And Now You Know!: Closing Time

Why is Brad Lidge still closing for the Phillies? He is only going to cost them a big game in the playoffs a la Albert Pujols style. It seems inevitable for this Phillies team that how deep they can go in the playoffs depends on the arm of one player. Who said that baseball was a team sport?

Closers have taken on a prestigious role in sports with the spotlight focused squarely on them to get a mere three outs. They are supposed to have ice in their veins and be unfazed during clutch moments. Yet despite the basic prerequisites to be a closer many often fail over a dozen times a year. Imagine if you failed at your job, the key essential of your job over a dozen times a year and caused your whole team or group a setback, where would you be?

The save became an official stat in baseball in 1969 and its been a measuring stick of the most clutch pitchers of all time with Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera atop that list. But what about those guys who simply prove to be not clutch and the teams that stuck with them for an entire season?

The record for most saves blown in a single year is 14. (Goose Gossage has more blown saves in his career than any other player with 112.) It is held by 4 players- Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Bob Stanley, and Ron Davis.

1976- Rollie Fingers: 13-11, 20 saves, 2.47 ERA ( missed playoffs by 2.5 games)
1978- Bruce Sutter: 8-10, 27 saves, 3.18 ERA (missed playoffs by 11 games)
1983- Bob Stanley: 8-10, 33 saves, 2.85 ERA (missed playoffs by 20 games)
1984- Ron Davis: 7-11, 29 saves, 4.55 ERA (missed playoffs by 3 games)

The one thing that all four of these players have in common is a relatively low ERA considering they blew 14 saves. But what about these 8 players.

1979- Gene Garber: 6-16, 25 saves, 4.33 ERA
1979- Mike Marshall: 10-15, 32 saves, 2.65 ERA
2003- Mike Williams: 1-7, 28 saves, 6.14 ERA
2003- Jose Mesa: 5-7, 24 saves, 6.52 ERA
2004- Shawn Chacon: 1-9, 35 saves, 7.11 ERA
2006- Derrick Turnbow: 4-9, 24 saves, 6.87 ERA
2009- Matt Capps: 3-7, 23 saves, 6.38 ERA
2009- Brad Lidge: 0-6, 25 saves, 7.33 ERA

Clearly, Shawn Chacon has had the worst season by a closer, ever. The Rockies missed the playoffs by 24 games. Coincidentally, it was 2004 in which Brad Lidge went 6-5 with 29 saves and a mere 1.90 ERA. But 2004 was the year in which Pujols set Brad Lidge's career back.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

And Now You Know!: NFL Percentages

It is getting close to the NFL season as fantasy leagues are starting up and training camp is in full swing. In a week or so the first preseason games will be underway and 32 teams will embark on the road to the Super Bowl.

Last year of course provided us with a great Super Bowl between the Cardinals and Steelers and both teams looked poised to return to the playoffs as they should. Only twice in the past 20 years have the two teams faced off in the Super Bowl failed to make it to the playoffs the following year. They happened to be after SB XXXV (Ravens and Giants) and XXXVI (Patriots and Rams).

Of the past 18 Super Bowl winners, 66% of those teams find their way back to the playoffs the following year whereas the Super Bowl losers make it back to the playoffs just 50% of the time. In an era of free agency, draft, and alleged parody, it seems as if those numbers are a bit high, but it's not.

If more than 1/3 of the league makes the playoffs every year (12 of the 32 teams) then it means that some teams will get back to the playoffs more likely than not. It was also somewhat surprising to see that of the 36 teams that made it to the Super Bowl the last 18 years, 6 of them went back to the Super Bowl the following year or 1 out of every 6 years we see a team repeat as a competitor in the Super Bowl.

Sure the regular season matters, even if near 60% of the teams in the playoffs the year before make it the following year but if the same teams are making the playoffs all the time why aren't the same teams winning?

We all know the best team doesn't always win the Super Bowl (a la Giants 2007) but should the NFL consider a best of 3 to determine the Champion? Maybe I am getting carried away but without doing any research on any team this year and looking at last year's playoff teams (Cardinals, Falcons, Chargers, Colts, Dolphins, Ravens, Eagles, Vikings, Panthers, Titans, Steelers, and Giants) I can guess and say that all but the Falcons, Eagles, Titans, Dolphins, and Ravens will be back in the playoffs this year.

The odds that 2 teams that weren't in the playoffs last year compete for the Super Bowl this year are actually decent considering the numbers. 1/3 of the teams competing in the Super Bowl over the past 18 years did not make the playoffs from the year before. And three times neither team competing in the same Super Bowl made the playoffs from the year before.

The numbers may be confusing but if I were to give my Super Bowl Prediction right now, it would be the Patriots versus the Cardinals based on pure percentages of past Super Bowls. Then again, that is why they play the game and we will have to wait and see come February, but If I am right, don't think I won't come back to this post and try and better explain my math wizardry.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

Fantasy NASCAR: Brickyard 400

The most prestigious race track in the world will be occupied by nearly 300,000 spectators this weekend when the NASCAR series takes to Indianapolis. Since 1994 the series had made their annual stop in the middle of the summer whereas the Indy circuit stops here during Memorial Day Weekend. The winners of the Brickyard 400 are a list of who's who. From Jeff Gordon to Bill Elliot the best drivers show up to race and at the end, kiss the bricks.

The drivers are coming off of a bye week in preparation for this event. Teams have had time to set up and tweak as much as they can. Now it is showtime on this 2.5-mile track. It's a long flat track with four distinct turns making the track look much like a square rather than an oval. Consider this the Kentucky Derby of NASCAR and here's how the hundreds of horses finish.

