Joe Mauer and Wife Expecting Twins

When word came that Minnesota Twins superstar Joe Mauer and his Maddie were expecting twins...I'm pretty sure fans from Rochester to Fergus Falls completely lost their mind.

Yup, the guy who, when it's all said and done, might supplant Kirby Puckett or Harmon Killebrew as "Mr. Twin" is about to have twins of his own.  And it does make sense though, right?  Mauer was born in St. Paul, grew up a Twins fan and was drafted first overall by his hometown team in 2001.
 
"Obviously, we're both really excited and couldn't be happier," Mauer said on Wednesday.  "Everything so far is good." 

Oh, before you ask, no, the 2009 American League MVP will not be the first Twins player to father Twins.  According to the boys over at Larry Brown Sports, Denny Hocking, who played with the Twins from 1993-2003, and his wife had twins while he was playing for the team.

No word as to whether or not  Mauer and the Mrs. are expecting boys or girls (or one of each), but, well, I'm sure they'll be born with "great lookin' hair".
 

Joe Mauer's Brother to Manage Twins Farm Team

When it came to finding the skipper for their new Class-A affiliate, the Minnesota Twins looked no further than the brother of their superstar Joe Mauer.

On Wednesday, the Cedar Rapids Kernals named the five-time All-Star's older brother their manager.

“I’ve been ‘Joe Mauer’s brother’ a long time,” Jake Mauer told KCRG. “We’re very proud of what he has become, what kind of person he is. I don’t take offense to it.”

Believe it or not, this is actually the seventh season the elder Mauer has been in the Twins system.  The 34-year-old has spent the last four seasons at high-A Fort Myers. His first two years as a manager also were in Fort Myers, but with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Twins.

It's easy to poke fun at the fact that Jake's career in the dugout just happens to coincide with his younger brother's rise to prominence behind the plate, but being known as "Joe's brother" and working in the Twins organization is probably better than beng pigeon holed as "Billy's brother" and selling cars.

“I used to sell cars,” he said. “I’ll jump in there every now and then still when they need help. But mostly I just help manage the sales floor.”

Sure he does.

"The Animal" Throws Out/Eats First Pitch

As a wrestling fan, I'm pretty sure I prayed for this to happen a couple dozen years ago and now that it's happened...I couldn't be more excited.

And thank God America's White Boy discovered this amazing video so I can cross another item off my bucket list.

Apparently, over the weekend, wrestling legend George "The Animal" Steele threw out the first pitch at a Rochester Red Wings game.  No big deal, right?

Well, fans of the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins got exactly what I would've hoped for from the 75-year-old WWE Hall of Famer.

Jim Thome Headed BACK to Cleveland

After a frenzied day of "who got put on waivers" and "who didn't"...one waiver wire pick up stuck.

That's right, if you believe the folks on Twitter (and, really, why wouldn't you?), Jim Thome is leaving the Minnesota Twins and heading BACK to the Cleveland Indians.

There's no word yet as to who is heading north.

In 12 years with the Tribe (from 1991 through 2002), Thome hit a team-record 334. In his final year, the future Hall of Famer hit a single-season team record 52 homers.

On August 15, the 40-year-old slugger became the eighth man in history to hit 600 homers.

Jim Thome Quietly Reaches Milestone

Shhhh.  You hear that?

That's the silence surrounding Jim Thome's 600th home run.

You see, Monday night, Thome did what plenty of others attempting to reach major milestones couldn't. 

He didn't milk his pending accomplishment.

Long story short, he took four months of the season to get within two home runs of 600, then, nearly two weeks later...knocked out homers 599 and 600 in the same game.

Well.  Done.

In all honesty, Thome has been a great guy for this site.  Allow me to explain.

Or for some of you...re-hash the tale.

Nearly two years I wrote the following and a powder keg was ignited.

There you have it...Thome is very good, not great. Hall of Famer? Perhaps…but not on the first couple of ballots.

To this day (and especially after dude's most recent achievement), Google directing people (mostly those who look for information on "Jim Thome and steroids" or "Jim Thome and the Hall of Fame") in droves to a little post where I suggested that the man might not make it into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

My reason was simple.

