Tim McG

Sure he did. He pitched in the NL for quite some time before he went to the dreaded Red Sux. The difference to me though is that Maddux didn't have to throw at hitters to keep them off the plate like Pedro did. Maddux had superb control, better than any other pitcher I can think of. But Pedro's period of dominance was in Boston. When he left Montreal, he'd had exactly one extraordinary dominating season to his credit, one season with an ERA+ of 200 (he'd have four more in Boston), one season with a sub-1.00 WHIP (four in a row in Boston). As far as control goes, Maddux does have a career mark of 1.81 Walks per 9 IP. But Pedro's isn't so bad either, at 2.38. Career WHIP favors Pedro (1.030 to 1.141) and career WHIP+ favors Pedro even more (161 to 134). So, Pedro dominated the DH league even more than Maddux dominated the easier league to pitch against. Pedro Martinez is a crybaby, that's why.

I wholeheartedly agree. However, he never faced the "great" Babe Ruth....no, wait! Babe Ruth never faced any of the greatest Black pitchers of his time. [Overrated is a word I would use to describe Ruth....but that's another story.]

I think Gaylord Perry, Juan Marichal and Don Drysdale [even though he was a hated dodger] deserve at least an Honorable Mention here. Maybe even [the hated dodger] Don Sutton.

Yeah, it should be an interesting battle to see which team will battle for second behind the Braves! I tell you what, if Hampton really is healthy and stays that way, you've got starters that are as good or better than the Mets and Phils. If those teams don't batter each other too much, I think there's a good chance that two of the three will make it to the playoffs, unless Torre does a miracle job on the Dodgers (I think Colorado is unlikely to duplicate its run to the pennant). Dan, it's funny....we were so completely lacking in starting pitching last year, Smoltz and Hudson and pray for rain(Doesn't rhyme I know!) now IF Hampton is healthy,(And for all his hard work, I hope he can at least pitch for awhile) there is Glavine, leaving as choices for #5, 22 year old Jair Jurrjens who we got from Detroit for Renteria, a nobody named Jeff Bennett who after a few years of arm trouble (And converting from reliever to starter midseason)really impressed last September...ad to that last year's 3rd starter Chuck James(Who has rotator cuff issues ) and Jo-Jo Reyes who after a terrible beginning to the year, had an ERA around 3 in September...and even if Hampton gets injured again, we have a fair number of options. In fact, I could be singing another tune at the end of the season, but I think we should have saved the money on Glavine. But, one can never have enough starting pitching, can one??? Now, if only Bobby Cox can find his brain again, we will stand a good chance..... Um. I don't think Bobby Cox is the problem.

Koufax was on steroids.

Yeah, it should be an interesting battle to see which team will battle for second behind the Braves! I tell you what, if Hampton really is healthy and stays that way, you've got starters that are as good or better than the Mets and Phils. If those teams don't batter each other too much, I think there's a good chance that two of the three will make it to the playoffs, unless Torre does a miracle job on the Dodgers (I think Colorado is unlikely to duplicate its run to the pennant). Joe Torre will be hard pressed with the bench he has to work with; not an A-Rod in the bunch. Rockies will be tough to beat as will the Padres. My Giants will figure in as a spolier, er....for their fans, not the league. Grrrrr!!!

Nolan Ryan and Satchel Paige get my vote.

The father who contacted Hardin and then Emery was put in touch with the Federal officials who have already received the bloody syringe evidence. They will now have yet one more reason to believe McNamee and consider bringing perjury charges against Clemens. You'll see the photos themselves soon enough - perhaps right around the time they get their indictment. Assuming there are any, Dan. I think it's a bluff to put some pressure on Clemens.

Um. Don't hold your breath waiting, Berigan

Ah-CHOO!!! [sniff] I hate Spring. Grrrr

Uh...Dan? I have a life, believe it or not. Been just a tad busy of late. As to any photographic evidence...let's see it then. Because this guy claims to have a photo means nothing....more Bonds-esque evidence: Nobody actually saw anything but everybody and his uncle claims to have this damning evidence. Where is it? I say this guy needs to: Put up or shut-up.