1. Jimmie Johnson - It's a coin-flip for me. How can you go against Jimmie Johnson. He won here last year and in 2006. Last year Johnson started on the pole and won. It all depends on where Johnson starts. When he starts 10th or worse his average finish is 28th when he starts 9th or better his average finish is 14th.
2. Tony Stewart - Then again, how can you go against Tony Stewart. He won in 2005 & 2007. He is an Indianapolis boy and has been the best driver by far this year. In the last 10 races here he is 2nd in points with 6 top 10s.
3. Mark Martin - If Tony Stewart is the best driver this year then Mark Martin is the hottest. All the pieces are falling together and with some great Hendrick Motors parts and excellent teammates, his confidence is at an all time high. Over the last 10 races here Martin is 4th in points with 5 top-10 finishes.
4. Jamie McMurray - The Wild Card. In six career races here he has finished in the top-10 in three of them. In 2007 McMurray finished 21 laps down, the only time he has failed to finish on the lead lap. I have a feeling about him coming on strong this week.
5. Matt Kenseth - Another Roush Racing car to finish in the top 5. Remember way back when at the beginning of the year when he won the first two races? Well mark this race as the race that gets him off the bubble as he currently sits 12th in points. In 9 races Kenseth has 4 top 5's.

And Now You Know!: Perfection

Amazing how last week we were talking about no-hitters and this week, perfect games. Where do I begin with such a feat? Mark Buehrle threw his second no-hitter of his career on Thursday afternoon. But there's more to it than that. Buehrle is the only pitcher to throw three complete game shutouts in which he faced the minimum 27 batters. He walked a batter during his other no-hitter in 2007 only to get a double-play and in 2004 he gave up 2 hits but induced 2 double plays.

Seven different players have had a clean game, facing the minimum 27 batters while allowing 3 or more hits. John Candelaria is the only pitcher to give up 4 hits during a game in 1982 while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Candelaria induced 3 double plays and had one caught stealing.

In 1999 Roger Clemens pitched 8.2 innings, giving up 4 hits and 1 walk while facing 27 batters. Had Clemens not given up a 2-out hit to pinch-hitter Marty Cordova in the 9th, he would have faced the minimum with 3 hits and a walk and only 2 double plays.

48 pitchers since 1954 have thrown games in which they have faced the minimum 27 batters. No pitcher has ever faced 26 in a complete game (see batting out of order). Since 1904 just 16 pitchers have thrown perfect games, who will be the next?

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

And Now You Know!: Baloney Maloney

On the heels of Brian Doyle's article about Johnathan Sanchez' no-hitter the other day it got me thinking of what the worst no-hitter was in baseball. How is it possible to throw the worst no-hitter? I thought A.J Burnett's 9-walk no-hitter back in 2001 was despicable but i delved a bit deeper to find if anyone else was worse. Here's what I found.

Back on Aug 19, 1965 All-Star pitcher Jim Maloney was in the midst of his only All-Star season with the Cincinnati Reds. It was the second game of a double-header against the Cubs who featured Ernie Banks and Ron Santo. Maloney carried his no-hitter all the way through til the 10th inning in which he withstood long enough to help his team win a 1-0 battle.

So he is the only pitcher to ever throw a 10-inning no-hitter. In fact no other pitcher has thrown 9+ innings of no-hit ball. What makes this appearance so bad though is that he faced 40 batters. That would be 10 over the minimum, aka 10 walks. The only double-play he induced was the one that ended the game in the 10th innings. In the bottom of the ninth he left runners stranded at 2nd and 3rd before he induced a pop fly to the shortstop to send the game to extras. Maloney did have 12 strikeouts but he faced two more batters than the opposing pitcher who also threw a complete game. Ernie Banks went 0-5 in the no-hitter.

Another interesting no-hit bid by Maloney came in 1964 when Maloney pitched 10 innings of no-hit ball against the Mets. Unfortunately for him, the game went to the 11th inning when Johnny Lewis, the right-fielder for the Mets led off the 11th with a home run. It was only his 3rd home run of his career as Lewis would only hit 22 in his 4-year service with MLB. Ironically Lewis would hit more home runs, 3, off Maloney than any other pitcher in his short career, including his last of his homers. Maloney had 18 strikeouts in the 11-inning affair.

I had one other candidate aside from Maloney for worst no-hitter and that came off the arm of Ken Johnson. You can't really blame the Houston righty who went 11-16 in 1964. On April 23, 1964, Johnson threw 9-innings with 9 strikeouts and just 2 walks. A great performance but yet he got the loss. The only time a pitcher has thrown a no-hitter and got the loss.


Here's how it happened:

Top of the 9th in a tie game, Pete Rose steps in against Johnson and dribbles one back to him, Johnson goes to throw to first and throws it away allowing Rose to second. Two batters later an error by future Hall of Famer and second baseman, Nellie Fox allowed Pete Rose to score.

Ultimately it was Johnson's own error that led to the loss so he will go down in infamy as one of the worst no-hitters and only no-hit loss.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

And Now You Know!: The Derby

The home run derby is coming up this week and many consider it the best exhibition event in all of sports. Why not? SportsCenter highlights every home run hit and the most important record in sports in highlighted by the number 755 (unless you think that the new record is 762). I don't even have to tell you what 755 represents but it is a meter of the most spectacular individual event in a game over a career.

Participants from both leagues line up to launch balls into fans of all ages with their own baseball gloves. Since 1985 this exhibition has been a part of All-Star week and all but a handful who have won the event are hall-of-famers or soon to be by the end of their career (excluding those snubbed by voters for PEDs). Griffey Jr. is the only multiple winner of this event, winning 3 times.

