NFL HISTORY IN THE MAKING SUNDAY AT NEW ERA FIELD
Buffalo Bills fans will be watching one of the NFL’s all-time great players Sunday when quarterback Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints visit New Era Field. He’s chasing Brett Favre and Peyton Manning for the most passing yards in league history:
Peyton Manning 71,940 yards
Brett Favre 71,838 yards
Drew Brees 68,325 yards
Tom Brady 64,123 yards
Dan Marino 61,361
John Elway 51,475.
Pretty impressive company.
Brees needs 3,616 more yards to pass Peyton Manning. He’s 38 but still has plenty of juice left in his arm. He’s been durable and the Saints have allowed a league-low eight sacks this season.
Brees led the NFL in yards passing each of the past three seasons. He’s “only” fourth this season because the Saints are running the ball more effectively than in recent past years. He has to “settle” for leading the league in completion percentage – an astonishing .716 (197-of-275).
Maybe Tom Brady is saying he wants to play until he’s 45 because he wants to finish with more career passing yards than anybody – including Brees.
NO HALL OF FAMERS ON THIS LIST...WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Baseball’s Hall of Fame on Monday released the 10 names on the Modern Era Ballot (contributors 1970 through 1987) for possible election to Cooperstown. A panel of 16 will do the voting and the results will be announced Dec. 10 at the winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
These nominees failed to be selected in previous elections and I’m not touting any of them to be chosen this time around. They all had fine careers but...
Here are my worst-to-best candidates in reverse order:
10 – Ted Simmons. A good hitter for a catcher (.285; 2,472 hits; 248 HRs; 1,389 RBI) but average defensively. Might be more worthy than a few Hall of Fame catchers – the ones I wouldn’t have voted for, either.
9 – Tommy John. A clever lefty for a long time. Lots of wins (288) and lots of losses (231). He gets no extra credit for being the guinea pig for Tommy John surgery.
8—Luis Tiant. 229-172 record. Better ERA (3.30) than Tommy John (3.34) and better win percentage (.571 to .555).
7—Marvin Miller. The Executive Director of the MLBPA (1966 through 1982) did wonders for the players but I don’t know what he did for baseball in general and the fans in particular. The players want to see him elected. I don’t blame them.
6—Alan Trammell. Detroit’s shortstop was very good but not great for a long time. Ditto his DP partner Lou Whitaker.
5—Don Mattingly. Appeared on his way to the Hall of Fame before back problems reduced his production and shortened his career.
4—Dale Murphy. Back-to-back MVP awards but only a .265 career BA with 2,111 hits.
3--Dave Parker. Good hitter (.290; 2,712 hits; 339 HRs; 1,493 RBI). Decent outfielder.
2—Steve Garvey. Solid player: .294; 2,599 hits; 272 HRs; 1,308 RBI; 1974 MVP; 10 All-Star Games; 4 Gold Gloves at first base.
1—Jack Morris. 254-186 record. Pitched a 10-inning shutout for Minnesota in Game 7 of 1991 World Series (he threw 126 pitches – WOW!). Outstanding competitor. 3.90 ERA hurts his chances. If he gets in, I won’t gripe. But there are 75 pitchers in the Hall of Fame and they all had lower ERAs. Red Ruffing’s 3.80 ERA is at the bottom of the list.
TWINS CLEANING OUT SECOND-LINE PITCHERS...LOSE PALKA
A bunch of second-line pitchers have elected free agency and have left the Minnesota Twins organization: Matt Belisle, Bartolo Colon, Dillon Gee, Glen Perkins and Hector Santiago.
The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed LHP Nik Turley off waivers. With Rochester in 2017, he was 5-4 with a 2.66 ERA. In 67 2/3 innings, he allowed 58 hits and 22 walks and struck out 79.
This move figures to hurt the Red Wings more: the Chicago White Sox claimed slugging OF Daniel Palka off waivers. In 84 games with Rochester in 2017, he batted .274 (91-for-332), with 11 HRs and 42 RBI.
