Chicago Cubs Quiz (1876-present): 1) Who holds both the
single season record for runs scored (156) and hits (229)? 2)
Who holds the career mark for RBI? 3) How many 20-win
seasons did Fergie Jenkins have in a Cubs uniform?
Cincinnati Reds Quiz (1890-present): 1) Last World Series title?
2) HR, season? 3) Who holds the record for pinch-hit home runs
for both a season and career with 13? Answers below.
Who’s Using? It Seems Everyone
[Posted prior to any final decision on Floyd Landis’s second
test.]
Selena Roberts / New York Times
“Now Landis is asking people to stretch their inner oath of
fairness – or resolute naivete – once more as he engages in the
Whiskey Defense. Now he has slipped into the role of a bar-
scene braggart as he talks one day of his naturally high
testosterone levels, then blaming a Jack Daniel’s binge – or was
it beer? – for his A-sample spike a night before he charged
through the Alps in Stage 17.
“ ‘It was very hot,’ he told reporters after the stage, ‘or maybe it
was the beer I had last night.’ How many brews? ‘Just one,’ he
said. ‘I wasn’t giving up just yet.’
“Then Landis offered a revised version of his drinking tale last
week. Maybe it was a few shots of Jack Daniel’s to drown his
deep funk after spiraling through Stage 16; he doesn’t remember.
“Whatever the bar tab, he revealed no cotton mouth, no
bloodshot eyes, no hangover at all in Stage 17. Just pure-grain
adrenaline for the greatest ride since Apollo 11.”
Mike Lupica / New York Daily News
“ ‘I am here to make it clear that I have never intentionally used
steroids,’ the guy said. ‘Never. Ever. Period.’
“ ‘I am sure you will ask how I tested positive for a banned
substance,’ the guy continued. ‘As I look back, I don’t have a
specific answer to give.’
“The guy wasn’t Floyd Landis talking on Larry King’s television
show, which is the place you go if you did something and got
caught, somewhat like the cable television version of celebrity
rehab. It was Rafael Palmeiro, busted baseball player, talking to
us all in a statement issued almost one year ago exactly, when
baseball got him for steroids the way the international Cycling
Union got Landis the other day. Now Landis sounds exactly like
Palmeiro, pointing his finger at the world the way Palmeiro
pointed his finger at Congress the first time he said that he had
never ever used steroids in his life….
“Maybe you have to wait to have King call you number, like at
the deli. (Landis) does sound like Palmeiro….Lance Armstrong,
Landis’ hero and mentor – never busted himself at the Tour de
France, suspect forever – stops his bike at some event in Iowa
long enough to sound like Mark McGwire in front of Congress.
“ ‘I’m not here to talk about Floyd Landis,’ Armstrong said the
day after it came out that Landis had tested positive. And did
sound like McGwire saying he didn’t want to talk about the
past.”
Dave Sheinin / Washington Post…on Hall of Fame weekend at
Cooperstown.
“The first wave of players tainted by baseball’s steroids scandal
hits the ballot this winter….(most) significantly, legendary
slugger Mark McGwire….
“ ‘Everybody knows it’s coming,’ said Hall of Fame pitcher Bob
Feller, a 1962 inductee. ‘Some people would be upset (if
McGwire is elected.) I obviously wouldn’t like it….
“Said Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, who was
inducted last year: ‘I’m interested to see how the writers will
vote. They have a chance to make a point that needs to be made
about what (the Hall) represents. They are supposed to consider
integrity and character (as criteria for judging a player’s
worthiness). I hope they do that.’ …
“ ‘I don’t recall Mark McGwire ever testing positive,’ said Hall
of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs. ‘In America, you’re not
guilty until proven innocent – it’s the other way around.’
“However, Feller, when asked about the lack of hard evidence
against McGwire, said, ‘I know a bum when I see one.’ …
“Some Hall of Famers have spoken privately to each other about
staging some sort of protest or boycott if McGwire gets voted in,
according to one Hall of Famer who spoke on the condition of
anonymity because the conversations were private and
sensitive….
“ ‘I was very fond and respectful of Mark McGwire as a player,’
said voter Gordon Edes of the Boston Globe. ‘But when he
stood there in front of Congress and said, ‘I don’t want to talk
about the past,’ it left me thinking, ‘Okay, Mark, then I don’t
want to consider your past, either.’’”
