Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, two of the greatest players of all-time, never reached 3,000 hits

I know people are tripping over themselves in an effort to heap accolades on the New York Yankees Derek Jeter after his 3,000th hit. The worst part was the tendency for the media to constantly point out that he’s the only Yankee to ever attain 3,000 hits. Let me just point out one thing: 3,000 hits or not, Jeter isn’t in the same class as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, or Mickey Mantle.

After Jeter’s accomplishment, I checked out the list of career hit leaders. Here’s a list of the 28 men who reached 3,000 hits:

1. Pete Rose 4256
2. Ty Cobb 4189
3. Hank Aaron 3771
4. Stan Musial 3630
5. Tris Speaker 3514
6. Cap Anson 3435
7. Honus Wagner 3420
8. Carl Yastrzemski 3419
9. Paul Molitor 3319
10. Eddie Collins 3315
11. Willie Mays 3283
12. Eddie Murray 3255
13. Nap Lajoie 3242
14. Cal Ripken 3184
15. George Brett 3154
16. Paul Waner 3152
17. Robin Yount 3142
18. Tony Gwynn 3141
19. Dave Winfield 3110
20. Craig Biggio 3060
21. Rickey Henderson 3055
22. Rod Carew 3053
23. Lou Brock 3023
24. Rafael Palmeiro 3020
25. Wade Boggs 3010
26. Al Kaline 3007
27. Derek Jeter 3003
28. Roberto Clemente 3000

When you look at that list, are you surprised? There are some great players on that list, but there are some players that I wouldn’t consider among the greats. Excellent player, but not great players. In that list, I would include, George Brett, Robin Yount, Al Kaline, Craig Biggio, Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Paul Molitor, and Derek Jeter. For many, 3,000 hits was the result of longevity mixed in with some strong years, not greatness.

If you think I’m wrong, then consider that Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams are not on that list. Are the members of the 3,000 hit club somehow superior? I don’t think so, especially when you consider that some players missed substantial at-bats. For example, Babe Ruth was a pitcher who had limited at-bats early in his career, while Ted Williams missed a few years while serving our country as a fighter pilot.

Remember: Round numbers like 3,000 don’t always tell the whole story.

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn't charged in a sexual assault case, but was punished anyway.

Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault by a 20 year old woman. Police performed a thorough investigation and decided there wasn’t enough evidence to bring charges against him. Think about this: Not only was there not enough evidence to convict him, but there wasn’t even enough evidence to bring charges. Despite this, Ben Roethlisberger will be punished.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to suspend Roethlisberger for the first 6 games of the season. The suspension will cost Roethlisberger nearly $3 million in salary, and could be even longer if the League isn’t satisfied with the progress of his behavioral evaluation. Goodell readily recognizes that Roethlisberger wasn’t charged, but in a letter, he points out other actions that evening that undermine the “integrity” of the NFL:

“As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk. The Personal Conduct Policy also states that discipline is appropriate for conduct that ‘undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players.’ By any measure, your conduct satisfies that standard.”

To summarize, Roethlisberger is being suspended for 6 games and losing nearly $3 million because he drank excessively and bought alcohol for a woman who was months shy of her 21st. Yet, Ray Lewis wasn’t suspended for any games after he was indicted on two counts of murder and later pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice.

Does this make sense? There isn’t enough evidence to bring charges against Roethlisberger, and he’s “guilty” of buying alcohol for a 20 year old. What does he get? 6 games and $3 million. Ray Lewis is actually indicted for the murder of two men and obstruction of justice, and he walks away with a $250,000 fine and no suspension. Isn’t there something wrong here?

Just when you think Tiger Woods couldn’t sink any lower, he does. The father of two children lied to, and cheated on his wife with a myriad of opportunistic women, and now he works on the rest of the family.

Tiger Woods and Nike put out a commercial that appears to show an upset Tiger Woods receiving advice from his dead father, Earl Woods. Woods, who looks like an imbecile in the commercial, essentially used his fathers words to help sell sneakers and athletic apparel. Is nothing sacred? We all knew his wedding vows certainly weren’t, but this takes the cake.

Amazing. Even Barack Obama’s pitches are far left!

Tiger Woods spoke to ESPN today, and the five minute interview was rather unspectacular. I was personally annoyed by something I found disingenuous: His desire to apologize to everyone for his undisclosed problem. I know it sounds good, but it’s complete nonsense to think he owes anyone other than his wife Elin Nordegren an apology. But then again, I’m biased. For the life of me, I don’t know how someone who seemingly has everything can risk it for so little. Come on, he’s married to her:

Tiger Wood's wife, Elin Nordegren

Former model Elin Nordegren

Mrs. Tiger Woods, Elin NOrdegren

Then, we have the girlfriends. They’re certainly not chopped liver, but are they really worth it? A beautiful wife, two children, fun job, lots of money, and you act like an idiot? Oh that’s right, he’s sick and getting treatment. I forgot.

