Pete Rose 4,256 career hits. Ty Cobb 4,189. Hank Aaron 3,771. Sadaharu Oh 2,786.
Ichiro Suzuki … 4,308 career hits at the end of last season … across two leagues on two continents.
Why do I bring up these statistics? Today is a momentous day for yours truly. Combined with my 157 diaries as gravlax, I have authored 226 diaries as of today. I don’t know where that puts me in the record books. I’m pretty sure that it is not on the first page. Yet. Still …
So, sorry brillig, tonight is about the sportsball.
But first, a word from our sponsors ...
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jump wit me ...
MLB All Time Hits Leader … Banned from Hall of Fame
So tonight we talk baseball, a subject on which I rarely opine. I’m a fan, not a big one. I enjoy a game from time to time.
I keep score, I drink beer, I eat all the things.
And I absolutely detest Peter Edward Rose, Sr. “Charley Hustle” is a degenerate, racist fuck. I personally think he bumped his head once too many times on second while stealing.
I know he gambled on games, which is one thing. But Rose gambled on games in which he was playing or managing.
And Marge Schott (and her stupid fucking dog) loved Pete Rose. She enabled the whole damn thing, as well as let that dog shit wherever.
As Ichiro closes in, Pete Rose chafes: 'They're trying to make me the Hit Queen'
Yessir. He sure did not like that Ichiro Suzuki was creeping up on him in the lifetime hits category.
As I said, fuck him.
Hank Aaron … The “Hammer”
Hank Aaron was born to hit baseballs.
Thanks to Jackie Robinson, he was allowed to do that in the Majors. Also thanks to Robinson, Aaron was able to break the All Time Home Run record as a man and not a symbol, although there was no escaping the racial components of the importance of his achievement.
There were a lot of people that didn’t like the fact that a black man was going to break the record set two generations ago by Babe Ruth.
Aaron had security guards along pretty much everywhere he went during the season he broke the record.
Threats poured in.
And when two exuberant fans joined him to round the bases for the 715th time, hearts across the world leapt into their respective throats. No one knew for sure until it was too late to do anything anyway.
But Aaron would go on to inspire yet another generation of baseball players behind him. His record stood proudly until the Steroid Era pretty much made the MLB record books pointlessly gaudy.
Sadaharu Oh … Japanese hit king
Oh was an ironman hero over his career in Japan as a player and manager.
In a culture obsessed with statistics and tradition, Oh was considered the ultimate legend.
Oh was born in 1940. His on field heroics took place amid Japan’s rise from the ashes of WWII back to player on the international stage.
He was a symbol, an icon.
(and mentioned in a Beastie Boys lyric ) …
Position: First Base
Bat: Left
Throw: Left
Seasons: 22
Home Runs: 868
Batting Avg: 301
Hits: 2,786
RBI: 2,170
Yeah, I skipped Ty Cobb …
Fuck that racist fuck
Any sports memories you would care to share here? Open Thread for fandom tonight …
I’m curious about your favorite plays and players as well as what moments in sports stick out in your mind.
Are you a fan of sports?
Why?
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
Note: Please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
TOP COMMENTS
from your humble diarist:
ChitownKev and Denise Oliver Velez tell some hard truths in Denise’s FP Diary on opioids.
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from BlackSheep1:
I am submitting this hilarious comment by foresterbob from brillig’s Top Comments diary last night! Arguing for inclusion in Top Pictures is a tough task!
from Mike The Liberal:
I'd like to recommend this comment by CyberMindGrrl in Media Hypocrisy. Fareed Zakaria after Bombing, from "Bullsh**ter" Trump to President Trump by First Amendment, not only because it's accurate, but it reminds us of just how ill-informed the American public is, because if it doesn't have pictures, or video, it doesn't exist.
from BeninSC:
I loved this compassionate comment by rosebuddear to first time Daily Kos diarist, EnriqueMFlores3. Very caring, very attentive, indeed. It is people like rosebuddear who make the world a more special place.
highlighted by DaveinBremerton:
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