Looking back at this event, especially recently, it isn't the big names that you'd typically expect to walk away with the hardware at the end of the night.

2008- Justin Morneau
2007- Vladimir Guerrero
2006- Ryan Howard
2005- Bobby Abreu
2004- Miguel Tejada
2003- Garret Anderson
2002- Jason Giambi
2001- Luis Gonzalez
2000- Sammy Sosa

Sure they are big names that anyone would recognize but these guys don't typically finish the year near the top. Take last year's winner, Morneau. He entered the contest with just 14 HR and finished the year with 23. Vlad entered with 14 HR also and finished the year with 27 in 2007. Howard was an exception in 06 but Abreu only had 18 HR at the break and just 24 to finish the year. Tejada 15 at break/34 at season's end. Anderson 22/29. Giambi 22/41. Gonzalez 35/57. Sosa 23/50. The only guy to lead the league in home runs since 2000 was Howard in 2006. (Griffey did it back-to-back years in 1998-99).

In 2005 Pudge Rodriguez was a runner up after having just 6 HR at the break.

Since 1995 Ryan Howard is the only guy to win the HR derby and MVP in the same season. So is it irony or just that the HR derby messes up a player's swing and potentially their season? Players are backing out before they are even asked. As of the posting of this article there had been no official announcement of AL participants. Can MLB afford this egg on their face or will we be forced to watch Adam Jones, Robinson Cano, Nick Green, and Ryan Freel participate on Monday? I hope not. As long as it's not the likes of Jason Bay, Brett Boone, or Troy Glaus, just a few of the guys who have laid their own egg in the Derby.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

And Now You Know!: NASCAR HOF

Finally, the nominations are in for the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class. How many people can you put in an inaugural hall of fame class? That is the debate brewing in NASCAR these days. The first class won't be until 2010 but with so many historic drivers in the last 50+ years, can they all go in first-class?

MLB had five in their first class. There was Cobb, Ruth, Wagner, Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. These five players received the required 75% of the vote to get into the hall. Lately, it seems as if only a few players each year are elected into the Hall as voters are very cautious who they let into the fraternity of brothers.

In the NBA in 1959 there was an inaugural induction class consisting of 15 players, coaches, referees, and contributors along with the First Team and the Original Celtics. Not exactly a list of the big names going in on the first ballot for the NBA, in fact the only name you might recognize is Dr. James Naismith. Every year the NBA lets in a half-dozen or so members as their Hall expands exponentially.

The NHL opened their doors in 1945 allowing 12 players to enter on first ballot along with two builders of the game. Of those 14members, it'd be hard to find one name that stood out amongst all others but at the time the NHL felt all men were worthy of the Hall.

In the Pro Football Hall of Fame it consists of more than just the NFL's short existence. The Hall of fame opened it's doors in 1963 shortly around the time of the merger. The inaugural class had 17 members some more prolific than others including Jim Thorpe, George Halas, and Red Grange, to name a few.

So that brings us back to the NASCAR inaugural class. Is there something to be said about being the first drivers in? Well looking back across the other four major sports in the United States, one would see that MLB appears to be the most strict when allowing members in and maybe NASCAR will follow suit. The nominees though are essentially the top 25 drivers of all time with the exception of possibly Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart?

From Dale Earnhart to Bobby Allison and Cale Yarborough or Richard Petty, the list of these top 25 drivers will all eventually get into the Hall of Fame so would it be wrong to put them all in right away?

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

Fantasy NASCAR: Lenox Industrial Tools 301

Welcome home, so to speak. The NASCAR series heads to New Hampshire this weekend, a track I am more than familiar with. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend this race but I must say, no matter what the track a NASCAR event is truly an event one must attend to enjoy. I get excited thinking about going, the people, the entertainment, and the pure smell of gasoline and rubber.

New Hampshire faces what would be a difficult task given today's economic woes. The track has sold out for 27 consecutive races and is close to selling out for #28. Where other tracks this year have failed to sellout New Hampshire is still holding strong as the only race in New England.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway is only a mile long and it is unique in which the turns are relatively flat. The track is wide enough for passing all around which makes for excitement at every turn. Ford typically dominates at this track but has only won once here in the last eight races. Here's how it should all break down come Sunday.

1- Jeff Burton: One of the most successful drivers at this track. Although he hasn't won here in nearly a decade Burton has been one of the top finishers here constantly. He has more wins, 4, than any driver here and 13 top-10 finishes. Burton sits 15th in points and can easily jump into the top 12 with a win on Sunday.
2- Kurt Busch: I'll be honest, I'm not a big Kurt Busch fan but he shows up when they race here. He won both races here in 2004 and again for last year's spring race. It doesn't matter for Busch where he is in the points, he knows this track well. Expect him to finish in the top-5.
3- Jimmie Johnson: Johnson has the 3rd best career average finish here at NHMS, 9.9. He won this race back-to-back times in 2003 and in 14 races has 9 top-10 finishes. The last time he finished outside the top-10 here was in 2006. Last year he led 96 laps in route to a 2nd place finish.
4- Martin Truex Jr.: No driver has accumulated more points here than Truex Jr. In the last four races he has finished 7,4,5,3. Truex has had a strong year overall and a top-5 finish is not out of the realm for this team.
5- Mark Martin: Martin has never had a DNF at this track in 24 races, the only driver to hold that claim. He has never won here and this hasn't been his best track but with six straight top-15 finishes and a great year thus far it would be no surprise to see Martin competing near the front all day long.

