Bruce Bochy's Ride Ran Out of Gas

It's probably a good thing that the San Francisco Giants themselves never ran out of gas.  Am I right?

Yeah, yeah, I know...but, seriously, gang, what else can you say about a car running out of gas during a World Serie parade?

 

***UPDATED:  Now with video!***

Giants World Series Sweep Gets Animated!

It's a good thing that Pablo Sandoval got the World Series MVP or else the team at Next Media Animation would have had a re-write on their hands.

Just hours after the San Francisco Giants completed their sweep of the Detroit Tigers, the video of Sandoval, er, a giant panda literally sawing off the head of a tiger while Sergio Romo is cheering him on hit the interwebs.

Now, I might be going out on a limb here...but that might be my favorite four seconds of Taiwanese video history.

Kenyan Students Re-enact 1986 World Series Game Six

I watch way too many videos on YouTube and a vast majority of it is garbage.

But this clip...this clip is magical.

Apparently some Kenyan students were interested in making a movie about a famous American sporting event. And after watching both real live clips, the students voted Bill Buckner's 1986 World Series Game Six error over the "Music City Miracle."

According to the video's comments, "they loved the experience and want to make a second movie".

I have nothing more to say other than this...I can't wait to see it.

***H/T to Bugs and Cranks.***

Mr. Holland's Mustache

St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak has been called a lot of things: bright, shrewd, sharp, a hilarious jokester, and a swell square dancer.

Possibly we should add "ignorant" to that list.

Allow friend of The Hall (and chairman of the American Mustache Institute) Dr. Aaron Perlut explain.

About a year ago, I wrote that I had asked Mozeliak whether he was concerned about the lack of mustaches on the Cardinals and the impact that it's having on overall team performance.

He calmly looked at me, seated to the side of the room wearing a large afro wig, tuxedo t-shirt, and plastic red shoes...and then looked back to the rest of the audience and simply said "No."

He moved on as if it was a non-factor, a joke.

Enter Derek Holland, and his lower nose accoutrement.

In Game Four of the 2011 World Series, the Texas Rangers' Mustached American southpaw threw two-hit ball for 8 1/3 innings to beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 and even things at two-all.

Holland and his luxurious lip sweater struck out seven, walked two and never was in trouble...coming within two outs of pitching the first complete-game shutout in the World Series since Jose Beckett's gem for Florida to clinch the 2003 title at Yankee Stadium.

FOX Sports analyst Tim McCarver noted during the network's coverage, "The mustache is very important."

Opposing player David Freese of the Cardinals said of the Hollandstache, "I love it. It adds some character. It might even add a little bit to that sinker."

Ironically, I received multiple text messages during the game asking me what I thought of Mr. Holland's Mustache, suggesting it was a "bad" mustache. I simply reminded them that there is no such thing as a bad mustache...just bad people who do not own, nor operate, mustaches.

Mozeliak, a scarf-wearing bare-faced mortal, fails to recognize the impact the Mustache Factor has had on his ballclub, as well as on Major League Baseball altogether.

Consider this:

FACT: Jason Giambi's career was near dead in 2007, until he grew his mouth umbrella and nearly made the all-star team.

FACT: In 2009, the Cardinals grew team mustaches and finished in first place with 91 victories and made the playoffs. In 2010, minus any team mustaches with the exception of stalwart Jason LaRue, the team won 86 games and did not qualify for postseason play.

FACT: In 2009, a densely mustached Brendan Ryan was playing all-star caliber baseball. In 2010, minus the lip cabana, his fall was embarrassing and precipitous.

FACT: In 2009, Rick Ankiel was hitting .70 higher with nasal foliage. The moment he shaved it, his batting average dropped voluminously and then he was hurt crashing into the outfield wall whereas a mouth brow would have cushioned the blow.

FACT: Prior to the 2010 season, Minnesota Twins pitcher Carl Pavano's career was virtually dead. With a furrowed upper lip, he won 17 games, which he shaved in 2011 and floundered once again.

