Welcome Back!

How do you know that the acquisition of a veteran means something to his new teammates?

I’ve gotta think it is when they go bang their Twitter accounts and talk about it.

And no…I’m NOT talking about Brett Favre.

Tuesday afternoon, the Texas Rangers brought home one of their favorite sons (and possibly the greatest catcher ever) Ivan Rodriguez.

So what did his teammates have to say about "Pudge"?

Jason Grilli: Got an old teammate coming to the Rangers! More excitement here in Arlington! Welcome back Pudge.

CJ Wilson: Pudge? WOW! I think we hold the record for most gold gloves on one roster now

And yes, there is some merit to what Wilson has to say. With Rodriguez’s 13 Gold Gloves back into the fold, the Rangers now have a roster that boasts 35 Gold Gloves! That's 13 for "Pudge", 11 for Omar Vizquel, 10 for Andruw Jones and one for Michael Young.

"You always want to come back where you started," Rodriguez told reporters prior to Tuesday night's contest against the Twins. "It has been a long time. This would be a great place to finish my career. I'm very excited to be back."

But while Grilli and Wilson are applauding the return of the 37 year-old backstop…our friends over at Astros County think something is fishy about the economics.

For the record, Rodriguez is expected to back up Taylor Teagarden…but we’ll see how long that lasts.

Twitter Tuesday...August 18, 2009

Still don't know what Twitter Tuesday is? Don't waste Google's time...click the link.



I'm not sure why, but no one really stepped it up this week...except CJ Nitkowski. For my money, the guy is the best former or current big leaguer using Twitter. If you're not following him...start.

Here's a week's worth of Nitkowski:

"Batter in the box grabs his leg in serious pain. When our trainer gets back I ask, 'what, cramp?' He said, 'No, bug bite.' Only in Korea!"

"A friend asked me the other day if I'd ever been to Washington, DC. I found that odd since we were teammates on the Washington Nationals."

"Normally getting hit on inflates the ego, but not when it's by two guys from the other team. Used the international sign for 'no thanks'."

"A teammate was dragging today so I offered him an energy drink I have from home. He asked me if it had steroids in it. Thanks Sen Mitchell!"

"Nothing unusual about today's pregame, unless you find ninjas jumping out of a helicopter, fighting & breaking stuff on the field unusual."

August is an odd time of the year...the baseball races are heating up, college and pro football is getting ready to kickoff and people are still talking about Brett Favre.

Unfortunately.

jonpyle: If I never heard the term Wildcat again, I'd die a happy man. Can we call it something else please? Anything but Brett Favre.

True_wesT: My wife could care less about football, and even SHE is sick of the Brett Favre story.

Truth_About_It: I'm probably the only person who is happy that Brett Favre is coming back. Don't the Mississippi White Boy and Purple Jesus make a good duo?

waskew: I want someone to go Tom Cable on Brett Favre.

jaredbridges: Brett Favre is thinking of returning again?! I'd say that I'm surprised but... well, that'd just be a stupid thing to say.

theRealELIG: Waiting for Brett Favre is like being a fat girl on Prom Night. Hate to break it to you. But he's not coming.




After a hiatus, the guys over at FullCountPitch.com are back up and running. Need someone to follow? Check out the guy who brought it back...Gary Armida.

Need someone else to add to your "following" page? Take a minute to introduce yourself to one of my favorite people on the web (and sometimes Hall of Very Good contributor)...David Allan.

Have someone you think everyone should follow? Perhaps you yourself have read some interesting tweets in the past week…drop me a line or leave a comment below.

See you next Tuesday!

Is Derek Jeter Good?

When shortstops set milestones they somehow get overlooked.

In June, Miguel Tejada became the 29th shortstop to notch 2000 career hits.

Two weeks later, Rangers shortstop Omar Vizquel (a surefire Hall of Famer if you ask me), surpassed Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio to become the all-time hit leader among Valenzuelan players...even though he trails him on "hits by a shortstop" list.

In the past week, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter amassed enough hits to pass up both Aparicio and Vizquel to become the all-time hit leader among shortstops.

Allow me to explain.

Of Vizquel's 2697 hits...2669 came at shortstop, whereas all but four (2673) of Aparicio's 2677 career base knocks came at shortstop. Coming into Sunday night's game against the Mariners, Jeter had 2672 hits as a shorstop.

Clearly, his 3 for 4 evening Sunday put him over the top.

"It was kind of hard to believe," Jeter told reporters following the Bombers 10-3 loss. "I just try to be consistent year in and year out. I think if you're consistent, then good things happen."

To put this achievement into perspective, Cal Ripken Jr. notched 2479 of his 3,184 hits as a shortstop. And similar to Jeter...Ripken did it all for one team.