Fantasy NASCAR: Save Mart 350

The series this weekend takes to the first road course of the year. A road course is a completely different beast for those who are used to turning left only. This week the teams are in Sonoma, California for the Save Mart 350. It's a 2.5-mile track with 12 turns including a horseshoe turn right before the start finish line. For those not accustomed to road races this one may not be the most exciting but it brings a whole new skill level to racing.

This weekend you will see new guys near the front of the pack. Some drivers are signed onto teams just for this race. These drivers excel at road racing better than regular tracks and have the ability to maneuver the car in and out of turns where other drivers are unfamiliar with breaking so often. Over the past eight years at Sonoma there have been six different winners. Usually you stick to the top name drivers but road courses are the exception. Here's how it will play out.

1. Tony Stewart - I sound like a broken record but seriously, when you're hot you stick with what is working for you and Tony Stewart has been on fire lately. Stewart has won here twice over the past eight years and is a former Indy Car driver used to racing road tracks. Stewart has more points than any other driver at this track over the past 10 races. Everything is clicking for him. The only thing to keep him from winning is an inexperienced driver crashing into him.

2. Jeff Gordon - Gordon has been in a bit of a slump lately but this is what we call a 'slump buster'. Gordon has the second most points over the past 10 races here and has more wins, 5, than any other driver at this track. Gordon is one of the best, if not the best, driver in NASCAR today. He succeeds at every track especially on the road courses. This could jump start him going into the last 10 races of the regular season.

3. Elliot Sadler - Sadler starts eight at Infineon Raceway and over the last 10 races only two other drivers have accumulated more points at this track than him. Sadler races a full season but this is a track in which he makes his biggest splash and earns the most money for his team. You can bet that anything outside of the top 5 will be a disappointment for him.

4. Juan Pablo Montoya - Juan Paubs has always been a road racing guy. His first NASCAR win came on a road course in Mexico. Coming from Indy Car racing he is a very skilled driver on this course. He won here two years ago after starting in 32nd, no other driver has finished further back in the pack to win here.

5. Borris Said - Said hasn't raced all year but comes out of the woodwork for this race. Over the past eight races at this track, Said has the 7th best points total. He is a road track warrior and you will hear a lot of his name on Sunday even if you've never heard of him before. Also keep an eye out for Robby Gordon. Said starts 9th.

And Now You Know!: Pudge

This week I witnessed first hand a record that may never be broken again. Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez is now the All-Time leader in game caught and he did it in front of the fans that have supported him the most in Texas, the Rangers fans. 2227 is a Number that will stick with me just because I was there for the game and the celebration of sorts when he set the record. Many people might brush this aside but in today's game where catchers play for a few years and then switch positions or don't play for 20 years it is quite an impressive stat.

A humble person for 10+ years in Texas and a journey man for the next few years, Pudge was back in Arlington where it all began. He surpassed Carlton Fisk's record of 2226 games caught and might have a few years left to add to his record. Pudge, at the beginning of the year made a name for himself in the World Baseball Classic, and has become a middle of the road catcher in the Fantasy Leagues this year with hard work and dedication. When others wrote him off he continued to work hard to prove he still had what it took to be an everyday catcher.

A quick look at Rodriguez's career will show you a man with 13 gold gloves, 14 all-star appearances, and a career +.300 hitter with 301 HR and an MVP in 1999. He alone has recorded near 14000 putouts with a fielding percentage of over .991 in his career. Sometimes we have to look past the offensive numbers to find a players worth to the game. Pudge has certainly gone above all of that.

In 1994 when he broke into the league he came in 4th in the Rookie of the Year voting, behind Chuck Knoblauch, Juan Guzman, and Milt Cuyler, all guys who will never see the Hall of Fame. In 1999 he surpased Pedro Martinez in winning the MVP, a year in which Pedro pitched the best season any pitcher has ever thrown relative to the league.

Aside from catcher and a handful of games at DH, Pudge has played a total of eight games between first and second in his career. Some claim that he is athletic enough to play every position on the field and has an arm strong enough to pitch. He is a stand up guy on and off the field with fans and charities. His accomplishments have slid under the radar in the mainstream of sports today but should not be brushed aside.

I usually have some interesting story or astonishing facts to throw out about players or trends in history but Pudge doesn't need any glaring numbers to explain what type of player he is. Fans of my generation will remember him as a great player and a staple of the past two decades of what baseball is all about. I would rank him in the top 3 all time catchers and easily in the top 100 baseball players. A lot is left to statistics but when you meet a player and see that they don't let money or fame change who they are, there is something to be said about what the game of baseball is all about.

2227, a unique number that will stand out to me as much as 755 or 2131. Here's to Pudge Rodriguez and what he has meant to the game of baseball. Hopefully when all is said and done others will reflect upon the impact he has left on MLB.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

Fantasy NASCAR: LifeLock 400

We are just 12 races away from the Chase in which the top 12 drivers will compete for the Sprint Cup. There is still a lot to be determined as just 155 points separate drivers 9-16. This weekend the teams head to Michigan International Speedway. Since 2000, there have been 17 races here and 12 different winners. This weekend could be a big weekend for some drivers looking to help secure a spot.

Michigan is a D-Shaped 2-mile track wide enough for three-car racing all around. Its a fast track with speeds reaching near 200 mph. In 1998 in a CART race, three spectators were killed after an accident caused debris to fly into the stands, fortunately there haven't been any NASCAR wrecks of that magnitude here and you aren't likely to see "The Big One" that you see at Daytona or Talladega.