Science, good looks nor historical data simply doesn't lie, and John Mozeliak would be well-served to become a greater student of history, as well as purchasing an afro wig, tuxedo shirt, and plastic red shoes, and to consider the Mustache Factor this offseason as he's rebuilding his club.

Who Wants a World Series Ring?

Let's say you're a World Series Champion...the thought of selling your championship ring is crazy, right?

Then it might be time to lock up Scott Williamson considering the former Boston Red Sox reliever has put his 2004 World Series ring on the auction block.

The 1999 National League Rookie of the Year isn't going the route of Lenny Dykstra, who raffled off his 1986 World Series ring a couple of years ago amid his personal bankruptcy...he's doing it for the kids.

Specifically, Williamson intends to use part of the proceeds to construct and administer a youth indoor/outdoor baseball academy.

"I can die with that World Series ring," the former big league reliever told the Boston Herald earlier in the week. "But if I die and I have this (facility) and these kids, and I've helped make them better people then my name and what I've done will mean more to me than that."

The ring will be auctioned online by Everything But the House though Oct. 25.  Bidding began at just a buck...and is already close to $30,000.

“There’s never been an auction for a player’s ring from (the 2004 Boston Red Sox), and I don’t expect there will be another one,” said EBTH co-owner Brian Graves. “For collectors, this will be their one shot at owning something like this.”

So if you've got a couple extra bucks burning a hole in your pocket (and wear a Mens 10.75 ring)...you might just be in luck.

The Fall Classic Needs Ron Washington EVERY Year!

Alright, follow me on this one.

I'm not saying the Texas Rangers need to be in the World Series every year...but is there a way to ensure that Ron Washington is taking part in the annual Fall Classic?

Last year, we were introduced to seven-year-old Liam Roybal...or, "Little Ron Washington".

This year...it's the Ron Washington pumpkin.

Well done, Shelby Guthrie.  Well.  Done.

Now, I bring up the Ron Washington stuff only to pimp this...your chance to win an awesome DVD collection.

Here's the deal.

Let me know who you're picking to win the World Series (and in what game) and you're receiving what A&E Home Entertainment calls "unprecedented access to the history laden film and video archives of Major League Baseball Productions".

This is a great deal, gang...answer as many times as you can. And as I see it, there are eight different possible combinations!

Answer in the comments section and tell your friends.

Click HERE to learn more about the prize! 

Five Reasons Why the St. Louis Cardinals Winning Would be Good for Baseball

Now that the World Series table is set...you're going to be hearing/reading plenty of reasons why both the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals can (and should) win.

So you don't have to pay attention to those "other guys"...the always insightful "Sully" has taken it upon himself to break down both World Series participants.

Here goes!

1. If Albert Pujols leaves, another title would be a Hell of a Good Bye!

Look, nobody knows what is happening with Albert Pujols. He could be coming back to St. Louis. He could be looking for a new challenge.

Lord knows the Dodgers, Mets, Cubs and Orioles all would love to get some POSITIVE PR. And the Nationals have seem Hell bent to bring a star to DC. So Albert's fate beyond 2011 has not been sealed.

But if he has to go, leave as a champion! All I can think of is Pedro Martinez, whose contract situation wasn't always pleasant. But what was the last image of him pitching for the Red Sox? Winning Game 3 of the 2004 World Series.

Pujols owes Cardinals fans nothing... but if he leaves them happy, how could you be mad?

2. Maybe a THIRD World Series title can make Tony LaRussa remotely likable.

I can't comprehend why I don't like Tony LaRussa. But I don't.

It has nothing to do with the drunk driving (although that makes you an automatic a--hole.) And it has nothing to do with the Glenn Back rally last year. My dislike for LaRussa goes back WAAAAAY before that. And all the cute puppies and kittens can't save it.

But maybe another title can make him seem as cuddly as the animals he loves to be seen with. Maybe a Tony LaRussa title can turn into a celebration of his greatness and a big love in. It might be worth seeing.

3. It would be a wonderful middle finger to Colby Rasmus.

I know I've been picking on Colby Rasmus... but come on! He whined his way out of St. Louis based on one good season.

