Randy Johnson's "Top Ten cool things about pitching a perfect game":

10. "After this I can go 0-15 for the rest of the year and honestly not give a crap."

9. "My pregame dinner at Denny's? On the house."

8. "Shows everyone that even though I'm 40, I can still ... I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought."

7. "Cool to get a congratulatory call from the president, even though he kept calling me 'Larry.'"

6. "Can walk up to guys who have thrown no-hitters and whisper: 'Loser!'"

5. "All the pine tar I can eat!"

4. "Your catcher hugs you and it feels kind of nice."

3. "Maybe people will finally get over the time that I killed that bird."

2. "It's just one more thing about me that's perfect ... am I right, ladies?"

1. "George Steinbrenner just offered me one billion dollars to sign with the Yankees."

via David Letterman

*****

Looks Like Someone's Hard Up For Immmortality

A mere nine homers short of the immortal 500, five time AllStar Fred McGriff has joined the infamous Durham Bulls, now the Devil Rays AAA team, and is expected to be called up by the end of the month.

Following the 2003 All Star game, McGriff was able to muster 3 dingers in 60 at bats which means, when he makes his long climb from semi-retirement back up to the dizzying heights of the 11-28 Devil Rays to help them in their "pennant race", he will need only about 45 games to reach the magic numbers and then fade back into obscurity as probably one of the least exciting players this side of Rafael Palmeiro to achieve 500 home runs.

"I'm excited," McGriff said from his Tampa home. "A lot of people have been telling me to keep going and to hang in there. I'm looking forward to the chance to compete and to help the team. You've got to have faith and believe."

Alot of people have been telling him to keep going? How big is this man's family? Haven't any of them seen him play lately? Is this the purpose of the existence of the Devil Rays franchise, hang on just long enough for Crime Dog to hit 500?

500 Home Runs Club

In Alphabetical Order

Name
Date 500 achieved
Pitcher it was achieved against
Team it was achieved against
age it was achieved
at bats it took to achieve it


Hank Aaron
07-14-1968
Mike McCormick
Giants
34y
8,612

Ernie Banks
05-12-1970
Pat Jarvis
Braves
39y
9,199

Barry Bonds
04-17-2001
Terry Adams
Dodgers
36y
7,502

Jimmie Foxx
09-24-1940
George Caster
A's
32y
7,084

Reggie Jackson
09-17-1984
Bud Black
Royals
38y
8,600

Harmon Killebrew
08-10-1971
Mike Cuellar
Orioles
35y
6,671

Mickey Mantle
05-14-1967
Stu Miller
Orioles
35y
7,300

Eddie Mathews
07-14-1967
Juan Marichal
Giants
35y
8,280

Willie Mays
09-13-1965
Don Nottebart
Astros
34y
7,533

Willie McCovey
06-30-1978
Jamie Easterly
Braves
40y
7,583

Mark McGwire
08-05-1999
Andy Ashby
Padres
35y
5,487

Eddie Murray
09-06-1996
Felipe Lira
Tigers
40y
11,095

Mel Ott
08-01-1945
Johnny Hutchings
Braves
36y
9,249

Rafael Palmeiro
05-11-2003
Dave Elder
Indians
38y
9,116

Frank Robinson
09-13-1971
Fred Scherman
Tigers
36y
8,427

Babe Ruth
08-11-1929
Willis Hudlin
Indians
34y
5,801

Mike Schmidt
04-18-1987
Don Robinson
Pirates
37y
7,336

Sammy Sosa
04-04-2003
Scott Sullivan
Reds
34y
7,036

Ted Williams
06-17-1960
Wynn Hawkins
Indians
41y
7,454

***Both the Indians and the Braves have surrendered number 500 the most times (3 each). Unfortunately, whilst the Indians are coming to town just this weekend, it will be the last time the Devil Rays face them this season. They will not face the Braves all season. Looks probable, one hopes, that McGriff's train is just pulling out of the station. Oh well, better luck next year Mister 1296-1863 walks to strikeouts Ratio Man.

*****

Doesn't Anyone Want to Win the NL West?

With a fading Giants club, a fading Diamondbacks club, an always-going-nowhere Rockies club, and an up-and-coming Padres club, it might make sense that the we're-not-pretty-but-what-else-have-you-got Dodger club stand atop the NL West. It might make sense were it not for the fact that their 4-0 loss to the Phillies last night was their 7th loss in a row and completes a Phillies sweep, but that they are still, mathematically anyway, in first place.

But there is comfort on the horizan:

"I lost 13 games in a row in 2000, so I know about losing streaks," said Jose Lima, who induced two double-play grounders in 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Well good. At least they've got experienced losers on the squad.

The Dodgers, outscored 21-11 over the three-game sweep by Philadelphia and 40-18 over their seven-game losing streak, will try to break out of the funk today against the Atlanta Braves. Sure seemed to work for the Diamondbacks.

*****

He may have been removed from the spotlight of the New York media, then removed himself from the spotlight of ESPN, but my favourite manager, The Most Hated Man In Baseball is back in the news:

"Bobby Valentine, who in 1995 was the first American manager ever to manage a Japanese team, and who was fired after seven years with the Texas Rangers, is now back at home in Japan as the coach of the Chiba Lotte Marines, whose first game was a come-from-behind victory that sent the devoted oendan--a 2,000 strong bleacher section that unfurled a Bobby banner they'd kept in storage since he last appeared there in 1995--into a lathered frenzy. Valentine tells Richmond, "I don't have visions of grandeur ... Okay, I have visions of small grandeur."