A-Rod, B-Ruth

Alex Rodriguez is the youngest player to hit 600 home runs in Major League Baseball. If he stays healthy, and hungry, he could break Barry Bonds record of 762, and even be the first to hit 800.

The second-fastest player to 600 was Babe Ruth. But when you think about it, he's more amazing. He started as a pitcher, and in his first six seasons with the Red Sox, hit only 49 homers. Then he joined the Yankees and went nuts. If he'd started as a hitter (and played 162-game seasons) I wonder how quickly he'd have gotten to 600, and what he'd have ended up with--900 would not be out of the question.

Of course, that's how it goes. How would Ken Griffey Jr. have done if he'd stayed healthy? How would Willie Mays have done if he hadn't lost two seasons to the Korean War? No one knows, but such things are why baseball fans look beyond the raw numbers.

PS Speaking of the Red Sox, they've got the best fans--according to Forbes (in a study that seems a bit fishy to me). The Pittsburgh Steelers are second, the Detroit Red Wings third. It's only pro teams, however, which is leaving out a lot.