Albert Pujols NEVER calls anyone out and he called out him.

Having him stuck in Toronto while the Cardinals celebrate without him might give players with one good year second thoughts to acting superior to their Hall of Fame manager. Just saying.

4. The ever growing argument to put Dave Duncan in the Hall of Fame.

As the Phillies are stockpiling aces, the Giants growing them and the Brewers dealing for them, the Cardinals don't need them.
They'll win with Fernando Salas closing games. The Cardinals will win with Kyle Lohse, Jake Westbrook and Edwin Jackson.  That's because Dave Duncan works his magic, just he did when he turned Chris Carpenter from reclamation project to Cy Young winner and Jeff Weaver from waiver material to World Series hero.

The pitchers in St. Louis come and go but they all seem to improve under Duncan. He might be a genius or a wizard. But if he keeps this up, he might be the first person to make the Hall of Fame as a pitching coach!

5. Maybe Mark McGwire's success can lead to more "Post Roids" work Hitting coach.

Mark McGwire hasn't caused much controversy since taking his new gig. He has had some hitters flourish under his watchful eye.

I really hope the sudden surge in Lance Berkman's numbers have been because of McGwire tips and not the old method of "inject this"!

If the page has been turned, then I hope this leads to Barry Bonds, hitting coach.  Roger Clemens, pitching coach.  Oh, let's face it...I want it to lead to Manny Ramirez, MANAGER!

Tell me you wouldn't watch a team managed by Manny every single day!

Are these five reasons not enough for you? For five MORE reasons why the St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series would be good for baseball...visit Sully's slice of the interwebs.

Five Reasons Why the Texas Rangers Winning Would be Good for Baseball

Now that the World Series table is set...you're going to be hearing/reading plenty of reasons why both the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals can (and should) win.

So you don't have to pay attention to those "other guys"...the always insightful "Sully" has taken it upon himself to break down both World Series participants.

Here goes!

1. The celebration of Ron Washington would be complete.

Washington has had a remarkable two seasons. He overcame the drug problem to become the first American League manager since Joe Torre to win back-to-back pennants.

And he did it with a fun likable, running in place in the dugout, windmilling style.

Oh yeah, he was portrayed in "Moneyball" by the great "that guy" Brent (Harrison Ford's ill-fated partner in "Witness") Jennings.  The difference between Washington's Rangers and Beane's A's? The Rangers actually went to the World Series.

But how cool would it be to win a World Series and be a character in what will certainly be an Oscar nominated movie?

2. Nolan Ryan and his influence could finally put an end to pitch count nonsense.

The Rangers lost Cliff Lee and somehow their pitching staff got DEEPER.

C. J. Wilson, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland, Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando, Neftali Feliz, Scott Feldman and Mike Adams might not be as sexy as the Phillies staff, but Texas has played in the last two World Series and not Philadelphia.

You weren't supposed to be able to put a strong staff together in Texas. But magically that went out the window when Nolan Ryan took over the team.

Pitch counts were flushed down the toilet. Pitchers were allowed to get out of their jams. And guess what? As the Joba rules and babying of pitchers have left a wake of broken down pitchers, Nolan Ryan's method has made the Rangers a pitcher team.

Gee whiz, I wonder which school of thought should be adopted by more teams!

3. Josh Hamilton.  An American Bad Ass needs to be a Champion.

The ultimate Roy Hobbs story needs its grand climax.

He's already battled his demons. He's already reemerged in Cincinnati and then in Texas. He already beat drugs to become the MVP and slay the Yankees. He's already asked the Rays for forgiveness.

He's a great American story of wasted and found abilities. Put a ring on that finger and roll credits!

4. The final haunting of Nelson Cruz Cruz is on a home run tear.

This postseason, he became the first person ever to hit six homers in a single series. I may have calculated his career ALCS OPS wrong, but my math has it coming out to five bazillion.

If this run goes into the World Series, this slugger will shine on the biggest stage and torment the Mets, A's and Brewers...all teams that had him and dealt him away.

