Soccer, Sports and Politics - Part Deux

Well, it's baseball going woke.

I've been against Rose's induction forever, but if the powers that be were going to relent, then this was the easy compromise. Put him in after he's died so he can't enjoy it. And I do expect him to get in on first ballot with the veteran's committee.

Well, I'm a Pirates fan, so seeing everyone's enjoyment at my misery back in the 90s makes me hate everyone here! And I have no love of Bonds, for leaving and becoming great and for using the steroids, but the baseball armor slight always baffles me. It was perfectly legal and I spent a lot of time wondering why more batters didn't adopt same.

Nah. Clemens is an easy call pre-steroids.

He started using, we think, in his second year in Toronto. By which time he'd already won four Cy Youngs and one MVP. That's easily enough to get in.

Of course not. Hitting .300 is amazing, especially these days. But Gwynn's .338 and Carew's .328 lifetime averages aren't going to get them into the pantheon. They were great hitters, and actually a ton of fun to watch, but when they are your teams' best hitters, you'll notice that not a lot silverware has followed them.

And since we're talking baseball...

Trivia Question: Which player has broken up the most no-hit shutouts? Stats are a bit hard to come by for this sort of thing, so you'll have to show your work.

 

No.

Bonds played seven seasons for the Pirates. His first four years he averaged .260ish with 20 HRs and 55 RBIs. Obviously he got better with age/experience in his next three years, winning two MVPs and finishing second, leading the majors in WAR all three seasons.

But that's not getting him into the Hall.

 

Bonds played on better teams, so of course more runs were scored (and I'm talking Pirates). Gwynn played for a woeful San Diego, and Carew played for the Twins when they sucked, and the Angles when they sucked. But both Gwynn and Carew, to me, were better batters.

 

So, Pirlo is not that good because he didn't score many goals? But Andy Cole is much better because he scored more goals?

 

I don't think he had long enough of a career before he BALCOed to warrant him being in the Hall.

 

Oh, I really thought he was better with the Pirates, as in a .300 hitter. I guess I should have looked that up before posting.

 

How could a team not be exciting with the Wizard at shortstop.

 

Well, he was. For three years. Just not HoF worthy in his time in Pittsburgh alone.

 

Saw this graffiti in the bathroom of one of my favorite neighborhood bars....

Person 1: "The chick in the corner booth is hot!"
Persons 2: "Temporally specific graffiti like this is not very helpful."