Sports Illustrated surveyed 470 current major leaguers, however,
and 92% said McGwire should be in the Hall. [93% Bonds, 67%
Palmeiro] Of course you’d find this. They’re all using
themselves and the fraternity has to support one another.
But add to the list of steroids abusers, co-world record holder in
the 100 meters, Justin Gatlin, who admitted he tested positive for
the steroid testosterone in the spring. Gatlin could easily be
banned for life since he had flunked a drug test five years ago.
“I cannot account for these results, because I have never
knowingly used any banned substance or authorized anyone else
to administer such a substance to me,” he said. “It is simply not
consistent with either my character or my confidence in my God-
given athletic ability to cheat in any way.”
You’re a jerk, Justin.
And it was just last week I pointed out that Gatlin has ties to
coach Trevor Graham, who is emerging as the central figure in
the BALCO scandal. Graham coached Tim Montgomery,
Marion Jones and C.J. Hunter, all users.
William C. Rhoden / New York Times
“Increasingly, everything we think we see – and assume is fair –
is little more than a sports mirage: the home-run hitter, the
world-class sprinter, now the championship cyclist….
“Now I find myself wondering whether (former Tour de France
winner Eddy) Merckx was on drugs, too. That’s blasphemous, I
know. But this is the climate created by the steroids era in
sports. Every performance is suspect….
“Why should anyone be surprised by cycling’s latest scandal?
Four of the top five finishers from last year’s Tour de France
were removed for suspected doping before the 2006 race even
began. So why are we surprised about Landis? ….
“For a generation of young people, this is precisely how sports
are perceived – and not with a lot of handwringing. Elite athletes
run on fuel.
“The danger with this sort of matter-of-fact approach to
performance-enhancing drugs is that young athletes never realize
that steroids are a silent spike, that steroids can kill.”
—
Being Average
Richard Hoffer of Sports Illustrated delved into the middle of the
salary scale for various sports.
NFL…2006 avg. earnings…$1,750,000…career…$6,510,520
….in 1997 the average salary was $131,000.
MLB…2006 average salary…$2,800,000…career…$3,953,300
PGA…2006 earnings…$644,426 (85th on money list)…career…
…$9,771,721
NHL…2005-06 average salary…$1,444,000….career……
…$5,265,000
Tennis…WTA Money List…#40 Nathalie Dechy…2006
earnings…$209,683…career…$2,923,800
Tennis…ATP Money List…#90 Paul Goldstein…2006 earnings
…$191,955….career….$1,323,700
NBA…2005-06 average salary…$5,000,000…career earnings
…$26,011,800….absurd.
Overall, Sports Illustrated calculated the Top 10 based on salary,
winnings, endorsement income and appearance fees in 2006.
Tiger Woods is #1 for a third straight year.
1. Tiger…$97.6 million…go on, be a Tiger!
2. Phil Mickelson…$44.0mm
3. Shaquille O’Neal…$34.0mm
4. Kobe Bryant…$33.7mm
5. Carson Palmer…$31.6mm
6. LeBron James…$28.6mm
7. Derek Jeter…$28.0mm
8. A-Rod…$27.0mm
9. Andre Agassi…$26.1mm
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. …$25.8mm
Stuff
–Now this is just stupid. The great Ken Burns is working on a
documentary titled “The War,” on the Second World War, but
the 14-hour production, scheduled to air in about a year on PBS,
is up against the FCC’s standards on decency.
Specifically, there is a fair amount of profanity as veterans
describe their experiences on the front line. But the head of PBS,
Paula Kerger, is taking a stand and refusing to bleep out the
offending words, or to air it after 10pm, when the rules are less
stringent.
“The American people need to know this is not about Janet
Jackson,” she said. “This is about film-makers that have
powerful stories that now are not being allowed to tell those
stories on public television or broadcast television.”
For his part, Burns said he’s not worried and is amused at the
attention, especially after President Bush was caught on camera
uttering a cuss word.
–From The Times (of London):
“A troop of black-capped squirrel monkeys escaped from
London Zoo in Regent’s Park when they scaled trees in their
enclosure and leapt over the perimeter into a nearby tall tree. It
is the latest escapade by the 12 animals, previously known for
developing a taste for stealing visitors’ mobile phones. The zoo
said that a tree surgeon was cutting the overgrown trees and that
the monkeys, who were being monitored, would be back when
hungry.”