5. It would be a celebration of the Rangers star studded but pennantless past.

When the Wild Card era began and media attention was placed solely on the Yankees and Red Sox...how many MVPs played in the Bronx?  Alex Rodriguez who won the award twice.

 How many in Boston? That would be two...Mo Vaughn and Dustin Pedroia.

How many in Texas? Juan Gonzalez won it twice. Pudge Rodriguez won it once. A-Rod also picked up one in Arlington as did the aforementioned Josh Hamilton. That's more than Boston and New York combined in that same stretch.

Jeff Burroughs won it before. Ruben Sierra and Rafael Palmeiro could have won it.  Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins, Bert Blyleven and of course Nolan Ryan logged great years in Arlington. As did the Richie Zisks, Oddibe McDowells, Julio Francos and all the other players in the Rangers colorful past.

For all the Geno Petrallis out there, a Rangers title will be for you!

Are these five reasons not enough for you?  For five MORE reasons why the Texas Rangers winning the World Series would be good for baseball...visit Sully's slice of the interwebs.

Don't Worry Ron Washington

Last night's 11-7 loss to the San Francisco Giants probably wasn't as close as Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington would have liked.  His ace got rocked...bats didn't come alive until late.  Ugly.

But fear not, Ron Ron...there is a reason for you to stay optimistic.

This kid.

Normally, I'm not big on re-posting images and what nots that have appeared all over the place already...but in this case I had to.  And to give credit where credit is due...I first learned of this precocious tyke courtesy of Jerod Morris over at Midwest Sports Fans.

You can read his take HERE.  In the meantime, what is this kid's name and address...I wanna send him some candy!

The World Series is Here...Cue Up the McCarverisms!

***The following was written by The Hall of Very Good's newest contributor...Kevin Chanel.***

No one can doubt the esteemed credentials of Fox baseball analyst Tim McCarver.

He played the game. He even appeared in two World Series matchups as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

He has to have been at least somewhat smart; he caught Rick Wise's 1971 no-hitter while with the Phillies, and Wise was no Sandy Koufax.

He has been announcing World Series games since the mid-80's, and will again take the mic as Joe Buck's color man when Texas visits San Francisco tonight for Game One.

So why is such an accomplished announcer so reviled?

Do You Remember?

With the World Series kicking off tomorrow night, we're reminded of some of baseball’s most memorable moments played out on what proved to be the biggest stage possible...the postseason.

From dramatic homeruns (who can forget Kirk Gibson in 1988 or Joe Carter going deep five years later?) to the straight up weird (we were treated to two in 2003…Steve Bartman in Chicago and the Pedro Martinez throw down of Don Zimmer), baseball fans have pretty much seen it all.

Many an October ago, (October 25, 1986)…the world bore witness to a routine ground ball that changed the course of the World Series for one team, prolonged a curse for another and overshadowed what was a pretty good career for Bill Buckner.

Much like the Bartman incident or Gibson hobbling around the bases, that ball going under Buckner’s mitt is one of baseball’s most widely known images and to one man…it is the cornerstone of a rather unique collection.

Seth Swirsky is the keeper of, if you ask me, one of the best privately owned baseball collections. Last year at this time, I had the privilege to talk to him.  Here's that interview in its entirety once again.

And in other news...the Yankees won

All in all…the World Series was pretty entertaining. I am not a fan of either teams, but still, I was really, REALLY looking forward to last night’s Game Six.

All day, I was bouncing around work telling people how “epic” I thought Pedro Martinez versus Andy Pettitte was bound to be.

And it should have been.

I mean, here they are…448 and 235 (a staggering .656 winning percentage) for their stories careers, a combined 3.42 ERA, 5304 strikeouts and the eyes of Philadelphia and New York watching their every pitch.

In the past, Pedro had allowed the Yankees to be his “Daddy”…could he exorcise those demons?

With his Game Three victory, Pettitte became the all-time leader in postseason wins with 17….could he add to that total?

And after all, this was a Game Six and as we know, ANYTHING can happen and often times (ask the 1975 Red Sox, 1986 Mets or the 1993 Blue Jays)…it does.