His home run total, while incredible, will not be as eye popping five years after Thome's retirement. Basically, we’ve got a guy who smacked the Hell out of the ball, but was never the most dominant, much less feared, player of his era. And because of that, he'll get lost in the mix.

Since then, he's hit 102 more home runs and is one of eight players to have reached the 600 home run mark.  And, while I still believe it (to an extent)...I'll gladly eat my words.

I'm ready to take the heat.

So, to the chimps over at Baseball Think Factory...bring it on. I can take it.

Now...watch Jim Thome dressed up as Paul Bunyan!

Harmon Killebrew (1936-2011)

You knew that once Harmon Killebrew announced that he was ending his cancer treatments and entering hospice care...the Hall of Famer's days were numbered.

Tuesday morning we got word that the slugger's fight against esophageal cancer had, officially, come to an end in Scottsdale, Arizona.

"No individual has ever meant more to the Minnesota Twins organization and millions of fans across Twins Territory than Harmon Killebrew," Dave St. Peter, President of the Minnesota Twins said.  "Harmon will long be remembered as one of the most prolific home run hitters in the history of the game and the leader of a group of players who helped lay the foundation for the long-term success of the Twins franchise and Major League Baseball in the Upper Midwest."

The 74-year-old Killebrew was named the American League MVP in 1969 and when he retired...he had the fifth most home runs in Major League history. Currently, his 573 career home runs ranks him 11th on the all-time list.

But more importnatly, maybe now one of baseball's biggest debates can be put to rest as well. Is the MLB logo a silhouette of Killebrew?

"Killer" sure thinks so.

"You know, I was in the commissioner's office when the mock-up for that logo was being done," Killebrew once said. "But for some reason, they won't admit it's me. It's an interesting thing, and I don't know why."

Now that he's gone...I know I'll never look the logo the same.

Harmon Killebrew was 74 years old.

Harmon Killebrew Ends Cancer Battle

It seems like just yesterday, but last December, Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew announced that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

On Friday...he announced (via the Basball Hall of Fame) that he would be ending his battle.

It is with profound sadness that I share with you that my continued battle with esophageal cancer is coming to an end. With the continued love and support of my wife, Nita, I have exhausted all options with respect to controlling this awful disease. My illness has progressed beyond my doctors' expectation of cure.

I have spent the past decade of my life promoting hospice care and educating people on its benefits. I am very comfortable taking this next step and experiencing the compassionate care that hospice provides.

I am comforted by the fact that I am surrounded by my family and friends. I thank you for the outpouring of concern, prayers and encouragement that you have shown me. I look forward to spending my final days in comfort and peace with Nita by my side.

The 74-year-old Killebrew was named the American League MVP in 1969 and is an 11-time All-Star. His 573 career home runs ranks him 11th on the all-time list.

"He's such a classy guy," Jim Kaat, Killebrew's teammate for 15 years told Reuters. "I think he was the face of the (Minnesota) Twins organization. The Twins have a reputation for handling themselves properly on and off the field and playing the game right, and I think that probably started with Harmon."

The Twins retired his uniform number in 1975 and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 after a 22-year career in which he recorded 1584 RBI and a .256 batting average in 2435 games.

Jim Thome is Paul Bunyan...or is it the Other Way Around?

You're going to see plenty of “at first glance, one might confuse Jim Thome with Paul Bunyan” posts circulating around the ole interwebs thanks to the Minnesota Twins new commercial.

But let’s not kid ourselves…there’s really no comparison.

One is, according to a quick Google search “a larger-than-life folk hero who embodies frontier vitality…a symbol of might, the willingness to work hard and the resolve to overcome all obstacles” and the other dresses up in a Jim Thome shirt and walks his ox through the bowels of Target Field.

See what I did there?

Enjoy this 30-second slice of pure genius courtesy of The St. Paul Pioneer Press.

It's a Family Affair at Target Field

Opening Day at Target Field Friday is shaping up to be a true family affair for the Minnesota Twins

Among the events planned…the unveiling of a bronze statue celebrating Twins legend Tony Oliva. But as it turns out, the former outfielder isn’t the only Oliva getting into the act.

