There Are 2131 Reasons He's In The Hall of Fame

Baseball “Iron Man”Cal Ripken – who played in a record 2130 consecutive games, a record that probably will never be broken --was inducted into the Hall of Fame today, gaining 98.5 percent of the vote.

This means that 1.5 percent of the 545 voters did not for Cal.

Here’s my suspected explanation for why these 8 people did not select Ripken on the first ballot:

• 3 of the 8 were under the influence of various prescription and “non prescription” medications.
• 1 of the 8 have never watched Ripken play.
• 4 of the 8 … are clinically insane.

Tony Gwynn also was inducted yesterday to the Hall of Fame, aother choice that should have been unanimous. Thirteen baseball writers failed to vote for him.

Cuckoo. Cuckoo. Cuckoo.

Quote of the Day

“Basically, [Barry] Bonds has about the same work as some flight attendants – three days on, two days off – and without the duty to be friendly.”

-- Selena Roberts, in today’s New York Times

A New Plan For Fans

Before the baseball season began, we here at The Cup of Joe predicted that Barry Bonds would break Hank Aaron's home-run record on July 19 against the Cubs, which at the time was way earlier than conventional wisdom. Now, with Bonds needing only four more homers to tie, we're sticking with this prediction.

However, we are changing our minds on one thing. In an earlier entry, "This Plan Is For Fans," we suggested that Bonds, upon breaking the record, be greeted with a chorus of boos worthy of the worst cases of Roid Rage, and that he be hissed at in sort of the same way Glenn Close was at the end of Dangerous Liasions.

But now that he's closer to the record, we've changed our thinking. Let him break the record. Give him credit. Not cheers, necessarily, but credit. Stop the game for a minute. Or two. Let him wave and acknowledge the crowd.

And then restart the game, quickly, and get back to business.

Lacrosse and Roseanne in 2007

Yesterday, Andy from Towleroad via Left in SF ran a quote from Roseanne Barr that was so ignorant and ill-informed and untrue about gay people in general that I will offer no comment on it other than to link to it.

Last night, a reader of this blog sent me the following link, a very sad coming out story about a college lacrosse coach. Keep reminding yourself it is 2007 when you read this.

What happened? A dozen players, including a star, scared away from the team. Slurs written on Facebook. A game referee comparing gays to child molesters. And a new "debate" about whether a gay coach should even be allowed in the locker room.

We have a long way to go. Roseanne Barr's ignorance isn't helping.

Baseball Statistics for Lou Dobbs

In honor of baseball's opening day yesterday, here are some statistics* to frighten Lou Dobbs.

* In 1965, 90 percent of major league players were born in the United States. Cuba, with 26 players, topped the 11 other places represented.

* In 2006, 72 percent of major league players were born in the United States. The Dominican Republic, with 146 players, topped the 20 other places represented.

I wonder if Lou thinks it'd be a good idea to erect a giant fence around Major League Baseball? Wouldn't Lou say that the likes of Rod Carew (Panama) and Albert the Great (Dominican Republic) stole/steal jobs from American boys?

Lou?

***

Also in honor of Opening Day, here's my February prediction about Barry Bonds. Bonds will break the classy Hank Aaron's all-time home run record, I'm guessing, in July against the Cubs, which should send many baseball fans into a Roid Rage worthy of Bonds himself.

***

* Statistics from New York Times via Stats Inc.

Tiger Woods, Jimmy Stewart and Bob Hope

... All on the same set, for a taping of the Mike Douglas Show, when Tiger Woods was 2 years old. Watch below:



I love YouTube!

This Plan Is For Fans

Barry Bonds needs 21 more homers to pass up Hank Aaron on the all-time list. Even though he's had a lot of injuries over the last couple years -- playing in only 121 games -- I predict that he will break the record quicker than expected, on July 19 vs. the Chicago Cubs.

With this in mind, here is a potential plan for baseball fans all across America:

1) On Friday, Feb. 23, when individual home game tickets for the Cubs go on sale, buy two tickets for Thursday, July 19.

2) Sometime between now and then, find a vintage Braves jersey with AARON emblazoned across the back.

3) Attend that Cubs-Giants game on July 19. Wear the Aaron jersey. Drink.

4) When Bonds hits the homerun, off a high fastball in the sixth inning, getting his steroid-assisted record, boo with such a ferocity that the people sitting next to you will think you're experiencing a Roid Rage worthy of description in the world's finest medical journals.

Super Bowl Update:Bears Don't Win By A Hair

Super Bowl Prediction

The Bears are seven-point underdogs.

That said, I believe the Colts won't cover the spread. Why? Because the Bears are going to win outright!

I think the Bears will be able to penetrate the Colts defense with little resistance once the Colts start to tire in the fourth quarter. Now, I'm not saying it's going to be a complete spanking. But under the skillfull coaching of Lovie Smith, a former defensive coordinator, the Bears should be able to harness a game plan that should put them on top.

But it will be a good game. Both teams have good ball-handling skills. Both teams have wide receivers with great hands and a deft touch. Both teams have running backs who can really burst through once the offensive line gives them a nice hole.

And both teams have quarterbacks with enough experience taking the snap from center in sticky situations, though they've probably never done it before with 100 million people watching.

PREDICTION: Bears win by a hair after the backup kicker's last-second field goal gloriously splits the uprights.

Go Bears!

I'm going to be celebrating
in the streets of Chicago once
the Bears win, and certainly won't
be online to respond to the deserved ridicule
of Colts fans should I be wrong.

Master Bait and Switch

I've had some new readers to this blog in the last week, thanks to this post featuring some hunky men in a "fantasy football" Super Bowl pitting the Bears against the Colts. If only the real Super Bowl would be as entertaining.

I do feel a little bit bad about this, especially if you are a repeat visitor, because instead of being greeted with more Shirtless Gods in a harness, you have been getting posts featuring what this blog is really about: Abraham Lincoln, George Bush and Morris the Cat.

Sorry.

If you do a Google search of
"Bears versus Colts preview," my post
(as of this morning) is the FIRST entry
on the list. This amuses me.

Super Bowl Preview: Bears Vs. Colts

It's fantasy football time, and may the best team win. I really don't have a clue who will come out on top.

NFC Championship Game Halftime Cheer

Go Bears!

I only say this because I'm no Saint.Publish

Charlie Hustle on Baseball

One week ago today, Pete Rose was quite entertaining as a guest on The Late Show with David Letterman. In addition to saying that he would have gotten "5,000 damn hits" if he had had the benefit of using steroids, he also said he liked San Diego as the National League Team in the playoffs.

I hope he didn't bet the ranch.






Video here and here.