Which brings me to this, when Jeter gets 34 more hits...he'll pass up Lou Gehrig as the team's all-time hit leader.

So, how good is Jeter?

Wicked good.

He's a ten-time All-Star (missing the game only twice since 1998), carries a .316 career batting average and in 2003, was named New York's team captain...making him only the 11th player to carry that moniker since 1912.

Not too shabby.

Add to that that his second place finish in the 2006 MVP balloting was the best by a Yankees shortstop since Phil Rizzuto took home the award in 1950 and you've got a legend in the making.

But I didn't have to tell any of you that.

Jim Rice weighs in on his enshrinement

Over the last couple of weeks, plenty of websites have weighed in on the recent enshrinement of Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice.

The Hall of Very Good has been no exception.

However, nothing could have been more inciteful than the post that popped up over at Ask14.com. What's Ask14.com you're thinking?

Well, it's none other than the personal site for one James Edward Rice. Yes...THAT Jim Rice.

When I talked to Rice's former Red Sox teammate Dick Drago last month, he said "(Rice was a) tremendous hitter with the strongest wrists I've ever seen. Put some unbelievable numbers up for several years in a row and should have been elected to the Hall much sooner in my opinion."

For Rice's take on his recent enshrinement...visit his site HERE.

Twitter Tuesday...August 11, 2009

Last Tuesday's inaugural foray into the Twitter world was so successful...The Hall is at it again! Don't know what Twitter Tuesday is? Don't waste Google's time...click the link.




To kick off the chatter this week...music, food (again) and Alyssa Milano's ex-boyfriend.

CJNitkowski: Opposing reliever came out to Motley Crue's "Looks That Kill" tonight. Would pay to watch him sing it...."She's got the rooks that krill"

str8edgeracer: whoever says that they left their heart in san francisco never had to play in the oakland coliseum. (Check out CJ Wilson's interview with The Hall of Very Good HERE)

chopper63: This was my sandwhich from town and country in SLC it was massive


GrillCheese49: True Fact: Ducks eat stale Cheese puffs. Next experiment: Do they like Coca Cola? Have fun and go green. Clean out old food and feed ducks

detroit_tigers: Twins' trade for long-broken-down Carl Pavano shouldn't worry Tigers


And 21 hours later...detroit_tigers: Tigers shut down by Carl Pavano in loss to Twins




Friday afternoon, it appeared as though the New York Yankees (after sticking a knife in the heart of every Red Sox fan) dropped the guillotine blade on John Smoltz's career...even The Hall got into the act. Immediately following his designation...Twitter was abuzz.

jvannus: John Smoltz being cut is another example of athletes grasping 4 a career that has left them! Please John, don't be the next Brett Favre!

jfe1969: Tiger Woods says john smoltz is best non golfer he ever played. he is a true athlete, and always an atlanta brave!!!!!

keithmurphy13: Our VT hotel room is smaller than the Cubs trophy case, the shower has the speed of a John Smoltz fastball, but we're on a mountain stream




Need someone to follow? Check out my friends at joesportsfan.

It's pretty safe to say that as good as the tweets are that come from joesportsfan...nothing can compare to their website and podcast. From Softball Guy to their Worthless Card Collection, the boys from under the arch deliver.

Have someone you think everyone should follow? Perhaps you yourself have read some interesting tweets in the past week…drop me a line or leave a comment below.

See you next Tuesday!

Finally 400!

Look up "Vlad the Impaler" in any history book (or over at Wikipedia) and you'll find that he reigned off an on from 1448 to 1476.

Equally as impressive has been the reign of the Angels own impaler...Vladimir Guerrero.

See what I did there?

With two home runs against the Rays Monday night, Guerrero accomplished something that only five others have done...reached 400 career bombs while maintaining a .320 career batting average.

"He’s kind of a throwback," Giants manager Bruce Bochy once said about Guerrero. "You know, no batting gloves. It’s good old hardball with him."

So who are the other throwbacks you ask? Babe Ruth (.342 career average and 714 home runs), Jimmie Foxx (.325 and 534), Ted Williams (.344 and 521), Lou Gehrig (.340 and 493) and Stan Musial (.331 and 475).

The Lost Son of Havana

I'm not going to lie to you...I'm completely biased when it comes to Luis Tiant.

I'm jealous of his fabulous lip sweater, have a ball autographed by him in my office at work and believe he should have been the first Cuban enshrined in Cooperstown.

That being said...please be sure you check out the documentary "The Lost Son of Havana" when it pops up on ESPN.

Here's a review courtesy of Fang's Bites.

Did you hear the one about John Smoltz and the Hall of Fame?