The National Anthem will be performed by Rick Oliva, Tony’s son. He’ll be joined by Maria Versalles…the daughter of former Twins shortstop and 1965 AL MVP Zoilo Versalles.

Also on the slate, an outfield sign counting up to 600 home runs for designated hitter Jim Thome…who enters the homestand against Oakland with with 589 career homers.

There will also be a sign counting down to the number of games remaining until former Twin (and current announcer) Bert Blyleven is inducted into the Hall of Fame this July.

The family of Blyleven’s fellow Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett (Kirby Jr. and Catherine Puckett) will be on hand to ceremonially open Gate 34.

The capper on the whole day was to be Harmon Killebrew, who is battling esophageal cancer, showing up in Minnesota to throw out the ceremonial first pitch. But, unfortunately, it was announced late Wednesday night that that won’t happen.

"Nita and I were truly looking forward to coming home to Minnesota to be part of the home opening festivities at Target Field," Killebrew said in a statement released by the team. "But it turns out the trip to Minnesota would unduly disrupt my treatment schedule, so we have reluctantly decided to remain in Arizona with a resolve to defeat this disease."

Filling in for the Hall of Famer is, drum roll please, Tony Oliva…who will toss the ceremonial first pitch to Killebrew's grandson Casey.

See…family affair!

Joe Mauer Takes on Troy Polamalu

Is it just me or are we seeing more Major Leaguers doing commercials?

Sure, most of them are for baseball-related products (video games, shoes, etc.)...but shampoo?  I mean, not since the days of Roger Clemens getting Zest-fully clean have we seen a big leaguer pimping shower supplies.

Okay...maybe it hasn't been THAT long.

So, enter Joe Mauer and the latest marketing campaign from Head and Shoulders. 

The Minnesota Twins catcher is known more for his sideburns than his head of hair (a guy like Tim Lincecum might have been more of an obvious choice), but put him next to Pittsburgh Steelers stud Troy Polamalu and you've kinda got commercial gold. 

Or at least something better than the milk commercial he did with his mom.

Your move, Right Guard Odor Blocker Body Wash.

2011 Milestone Preview: American League Central

Last season, the Chicago White Sox honored one of their greats, Frank Thomas, by retiring his Number 35.

This July, they're set to unveil a bronze statue of the one-time Sox legend...the eighth to grace U.S. Cellular Field.

Coincidentally...I'm planning on being at that game. But that's neither here or there now is it?

So with that…here comes the AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL.


CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Team captain Paul Konerko is on the verge of two major milestones in this...his 13th year on the Southside.  Coming off, arguably, one of the best years of his career, Konerko is just 139 hits away from 2000 and 35 home runs away from 400 career blasts.

Also approaching 400 career bombs...the newly acquired Adam Dunn.

Sure, the "Big Donkey" is 46 home runs away from the milestone...but he's done it before.  And given that he had a five year stretch (2004-2008) where he hit 40 or more home runs...is 46 really out of the question?

The ageless Omar Vizquel enters his second season with the White Sox the active leader in games playes, at bats and plate appearances.  For his career...he's sitting at 2799 hits all-time.

And speaking of hits...outfielder Juan Pierre is 158 hits away from reaching 2000 for his career.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

As if the Indians signing journeyman Orlando Cabrera (who is 52 hits away from 2000 for his career), Cleveland has decided on making August 13 a date to circle on your calendar.

And what's going on August 13?

Well...it's none other than Mike Hargrove “Human Rain Delay” Bobble Head Day.  Great seats are still available.

DETROIT TIGERS

Last November, Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson succumbed to dementia.  This season, not only are the Tigers going to honor their former skipper with a patch on their sleeves...but they'll be retiring his number as well.

Pretty classy.

Current manager Jim Leyland enters the season second in wins among active managers trailing only Tony LaRussa.  With 1493 career victories, he's only 78 wins behind Hall of Famer Dick Williams on the all-time list.

Also bound to make some headlines in the Motor City is outfielder Magglio Ordonez.  Should "Maggs" be able to bounce back from last season's ankle injury, he'll get the eleven home runs it'll take to reach 300 for his career.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

A quick scan of the Royals' roster isn't going to excite a soul.  And of the four names you're likely to recognize...one of them is catcher Jason Kendall.

Yikes.

