Larkin #11 (960) and Smith #17 (793). Runs scored Larkin #8 (1,329), Smith #11 (1,257) and Trammell #14 (1,231). Stolen Bases Smith #3 (580), Larkin #6 (379) and Trammell #11 (236). You might be saying, "Those are all offensive numbers, what about defense?". I am glad you asked! Ozzie Smith has a career fielding percentage of .978, Trammell's was .977 and Larkin's was .975. What about fielding range you might ask? Smith does have an edge, but when you look further, the gap narrows. Trammell played 7 of his seasons with less then 400 at bats due to various injuries. Larkin played 8 seasons with less then 400 at bats due to injury. Smith only had 3 and they were the last 3 seasons that he played. The final #'s were that Smith had 12,905 chances with 281 errors, Trammell 9,948 chances with 235 errors and Larkin had 9,251 chances with 235 errors. Smith definately has an edge, but injury shortened seasons lessened the numbers of Trammell and Larkin by probably about 500-700 chances each. Trammell only moved to 3rd Base at the end of his career in an attempt to keep him healthy, not because of the limited range that other Shortstops displayed late in their career (see Cal Ripken). Larkin won a MVP (95), Trammell should have (87). Larkin won 3 Gold Gloves, mostly because Ozzie Smith was winning them. Trammell won 4 Gold Gloves, mostly because Cal Ripken was winning them. Darrell Evans, former Tiger First Baseman, used to say "Every throw that Trammell made was perfect to catch!" And yesterday Peter Gammons wrote after voting for Trammell "There are times when you have to have seen a player, and Trammell was one of them."

Something Strange Happened Sunday

I have been a life long Detroit Lions fan and thought that I had seen it all, but Sunday, something very strange happened. Now, you might be saying to yourself..."yeah, the Lions won" and you would be right. That is strange. But HOW they won is what I am talking about.

For years and years, the Detroit Lions have been on the bad end of things. Bad calls always go against them. "Freak" plays always happen too them. Miracle comebacks, are always with the other team making them. Gritty performances are always with the other team and never someone that is on the Lions. That is just how it has been, and for better or for worse, it was expected after so many years.

So, when the Lions were down 24-7 after the first quarter to an equally bad team Sunday in the Cleveland Browns, I thought "Just another classic Lions disappointment."

But then something strange happened. The Lions started to come back. When I heard they were coming back, I thought, "they'll still fall short, after all they are the Lions."

Due to black out restrictions, hardly anyone saw the game. There were lots of empty seats, so the game was not televised locally. I had to get updates from ESPN while I was in my car working, or from CBS Sportsline while in front of the computer screen.

It was 37 -31 with Cleveland in the lead with just a few seconds left. Detroit was about 40 yards away from a TD, so in a last second desperation throw, Matthew Stafford scrambled around the pocket to avoid a pass rush and then unleashed a long pass to the end zone. Cleveland was flagged for a pass interference call as the pass went incomplete. Detroit's ball at the 1 yard line with one play left.

That in itself was amazing for Detroit Lions fans. To be on the right side of a game changing penalty for a change. But the truly amazing part was going on behind the scenes.

On that pass play, Matthew Stafford was hit as he threw the ball and was slammed on his left shoulder, later is was discovered that it was dislocated on that play. Cleveland had called a timeout to try to regroup, which gave Stafford enough time to avoid all of the team physicians and force his way back onto the field to finish what he started. He then, with a dislocated left shoulder, took the snap and threw the game winning TD.

Are you kidding me?!!

This is the type of things that legends are made of! And, it happened, in a good way, for my Detroit Lions! Now, I am not saying that Stafford and the Lions are on their way to the playoffs this year....or even next year. But, I think a few years from now, people could look back on this moment and say "this is where it all changed for the Lions"

By the way, Matthew Stafford was wired for NFL Films during the game. Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films, listened to the tapes recorded from Stafford and called it "The most dramatic player wiring ever!"

Finally, Lions fans might have something to be excited about other then Barry Sanders highlights.

It is about time

On Monday, September 28, the Detroit Tigers are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1984 World Championship team. A team that was considered one of, if not the best, Tiger teams of all time.

There will be many of the "Bless You Boys" in attendance as well. Alan Trammell (my favorite player), Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris, Willie Hernandez, Darrell Evans, Lance Parrish, Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox among others.

They are all going there for one thing. No, not to celebrate old memories. Not to celbrate the 84 team and what was accomplished. Not to get one more moment in the lime light either.

They are going there for one reason and one reason only, to see Sparky Anderson one last time. You see, Sparky doesn't get around much anymore, and this may be the last time they get to see him. And it may be the last time Sparky makes it back to Detroit, which brings me to my point.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers honor the man that managed my beloved Tigers for 17 years.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers show respect to the man that managed 1331 wins which is more than any other manager in Detroit Tiger History.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers showed their gratitude towards the man who captained the ship of the last Tigers team to win a World Series.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers made ammends to the man that Tigers fans love so dearly.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers made things right with the man that dearly loves the city of Detroit, its Team and its Fans.

It is about time......that the Detroit Tigers did the right thing and retire the #11 jersey that Sparky Anderson once wore.

It is about time!

Now, I don't know if the Tigers will retire his number or not on Monday. But in a season where Mike Illitch has done soooo many great things for the city of Detroit, here is his chance to put a cherry on top.