1. Greg Biffle - The cards are stacked for Biffle. First, Ford has won more times at this track, 31 times, than any other car and Roush Fenway Racing has 11 victories of their own. Biffle won back-to-back times in 2004-05 and starts in the middle of the pack in 20th. This is his race to lose. Biffle has 7 top-10 finishes at MIS.

2. Tony Stewart- There is no hotter driver in NASCAR and the current point leader starts 11th on Sunday. His average finish at this track is 12.4. A driver's confidence is crucial in a track like this one. I should list him to finish 1a rather than 2nd. When a driver is hot you can throw away the numbers. But looking at the numbers he has 9 top-5 finishes here.

3. Kurt Busch- Busch last won here in 2007 and prior to that in 2003. His average finish here is 13.5 and has 37 top-5 finishes at intermediate tracks. He dropped a spot last week in the standings but is poised to rebound as he starts 5th on Sunday.

4. Carl Edwards- Edwards is on the rise lately as he jumped up 5 spots in the standings after last weekends race. He has been quiet all season long but is finally getting things going at the best time. Although he starts 29th he has not always been a man to start near the top. Another Roush Fenway Ford is a lock for the top 5. Edwards has 5 top-5 finishes and is the top active driver in average finishes, finishing on average 6.6

5. Mark Martin - He has finished on the leap lap at this track a record 31 times but has never brought home a win. Martin starts near the back of the field and the worst starting position for an eventual winner is 28th. It'll be tough for Martin to get a win but a top-5 finish is not out of the realm. Martin sits 13th in points and a great finish could push him into the top 10.

And Now You Know!: Sky King

Could David Ortiz be out of his slump or is he just thriving versus Yankee pitching? He has three homeruns in the past five games and his batting average has climbed nearly 20 points in the past week. Granted he is still batting just .203 with 4 curtain calls (aka homeruns) but if history tells us anything, he has plenty of time to make this a great year.

I rewind back to 1982 when a man by the name of Dave Kingman led the league in homeruns with 37. This just five years removed from when the Sky King hit 48 homeruns but what made 1982 so special is that Kingman led the league in homeruns while hitting a mere .204. Barely getting over the Mendoza line but lasting the entire season succeeding just 20% of the time at the plate.

33% of Kingman's hits that year were homeruns and he surprisingly had 99 rbis, almost 1 per hit. Things weren't so promising though as he led the league in strikeouts with 50 more strikeouts than hits that year. That year Steve Carlton, the Cy Young award winner, hit .218. The Sky King never once batted over .300 the entire season.

So as we jump on David Ortiz, we realize that there is still hope for him. Looking back to last year alone Carlos Delgado was batting .228 by June 1 with just 8 HR. Mets fans and fantasy owners were writing him off. Over the next 4 months Delgado increased his batting average nearly 50 points and finished the season with 38 HR, 115 RBI, and finished 9th in the MVP voting.

Here's where we stand with Ortiz just 60 games into the season. He has 5 HR, 24 RBI, and has struck out just 55 times. Are things turning around? There is plenty of time. If the Sky King can hit .204 and lead the league in homeruns then there is still hope for Ortiz.

On a side note, wasn't there a curse that some construction worker tried placing on Yankee Stadium by burying David Ortiz's uniform?

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

And Now You Know!: Longevity

We were treated to something special in sports this past week, a college baseball game that went 25 innings, over 7 hours long. Some people would consider that to be worse than watching paint dry but just looking at the stats, one has to be in awe. A relief pitcher for Texas threw 13 innings, including 12.1 of no-hit baseball with 14 strikeouts recorded throughout his 169 pitches. Boston College went just 8-for-80 in the loss. Then again, if I'm going to hate on Syracuse and UConn, I really can't praise this game. But what the heck.

So what other long and torturous games have occurred in baseball history? Well just over 25 years ago the longest MLB game was played between the White Sox and Brewers. In a game that went 25 innings and over 8 hours long, the White Sox pulled out a 7-6 victory after the game was suspended to the next day due to time limitations and a game in which both teams scored 3 runs in the 21st inning. It seems as if every Red Sox vs. Yankees game goes 8 hours but almost 3 years ago the two teams played in the longest 9-inning game lasting 4-hours and 45-minutes. The Yankees were victorious, 14-11.

Ironically the longest MLB game by innings was one 26-inning game back in 1920. In a game between Boston and Brooklyn the game lasted a mere 3-hours and 50 minutes but was called in the 26th inning due to darkness and the two teams left the field at 7 p.m. in a 1-1 tie never to be settled.

Still not long enough for me though, so how about we head to the minors where things really get interesting. On April 18, 1981, the Pawtucket Red Sox took on then minor league affiliate of the Orioles, the Rochester Red Wings in a grueling 33-inning affair that was suspended at 4 in the morning only to be resumed on June 23rd and decided within 18 minutes of playing. This game epic game included Hall of Fame members Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr.. Boggs went 4-12 while Ripken was 2-13. The losing pitcher Steve Grilli, father of Seton Hall alum and current Colorado Rockie Jason Grilli, was not on the Red Wings when the game first started.

Meanwhile, speaking of long games, the Boston's Men's Baseball League holds a 100 Inning Charity Event for Curt's Pitch for ALS. The game usually takes a day-and-a-half to complete with nearly 200 people participating. All donations go to Curt Schilling's foundation.

Should baseball games have ties or is there something exciting about a timeless game? Well there certainly isn't anything exciting about a tie game.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing Is Half the Battle)

Fantasy NASCAR: Autism Speaks 400

After a disappointing rained out race weekend last weekend we move forward to Dover, Delaware for the Autism Speaks 400. This 1-mile track has an abundance of history and no driver has won two races in a row since 2003 when Ryan Newman won both races in 2003. Three of the past four races here have been won by a different car company with Dodge not winning since... 2003. This race used to be 500 miles long until NASCAR limited 500-mile races for tracks longer than 1-mile. With all the history here is what I see going on this Sunday.