Currently, Kendall is fifth all-time in being hit by pitch having been plunked 254 times.  In order to surpass Don Baylor and move into fourth place...he'll need to get hit 14 times.  It's possible.

MINNESOTA TWINS

Up in Minnesota, Jim Thome is back swinging for the fences.  Currently, Thome is eighth all-time and just eleven home runs away from becoming the latest slugger to reach 600 for his career.

Conversely, Thome resides second all-time in strikeouts.  The designated hitter has struck out 2395 times in his 20 seasons as a pro and trails only Reggie Jackson and his 2597 Ks.

Lastly, Minnesota will honor Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven by retiring his number this July.  His Number 28 will join five former Twins and Jackie Robinson up on the facade at Target Field.

The National League Central is next. In the meantime, feel free to check out Milestone Previews of the American League East and National League East.

Jim Thome Signs with the Twins

Remember the other day, when I posted all that nonsense about Jim Thome possibly landing with the Texas Rangers?

Forget it.

According to Kelly Thesier of MLB.com, the 40-year-old slugger will get $3 million in guaranteed money from teh Minnesota Twins...plus incentives based on playing time

Last season, Thome hit .283 with 25 home runs and 59 RBI in 340 plate appearances for Minnesota.  His career total of 589 home runs ranks him eighth all-time.

Get Well, Harmon

When Minnesota Twins legend, Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew announced publicly a little over a week ago that he is undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer...the collective heart of fans everywhere broke.

The baseball community had just lost Bob Feller a few weeks prior and now, another one of its favorite sons is facing what he called "perhaps the most difficult battle of my life".

While status updates on Killebrew's condition haven't been made public, fans can send their well wishes to the 74 year-old electronically via the Get Well, Harmon Blog.

If you'd like to drop him a card or letter...feel free to send it here:

Harmon Killebrew
c/o Minnesota Twins
1 Twins Way
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Killebrew played all but one of his 22 seasons in the bigs within the Twins organization.  For his career, the 1969 American League MVP hit .256 with 2086 hits and 1584 RBI.  His 573 ranks him 11th all-time...he was fifth (behind only Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Frank Robinson) when he retired in 1975.

He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984 with 83% of the vote
 
 

Jim Thome Surpasses Frank Robinson

Alright, karma...you win.

A couple of years ago, I wrote the following about Minnesota Twins slugger Jim Thome:

Thome is very good, not great. Hall of Famer? Perhaps…but not on the first couple of ballots.

Then...I followed it up with this gem:

His home run total, while incredible, will not be as eye popping five years after Thome's retirement. Basically, we’ve got a guy who smacked the Hell out of the ball, but was never the most dominant, much less feared, player of his era. And because of that, he'll get lost in the mix.

Since I ignited the first Thome powder keg (and trust me...plenty of you were upset), dude has hit 89 more home runs and is sitting at 587 for his career. That's right, the guy is now alone in eighth place all-time, having just surpassed Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.

The only players with more bombs that aren't in the Hall are Barry Bonds (762), Ken Griffey Jr. (630), Sammy Sosa (609) and Alex Rodriguez (605) and that's only because they are either still playing, just retired or aren't eligible to be enshrined yet.

And yes...I know I conveniently just side-stepped the steroid discussion.

But getting back to Thome.

The Peoria, Illinois native crushed a Justin Germano pitch in the twelfth inning Saturday to give his Twins a 1-0 victory over his former team, the Cleveland Indians.

And in case you were wondering, it was only Thome's 19th home run against the Tribe (a team that he hit a club-record 334 for) and first against the righty Germano.

Jim Thome Ties Frank Robinson

A day after his moonshot (didja see this one, yet?) seemingly changed my mind on his status as a first ballot Hall of Famer...Jim Thome went yard.

Again.

With this, his 586th career blast, the 40 year-old Thome tied Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for 8th place on the all-time list.

After Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run, I asked you all...who would be the next to the milestone. And what was your answer?

41% of you said Albert Pujols.

After watching what the Twins designated hitter has been up to lately...care to reconsider?

2010 Milestone Preview: American League Central

Growing up listening to Chicago radio and TV…I have been inundated with Cubs and White Sox talk all my life.  And it made me sick to my stomach.