THURSDAY’S “BEST BET” IS SEAHAWKS OVER ARIZONA
The visiting Seattle Seahawks don’t have much of a running game but they have Russell Wilson. He gives his team a huge advantage at quarterback over Drew Stanton. The Seahawks are favored by 5 ½ points and they’re Thursday night’s “Best Bet’: Seattle 27, Arizona 17.
BIG WIN FOR THE SABRES...BUT POWER PLAY STILL A PROBLEM
The Buffalo Sabres badly needed a victory Tuesday night on home ice and delivered with a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Evander Kane had two goals and it looks like the Sabres (5-8-2 record; outscored 54-38) were wise not to trade him in the offseason. A team short on firepower can’t afford to lose a natural scorer.
But Buffalo was 0-for-4 on the power play and the manpower advantage continues to be anything but that:
Buffalo’s power play this season: 6-for-52; 11.5 percent; 29th in the NHL, ahead of only Anaheim (10.6) and Columbus (10.4). The Sabres also have allowed 6 short-handed goals.
Buffalo’s power play last season: 57-for-233; 24.5 percent; 1st in the NHL. The Sabres allowed only 4 short-handed goals all season.
The penalty killing has been better this season: 36-for-44; 81.8 percent; 12th in the NHL...Last season, 184-for-237; 77.6 percent; 25th in the NFL.
IS ROY HALLADAY A FUTURE HALL-OF-FAMER?
Former Toronto Blue Jays (12 seasons) and Philadelphia Phillies (4 seasons) star pitcher Roy Halladay died Tuesday when his private plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida. He was 40.
In the history of the Blue Jays, I rate it a toss-up between Dave Stieb and Halladay for the best pitcher in team history: Stieb 175-137 record (he ewas on some poor Blue Jays teams); 3.42 ERA; 443 games; 103 complete games; 30 shutouts...Halladay 148-76 record; 3.43 ERA; 313 games; 67 complete games; 20 shutouts. I give Stieb significant bonus points for longevity with the team. He holds the team records in most major categories.
I rate Halladay considerably ahead of Stieb overall as a major-league pitcher. Halladay won two Cy Young Awards and also finished second twice, third once and fifth twice. He also pitched a perfect game and only the second no-hitter in post-season history. He was 148-76, 3.43 ERA with Toronto and 55-29, 3.25 with the Phillies.
I don’t think Stieb is a future Hall of Famer. I think Halladay is a cinch for Cooperstown.
It has been suggested that the Halladay be immediately selected to the Hall of Fame. I don’t like that idea. That honor was bestowed on Roberto Clemente, who was an active player when he died in a plane crash on a mercy mission December 31, 1972. He was delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in his native Puero Rico.
Halladay will be eligible for Cooperstown in 2019. It will be a strong class, including Mariano Rivera, Todd Helton, Andy Pettitte, Michael Young, Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman.
I believe Halladay will be elected to the Hall of Fame – but maybe not in 2019.
SALUTING THREE ROCHDALLAS RATTLERS
As we await confirmation of the Major League Lacrosse Rochester Rattlers move to Dallas, let’s salute the three members of the team that made the Lax Sports Network’s Top 25 poll of the league’s players: attackman Jordan Wolf (second-best player in MLL), defenseman Joel White (14th) and goalie John Galloway (24th).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Wednesday, November 8
Giancarlo Stanton (28)...Yasmani Grandal (29)...Jeremy Kerley (29)...Sam Bradford (30)...Darryl Watkins (33)...Nick Punto (40)...Edgardo Alfonso (44)...Qadry Ismail (47)...Rey Palacios (55)...Jerry Remy (65)...Ed Kranepool (73)...Angel Cordero Jr. (75)...Tom “Satch” Sanders (79).
Thursday, November 9
Greg Bird (25)...Adam Dunn (38)...David Duval (46)...Chris Jericho (47)...Bill Guerin (47)...Roy Jefferson (74)...Tom Weiskopf (75)...Bob Gibson (82)...Whitey Herzog (86).