1- Kyle Busch: He won here last June and to be honest, he is due. I have this feeling that he will break out this weekend. In 8 career races here he has 5 top 5 finishes. That is amazing considering that 3 of the last 5 races here he has finished 43, 40, & 17th. Last year he finished last because of a bad engine, but I feel good about this with him starting 6th.

2- Matt Kenseth: His name really hasn't been mentioned since he won the first two races of the year, but I am putting him back on the map. Over the past 10 races at this track, who has led more laps than Kenseth? No one. He won here in 2006 and his team has been trying to piece together what they had early in the season. Kenseth knows this track and starts 14th. Welcome back to the top-5.

3- Tony Stewart: I am still sold on him. He is my favorite driver and you have to go back to 2000 to find the last time he won here. In fact he won both races in 2000. Those stats are irrelevant now but when a driver is hot, you don't get off the bandwagon. His stats at this track don't add up to a top-5 finish but you go with the hot driver.

4- Mark Martin: Speaking of hot drivers, how about Mark Martin. Let's be honest, you were expecting a "Morgan Sheppard" type year (If you don't know who he is look him up). Over the last 10 races at Dover, he is 2nd amongst active drivers. So while he was struggling the past few years he was still succeeding at Dover. NASCAR is a skill sport but age is irrelevant. Martin has it even at the age of 50.

5- Greg Biffle: Biffle is that guy that has the most points over the last 10 races at Dover. Two wins and five top 10s during that span can't be matched. Biffle starts 5th on Sunday and should stay up near the top the entire race. Biffle has been quiet all year but this might as well be a breakout weekend for some of the quiet guys. Dover is a special track to most drivers with the history it possesses and Biffle will captialzie.

And Now You Know!: The Big Train

I had a recent discussion with a fellow baseball fan and we spoke about 300 wins by a pitcher. Are we about to witness the last time it will ever happen, assuming Randy Johnson gets one win by season's end? Think about that, what if I told you that tomorrow morning would be the last time the sun would rise? You would probably want to watch it, granted Randy Johnson is on a lower level of things happening in comparison to the sun never rising again, but still, its a big deal for a baseball fan.

A look at anyone close would point to Jamie Moyer (249 wins) to be next, but that won't happen. Someone like Roy Halladay has 139 wins at age 32 after 12 season. Unlikely he'll see 250. Andy Pettitte has 219 wins and the list of guys who won't come close grows longer and longer. You have to look to the young guys to find anyone with a possibility. One guy who sticks out is Roy Oswalt. Oswalt has 130 wins in 9 seasons. He would need 10 more years averaging 17 wins, which coincidentally is his 162 game average.

So with no one getting close to the 23 guys already with 300 wins I take a second to talk about the guy in second all-time in wins with 417 wins, trailing only Cy Young's 511. The Big Train Walter Johnson had numbers that are inconceivable.

The Big Train played for just one team his entire career while amassing the 417 victories. From 1907-1927 he suited up for the Washington Senators. His fastball was unlike any other of his time, topping 90 MPH. Hitters were amazed by the smooth motion and rapid approach of the ball. He collected over 3,500 strikeouts, a record which stood for over 50 years. 110 shutouts, most in MLB history including pitching three straight shutouts versus the NY Highlanders at one point.

All those stats are great but which one of the following is more amazing. The fact that over his 20 year career he only gave up 97 homeruns in nearly 6000 innings pitched. Or that he went 42-97 (.433) hitting in 1925? It is amazing that there is no award for pitchers called the "Walter Johnson Award" a la Cy Young Award. In 1913 he went 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA when the leagues ERA was nearly 2.5 times that. It is judged by some as the most impressive single season pitching ever.

So as we prepare for the 300th victory by The Big Unit, lets pause for a second, listen to Tim Kurkjian on ESPN give a monologue with sorrowful music in the background, and wonder if we will ever see this again.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

Fantasy NASCAR: Coca Cola 600

This race is one of my favorite races of the year. It is the longest race distance wise and it comes on the heels of the Indy 500 in the afternoon. A couple years ago drivers such as Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon used to attempt to race both the Indy 500 in the afternoon and then fly to Charlotte to race the Coca Cola 600. A total of 1100 miles in the day. For me this race kicks off summer. It's Memorial Day weekend and it's time to go racing.

We saw last weekend in the All-Star event Tony Stewart capture victory in an exciting race to the finish. It served as a practice run for every team to see how their car would handle at night and allowed them to make the right adjustments before this weekend.

This race will test a driver's abilities and endurance. During the pit stops drivers will be topping off their gas tanks as well as grabbing a bite to eat periodically. It gives a whole new meaning to "Fast Food". Over the 50 year track history, no Toyota has won a Sprint Cup Race. Toyota has claimed victory in the Nationwide Series but never in the big show. Could things change this weekend at the 1.5 mile track? Here are my top 5 drivers for Sunday night's race.

1. Tony Stewart- When you are on a roll and you've just won $1 million, you don't go against the best horse. Stewart just celebrated his 38th birthday and a great way for him to celebrate would to bring home his first official victory for his race team, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart now has 8 top 10 finishes in 11 races this year and will continue his hot streak on Sunday. The winner of the All-Star race has gone on to win the Coca-Cola 600 six times, most recently Kasey Kahne last year.

