He might have been darned useful in Atlanta, where they lack for lefthanded power and suck in left field.

It is a tough decision. Is it wiser to allow Ankiel to rest on his laurels after a stellar comeback, albeit in the low minors, and sit all winter wondering if he can do it where it counts? Or is it worth the gamble of putting him out there, even as a mop up guy. If he does well, he is that much better of mentally. If he implodes, the Cardinals may feel the need to seek another pitcher in the offseason. They may even send Ankiel to winter league as a hitter.

I don't know what the right move is.

And McGwire had to walk 8 miles to school, uphill both ways, through snow, barefoot. No one ever had it tougher than old Mark.

I love this quote from Big Mark, "(Bonds) usually gets injured one time through the year with his back, and he hasn't."

Barry Bonds' games missed since 1993:

Here is a summary of Bonds' ailments for 1999, 2000 and 2001:

April 20, 1999: surgery to remove bone spurs and repair tendon in left elbow. Expected to miss 10 weeks.

June 9, 1999. Activated earlier than expected. Continues to suffer pain and swelling in the elbow for the next 2 months.

September 15, 1999. Tendonitis in the right knee

Well said, Jim. Every time McGwire opens his mouth, he seems to make himself sound like a crybaby. He's like an old guy who tells you how things were in the old days, except he's talking about 3 years ago.

It's easy to see that losing this record would be very painful for him.