Maybe it was because of that I’ve never had much of an affinity for either team.

You see, because of other influences (family, vacations, etc.), I have always been more of an East Coast fan. And that’s why it is bittersweet that, finally, the division that always bored/bothered me is finally getting some national attention.

It doesn’t matter what side of the Ozzie Guillen Twitter war you’re on or whether or not you think Joe Mauer’s new contract is a good deal for the Twins (it is)…Minnesota and Chicago have made the baseball world stand up and take notice.

So with that…here comes the AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL.


CHICAGO WHITE SOX

The White Sox are a little difficult to get a handle on lately. A few years back, they win the World Series…and let go of the best player to pull up the palehose since the Eisenhower administration all in the name of “diminished skills” and getting younger.

And who do they bring in…35 year-old Jim Thome.

Last season, four years following their supposed youth movement, they trade Thome to whoever will take him. They get rid of the equally ancient Jose Contreras and look to get younger again.

And who do they bring in? An over-the-hill designated hitter (Andruw Jones), an equally as seasoned left fielder (Juan Pierre) and one of the few players in the Majors who could tell you where he was when man landed on the moon (Omar Vizquel).

Jones is seemingly a lifetime (and a few pants sizes) away from the wide grinned 19 year-old who, in 1996, became the game’s youngest ever to go deep in a World Series game. But all kidding aside, he is 12 home runs away from reaching 400 for his career and still has the pop to, if healthy, accomplish the feat by the All-Star break.

While the acquisition of Jones is a little bit of a puzzler, Vizquel actually makes some sense considering his 11 Gold Gloves fits nicely on Chicago’s bench as a mentor to some of their younger players.

Unfortunately that’s about all he can do. Well…that and pad his Cooperstown caliber stats.

The all-time leader among Venezuelan born players in a number of categories, the Sox actually issued Vizquel the retired number of countrymate (and Hall of Famer) Luis Aparicio.

And speaking of retired numbers (note the shameless segue), the Southsiders are planning on retiring Thomas’ number on August 29. It’s the least they can do for their team leader in runs scored, total bases, doubles, home runs and RBI.


CLEVELAND INDIANS

Now that Kerry Wood is already in mid-season form (out at least two months with a back injury)…enter new closer Chris Perez. Perez, if you’re keeping track, is one save away from TEN for his career.

You guessed it Tribe fans…not many milestones to choose from in 2010.


DETROIT TIGERS

Raise your hand if you knew that new Tiger Johnny Damon is the active triples leader with 95.

Nice work.

Give yourself another pat on the back if you knew that he is sitting ninth among active players…75 hits shy of 2500 for his career.

On the other side of the outfield, rightfielder Magglio Ordonez is quietly putting up, yes I’ll say it, a terrific career. Mags is 26 hits away from 2000 for his career and 23 home runs away from 300.

And I know it isn’t really a “milestone” per se, but Detroit reliever Fu-Te Ni has the shortest last name in the Majors this season. At six letters, he is one of a slew of players to have the second shortest full name ever.

The shortest…former Pittsburgh Pirate catcher Ed Ott.


KANSAS CITY ROYALS

And from one of the game’s shortest names…to one of the league’s longest. Royals shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt is only two letters (18) behind Texas catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia (20).

Unfortunately, that’s about all Kansas City has going for it outside of Jason Kendall climbing up the all-time hit by pitch list.

It’s true.

Kendall is sitting at fifth all-time with 248…just 39 behind all-time leader, Hall of Famer Hughie Jennings.


MINNESOTA TWINS

Let’s all make each other a promise. When Joe Mauer’s contract is up following the 2018 season…we’ll meet back up and talk about how the American League’s best hitter is a steal at just $23 million a season.

As it is, the Twins will open their new stadium with future Hall of Famer Jim Thome on the bench. While he isn’t likely to hit the milestone, Thome is 36 home runs away from 600 for his storied career.

Also within shouting distance for Thome (provided he plays another two seasons), is the all-time strikeout record. With 2313 to his credit(?), the five-time All-Star is 284 shy of Reggie Jackson’s record 2597 whiffs.

The American League West is next. In the meantime, feel free to check out Milestone Previews of the American League East, National League East and National League Central.

