The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Since the start of the playoffs, like most other commentators,  Pardon the Interruption co-host Tony Kornheiser has been doubting the Kansas City Royals and their chances in the playoffs. After winning six consecutive games in the playoffs to take a 2-0 series lead against the Baltimore Orioles, Kornheiser appeared to finally stop his doubting, and actually said this on yesterday's show: "It seems like, in the playoffs, relief pitchers are more important than the starters. Most all of these teams have solid starting pitching, but these guys only go 6, 7, 8 innings and then have to be taken out. It's the teams with the best bullpens that have an advantage." (paraphrasing) I'd say I agree with Mr. Kornheiser up to an extent, but not fully. While there are exceptions, typically teams with the best starting rotations make the playoffs. Over a 162-game season, most every hitter and group of hitters will go through a slump or two. These everyday players will be set ...

I watched part of the ESPN show Pardon the Interruption yesterday, and when Michael Wilbon and guest co-host Bob Ryan discussed the greatest center fielders of all time, they mentioned Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Jim Edmonds. While it might be hard to argue that Mays, winner of 12 Gold Gloves, wasn't the greatest center fielder of all-time, and it might also be difficult to argue that Griffey (winner of 10 Gold Gloves) and Edmonds (winner of 8 Gold Gloves) weren't two of the top 5 (or so) center fielders of all-time, one name seems to consistently get looked over in this list, and that's Andruw Jones. Andruw Jones, former five-time All-Star for the Atlanta Braves, won ten consecutive Gold Gloves in center field from the years 1998 through 2007. This ranks him in a tie for second with Al Kaline, Ichiro Suzuki, and Ken Griffey Jr. for most Gold Gloves by an outfielder. He's also one of only five center fielders to record at least 400 putouts in a season six times....