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Milestones

So, we baseball folk are in some kind of crossroads as to whom we pledge our allegiance as the latest heroes chase their respective milestones.


Barry is chasing THE most celebrated milestone, and A-Rod is chasing a milestone that will lead to THE milestone, and given his relative youth, and subsequently may force Barry to pull a Jim Brown (circa 1984) inside of 6 years. And Tom Glavine is at career win #299, an increasingly fleeting milestone.


The pundits say that a today's hitters chances at getting to the 500 HR milestone are considerably better than any current pitcher's chance at winning 300 games. Recent approaches and surpassing of 500 HRs, comparatively, in this era are proof positive. Said statement does not influence the focus of a game and how a ball game is and ever will be celebrated. Remember the commercial in the late '90s when Atlanta Braves pitching greats Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine had to learn to hit home runs to make an impression on some lady fans? "We got Cy Young winners here," they initially pleaded. Sure it was the "home-run" era, and all that to do with breaking the the single-season HR record. "Chicks dig the long ball," was their acceptance/acquiescence.


Good pitching has gone the way of radio play-by-play, I guess. Good hitting will always be a spectator thing, leading to lucrative cable TV deals, licensing deals, etc., and bloated player contracts. And somewhere in there is the proliferation of new-construction, old-fashioned, shortened-corner ball parks, a testimonial to the Home Run. Given that, who could blame a hitter for having "cut some corners" here and there (until the steroid et al crackdown)?

Oh, yeah. The Astros' Craig Biggio tapped his 3,000th hit earlier this season, with not nearly as much national hype. It's a shame that this accomplishment seemed to have taken a back seat along the way ("Chicks dig the long ball", Mr. Only 289 HRs). Not to mention the small market he plays in, yadda-yadda. Just 20-plus years of service to the same team. 3,000 hits. Top 20 of all time. No small feat. Wrong place, wrong time for a major milestone and player team loyalty I guess.


So, lots of journeyman 500-HR hitters and 150-to-200-game winners in front of us.


I know, I know; get back to house projects.

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