Joe Nathan Looks to be Done

Alright...so this Joe Nathan thing has been the talk of Twitter and SportsCenter all morning.

Let's lay out the facts.

The Minnesots Twins reliever has, according to reports, a "significant tear of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament in his right elbow". Now, I'm no doctor, much less Dr. James Andrews, but I would suspect that ANY tear ("significant" or not) or any ligament in your throwing arm could be devastating.

Now, according to the (Minneapolis-St. Paul) Star Tribune, "surgery certainly looms as a possibility".

Nathan will take two weeks to let the swelling in the area subside. He'll work with the trainers to strengthen the muscles around the elbow. And then he will try to pitch. If that doesn't go well, Nathan will have surgery that will end his season.

Here's my question...how many guys older than Nathan (who will turn 36 in November) NOT named Tommy John have had reconstructive ligament surgery on their throwing elbow and made it back?

Seems to me Twins fans should be more worried about Nathan's CAREER being in jeopardy rather than just their season.

And let's say Nathan is done for good. Where would this place him in the pantheon of closers?

Since 2004, no closer has had more saves than Nathan's 246. Mariano Rivera is next with 243 (and has close to 300 more to add to his resume), but given Nathan's short lifespan as Minnesota's stopper is it fair to include his six years of dominance in the same Hall of Fame discussions as other closers of his era?

All told, Nathan carries a 22-12 record and a 1.87 ERA in his six years as a closer. His six straight seasons with more than 35 saves (including three with more than 40) are every bit as good as any other closer in the history of the game.

Add to that a spectacular 11.1 Ks per nine innings, four All-Star appearances and two top five Cy Young finishes and you've got to wonder what sort of support he'll garner.

But let's not put the cart before the horse. Let's get through these next two weeks and see how this thing plays out.

Jim Thome is in the news...welcome to The Hall!

The Chicago White Sox confuse me.

Seriously...they do.

A couple of days ago, the Chicago sports world was buzzing with whether or not the Southsiders were going to be re-signing future Hall of Famer (I know, I know) Jim Thome.

Yes, the same Jim Thome that, just last August, was offered up to whatever team would bite. And yes, the same Jim Thome that earlier last week, Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said WON'T be part of his master plan of a rotating designated hitter.

So why was it news when the White Sox officially said they weren't bringing Thome back?

I don't know!

All that aside, Thome's one-year steal of a contract ($1.5 milion, plus incentives) with the Twins means good things for The Hall.

Basically, every time Thome is in the news, traffic here rises. His bat combined with that Minnesota lineup means more home runs and more Thome in the news.

I think I have a new hero.

Now for those of you that are stumbling upon this post (welcome!), let me get you up to speed with The Hall's affiliation with Thome.

When The Hall was just in its infancy, I wrote the following and a powder keg was ignited.

There you have it...Thome is very good, not great. Hall of Famer? Perhaps…but not on the first couple of ballots.

To this day, Google is still directing people (mostly those who look for information on "Jim Thome and steroids" or "Jim Thome and the Hall of Fame") to a little post where I suggested that Jim Thome might not make it into the Hall of Fame on his first ballot.

Since then, he's hit 66 more home runs and is sitting at 564 for his career. That's right, the guy is now 12th all-time, but I still stand by my claim...Thome will NOT be a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Why? My reasoning is the same as it was two years ago.

His home run total, while incredible, will not be as eye popping five years after Thome's retirement.

Basically, we’ve got a guy who smacked the Hell out of the ball, but was never the most dominant, much less feared, player of his era. And because of that, he'll get lost in the mix.

Now, add to the fact that his former teammate (and, if you ask me, more Hall-worthy) Roberto Alomar can get the votes to go in on his first try...how can Thome?

Do you agree (like Rob Neyer did last September) or disagree? Let me know!

Milestone Preview: American League Central

Thanks to the magic of facebook (yes, I’ve FINALLY succumbed to its wiles), I’ve been able to re-connect with some old friends. One of them is an old buddy of mine named Jeff, who, in 1996, joined me on a trip to Cleveland for Spring Break. It wasn’t the ideal destination, but we made the most of it.

