MLB History

While the Big Red Machine of the 1970s might have been extremely good, it has nothing on the 2010 Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers have put together the best hitting infield of all time, and have done so in an un-Yankees manner. Although the Yankees have earned a reputation for buying their talent, the majority of this currently assembled infield is home grown talent.

The St. Louis Cardinals have acquired some of baseball's best players over the years; not every star can come out of the 13th round in the MLB draft like Albert Pujols.

Here is a list of some of the smartest and luckiest Cardinal trades.

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The wait is over: Stephen Strasburg will make his MLB debut on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Said to be made from the rib of Nolan Ryan, the 21-year-old Washington Nationals right-hander is already the stuff of legend (or at least 2010 hype), even though his 100 mph fastball has yet to cross a major league plate.

So what should we expect?

In a fairly unsurprising move, Bud Selig has announced that he will not in fact reverse the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce that cost Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in the history of Major League Baseball. 

Selig did say "that Major League Baseball will look at expanded replay and umpiring". This is an improvement over the current system in place, but it doesn't change the fact that a young pitcher has been robbed of baseball immortality. 

Ken Griffey Jr. has called it quits after 22 years. One of the best players of all time, “The Kid” has endured one too many injuries, aged one too many years, and sat on the bench one too many games. After a stellar career, he has decided to hang up his cleats.

On Wednesday afternoon, Ken Griffey Jr. took the next step in his baseball career, and that was to end it.

The Mariners outfielder and designated hitter was not having his best season and decided it was time to call it quits. Next stop for Griffey…Cooperstown.

How can a player not make it when he is listed as No. 6 overall on the all-time home run list and made the All-Star team 13 times in 22 years? Griffey is beyond qualified for a spot in baseball eternity.

With his spineless decision today not to right an obvious wrong, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig again showed his detractors why they are right about what a weak leader he is.

Detroit Tiger pitcher Armando Galarraga had a perfect game going with two outs in the 9th inning when first base umpire Jim Joyce blew a call on a play at first involving Jason Donald of the Cleveland Indians.

An obviously upset Joyce admitted after the game that he blew the call.

It was two seasons ago in a men's wood bat summer league game. It is a good league, with great competition and many former (and at least one current) major leaguers as alumni.

I was base umpire, situated behind the pitcher's mound in a two-man team. Man on first, one out, late in a tied game.

Batter hits a ground ball to the hole in short, throw is made to second for the force out, then the relay is made to first.

Bang-bang play, and I signal OUT! Double play and inning over.

The words in every baseball fan's mind is instant replay.

I know that I've been thinking about it since the most infamous "SAFE" call since Don Deckinger at the 1985 World Series. Instant replay is what is really at stake when somebody discusses Jim Joyce and his mistake.

For awhile now, we at 643 Sports have blustered over devoting an entire show to the identification and removal of the worst and least-worthy parts of baseball's Hall of Fame.

So, inspired by the hand-wringing we have done over the induction of the Jim Rice and Andre Dawson ilk, I decided to get the ball rolling and put together a definite list of players that, in my humble opinion, do not deserve Hall of Fame recognition.