Greatest 31 Ever?

Watched the MLB Network's show listing the greatest player by uniform number, a countdown from 50 to one. Was tempted to list them, but quit watching after the greatest-ever 31 was bestowed on Ferguson Jenkins. The Cubs waited until Greg Maddux retired to retire 31 for both Jenkins and Greg Maddux.

Fergie earned his hall of fame enshrinement, and may have been the greatest Canadian to wear 31, but in every category Maddux bested Jenkins. HOF voters listed Greg on 97% of the ballots but Jenkins garnered only a 75% share. The Baseball Reference Fan-EloRater listed Maddux as the 5th greatest pitcher. Jenkins ranked 45th. 

The show boasted of Jenkins control - he walked only 997 batters in 4500 innings. Yet Maddux pitched 508 more innings and walked only TWO more batters than Fergie. Maddux's winning percentage was higher and his ERA lower.

Maddux won at least 15 games a record 17 straight years. Jenkins could only muster a 6 year streak (though all six were 20 wins or more - in a different era, but for the woeful Cubs). Maddux had more sacrifice bunts than any other right-handed pitcher in history, and won a record 18 Gold Gloves. Jenkins never won a Gold Glove.  

PL..YR....W....L.....WP......ERA,,..G....INN....BB.....K

FG..19..284..226..55.7%..3.34..664..4500..997..3192
CM.23..355..227..61.0%..3.10..744..5008..999..3371 

Some other numbers I remember:

50 Sid Fernandez. Sid wore 50 to honor his home state - Hawaii.

47 Tom Glavine
44 Hank Aaron
41 Tom Seaver
29 Rod Carew
25 Barry Bonds

Charles Qualls and I seem to be on the same page about the Braves offseason plans. So far no fan has stepped up with $50 million to fund all the moves the fans think are necessary. The Dodgers and Yankees each spent $200 million last year and neither reached the Series. Neither fired their manager.

MONDAY: I’m working tomorrow and it may be busy. Thursday may not be as busy as Friday, and Saturday the GT/GA game could be more entertaining than SC/Clemson. If the inside info I received late Saturday holds, look for a Clemson upset.

M and A had a guitar lesson. Ceil cooked grilled chicken, salad, hash browns, green beans and white potatoes, and mashed sweet potatoes. Watched Sadie on DWTS, then drove to pick up M.

WEDNESDAY: Woke at 7 am and spent most of the day in front of the laptop. Ate at Beth's Country Kitchen. A buffet. Ate turkey, dressing, mac & cheese, green beans, corn, potato salad, slaw. Some of the dishes were great, others poor. Passed on the ham, fried chicken, rolls, mashed potatoes, and several other offerings. More turkey tomorrow then chicken tetrazzini on Friday. 

Gravity – great movie. Fever Pitch is one of my favorites. Interesting that in the movie Steven King is shown throwing out the first pitch. King says in his book Faithful that the movie people got the Red Sox to get King to throw out the first pitch so it will be in the movie. Funny how those two things intertwined. Sunday I watched “For the Love of the Game” on MLB again. I like that movie as well.

TIRE DEALS: Before she went Ceil kept asking questions about Tire Deals. I told her I’d bought all our tires there for the past ten years, and that Rob was a customer as well. She thought the guy was weird. He talked her into paying $5 more for a better tire. I had called him in advance to give him the tire size. He said there was an hour wait – people must be off for Thanksgiving. Ceil ran some errands first and didn’t have to wait.

Traded for a bobblehead the Dodgers gave away, of Cub Rick Monday rescuing the American flag from protesters trying to set the flag on fire in the Dodger Stadium outfield (it’s just Monday and the flag). 

A and M got to stay out late at Clemson hanging out with college students, so they had fun. They also ran out on the field after the game.

Banana pudding. Some of that stuff looks good not but it’s not all that tasty.