Tiger Woods' girlfriend, Rachel Uchitel

Tiger Woods' mistress, Jaimee Grubbs

Another Tiger Woods girlfriend: Jamie Jungers

Actress and Tiger Woods Girlfriend, Holly Sampson

Both Barack Obama and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch are football fans upset with the current playoff system. As a result, they’ve used their position to bring about change. Hatch has requested that the Department of Justice perform an antitrust review, and they have agreed. Not surprising, since Barack Obama complained about the playoff structure just after his election.

We can’t seem to find bipartisan support for a myriad of important issues, but our officials are working hard on college football. Next time you wonder why a seemingly important problem isn’t being addressed properly, it could be because they are concerned with “important” issues like football.

Mark McGwire’s apology seems sincere, but to me, it’s meaningless. His cheating and drug use has made a mockery of the game in general, and its records and history in particular. Him and other suspected and confirmed steroid users such as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Andy Pettite, Jose Canseco, Roger Clemens, Ken Caminiti, and Alex Rodriguez have devalued the game and its history. The beauty of baseball was the constant comparisons of teams and players from differing eras. With a generation of baseball sullied by cheaters and drug users, those comparisons are largely null and void.

The only easy thing is how I will explain this to my children one day. I will tell them about a man named Roger Maris who holds the single season home run record, and another man named Hank Aaron, who is the all-time career home run leader. He or she might point to the record books and tell me that I’m wrong, that other people broke their records, and I’ll have to explain what happened. I’ll need to explain how a group of greedy men cheated and dishonored baseball’s past, while Roger Maris and Hank Aaron used nothing but hard work and determination.

I’m not an avid sports fan, and I’ve never followed college football closely. Yet even as a very casual sports fan, I know that the BCS playoff system is ridiculous. I also know that our elected leaders are wasting their time on a bill that would require college football to have at least one playoff game leading up to a championship game. That’s a decent idea. The only problem is that it’s none of Congress’ business.

The United States is fighting two wars, dealing with terrorism, working on a massive health care bill, and will start work on comprehensive immigration reform soon. Plus, I’m not sure if they realized it, but we’re also in a recession and are continuing to lose jobs. Despite all this, they’re working on college football.

The elected officials spending time on this would undoubtedly say they are aware of the problems facing the country and are addressing them. We would hear that they are capable of doing multiple things at once. I don’t doubt this, but even the most passionate supporter of legsislation to change college football’s playoff structure would have to admit that any time spent on this “problem” is time spent away from more pressing needs. Besides being unimportant, it is an area where the government shouldn’t be involved.

Republican Senator Orrin Hatch and President Barack Obama have been vocal supporters of this legislation, along with other members of Congress. It’s a shame that one of the few times both parties are on the same page is when the legislation doesn’t seem to matter much.

Tiger Woods and Barack Obama on the cover of Golf Digest

The headline says it all: 10 tips Obama can take from Tiger. I’m not sure what these tips are, but here are some that would be useful if Barack Obama starts turning into Bill Clinton.

1. Don’t leave a message on your mistress’ voicemail asking her to remove her name, just in case your wife calls. You know this will make its way onto TMZ.

2. Don’t send text messages. She’ll probably just sell them to the National Enquirer, or some other tabloid.

3. You must save for a rainy day. Set aside 10% of your income for some of those expenses that might pop up, like having to buy your mistress’ silence.

4. Don’t keep golf clubs near the front door. You wouldn’t want one ending up in your Escalade.

5. Buy a sports car. When your wife finds out your cheating on her with four different women, you’ll need a fast car to get away from her. Angry women are fast.

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.

Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don’t share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one’s own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.

Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it’s difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.

Women have seemingly come out of the woodwork claiming they have had affairs with Tiger Woods. There are also rumors about Tiger Woods’ wife Elin Nordegren causing his injuries. If you are a fan or casual observer who is somehow offended by this behavior, get a life. If these rumors are true, they owe apologies to each other and their children, no one else. Private matters should remain private.

I’m sure there are some who feel that celebrities and athletes owe the public some picture of human perfection, but this is misguided. For Woods, anything that occurs off the golf course is none of my business or yours. Now, if an athlete were injured or found to cheat, then this is a topic that demands coverage, and in the case of cheating, an apology.

My biggest problem is with the emphasis placed on this story. It bothers me that more people are probably following the Tiger Woods story than Climategate, the troop surge in Afghanistan, or the health care bill. The media and its readers are both responsible for their poor focus. One focuses on the nonsense, while the other pours solely through this type of “news” due to laziness or a lack of intellectual curiosity.