Quick Hits

I'm back with another episode of "Quick Hits", items that need to pointed out, but not necessarily big enough to warrant their own posts.

Dan Dakich Show

I generally like the Dan Dakich show. It is nice to have a local sports radio talk show and Dan does a decent job of hosting the show. However, he had a couple of trip-ups on Friday's show.

Regarding perfect games in baseball, "Perfect games never happen." Uhh, Dan it has happened 16 times in the modern era and 18 times overall. So they do occur. Really.

Regarding the NL Central Division, "The (Chicago) Cubs are in first place because they are one loss up on the Cardinals." No, dickhead, the Cubs are not in first place. The Cards were 52-46 while the Cubs were 48-45 before Friday's games. You can't assume that just because the Cubs have played five fewer games that all of them would be won by the Cubs. If you look at the standings, the Cards have a winning percentage of .531 versus the Cubs .516. By every statistical rule I know of, this would put the Cards in first place, Danny.

All-Star Game

Yes, I know that the American League now has a thirteen game unbeaten streak, which is the longest such streak in the series. However, I am tired of hearing all of the pundits go on and on and on about the woeful National League. The NL may be taking it on the chin since 1996, but I have not heard any of them mention that the NL won eleven straight from 1972 to 1982 and won 19 of 20 from 1963 to 1982. I guess since that occurred over 25 years ago, no one ever thinks to look back that far.

Hall of Fame & Steroids

This will be a bigger post at some point, but I still take the stand that if a player took steroids before it was made illegal by MLB, then technically, he did not do anything wrong. Yes, there are numerous players that are suspected to have taken steroids and several that have tested positive or been identified. Did it give them an advantage? Most likely, otherwise, players wouldn't have been taking them. Did it give them an UNFAIR advantage? No, because at the time it was not illegal and therefore, not unfair. So no asterisks are needed for those records that were broken.

Now in the case of someone like Manny Ramirez, it does bring up an interesting discussion about players who have tested positive and been suspended by MLB for PEDs. Do you start putting asterisks on their records? Do you throw out certain seasons of statistics? Do you totally bar them from consideration? Makes you think.

All right, its late and I need to get up early to drive to Chicago for a Cubs game...sweeeeeeet! Now, if they win today (Sunday) and the Cards lose, then the Cubs WILL be in first place.