We ate sandwiches at a toll plaza in South Bend after we determined that swinging by Notre Dame would be too much of a hassle.

Closer to C-Town, we were pulled over by a cop who thought we were “joy riding”. It was after two in the morning and we were driving a BMW with Illinois plates, so I suppose we COULD have been joy riding…but alas, we weren’t.

We were just lost.

Once we found our way, we hit The Flats (where a waitress showed us her well-placed shamrock tattoo), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and since it was March, we walked around a vacant and cold Jacobs Field. But more on that place later.

So, with all apologies to the guy who slammed me for not including any milestones for the milestone-less Pittsburgh Pirates, here comes the AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL.


CHICAGO WHITE SOX
The heart of the Sox lineup is poised to do some great things this season...historically speaking. They are getting older, sure, but with that age comes some milestones.

Now, I’m going to be the first to say that when I wrote a while back criticizing Jim Thome, I might have been a touch misguided. I’m not going to take back the statements where I said he wasn’t dominant or feared, but the longer he sticks around, the more apt he is to make me eat my “he’ll get lost in the mix” comments regarding his first ballot Hall of Fame candidacy.

This season, the Peoria native enters the season with 541 home runs. He’ll likely jump over Harmon Killebrew’s total (573) this season and, along with Alex Rodriguez, is inching closer and closer to the 600 mark.

Thome is 12 RBI away from hitting 1500 and aside from Harold Baines (1628) and Andre Dawson (1591), everyone who has 1500 or more RBI and is Hall eligible…has had their ticket punched.

This last stat I bring up only because I was criticized in the past for mentioning it. Thome is 116 strikeouts away from passing Sammy Sosa (2306) and becoming second all-time to Reggie Jackson’s 2597 Ks.

Surrounding Thome in the Sox lineup are two hitters that are both two long balls away from reaching 300 for their career…Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko. Last year, Dye hit his second in Game 5…Konerko in Game 11.


CLEVELAND INDIANS
On April 4, 1994, President Bill Clinton christened the then Jacobs Field by throwing out its first pitch. Fans of that inaugural contest watched six sure-bet Hall of Famers: Eddie Murray (enshrined in 2003), Ken Griffey, Jr., Randy Johnson, Manny Ramirez, Omar Vizquel and Jim Thome. Also on the field were such notables as Edgar Martinez, Kenny Lofton and Albert Belle.

Now, fifteen years later, the now Progressive Field is in the middle of the pack as the fifteenth oldest stadium. In its time, “The Jake” has hit its own milestones.

Between June 12, 1995 and April 4, 2001, the Indians set a record by selling out 455 straight games. Demand for tickets was so great that all 81 home games were sold out before opening day on three separate occasions.

The Indians have since "retired" the number 455 in honor of the sellout record.


DETROIT TIGERS
Lost in all the Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez hubbub of late is the fact that Gary Sheffield is putting up one gem of a career.

A major leaguer at 18, Sheffield got off to a quick start by getting both his first hit and first home run with the same swing of the bat. Now, 498 home runs later…Sheffield is on the cusp of becoming the twenty-fifth player to hit 500 long balls. Something tells me that, again, he'll waste no time and get number 500 out of the way in the Tigers first series against Toronto.

Also worth mentioning...Sheffield comes into 2009 with 1633 RBI. Everyone who is Hall eligible and has more RBI than “Sheff” is enshrined in Cooperstown.

Throw out Barry Bonds and Sheffield is third on the active list for runs scored (behind Griffey and Rodriguez) and hits (behind Griffey and Vizquel).


KANSAS CITY ROYALS and MINNESOTA TWINS
Like I did previously with the Pirates, I could make something up here. However, I’m fresh out of any good Kevin Seitzer and Kent Hrbek references to make it worth anyone’s while.

The American League West is next. In the meantime, feel free to check out Milestone Previews of the American League East, National League East and National League Central.

Thanks for the opportunity, New York!

So let me get this straight...the Yankees imposed a deadline for the Twins to trade ace Johan Santana. How does THAT work exactly?

Let me repeat...the Yankees set a deadline for the Twins to trade THEM their star pitcher.

Shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, shouldn't the Twins be the ones setting the deadlines for people to up the ante for Santana's services? I don't know that I've ever witnessed such arrogance and frankly...I hope Minnesota slams the door on the Bombers because of it.

Now, that brings me to what I am typically here for...waxing poetically about one of my favorite topics. However, I am going to stray from that today and enlighten you all with something my good friend Andy Social wrote (you can check out his Myspace page HERE).

Enjoy!

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the greatest album ever conceived or recorded, Michael Jackson's "Thriller." That's right, just like me, Thriller also came out in 1982. And by "came out" I mean I was squeezed into a doctor's hands from between my mother's labia and not that I professed to friends and family that I was gay. That has yet to happen (projected date: October, 2011).

Anyway, it seems destined that epic masterpiece, Michael Jackson's "Thriller," and I would share a special bond and in celebration of our collective 25th year, I have done some research and compiled this labor of love:

"THRILLER" FUN FACTS!

Compiled by Andrew "FoodStamp" Davis, P.Y.T. Ph.D.

- According to Guinness, Thriller has worldwide sales exceeding 104 million. That makes it, by far, the best-selling album of all time and has topped the sales of Don Johnson's "Heartbeat" and Chris Burke's (Corky from "Life Goes On") "Singer with the Band" COMBINED!

- In 2007, the NARM and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked Thriller third on their "Definitive 200" list, a compilation of what they believed to be the greatest albums ever. The first and second ranked were The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonley Hearts Club Band" and Pink Floyd's "The Wall." This is widely regarded as total bullshit, because nobody has ever even heard of those two jagoff bands and, frankly, they sound made-up.

- Michael Jackson's Thriller contains the track "Baby Be Mine," which is scientifically proven to get the ladies totally wet.

- In the United States alone, Thriller has gone platinum 27 times (selling more than 27 million idividual copies.) In Canada, Thriller has sold only 2 million copies. This proves the already widely-accepted theory that Canada is "13 and a half times lamer" than the United States.

- The Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney collaboration, "The Girl is Mine," was not a pre-written piece of music but rather an actual recorded conversation between the two former friends, who had taken to arguing only in song.

- Thriller won 7 Grammy Awards, 8 American Music Awards, and 3 MTV Music Video Awards. It is rumored that, due to their abundance, Jackson hands out the award statues to trick or treaters during Halloween.

- The song "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" was originally titled "P.Y.T. (Punchin' Your Tummy)" and was about Jackson's distaste for his many pregnant girlfriends. The original chorus lyrics were as follows:

"I want to punch you

(P-Y-T)

In the tummy

You need some kickin'

(K-F-S)

Down the fucking stairs

And I'll take you there"

The song's title and lyrics were later changed at the urging of Thriller producer, Quincy Jones. Jackson then penned the song "Billie Jean" to further explore the pregnancy issue.

- In early 1984, a rumor surfaced that the first 7 digits of the UPC code for Thriller were Michael Jackson's phone number. This, however, was an obvious hoax as Michale Jackson has no need for telephones because he communicates telepathically.

- The original name for the "Thriller" single was "Give Me Starlight", while the album was originally to be called Starlight. Both titles were changed to "Thriller" when Michael Jackson expressed that the original titles were "too faggy" and would never "get him all up in some cunt".

- Queen singer(and then good friend of Jackson's), Freddy Mercury, recorded a few songs with Jackson during the Thriller sessions, those being "State of Shock", "There Must Be More to Life Than This" and "Victory". None of these tracks have ever been officially released. Jackson's official comment on the shelving of these tracks was that he didn't want Mercury "queering up [his] image".

- The dancing hoard of zombies in the "Thriller" music video were not dancers in make-up, but rather an actual army of undead corpses that Jackson summoned from the grave with his moonwalk powers. Upon wrapping of production for the video, Jackson personally beat the skull of each and every zombie in with one of his Grammy's.

- Contrary to the song's adamant protests, Billie Jean indeed was Jackson's lover. However, Jackson's refusal of paternity tests still leave the verdict out on whether or not the kid is his son. The aforementioned kid, (Ronnie Jackson-Seigle, pictured below) currently lives in Iowa and works as an accountant.
A photo of Ronnie Jackson-Seigle in 1993 at age 11. Paternity has yet to be proven.