1:10 a.m. ET: NEW RULE: If a player's involved in a pennant race (or something like it), the media's not allowed to focus on individual achievements. Are you with me on this one?
Take Ichiro, for example. The Mariners have been lapped by all three of the other American League West teams, so by all means let's hold our collective breath during every one of Ichiro's at-bats until he catches George Sisler (or doesn't). But you know what? At this point in the season, with the Giants fighting for a spot in the World Series derby, I couldn't give a tinker's damn about Barry Bonds moving from No. 3 on the all-time home-run list to ... No. 3.
Yes, yes, I know that 700 is 700, a lovely round number. But at this point in the history of the world, I'd be more impressed if Barry Bonds threw out a runner at the plate in a close game than if he blasted two or three homers in a blowout.
And as it happens, tonight he didn't hit any home runs at all, but he did throw out a runner at the plate, with an absolutely perfect throw, in a game the Giants eventually won by just one run. The story tonight -- as it should be for much of the next two weeks -- is the National League wild-card race, and with the Cubs and Marlins winning, Bonds' peg to the plate might wind up ranking as one of his more valuable moments of the season.
12:42 a.m. ET: E-MAIL OF THE NIGHT: Do you agree that Roger Clemens should win the Cy Young in the NL?
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