2. Jimmie Johnson- It seems as if every track the series stops at, Jimmie Johnson is one of the active all-time points leaders at that track. Johnson won here 5 times in a 6 race span from 2003-05. He knows this track and his average finish over the last 10 races here is 7.7. Johnson starts 5th and was 2nd quickest in practice.

3. Ryan Newman- If you saw the end of last week's race you'll know that Ryan Newman found his way to the top with a handful of laps remaining and probably should have won if not for the aggressive driving of Kyle Busch. You have to believe that as Tony Stewart's teammate that he is getting the same information that Tony is and that can only help him. Newman sits on the pole for Sunday night's race and was 9th quickest in the first practice run. I like him to have a great race.

4. Mark Martin- The 50-year old is doing wonders this season and is not letting up anytime soon. Martin is a savvy veteran of this track. He first won here in 1992, or in other words, when Kyle Busch was just 7-years old. What more can you say about this guy? He starts 4th and had the fastest practice session. Over the last 10 races here Martin has raced the 6th most laps, staying in contention each and every time. He is a three-time winner at Lowe's and would love to make it 4.

5. Kasey Kahne- Speaking of 3-time winners, this has to be Kahne's favorite track. 3 of his career 9 victories have come here at Lowe's Speedway including winning the Coca-Cola 600 twice. As defending champion he starts 6th on Sunday night is the only Dodge car to win here since 2003. If you aren't going to go with a Chevy driver I would sit heavily on Kasey Kahne.

And Now You Know!: Color Psychology in Sports

This past weekend the Texas Rangers hosted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and elected to wear their new red jerseys all weekend long, much to the dismay of the Angels players who prefer red on the road as opposed to their gray tops. Was it gamesmanship by the Rangers to wear their red tops? This wasn't the first time they had a "Red-Out Weekend", so maybe it was just ironic that both teams typically wear red.

The more I started thinking about the red uniforms the more it donned on me that this was more than a fashion choice in order to sell more jerseys (Red jerseys are outselling all others 5:1). This is part of a grander scheme, one that has been quietly coming forward but hardly noticed.

Why Red? It's simple. Anyone who has heard of color psychology knows that black means death, yellow-happy, green-earthy, etc. etc. But what does Red symbolize? To summarize, red is the color of intensity. Studies have shown that when one looks at red their hearts tend to beat faster, red tends to nullify other colors and if a person is wearing red they look bigger and bolder, causing intimidation. So could MLB teams be taking to other factors in baseball aside from sabermetric stats?

A common theme in sports, particularly the University of Iowa's visiting football locker room. It is painted pink. Pink helps tranquilize those who see it and makes them more peaceful. You might say it has helped the Hawkeyes to a 38-8 (.826) home record since 2002. When you look at conference foe Michigan and their record at the Big House, one of the toughest places to play, you'll see that Michigan is a mere 36-12 (.750) at home since 2002.
Back to the jersey tops in baseball. Would you be surprised if I told you that 5 of the last 7 World Series winners had red in their jersey tops as a prominent color (Phillies, Red Sox, Cardinals, Red Sox, Angels)? Now, that may not explain the Yankees and their 26 Championship rings since you couldn't find a hint of red in their stadium let alone on their jerseys. But if you go back to 1995, after the strike, 11 of the 28 teams featured in the World Series have had some amounts of Red in their jerseys.

The same cannot be said in other professional sports but maybe its because there isn't a long duration of 1-on-1 much like that of a pitcher-hitter combination. Sure there's 1-on-1 in the NBA or a DB-WR in the NFL, but for a mere few seconds at a time. I could be on to something here. Look at what the Rangers are doing this year since bringing back the red tops. Anyone want to venture to say that they make it to the World Series?

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

Fantasy NASCAR: All-Star Weekend

We aren't half way through the year but yet here is the All-Star weekend for NASCAR. How do you have an all-star event when you don't have teams and essesntially every weekend is an all-star event?

It is a race open to race winners (either as a driver or a car owner) from the previous season as well as the current season, plus the past ten event winners and past decade's Cup Series champions. Drivers are also eligible if they are one of the top two finishers in the Sprint Showdown qualifying race (a 40-lap race in two 20-lap segments for drivers not qualified for the main event) or remain on the lead lap in the Sprint Showdown and get the most votes in a fan vote.

Here is what that means. There are 18 guys competing this Saturday night for $1 million. That's it. No points, just money. It serves as a practice for next weeks big event, the Coca Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but this weekend is still a fun exhibition and allows drivers to pull out all the stops for just money.

So with no fantasy points on the line this weekend I offer a few ways they could modify this All-Star weekend, in order to make it more exciting.

1- They already have the pit crew challenge in which pit crews compete for the fastest time.


It is much like the NBA Skills Challege. But lets make it more like the NBA and add a contest with judges. Who has the best victory celebration? Drivers compete doing flips, burnouts, bows, or anything else that would entertain the crowd and judges. It'd be interesting to see a 1-mile burn out.

2- A tag-team event. Take two drivers, picked at random to compete together in a race. Driver transfer and all as the race goes on. Thing of it as an Olympic event, 2 x 400, or something like that.

3- Let a fan drive a car with these guys. Let your imagination play this one out and see that it would be quite entertaining. He or she will sign a waiver and we'll see just how skillful the other drivers are.

These are just some things that could be played out for all-star weekend. Leave your comments on what you would like to see.