So there I was, ready to call it a night, watch some baseball and grant myself a reprieve from contributing to anything online when I received the following tweet from good friend of The Hall (and frequent contributor over at Full Count Pitch) David Allan:

“Can we stop with the Pettitte for Hall of Fame love fest?”

My fear is that no, we can’t…and won’t.

Anytime that a Yankee has the success that Pettitte has had, particularly on the biggest stage possible (Hell, I’ve even been reading “Jorge Posada for the Hall of Fame” stories lately)…there is going to be talk.

Unlike Posada (who is not a potential Hall of Famer), with Pettitte, it is hard to discern at first glance, whether or not it is warranted.

Sure, you can do what Colin Linneweber at Bleacher Report did and simply state “Andy Pettitte is a Hall of Fame Pitcher” and cite solely his winning percentage (.629) World Series rings (now, five) as the reason.

But you’d be dead wrong and come across as not very knowledgeable.

The problem with Colin’s statements are many. Most noticeably, is the fact that five rings with the Yankees isn’t THAT impressive (David Cone has five rings and can’t sniff Cooperstown, Paul O’Neill has the same amount and won’t see the mandatory five percent to stay on the ballot) and the winning percentage (while impressive) is only good for ninth among active players.

Sure, a 229-135 record is good, don’t get me wrong, but in an era where Pettitte competed alongside such Hall of Fame shoe-ins as Greg Maddux (355 wins), Roger Clemens (354), Tom Glavine (305) and Randy Johnson (303)…being 63rd all-time isn’t turning any heads.

Now, while it is true that there are those in Cooperstown (Catfish Hunter has 224 wins) or on the verge of getting there (Pedro Martinez is at 219), but they both have something Pettitte never brought home.

Hardware.

If you’ve read anything here at The Hall, you know I’m big on the accolades and unlike Hunter and Martinez who have four Cy Young Awards and 11 top four finishes between them…Pettitte only once came close to sniffing the award.

In 1996, his second year in the bigs, Pettitte finished 21-8 and could easily have been considered the ace on a staff that guided the Yankees to 92 wins and a World Series ring. That is the same year, he grabbed 11 first place votes and finished second to the Blue Jays Pat Hentgen.

Ironically, if Mariano Rivera doesn’t get a first place vote and it goes to Pettitte…the big Texan brings home the award.

All that aside, I can’t belittle a guy for his lack of Cy Young Awards and paltry two All-Star appearances when he has a fist full of rings and the most victories in postseason history.

And how about those 18 postseason wins that everyone (myself included) seems to eventually bring up?

Pretty impressive, right?!?

Wrong.

No one ever brings up that he also has the most starts (40) and third most losses (nine) all-time in the postseason. Bless me with having the best closer ever behind me and an offense that produces runs at an All-World clip and I, too, will win close to two-thirds of my starts.

I guarantee it.

Now, I want to go back to the regular season and call out the two biggest gorillas in the room…ERA and strikeouts.

Pettitte’s career ERA is 3.91.

Let me repeat that. Pettitte’s career ERA is 3.91 and if he would happen to make it to the podium for that hot July speech, he would go in with the highest ERA (by far) of anyone else enshrined.

It can be defended that this is a hitters’ era, but when you look at the guys I mentioned before (Maddux, Clemens, Glavine and Johnson), the highest ERA in the bunch is Glavine’s 3.54 and while not spectacular…300-plus wins and 2700 Ks will help garner a few votes.

The baseball writers are silly like that.

And what about Pettitte’s strikeout totals?

While he was never considered a power pitcher (his 2.8 walks per nine innings shows he was more of a control guy), his 2150 strikeouts isn’t likely to turn many heads when it comes to a Hall vote.

Strikeouts, like home runs, are a stat that voters can look at and qualify based on certain, pre-determined benchmarks.

For example…all but one eligible player (Mark McGwire) with more than 500 home runs is in the Hall. Similarly, there is only one eligible pitcher (Bert Blyleven) with more than 3000 strikeouts that is on the outside looking in.

Failing to meet some of the minimum requirements, if you will, won’t help Pettitte earn any favors.

