Sportsman of the Year?

I’ve written about this before, but thought it would be a good time to rehash this based on Lance Armstrong’s confessions this week.

SI hasn’t had a good track record with its Sportsperson of the Year awards recently.

1975 Pete Rose
1986 Joe Paterno
1996 & 2000 Tiger Woods
1998 Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa
2002 Lance Armstrong
2008 Michael Phelps (remember the bong incident?)

Hopefully the other winners don’t join this list.

Game 89. Tigers @ Yankees.

What a week for the old folks.

Rivera, at 39, sets the All-Star record for saves with four. Last night, 46-year-old Jamie Moyer pitched seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Tom Watson, at 59, has the British Open lead after two rounds, and shot an opening round 65. Lance Armstrong is running strong at the Tour de France in his comeback.

But for some younger guys, not a good week. Tiger Woods failed to make the cut (and TV will probably shift from all-Tiger to the Watson feel-good story). Yao Ming’s will most likely miss all next year, and you hope his career won’t be over.

Tonight’s Yankee lineup:

YANKEES (51-37, 2nd, 3 GB. Up by 2 1/2 for the WC)
OPS+ 116, ERA+ 97. +2 on the Pythagorean.

*-Team leader BA/HR/RBI/SB/SBATT/OPS+
Jeter SS .321*-10-37-17/20-125
Damon LF .276-16-50-8/8-127
Teixeira 1B .275-21*-63*-0/0-137
Rodriguez 3B .256-17-50-3/3-150*
Matsui DH .265-14-40-0/0-130
Posada C .285-11-40-1/1-128
Cano 2B .308-13-46-4/8-116
Swisher RF .237-14-47-0/0-115
Cabrera CF .285-8-34-5/7-106

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (8-4, 3.77) ERA+ 117* (among Yankee starters)

So the Braves are retiring #31 for Maddux. I do wonder what happens if you start retiring too many…oh yeah, Aceves wears #91 and Hughes #65 (j/k).

Here is a list as to what is retired throughout baseball.