Tom Glavine very well may be the last 300-game winner that anyone his age will ever witness. Here's a few offbeat stats to mark the occasion. Mike Greenberg of "Mike and Mike" openly wondered how Glavine ranked among the best-hitting pitchers. He's posted a .188/.245/.213.
Off the top of my head, I know Walter Johnson takes the cake.
In 2324 at-bats, Johnson posted 24 home runs and a .235/.274/.342 line. He also had 41 triples, a total that only 33 active players at any position have surpassed.
Other great slugging pitchers include Warren Spahn (35 home runs, .194/.234/.287), Catfish Hunter (.226/.234/.287). Greg Maddux (.173/.193/.207) and John Smoltz (.164/.232/.214) have been the best of a weaker, modern era.
But anyways, congratulations to Glavine. The 1990s Braves teams, for all the failure of only one world championship, will be known as a team with two 300-game winners and a 200+-game winner (Smoltz) that may have been the most talented.
I was in a bar Saturday night when I saw the replay of Barry Bonds' 755th home run. The accomplishment, for whatever you think, is tremendous. He's played many years, through tribulations and injuries, and endured much (although much of it brought on by himself) to reach this point. He should be best known, just as Hank Aaron should, as one of the most complete players to ever step on the field.
However, unlike the witch hunt on many great sluggers, we've evidence, if not the most conclusive. The doubts surrounding Bonds have backing in the leaked grand jury testimony of his "accidental" use of steroids, and the leaked report of his failed amphetamines test last season.
Unlike Mark McGwire, who did take andro but at least chose substance unregulated by the FDA (at the time). Granted, andro is no vitamin. But maybe you can get him for that. Rafael Palmiero, obviously, is a cheater.
But what of Sammy Sosa, of which there is no (direct) proof? Baseball, and all of us, have a lot to ponder over the next several years (or decades).
If you want to feel better about one Hall of Famer who clearly has taken everything but performance-enhancing stuff, check of this workout report.
Finally, Alex Rodriguez's is not the only Yankee hitting the ball (apologies to Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada) and that's why the Yankees are improbably 1/2 games back of the wild card. Even the division is theoretically in play at seven back. But as I've said too many times to link more than once, the wild card is what matters. And with the killer schedule upcoming, we'll see if the Yankees can prove to be anything more than opportunists for a weak schedule. I have more confidence than all year, but I'm not banking on anything.
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