Lastly, there is that press conference from February 2008 where he admitted to using HGH while playing in New York in 2002 and with the Astros in 2004.

Would Pettitte have come out and admitted use had he not been fingered by both former teammate Jason Grimsley and former trainer Brian McNamee? Probably not.

Would he have come clean had he not been one of the biggest names to have been named in the Mitchell Report? Probably not.

Can we be sure that those were the only times that Pettitte used the drugs and his reasons were legitimate? Probably not.

Will the writers forget all this when it is Pettitte’s time to face the jury and be selected for enshrinement? Say it with me…probably not.

As it is, the BBWAA has only had one player to vilify so far and while he, Mark McGwire, was only suspected of using performance enhancers, odds are he is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to NOT allowing substance abusers (or those suspected of being one) into the Hall of Fame.

My gut tells me that, if, for some reason, Pettitte’s numbers upon retirement garner him any sort of Hall of Fame consideration (and honestly, I am not sure they will), his coming clean about steroids won’t help his cause.

And since you made it this far, I am obligated to finish this thing with the trite…“the Yankees beat the Phillies to capture their record 27th championship”.

Now, I know you knew that already…but isn’t that much better than spending the last sentence of an “is Andy Pettitte a Hall of Famer” talking about how steroids will likely be the biggest contributing factor as to why Pettitte does not get into the Hall?

Wait…I think I just did.

Joel, Ethan...David?!? I'm conefused!

I understand that I’m late with this one, but as you all know by now…the Academy Awards were held last weekend. During the broadcast, my buddy Rob called and he and I got to talking about the Coen Brothers chances at winning “the big one”.

We both knew they had been nominated in the past and that their movies had garnered some awards…but they, essentially, had been shut out when it came to Best Director and Best Picture.

At the conclusion of the annual Oscar snoozefest (you can read E’s account of the evening here), No Country for Old Men walked away with four awards. The ear tugging Coens ended up on stage three separate times. Now, I’ve been a fan of theirs for some twenty years, but do these accolades somehow legitimize this FANTASTIC filmmaking team as “great”?

If they don’t…what does? And how does THAT translate to those who step between the white lines at least 162 times every year?

Guys like Ted Williams and Ernie Banks were sure bet Hall of Famers when they decided to hang ‘em up, but they’ll ALWAYS be saddled with that “they never won the Series” black eye.

That being said, the argument for Jack Morris is that he SHOULD be in the Hall because, conversely, he has…and has done so in grandiose fashion. Hell, I’ve even made that argument…TWICE! Furthermore…when Curt Schilling ultimately packs up his bloody sock and leaves the baseball world, people AGAIN will point to his post season heroics.

So what about a guy who ended his career just shy of 200 victories (194), a .606 winning percentage, nearly 2700 Ks, a Cy Young Award, a perfect game AND five (yes, FIVE) World Series rings?

I know what you’re thinking…PLENTY of guys have five or more World Series rings. And you’d be right. I'd then point out that a majority of them were Yankees that made their money before the Kennedy administration.

HOWEVER, of the players with five or more…a MAJORITY of them are Yankees and a majority of them made their money before the Kennedy administration.

So, am I saying that David Cone is a Hall of Famer?

Probably not. But I think you need to examine his career before you cast his career aside.

His 194 victory total isn’t THAT great. I’m sure HE would tell you that. But when you consider that he played amid the five man rotation and eleven out of twelve years there in the middle of his career he notched double digit wins…he wasn’t that shabby.

Coney also won sixty percent of his ballgames. In 1988, he had, arguably, one of the best ten seasons of the 1980s. How he went 20-3 with a 2.22 ERA, finished THIRD in the Cy Young voting and didn’t get a single first place vote is beyond me. Unanimous winner Orel Hershiser notched 23 victories and a World Series ring…but 20-3!

They vote for that thing PRIOR to the post season, right?!?

About that Cy Young award Cone DID get…it was in the strike shortened 1994 season. Cone was 16-5 and would have probably have gotten to 20 had the season played out how God intended. All and all, it is a little ironic considering Cone acted as the player’s representative during the whole ordeal.

