Unless they have a very, very significant meaning, tattoos are generally quite stupid. Although those tribal and/or barbed wire tats that sweet bros like to get around their biceps are pretty cool. And anything involving Asian characters. Just awesome. Although none rival this dude’s ink:
Yeah, that’s forever. Unlike the relationship with his girlfriend, which will certainly be over after the first time he takes off his shirt in front of her. Don't worry Bonds Superfan, I've had it happen to me also and I don't even have tattoos. Also, the winner of the internet is the first guy who commented on the video -- howyadoin784 -- who summed this tattoo up just perfectly: “well holy s---, bro.” Indeed.

(H/T: Mouthpiece Sports)

Mike Mussina has decided to call it quits which can only mean that it is time for everyone’s favorite act of futility: An argument over whether or not his career merits a plaque in Cooperstown.

FOR:

Consistency: From his first full year with the Orioles in ’92 through last season, Moose had one losing season. He won over 15 games and pitched over 200 innings 11 out of his 17 seasons full seasons. He was top six in Cy Young voting nine times spanning the length of his career -- third in voting during his first full season and sixth in voting in his final season.

Wins. Moose has 270 career victories. There are only six players with that many wins, or more, who aren’t in the Hall of Fame. Four of those six aren’t eligible yet, and are locks for Cooperstown. So really, the only two 270-win pitchers not in the Hall are Bert Blyleven (who many believe will get in someday) and Bobby Mathews, who played baseball in the 1800s. He also racked up 100 more wins than losses for an outstanding win percentage of .638. (Correction: Jim Kaat and Tommy John both have more than 270 and aren't in the Hall. So make that four pitchers with 270 who aren't currently in the Hall, or locks to gain entrance in the coming years.)

Strikouts. He came up short of the 3,000 K plateau, but he did strikeout 2,816, good enough for 19th all-time. Nearly every pitcher above him on the all-time K list is, or will be, a Hall of Famer.

Gold Gloves. The credibility and importance of the award is suspect, but he won seven of them, for whatever that’s worth. It’s certainly not a negative and he was, without question, a great defensive pitcher.

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Earlier today, we discussed the tragedy that occurred in Fairfax, VA, where the Mason athletic department decided to kill off Gunston, the ambiguous green blob, in favor of some pumpkin-headed, chisel-chinned freak of a mascot.

Well, we’ve come across some more upsetting mascot news. First, we travel to Tampa, where -- earmuffs kids -- the actual human being inside Raymond has been fired for no apparent reason:

"I'm just as confused as everyone else," [Kelly Frank] said. "I really didn't get an explanation."

Frank said she was praised as recently as three weeks ago, when her supervisors told her she out-enthused the Philadelphia Phillies mascot, the Phillie Phanatic, during the World Series.

Out-enthuse the Phanatic? Impossible. But I’m certain she never lost a dance-off, which is the key ingredient to being a successful mascot. (Or Miami Hurricane fan):

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The New York Yankees thrust $140 million at CC Sabathia Friday, which for some reason shocked a lot of folks. (Come on, who makes rash, over-the-top contract offers like the Yanks?) Among the awed: Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin, who has reportedly offered CC $100 million for six years of service. From Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

"It sounds like they're overbidding," Melvin said. "If the speculation is true that we've offered CC $100 million, why would you offer $140 million? Why wouldn't you offer $110 million?"

Ah, I can see Melvin has taken a "How to eBay like a pro!" seminar or two. There are, of course, two distinct bidding philosophies. In Melvin's eyes, you bid just enough to take a lead ... like the old "I bid $501, Bob" from The Price is Right. It can be time-consuming and heated if you get into a bidding war. But it probably saves money in the long-run.

Hank Steinbrenner naturally fits the description of the Moneybags high roller who saunters into an auction with a martini and a blonde and bids twice the base price, overpaying but winning instantly. It's part boredom with the standard bourgeoise game, part "my yacht's longer than yours" contest for these elites. And boy does it anger the folks like Melvin, who just dreams of how many corner infielders that superfluous $30 million could buy.

The naming of Cliff Lee as the A.L. Cy Young Award winner today was a foregone conclusion, marking the second straight year that a Cleveland Indian has won the award, after C.C. Sabbathia, currently a Brewer, took home the A.L. Cy last year.

I’m afraid I’m going to have to go all Jayson Stark here about this and point out the fact that two different pitchers from the same team winning back-to-back Cy Youngs is a relatively rare occurrence, one that hasn’t happened in the American League since the Blue Jays’ Pat Hentgen and Roger Clemens won in 1996 and 1997 respectively. Prior to that, it’s only happened three times in the A.L., and bizarrely all three came during a six-year stretch. The Brewers’ Rollie Fingers and Pete Vukovich won in 1981 and 1982, the Orioles’ Mike Flanagan and Steve Stone won in 1979 and 1980 and the Yankees’ Sparky Lyle and Ron Guidry won in 1977 and 1978.

In the National League, this phenomenon has occurred three times, the last being in 1995 and 1996, when the Braves’ Greg Maddux and then John Smoltz won the Cy. Prior to that, it was the Phils’ Steve Carlton and John Denny in 1982 and 1983. After that, we have to go back to the days when there was only one Cy for both leagues, when the Dodgers’ Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax won the award in 1962 and 1963.

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