I doubt it. These are “black-capped squirrel monkeys,” after all;
masters of disguise who are probably entertaining London’s high
society, crashing parties and all.
–Goodness gracious. From BBC News:
“Australia was once home to ancient reptiles that swam in huge
icy lakes, fossil evidence suggests.”
It seems Australia was home to a native version of the Loch Ness
monster.
“Scientists believe the creatures might have evolved mechanisms
to cope with the harsh climate (Australia was much colder then),
such as a faster metabolic rate. They were carnivorous.”
Undoubtedly they were also on steroids.
–More on A-Rod…this from Chris Ballard / Sports Illustrated:
“Unlike, say, Jason Giambi, who has rehabilitated his steroid-
tainted image despite looking again like a Frigidaire, A-Rod
cannot seem to make a lasting impression unless it’s negative
…..
“Perhaps Rodriguez’s downfall is that, like New York fans, he is
too quick to blame A-Rod. Worry too much, and even throwing
to first base gets hard. When Jim McLean, a respected golf
teacher, was struggling with tee shots while at the University of
Houston, his instructor, 1956 Masters winner Jack Burke Jr. told
him to drive to Galveston and hit three balls into the Gulf of
Mexico. As recounted in Golf Digest, McLean said the next day
that he’d hit them well, and Burke responded, ‘Well, gawdam,
that’s it! You’ve been steering the s.o.b. out there! You’ve got
to let it go! The Gulf of Mexico’s not big enough for you!
Think of the Atlantic Ocean – there’s no way to miss it!
“If Rodriguez headed to the Hudson and started heaving
baseballs, it might have little effect other than to make the day of
tabloid headline writers (A-ROD IN WATERWORLD!). Still,
until he begins to see Yankee Stadium as his own ocean, it will
remain a most unnavigable body of water. Like, say, a
cesspool.”
–Michelle Wie lost by a single stroke to Karrie Webb at the
Evian Maters in France, her fourth runner-up in professional
tournaments. I’d say that’s still pretty good for a 16-year-old.
–46-year-old Corey Pavin shot a record 26 for nine holes in the
opening round of the PGA Tour event this week. He finished
that round with a 61, en route to capturing his first title in 10
years, 15th overall. [You forget how good this guy was in his
prime.]
–“I’m 36, and it’s (been) 39 years since it happened. So I don’t
remember very much.” …..Angel Cabrera, when asked if he had
any memories of fellow Argentine Roberto De Vicenzo’s victory
at the 1967 British Open, the last to be played at Royal Liverpool
GC.
–So on Saturday, my friend Johnny Mac had a pig-picking at his
mountain house in the Poconos. A good time was had by all and
the pork (and Yuengling) hit the spot.
But I was a bit tired for my first round match of ‘C’ Flight play at
my golf club on Sunday morning. In fact I was brutal…losing
the first three holes as I hit every trap imaginable. Seeing as I’m
the world’s worst sand player, this isn’t good.
However, I rallied back against Keith A. and had a chance to
square it on #15…only to blow a four-footer. Keith then closed
me out on #17.
Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman was there and afterwards said,
“Editor, I was all set to make you one of my two captain’s picks
for the K Club, but not now.”
No, seriously….he said that………………………[I don’t think
anyone is buying this.]
–We note the passing of Carl Brashear, the Navy’s first African
American deep-sea diver, a story told in the film “Men of
Honor.”
–I’m reading my Runner’s World and I see this big foldout
spread concerning Dean Karnazes and his quest to run 50
marathons in 50 states over 50 days, starting on Sept. 17.
Needless to say, this has never been done before, but I see his
quest ending on Day 16 when he’s in Alaska. Yup, mauled by a
grizzly.
–Speaking of endurance, Louisa Cheung reports for BBC that
“African elephants hate climbing hills because it is too costly in
terms of energy, a study suggests.”
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen an elephant at the top of the
hills near my place.
Researchers put radio collars on a bunch of pachyderms and
realized they don’t walk up even the slightest inclines because it
uses up too many calories and they’d have to forage more.
Personally, at my age this is why I take a car.
But wait…..one elephant, “Icy Mike,” lived and died on Mount
Kenya…14,000 feet. Wassup with dat?