Cone ended his career with 2668 strikeouts…good for twenty first on the all-time list. Of the twenty guys ahead of him on the all-time list, all but nine are Hall of Famers.

Of those nine, Mickey Lolich and Frank Tanana won’t get past the doors of Cooperstown without paying for their admittance. Bert Blyleven and Curt Schilling are both guys who MIGHT (in due time) make it in. The rest of the bunch (John Smoltz, Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux and Roger Clemens) are pretty safe bets to be inducted.

I keep getting back to those five rings though.

This is a guy that was involved in each and every one of those seasons...he wasn't just some fortunate opportunist. His teams were 12-3 in the 15 series he played and he carried an 8-3 post season record. Was he THE determining factor? No…but neither was fellow five time champ Catfish Hunter and he is a Hall of Famer that Cone almost compares to the most.

Overall, Hunter was 224-166, whereas Cone was 194-126. Advantage Hunter, right? Not necessarily. During Catfish’s five year hot streak where he won twenty or more each year, he amassed an ASTOUNDING 111-49 record. Take away those five seasons and Hunter is a VERY average 113-117 for his career. I guess it is safe to say that Cone had a more consistent career…not just one big peak like Catfish.

Both men took home a Cy Young award and finished in the top five three other times. Hunter had a better career ERA (3.26 compared to 3.46), but if you look at the rest of the league at the time…Cone was FAR better than his contemporaries, whereas Hunter was about average.

Both men were known for their control…but as I’ve mentioned before, Cone did amass quite a healthy strikeout total. By comparison, Hunter punched out 2012 opponents…some 650 less than Cone.

I’m by no means going to sit here and bang the drum for David Cone’s inclusion in the Hall of Fame. He wasn’t a big character guy. His alleged cocaine use, adulterous behavior and penchant for public masturbation are all well documented...thanks Google!

But you could do a lot worse.

***Note: The "is David Cone a Hall of Famer?" poll garnered the following results...Yes-12%, No-63 and Dear God No-24%.***

There's a new idiot in town!

Let’s all agree on one thing…Eric Byrnes is an idiot.

No, not the happy go lucky 2004 Boston Red Sox-type “idiot”…but a pure bred douchebag. Normally, he’s the type of player that I like…scrappy, plays with a TON of heart, mouths off on occasion, BUT, this post season (much like his 2003 shoving incident with Jason Varitek) he is proving that he hasn’t a clue what he is talking about.

We’ve all heard him say that the Colorado Rockies got some “lucky breaks” while they swept Byrnes and his Arizona Diamondbacks RIGHT out of the playoffs, but then he went on to say that "the nation is going to be SHOCKED how good Colorado is" when they play the Red Sox.

Really? Shocked?!?

Well, I could mention the 13-1 drubbing the other night, the eight days off (of which Byrnes said WOULDN’T affect the Rox) or I could say nothing…the last two nights have spoken for themselves.

Byrnes, on the other hand, was STILL singing the praises of the Rockies prior to Game Two. If you listen to him…Josh Beckett was the LONE factor to the BoSox victory the other night. Matter of fact, AFTER the second game, he warned of the Rockies getting momentum back should they win Game Three in Denver.

What’s with this guy?

He’s right, though. Josh Beckett WAS masterful the other night. And you know what…he should be. The Red Sox gave up plenty to acquire him (and Mike Lowell) before last season and he was brought in to do EXACTLY what he’s been doing. Win the big game.

Now, flash forward to Game Two.

Curt Schilling was scheduled to take the bump. Prior to the 2004 season, Schill was brought in to do EXACTLY what Beckett was brought in to do a couple years later. HOWEVER…the media, for some reason, was pretty much writing him off. Apparently his blood soaked star had fallen.

Memo to newswriters...Schilling was Josh Beckett BEFORE Beckett was Beckett.

He was the NLCS MVP in 1993 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Almost ten years later (in 2001), he followed it up by being named the World Series Co-MVP alongside Randy Johnson. I won’t mention the “bloody sock” (again) or his postseason winning percentage.

Curt is good…DAMN good.

