Who’s More NOW: Trading Deadline or Milestone Day?

Stepping away from the rumor mill for a bit, we here at Umpbump would be remiss if if we didn’t talk about what may turn out to be a day remembered for greatness that far surpasses any trade that goes down.

First up, at 7:05 EST, the New York Yankees will face the Chicago White Sox as Alex Rodriguez will try to become the 22nd member of the 500-Homerun Club. Sure, we crack jokes about the guy. And if he doesn’t like it, then damn it, he shouldn’t be so good at being the butt of it. But make no mistake that when his playing days are done, we’ll remember him as one of the greatest players to ever put on a baseball uniform. And as a man who has a thing for muscular women.

At 8:05 Flushing-Standard-Time, Tom Glavine goes for win number 300 in his illustrious, yet somehow boring, career. The guy is mechanical and I actually mean this as a compliment. It is clear that Tommy can no longer carry a pitching staff, and this may have been true for some time. And yet, I am amazed by what he has accomplished despite the fact that his peripherals aren’t eye-catching. For his career, he has a 5.34 K/9, and a 1.76 K/BB. How did he get to this point where we’re talking about him as a sure-fire Hall of Famer? Simply put, the man is consistent. Mechanical. Maybe boring. 

Finally, at 10:10 EST in Los Angeles, the world will tune in to see if Barry Bonds can tie the most heralded record in sports. It’s going to be tough, no doubt about it. Especially if Bonds is benched so as not to have a PR nightmare when the LA fans boo after realizing that David Beckham is actually not a very good soccer player.