And Now You Know!: Hit Streaks

Ryan Zimmerman's hit streak came to an end at 30 games, just the 53rd player in MLB history to have one go that long. But I was curious to know more about hit streaks. Who had the longest hit streak before Joe DiMaggio? Was there anything interesting about DiMaggio's streak? Heck, DiMaggio doesn't hold the baseball record for longest streak. DiMaggio's 56-game streak wasn't even his longest. Read on.

For starters, here is a breakdown of Zimmerman's 30 game hit streak.
-The first glaring stat is that the Nationals went 10-19 during his streak. You might ask yourself how is that possible? Back on May 5th the Nationals game ended or was suspended in a 10-10 tie with Houston. The game has yet to end.
- Zimmerman had 50 hits (11 2B, 8 HR) in 136 at bats (.382). He walked just 11 times while striking out 23. When the streak started he was batting .111.

Now who was Zimmerman chasing in this hit streak? The answer to that is DiMaggio, but one step further, who got before I get to him? That would be Denny Lyons. Lyons, a third-baseman, played 15 years before retiring. Lyons played in a year when the rules were different in baseball. All the way back in 1887, the rules helped him establish a 52-game 'hit streak'. The rule stated that games in which a player reached base via a walk would count in the stat book as a hit. It just so happened that of the 52 games in which Lyons got a hit, two of those games Lyons simply drew a walk.

Regardless that was the record that stood, although not recognized by many in the baseball world. (It wasn't until 1968 when MLB ruled that walks in 1887 would not count as hits). In fact it was "Wee" Willie Keeler that many people recognized as the current streak holder with 45 consecutive games with a hit. Keeler played from 1892-1910 and his hit streak began on the last day of the 1896 season and continued over to the first 44 games of the 97 season. Keeler, a small guy, was a mix of Dustin Pedroia and Ichiro Suzuki. He had the ability to find the holes or get the bunt singles. In 1898 Keeler had 206 singles! It was Keeler's hit streak that everyone was out to break.

So in 1941 Joe DiMaggio began his own streak 68 years to the day on May 15th. DiMaggio went about his business and eventually got the 56-game streak, all hits. The streak that started on May 15th, it surpassed Keeler on July 5th, and ended on July 17th by the Cleveland Indians. During the streak he batted 91-223 (.408), 15 HR, 55 RBI. The streak included several double-headers but didn't include the hit he got in the All-Star game that year.

Many consider this a baseball stat that will never be broken. Pete Rose came the closest with 44 in 1978 but no other player besides Rose has hit for 40+. Surprisingly though that is not the end of the story. In fact this wasn't DiMaggio's longest hit streak in his life. In 1933 DiMaggio was playing for the Pacific Coast League when he had a 61-game hit streak. More surprisingly is that he didn't get the record for the longest hit streak in any league. That record belongs to Joe Wilhoit. Wilhoit had just 782 at bats in the major leagues but in 1919 he put together a 69-game hit streak in the Western League playing for the Wichita Jobbers. During that streak Wilhoit went 153-297 (.515) and 4 HR.

So the media world may get excited when any player comes close to 30-game hit streaks but I won't get excited until the player approaches 60 and challenges Wilhoit's record.

And Now You Know! (And Knowing is Half the Battle)

Fantasy NASCAR: Southern 500

The drivers take the track at Darlington tonight, one of the most historic tracks on the circuit. The close to 1.5-mile track is almost 60 years old and has a long standing history known as the "Track Too Tough To Tame" The race resumes with the "Southern 500" title after many people thought it was offensive and the race was changed to the "Dodge Charger 500" for the past few races.

Dating back to 2000, this track has seen 10 different winners in the previous 14 races. Names of those winners include Terry Labonte, Ricky Craven, and Ward Burton, popular names in the 90s but faded towards the end of their careers in the early 2000s but still had the experience to win at Darlington.

Experience is a key factor at this track which is why when you look at the stats for this track, you will find a copious amount of veteran drivers with the most top-10 finishes over the past 10 races. There is something about this track that can at times, give young drivers fits (with the exception to Kyle Busch's win last year). Here's how I see it going down tonight.

I'll prep you for one of the closest NASCAR finishes in history.



1- Jeff Burton: I wanted to go with a different Jeff (Gordon) for this spot but I feel that Burton will have a better night. Burton won back-to-back in 1999 here and had the second fastest practice time on Saturday. Burton has 16 career wins at tracks of this size and has the experience I spoke about in order to win here. The last seven winners at Darlington have started 11th or better and Burton starts 6th. He is my pick to win.
2- Tony Stewart: Stewart has never won at this track in the Sprint Cup Series but when a driver is hot, you stay with them no matter what. In fact, he has only led 8 laps here in his career. He has completed 98% of the laps run here over the past 10 years and that number would be higher if he didn't crash 10 races ago. 14 of his career 33 wins have come on tracks 1-2 miles long. I think he gets his first victory, or at least another top-5 tonight.

3- Greg Biffle: Biffle has been quiet of late and is slowly slipping out of the top-12 in points. Biffle has two wins here in just eight races and starts 11th. He won back-to-back in 2005-06 and looks to return to the winner's circle tonight.

4- Mark Martin: Just announced that he will race a full schedule next year and can you blame the 50-year old who sits 15th in the points standings? Martin has 5 top-10 finishes this year, good for a tie for 5th best this year. Martin is familiar with this track and has 5 top-10 finishes in his last 10 races here. I expect more good things from him.

5- Jimmie Johnson: I'll tell you the bad first. Johnson starts 42 for tonight's race which gives him an up hill battle to the finish line. The good news is that since 2000, three drivers have won this race since starting 30th or worse. Johnson won back-to-back in both races here in 2004 and there is nothing I don't believe that this team can't do. This team will find a way to be in contention all night long.