It would be a...waste....? Send them to me.

Anyone found a way to discard old VHS Tapes??? Sure. Send them to me

It was way cool. My daughter, the future scientist [all of 12], thought so too

History isn't generational any more than comparing one generation to the next is legit. Given the sheer weight in numbers of techological gagets and media based/web based distrations available and owned by young people, there is absolutely no comparison to be made between the current generation and the WWII generation or the Baby Boomers. GenX pales in comparison as well. It would be comparable to saying there is a comparison to be made in computers. The only comparison between old 8888's with blinking cursor and the PC you're reading this on now is they both use electricty. Beyond that, they are night and day different. Same is true of students. The only real comparison to be made is that we are all human. Experiences don't translate well generation to generation.

I want to make it clear that I do NOT think that my students are "unintelligent." There are a lot of different kinds of genius, and since I've been teaching, I've been exposed to several kids who undoubtedly qualify as physical genuises or mechanical genuises, etc. What bugs me is the apparent lack of curiosity about the wider world. These kids know all about the ins and outs of surviving on the streets of Schenectady, New York. But they couldn't care less about what's happening in Washington, D.C. or in Iraq or Darfur, much less things that happened over a hundred years ago. I sometimes think that their brains have learned to reject all information that it regards as unessential. In fact, it may be a survival technique. Exactly, Alexander. You are spot on.

My two cents: The students we get in the classroom today are products of the video generation. They are inundated with outside visual stimuli which, as it has been stated already, gives kids the attention span of a gnat. They are used to having things fed to them. They don't have to think because it is all done for them on a TV monitor. Add to this the computer and the World Wide Web. For the only time in our history we have instant access to anything, anywhere, anytime. Video games are designed to hold and maintain a kid's attention for hours. Then there is the cellphone/iPod/Crackberry/name the hand held electronic device which diverts even more attention. Kids will prefer to "chat" with a text message rather than to actually talk to people. Ear phones replace listening, rampant consumerism and instant gratification replaces working for something and all of it is done without having to leave your house to go look for it or experience it on your own. Now put those same kids in my HS English or Speech class and with a teacher who says they need to discover the information through careful research and classroom discussion and they sit there looking at me like I had lobsters crawling out of my ears. Do we really wonder why they don't know who bombed Pearl Harbor or where the state of North Dakota is? Who needs dull Shakespeare or Robert Frost when you have Brittney Spears latest hospital stay and American Idol? Of course school and learning are boring to them....there is no show/video/latest song to go along with it, is there? They simply do not care about knowing such things. Kids hate hearing from us teachers that they need to "think outside the box" because they may not know what a box is let alone what it means to think. Analysis and critical thought is something old people do...kids must be entertained. Besides, they can get that stuff off the Net. Having said all that, kids are still reachable and not all of them refuse to think....but those types of kids are fewer and fewer in number each and every school year. We are a Nation of Vidiots. Any specious comparison to the "good old days" or the tired old "those darn kids" argument is tenuous at best and at the very least old school thinking. Times have changed and not necessarily for the better, education-wise. Sad, but true.

A little premature, doncha think? As I recall, he hasn't been charged with anything.

What if the parents are as dumb as dirt? Good point.

Maybe the Palm Readers need to take a whack at this, too.

I think we blame Congress....or teachers....or both Parents have absolutely nothing to do with their own kids being dumb as dirt. Nope! Blame public education, that's my advice. Put everybody in private school. That'll solve the problem. Damn teachers suck. Oh, yeah. The system has failed us. Uh-huh.

They used an unprotected and tainted urine sample as their evidence. Anybody could have manipulated it.

I don't think the topic inherently belongs in the Political forum, personally. I agree. It belongs in the bullshit forum.

Yes it is, Jim....a total circus.

Thats a fact, too. Peach bikinis? Butt bruises? But you know what the worst of it is? Clemens will get pardoned by his buddies the Bushites and Bonds will get hammered. Total bullshit.