LITTLE ROCK — Home runs losing aura of grandeur
Alex Rodriguez is nearing the 600-mark for home runs and the milestone is worth noting, but Roy Johnson, a columnist for ESPN.com, says the home run chase is not what it used to be.
“We don’t really care all that much about baseball’s home run record anymore,” Johnson wrote.
“Whether it’s Barry Bonds’ all time mark of 762 or, if you’re in that camp, Hank Aaron’s 755. At least, we don’t really care the way we used to.
“It once was the most revered record in sports; now it’s the most shamed. It just isn’t held in the same esteem, and I’m not sure it ever will be again.
“[I am not] blaming it all on ‘baseball,’ that faceless entity sometimes said to have caused the steroid mess by turning a blind eye to performance enhancing drugs. In an effort to revive the game’s popularity a decade ago, goes that line of thinking, baseball officials allowed a few better-than-average players to begin jacking balls way beyond the limits of mortal men. They knew we dug the long ball.
“Well, we just don’t dig it anymore. At least not that way.” Pie in the sky
The Florida Marlins’ everyday left-fielder Chris Coghlan tore his left meniscus tendon Sunday while delivering a pie to the face of teammate Wes Helms.
Despite Coghlan’s cautionary tale, New York’s A.J. Burnett(North Little Rock, Central Arkansas Christian) is still into pie-throwing.
“I feel sorry for him,” Burnett said. “You can’t take the fun out of the game, but you have to do it right, I guess. It’s an unfortunate incident, but I’m still going to throw pies.”
Burnett has delivered about 20 pies since joining the Yankees.
“Stuff happens ... I always try to somewhat think safety first - unless I’m snapping - even when I’m pie-ing.” Quality stat?
From Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: “Who came up with the baseball statistic ‘Quality Start?’ (6 or more innings,3 or less earned runs). That’s a 4.50 ERA. It’s like saying a .250 is a ‘Quality Batting Average.’ ” Cold shoulder
Dallas receiver Roy Williams had to carry his own shoulder pads back to the locker room after Dez Bryant, ignoring NFL rookie tradition, refused to carry them for him on the opening day of training camp.
Wrote Dwight Perry of The Seattle Times:“Veteran Cowboy-watchers were stunned - that Williams only dropped them twice.” Headlines
From the satirical sports website sportspickle.com:
“Multiple teams looking to trade lousy players before deadline”
“Boisterous crowd breaks stadium noise meter”
“No-hitter lost, presumed dead”
“Andy Reid reports to training camp 174 pounds overweight”Quote of the day “It felt like I hit a tennis ball or a golf ball. I think I hit every seam, every word of ‘Major
League Baseball’ on there and the logo. I hit every part of that ball. It felt good, I tell you that.
It was about time.” Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips on his grand slam in Milwaukee
Sports, Pages 18 on 07/29/2010