Random Baseball Notes

Well, I am writing this just minutes after the Cubs tied the Brewers for first place in the NL Central. What can you say about these guys? 8.5 games in about 5 weeks is pretty solid, seems like we're finally avenging that dreadful summer of '69.

In other news... three players are on the verge of big milestones. Tom Glavine is searching for his 300th win, Barry Bonds looking for home run number 755, and Alex Rodriguez is attempting to be the youngest player to hit 500 home runs.

If you're like me, you're probably thinking that someone or something is playing with Bonds and Rodriguez. It seems like whatever powers that be are laughing at Rodriguez and Bonds. The last two days, the White Sox gave up a combined 13 home runs to the Yankees. Problem is, none were hit by the superstar Rodriguez. It is comical to me. How can the entire Yankee line-up go yard (most of them twice) and exclude A-Rod? What a joke.

Now there's the issue of Bonds. He had a chance to tie/break the most hallowed record in sports during a series in Milwaukee. He didn't. Perhaps he wanted to break it at home to avoid the likely "boos" he will hear on the road. Enter a two series stretch in San Francisco. Zero home runs. Now he is being forced to try and break it in the worst place of all... Los Angeles. I guess he's just gonna take another pass until he's back at home since from what I hear, no Dodger fan is going to applaud a Giant breaking any record... much less one suspected of steroid use.

Am I the only one seeing the irony here? I feel like someone or something (perhaps the baseball gods) is trying to make a point about the state of the game. Two big problems are correlated with these two stars - overpayment and steroids. Rodriguez has a $200 million+ contract, and Bonds is a (alleged... yeah O.K.) steroid user. Perhaps something is trying to prevent these two from achieving these amazing milestones because they hurt the integrity of baseball. I'm not a believer in the supernatural, but this stuff just has to make one wonder...

As for Glavine, this guy has been a quiet, solid, consistent starter his entire career, yet his 300th win will be on the backburner, especially if it comes on the same day as Bonds' or A-Rod's milestone. It's a shame, too, because, of the three, he's by far the most respectable.

And just for the record, whenever Bonds ties and breaks the record, you can be rest assured I'll be burying my head in the sand.

Until next time...