–At Chicago’s Arlington Park, 17 horses have suffered fatal
breakdowns in the first two months of a four-month racing
season. There appears to be no common cause. 7 horses at Del
Mar in California were euthanized after being injured in the first
week of that track’s season. No answers yet here, either.
[Supposedly, in the case of Del Mar, it had nothing to do with the
heat.]
–The wholesale value of all new sports trading cards hit a record
$1.2 billion in 1991. Last year it was just $250 million.
But in terms of market value, you still have items like the 1909
Honus Wagner card that in 1996 sold for $640,000 and last hit
$1.25 million in 2001. [Greg Johnson / L.A. Times]
–It’s true that when you put something on the Internet it’s there
forever, in one form or another. Believe it or not, I receive as
many e-mails for the “Wall Street History” column as any other
because the topics I write about tend to find their way fairly high
up the Google rankings, for example.
So on Saturday I was startled to get a note on a Bar Chat column
from June 18, 2002.
I did a little blurb on a baseball player Bob Nieman who
homered his first two plate appearances in 1951, a record equaled
by only one other ballplayer, Keith McDonald, who
accomplished the feat in 2000 for St. Louis.
So I received a note from Keith McDonald! Keith mentioned
that when he hit his consecutive homers, Bob Nieman’s sister
wrote him a nice note congratulating him.
Keith has a pretty remarkable record, actually. He only came to
bat 9 times in his major league career, but hit 3 home runs…his
sole hits. After 12 years in the minors, 9 in AAA, he recently
hung it up. We wish him the best and as I told him the other day,
he has to be proud of what he achieved in fulfilling a dream
virtually every kid in America has growing up.
–Chase Utley of the Phillies has his hitting streak up to 31.
–The current A.L. batting leader, Joe Mauer (.368), struck out
just one time in his entire high school career. Mauer was USA
Today’s Player of the Year in baseball in 2001 and Offensive
Player of the Year in football in 2000. Plus he was all-state in
basketball twice. [Mel Antonen / USA Today] In other words,
Joe Mauer is a stud.
–The Mets’ Carlos Beltran hit 3 grand slams in July, tying a
major league mark. And my Mets swept the Braves this
weekend.
–Check this out.
A.L. West
Oakland…55-50
Los Angeles…54-50
Texas…52-53
Seattle…51-53
N.L. West
San Diego…55-50
Arizona…53-51
San Francisco…51-54
Colorado…50-54
Los Angeles…50-55
Could be fun in September.
–I missed Peggy Fleming’s 58th birthday last week. Happy
Birthday, Peggy!
–David Letterman: “It’s so hot today that North Korea launched
a long-range Popsicle.”
–I saw a story in Business Week on a new laser turntable for
your vintage LPs. “The device uses five lasers to detect the
grooves, position the other lasers, and pick up sound. And unlike
a traditional turntable stylus, it doesn’t wear on your records.
The lasers can even adjust for warps and scratches so records
don’t skip or repeat.”
It’s made by ELP Corp., except there’s one problem. It’s
$15,000.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/3/68: #1 “Hello, I Love You”
(The Doors) #2 “Classical Gas” (Mason Williams) #3 “Stoned
Soul Picnic” (The 5th Dimension)…and…#4 “Grazing In The
Grass” (Hugh Masekela) #5 “Hurdy Gurdy Man” (Donovan) #6
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (The Rolling Stones) #7 “Lady
Willpower” (Gary Puckett and the Union Gap) #8 “The Horse”
(Cliff Nobles…simply dreadful…we were idiots then) #9 “Turn
Around, Look At Me” (The Vogues…your parents liked this
one) #10 “Sunshine Of Your Love” (Cream)
Chicago Cubs Quiz Answers: 1) Rogers Hornsby holds the
record for runs scored and hits in a single season with 156 and
229, respectively, in 1929. 2) Cap Anson holds the career mark
for RBI with 1,879. 3) Fergie Jenkins had six 20-win seasons as
a Cub, all in a row, 1967-72. He also threw at least 289 innings
in each of those seasons.
Cincinnati Reds Quiz Answers: 1) The Reds last won the Series
in 1990. 2) George Foster holds the single season home run
mark with 52 in 1977. 3) Jerry Lynch holds the record for pinch-
hits in a season, 5 (1961), and 13 in his career.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday.
