June 4, 2009 [LINK / comment]

Randy Johnson makes history

It was a bleak and rainy afternoon in Washington, but the few fans who showed up at Nationals Park (less than 18,000) witnessed history, as Randy Johnson won his 300th game. Things might have turned out differently if the umpire had not called Adam Dunn out on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning (the pitch was below his knees), but the Giants prevailed over the Nationals, 5-1. Well, who wanted to spoil The Unit's big day, anyway? They even put together a special event page for Johnson at MLB.com. None of the next nine active pitchers with the most career wins has even a remote chance of reaching that milestone, so the Giant (literally) pitcher may be the last one to reach the 300-win level in our lifetime. The Nats lost the second game by nearly the same score, 4-1; it was called because of rain after six innings.

Is Tiger Stadium doomed?

The last I heard (see Jan. 15), everything was on track to provide funding for the preservation what is left of Tiger Stadium. Now it appears it will be demolished after all, and possibly within a matter of weeks or months. See macombdaily.com; hat tip to Bruce Orser. This is just awful, and terribly short-sighted.