40 Things This Baseball Season Has Taught Me

To the all-star break we go in the 2007 major league baseball season . . . And what do we know for sure? About forty things. Here we go:


1) Barry Bonds will break the home run record this year---and nobody is happy about it.

2) The Red Sox were very wise to load up on starting pitching.

3) The Yankees were stupid not to.

4) Look up the word "sellout" in a dictionary, and you will see a picture of Roger Clemens.

5) The N.L. West is the best division in baseball.

6) The N.L. Central is definitely the worst.

7) Playing left field for the Mets might be worse for your health than smoking.

8) Alex Rodriguez has re-established himself as the premier player in the game.

9) He's also emerged as second to Barry Bonds on the most controversial player list.

10) There will be no repeat champion this year, as the Cardinals will not make the playoffs.

11) Chisox GM Ken Williams is the most confused man in baseball.

12) Yankees' GM Brian Cashman is the most concerned man in baseball.

13) Dodgers' catcher Russell Martin is now the best all-around backstop in the biz.

14) Forget the stats, Johan Santana is still the best pitcher in baseball.

15) Justin Verlander, Danny Haren, Jake Peavy and C.C. Sabathia are right behind him.

16) Saves continue to be the most overrated statisitical measurement in all of sports.

17) When healthy, Magglio Ordonez is a Top 5 major league hitter.

18) Now more than ever, Bud Selig is firmly entrenched as the worst commissioner of all-time.

19) Steroids increase body mass, but they decrease love for the game.

20) In terms of accomplishment, 600 home runs is the new 500, while 500 is the new 400.

21) 300 pitching wins will always be a marquee plateau.

22) The game changes and records break, but Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hit streak never will.

23) The Milwaukee Brewers are finally good again and they will make the playoffs this year.

24) Mike Hargove picked a very strange time to resign as Mariners' manager.

25) The Minnesota Twins desperately miss pitcher Francisco Liriano.

26) Phillies' LF Shane Victorino is a really good player.

27) Reds' OF Josh Hamilton is tougher than everyone thought he was.

28) If the Padres could hit, they'd be the best team in the National league.

29) If the Cubs could pitch, they'd be the best team in the National League.

30) The American League's top teams---Boston, Cleveland, Detroit and L.A.---are scary good.

31) The National League's top teams---the Mets, Atlanta, Milwaukee, San Diego, L.A. and Arizona---are all works-in-progress.

32) Barring injury, Derek Jeter has the best shot of any active player to get 4,000 career hits.

33) Daisuke Matsuzaka is the real deal.

34) Dontrelle Willis still has the coolest pitching delivery.

35) No one will ever win the hitting Triple Crown again.

36) Being 40 ain't nothing at all for Hall of Fame pitchers like Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, or for feisty veterans like Jamie Moyer, Kenny Rogers and Woody Williams.

37) Frank Thomas is a Hall of Famer.

38) So is Craig Biggio.

39) Fans should no longer be allowed to vote for all-stars.

40) Above all else, the All-Star Game should NOT decide home field advantage in the World Series.


-JAB