That being said, is he Hall of Fame good?

My buddy E talks about the “smell test”. Does a player pass the Hall of Fame smell test? If so, you look deeper and see whether or not he is worthy. EXAMPLE: a guy like Tim Raines smelled like a Hall of Famer at one point…now he smells of Kenny Lofton. Since we’re talking lead off hitters (for some reason) a Rickey Henderson smells like fine wine aged to perfection.

That being said…Schilling smells like a rose.

216 victories, 3116 strikeouts, FOUR top five finishes in the Cy Young voting, six All-Star games…not too shabby for a kid out of Anchorage, Alaska. When it comes to his strikeout to walk ratio…only one pitcher was better and he last toed the rubber in 1884. He died, ironically enough, in Boston.

All that said…if you look closer, like Raines, Schilling doesn’t smell as good as you would initially think.

True, his postseason stats are phenomenal…but you can’t induct him on that alone. Sure, they warrant mention, but induction based SOLELY on that…um, no. If so…open the doors to Bernie Williams, Cooperstown!

216 wins, while impressive, only ranks him eighth among all active pitchers. Four of the seven ahead of him on the list (Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson) are WAY ahead and certain Hall of Famers. The other three (Mike Mussina, David Wells and Jamie Moyer) couldn’t pass the “smell test” if they carried Pedro Martinez around in a headlock.

Add to the 216 wins that Schilling’s win percentage is .597 and you’ve got, over the span of his career, a very good pitcher…not a great one.

Strikeouts. Schilling’s four years of 290-plus Ks are crazy good. Of the 13 pitchers with MORE than Schilling’s 3116, only Bert Blyleven is not in the Hall, while Clemens and Maddux will surely go in when the time comes. Consider that 1228 of his strikeouts came in the afore mentioned four 290-plus years, and that he’s only got ONE 200 K season outside of that…the 3116 seems kinda suspect.

What I’m saying is this…give me 15 years of 200 or more strikeouts and I’d be MORE impressed than Curt’s five years of 200-plus scattered over a twenty year span.

I liken to Schilling to Sandy Koufax…kinda. Both of their legend has been based on a handful of select years. Koufax, however, did his in consecutive years at the end of his career before he fell victim to an arthritic wing.

Schilling spread his out over a couple of decades.

He was a stud in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2004 (an 83-30 record and 1031 Ks)…but that was about it. You COULD make an argument that outside of the win/loss record (8-9), Schilling was on his way to a GREAT 2003 season before he got injured...which happened WAY too often.

Curt was, undoubtedly, MUCH better over the second half of his career compared to the first. Hell, he’d even agree to that and he doesn’t like ANY of the unfavorable press he gets!

Koufax, over his last four seasons, notched a 97-27 record and 1228 strikeouts. So, yeah, not EXACTLY the same, but Sandy had nearly 200 innings pitched than Curt.

Watching Curt Schilling work, he carries himself like a sure-bet Hall of Famer who is winding down a great career…but so did Jack Morris. Putting him into perspective, he starts to come across like many of the pitchers that have made it into the Hall over the last 20 years…he’s a guy with some longevity, a handful of years of greatness and some postseason success. And that's not a TERRIBLE thing...just ask Don Sutton, Phil Niekro or Gaylord Perry.

Arguably, he wasn’t always the best pitcher on his staff and only a few times would he have been considered one of the most dominant pitchers in the league. He never brought home the hardware that Cooperstown LOVES to look at (a la Robin Yount’s TWO MVP awards), but he was solid. He has a respectable ERA (3.46) a couple of World Series rings and is a great character.

First ballot guy…probably not. He’ll be competing (potentially) with the likes Clemens, Maddux and Glavine as far as starting pitchers go. Take into account that there will be a slew of position players also vying for their enshrinement and it might take Schilling a while to get through the doors.

Let me know what you think…how does Schilling smell? Does he pass the test or just get tossed aside like some bloody, old sweatsock?!?

***Note: The "is Curt Schilling a first ballot Hall of Famer?" poll garnered the following results...Yes-10%, No-90.***

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