OK, so we're going to not talk about pop culture for a second. Don't hate me. I've been meaning to write about baseball for the last couple days.It's been a pretty busy week for hot-stove fans. But I don't want to talk about how the Red Sox got better or how I feel about trading a handful of prospects for Adrian Gonzalez. What I want to discuss is a piece penned by Jerry Crasnick (who I usually enjoy reading even if he does think Dayton Moore is a good general manager) about the best pitcher of the decade.
I've been thinking a lot about the last decade lately. For an upcoming edition of Weekend, I'll be putting together a list of the best albums and, probably, films of the '00s. Crasnick's story made me think about the best pitcher. He chose Mariano Rivera. Of course, I'm a big Red Sox fan, so it's hard for me to be objective, but I just don't understand how we can choose, basically, a one-inning guy for this title.
He threw 713 innings from 2000-2009. To put that in perspective, Randy Johnson topped that number before 2002 was over.
Look, I realize Mariano is the greatest closer of all time, and I pray each night to Baseball Jesus that the Sox can find someone as consistently great as him. But, we have to remember that the closer as we know it is a modern-day invention. Even 20 years ago, relievers were not used like Rivera. And do we honestly think that if some idiot made Randy Johnson a closer 20 years ago he wouldn't have had peak years as good as Mariano? There's a reason Rivera and every good closer is a closer: They failed as a starter.
I'm not sure if Randy Johnson is the pitcher of the '00s, but, keep in mind, in those three years that I noted, the big lefty did win three Cy Youngs, three more than Rivera has in his presumably filled trophy case. I think you can make a good case for Doc Halladay and Johan Santana and, even, Roy Oswalt for the title of pitcher of the '00s. I'm going with Johnson, I guess, but my real point, obviously, is to argue against a closer. Can't we all agree on this?
3 comments:
Uh oh...I hope you're sitting down.
Take a deep breath.
This article appeared on E! Online this morning...
Carrie Underwood has finally lassoed her "Cowboy Casanova."
The former American Idol champ has happily accepted a marriage proposal from Canadian hockey player beau Mike Fisher.
"I'm happy to confirm that Carrie Underwood is engaged to Mike Fisher, and the couple couldn't be happier," says her publicist.
The 29-year-old Underwood and 26-year-old Fisher, who plays for the Ottawa Senators, began dating more than a year ago. They were hooked up by friends following one of her concerts in Toronto.
The Oklahoma hottie recently paid tribute to her man in the liner notes for her latest disc, Play On, writing, "You are the most amazing addition to my life. I thank God for you every day...xoxo Carrie."
The couple have yet to set a wedding date...or say whether she'll be changing her name to Carrie Fisher.
Somewhere, a Ferrucci weeps...
Since it seems unlikely that we'll get a new blog entry before the holiday, here's wishing you and yours (and all the blog readers out there) a very merry safe and peaceful Christmas. May 2010 bring us all good music, good movies, and the long-awaited return of the Weekend preview videos!
Over a week with no posts!
Is this some sort of holiday punishment?!
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