Little boy, in a baseball hat, stands in a field, with his ball and bat.  Says “I am the greatest, player of them all.”  Puts his bat on his shoulder, and tosses up his ball.  -Kenny Rogers

Ok, here we go!  Another opening day has come and gone.  Cool Papa Bell once said, “I remember one game I got five hits and stole five bases, but none of it was written down because they didn’t bring the scorebook to the game that day.”  Well, Cool Papa doesn’t have to worry about that today.  I brought my scorebook.  I’m writing it down.     Read More »

Hey young world, the world is yours.  Hey young world, the world is yours.  Young world, young world, the world is yours.  -Slick Rick

Ok, here we go!  You know what the man says.  The man says pitching wins championships.  The man says you’re only as good as your next starter.  Sparky Anderson says, “If I ever find a pitcher who has heat, a good curve, and a slider, I might seriously consider marrying him, or at least proposing.”  Well, I found some guys.  Sparky better go buy a ring.  Heck, he should go all Big Love and buy five of them.         Read More »

What does it take to be number one?  Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers.  What does it take to be number one?  Hey hey hey hey..  -Nelly

Opening day is just two weeks away.  Ahhhh, baseball.  The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.  America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers.  It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again.  But baseball has marked the time.  I know it’s a little early.  I know what Bill Veeck said.  I know he said, “This is a game to be savored, not gulped.  There’s time to discuss everything between pitches or between innings.”  I don’t care.  I want it all.  I want it now.  I want to know what the Big Fundamental wants to know.  “Good, better, best.  Never let it rest.  Until your good is better and your better is best.”  Who’s good?  Who’s the best?  Today we will discuss who’s the best.  We’ll discuss who’s the worst.  And we’ll discuss everything in between.  So, without further ado, let’s hand out the hardware:          Read More »

Yesterday was March 2^nd, and according to the crack research staff at JPQ, it marked the 49^th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 individual points in an NBA game.  While Wilt was surely prolific both on and off the court, the 100 point game has become a thing of legend throughout the years.  Even though the league has seen some great players pass through the gym in the last 49 years, nobody has seriously challenged Wilt’s 100 point game – although Kobe did drop 81 against Toronto back in ’06.  In fact, with the size and speed of the players, and advent of the shot clock, one could argue that Wilt’s record may just be unbreakable.  That got us to thinking, what are some of the unbreakable individual records of all time in sports, and what are the odds that somebody can actually break through and re-write history.  Here now is an exlcusive JQP eyewitness news investigation: Read More »

(TBS 6PM ET)  MLB Playoff Baseball.  The Thrills.  The spills.  Oh, the humanity!  I’m watching this game for one reason and one reason only.  I’m watching this game for Roy Oswalt.  I always liked this dude.  I liked him back in 2005.  In the postseason that year, Oswalt started 4 games and went 3–0. His two seven inning one-run performances netted him the NLCS MVP award, including a three-hit seven strikeout gem in game 6.  Expect more of the same tonight.

Oswalt is 23-3 (.885) in his career against the Reds in the regular season. That winning percentage is the highest among active pitchers with at least 15 decisions against a particular opponent. Meanwhile, Bronson Arroyo is 1-5 against the Phillies in the regular season with a 5.54 ERA, his highest earned run average against any National League team. But this isn’t about Broncon Arroyo. I mean, I like Bronson too. His getting girly slapped by A-Broad was a moment I’ll always cherish. But no, this is about Roy Oswalt and his Vulcan change-up. I just wanted to say Vulcan change-up. May you live long and prosper. Get your popcorn ready!

Peace out homies!  Six Two and Even!

Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up.  Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up.  Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up.  -Prodigy

Public Service Announcement:  Like the man says, “He who laughs last, laughs best.”  Brandon Phillips laughed first.  Brandon Phillips laughed when he said, “I’d play against these guys on one leg.  We have to beat these guys.  All they do is bitch and moan about everything, all of them.  They’re little bitches, all of them.  I really hate the Cardinals.”  Maybe Phillips should have played on both legs.  Then, he could have laughed best.             Read More »

Memories light the corners of my mind.  Misty watercolor memories
of the way we were. Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind.  Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were.  -Barbara Streisand

Public Service Announcement:  Ahhh, the All Star game.  The Midsummer Classic.  Like my main man Terrence Mann always says, “We’ll watch the game and it’ll be as if we dipped ourselves in magic waters.  The memories will be so thick we’ll have to brush them away from our faces.”  What memories will this year’s All Star Game bring?  

Read More »

Down…The paint is peelin’.  Now…When the chips are down.  Down…You gotta lose all feelin.  Now…When the chips are down.  -Terror Squad

Public Service Announcement:  Ok, here we go!  You may say clutch hitting does not exist.  You may say it is mostly imaginary.  You may say that every at bat can have an impact on the final score.  You can say whatever you want.  It’s a free country.  I say Bobby Thompson’s Shot Heard Round the World was clutch.  I say Vic Davalillo’s drag bunt was clutch.  I say Dave Henderson’s two run shot off of Donnie Moore was clutch.  I say What Tom Cheek said.  I say, ”Joe Carter, you will never hit a bigger home run in your life!”  See, I believe in the Church of Baseball.  I’ve tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones.  I’ve worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan.  I know things.  I know Joey Votto is the clutchest hitter in baseball today.        Read More »

I’ve been gone so long, so, gone so long.  But I will come back.  I will come back for you.  -Foo Fighters

Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go!  Remember Scott Rolen?  Rookie of the Year Scott Rolen?  Five-time All Star Scott Rolen?  Seven-time Gold Glover Scott Rolen?  Ya, that Scott Rolen.  Well, that Scott Rolen incurred a rash of injuries and fell out of the limelilght for quite some time.  Taken out of the good fight for quite some time.  Hidden from our sight for quite some time.  He injured his shoulder in a collision with Dodgers first baseman Hee-Seop Choi back in ’05.  That injury resulted in surgery and years of trouble in St. Louis.  Then, last year with Toronto, he suffered a fractured finger during spring training.  After missing the first five weeks of the regular season, things were finally looking good for Rolen.  Not so fast!  Another bout with shoulder woes landed him on the DL again in late August.  Egads man, the guy just couldn’t stay healthy.  Well sports fans, he’s healthy now.       Read More »

Now you can’t catch me.  No, baby, you can’t catch me.  ‘Cause if you get too close, you know I’m gone like a cool breeze.  -Chuck Berry

Public Service Announcement:  OK, here we go!  Like the late great Harry Caray always says:  “Hello again, everybody.  It’s a bee-yooo-tiful day for baseball.”  Defense, defense.  Hold tight.  Defense, defense.  Fight!  Fight!  Fight!  Flashing the old leather.  That’s what here to talk about today.  The web gems.  What’s glove got to do with it, got to do with it?  Everything.                Read More »