Anyone that knows me knows that I like a good roast. That being said…here goes.

John Smoltz is so old that Joan Rivers should be roasting HIM!

Alright, alright…that was just a lame attempt to get that coveted Monday morning “Comedy Central Joan Rivers Roast” traffic through Google.

But seriously, roast aside, the weekend didn't really kicked turn out the way I would have hoped.

I went and saw “GI Joe” (which sucked WAY more than I anticipated it would), the Red Sox decided to let the Yankees have their way with them, and then, Smoltz was pretty much left for dead by Boston.

I’ve always been a Smoltz fan and was singing his praises big time when it was announced that he was going to suit up for the Sox and try and help lead them to their third World Series in six years.

It’s true.

It was here at The Hall where, in March, I thought he was going to have a good enough season to raise him from 16th (he entered the season at 3011) on the all-time strikeout list to 13th…leapfrogging Bob Gibson (3117), Pedro Martinez (3117) and Curt Schilling (3116) in the process!

And now it appears as though this might be the end.

Allow me sum up my current feelings for you.

Have you ever had a family dog that for years always ran free and then, out of the blue, you’re reminded of the fact that he’s been around for close to 21 years and you’re having to carry him outside so he can go to the bathroom?

THAT is how I am feeling about Smoltz right now.

Was he reliable?

Serviceable?

Yes and yes.

A Hall of Famer?

Perhaps.

Do any sort of online search and you’ll find PLENTY of people who are lauding Smoltz as a first ballot guy.

But is he?

Was he that good or did he just reap the benefits of hanging out alongside Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and the Braves dynasty (and yes, it was a dynasty) of the 90s?

Let’s break it down.

Right off the bat, Smoltz’s career record of 212-152 isn’t the most spectacular. But when you add in the four seasons where he came in from the bullpen (three seasons where you could consider him the most dominant closer in the National League), 212 wins AND 154 saves looks marvelous.

You could argue that without that stint as the Braves closer and a season lost to injury, we might be looking at a guy with 255 to 270 wins...a total which would put him in the same conversion (winswise) as Hall of Famers Jim Palmer (268), Bob Feller (266) and Bob Gibson (251).

As it is, Baseball-Reference has his four best comparisons as Kevin Brown, Curt Schilling, Bob Welch and Orel Hershiser and come on, Schilling aside, no one is mentioning any of them in the same discussion as the Hall of Fame.

But let’s not judge Smoltz on his win-loss record 154 saves (he is, along with Dennis Eckersley, the only pitcher to top both 200 wins and 150 saves), there is more to the man.

Last season, Smoltz became only the 16th member of the 3000 strikeout club and unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that only one Hall eligible pitcher (Bert Blyleven) north of the 3000 K mark is NOT in the Hall of Fame.

However, unlike Blyleven, Smoltz has brought home a Cy Young Award (he finished in the top five three times), was an eight time All-Star AND was absolutely spectacular in the post-season.

And that is what separates the men from the boys…Smoltz’s post-season achievements.

Say what you want to about the afore mentioned Schilling and his post-season accolades, Smoltz was close to unstoppable for the Braves going a combined 15-4 with a 2.65 ERA in 40 post-season games.

Most impressive is his 7-0 record and a 2.52 ERA after toeing the rubber 15 times during Divisional Series action.

In Atlanta’s 1995 Championship run, Smoltz, ironically, had his worst showing by being unable to win a game and having a 6.60 ERA (15.43 in the World Series) in just three appearances.

The next year though, Smoltz amassed 29 total victories if you add up his regular season, All-Star Game and post season wins. The only modern day hurler to best that total is Denny McLain and his 32 wins in 1968.

So back to the question at hand…is John Smoltz a Hall of Famer, much less a first ballot guy?

Yeah…probably.

There is something to be said for a pitcher that can go out there, put up 157 wins, a 3.35 ERA, miss an entire season (2000) due to Tommy John surgery and come back with a completely different mindset and delivery.

Smoltz changed up his legacy by establishing a National League record for saves (55 in 2002), and, in the process, becoming only the second pitcher in history (Eckersley, again, is the other) to have had both a 20 win and a 50 save season.

Admittedly, I’m all over the map when it comes to Hall of Fame endorsements. I’ve questioned the candidacy of Bert Blyleven, yet I’ve applauded both Orel Hershiser and David Cone.

But as far as Smoltz is concerned…I’m sold. I just wish he was on that same 2014 ballot alongside Maddux and Glavine.

It would only seem fitting, wouldn’t it?

Oh, to the eight of you that made it this far thanks to your Google search…welcome to The Hall of Very Good! And yes…I feel terrible that I contributed to the massive $56 million haul “GI Joe” took in this weekend.