Is Albert Pujols the best hitter that we’ve ever known? That is a question that has been asked hundreds of times, and the debate doesn’t look like it’s going to go away any time soon.

To save time and even more confusion, I’m only going to do comparisons with players from the last three decades.

Players from the past such as Mays and Williams were great in their day, but the game has changed so much since then comparisons can’t really be made. Conditions and even equipment are completely different in the modern game.

As the game has evolved so much, we can’t tell how well players from the past would have played today, and vice versa. We can consider Pujols to be the batsman of our times on his merits alone.

To start with, there is a possibility he can still improve as he doesn’t hit 30 until his next birthday. His consistency has been second to none; few players can boast that they have turned out every week and played like Pujols has, let’s check out a few of his statistics.

When you consider that you have to go way back to find a low average of .312 in the second year of his career, and his lowest since has been .327, this really is a guy to be reckoned with.

Pujols is an MLB player and has now played 9 seasons in this league. During 5 of those he has hit 40 home runs. The lowest amount he has ever hit in a season is 32; this is an outstanding stat by anyone’s standards.

As every new season starts, we hold our breath to see if Pujols can maintain his stunning form, and he never lets us down. Is he the greatest hitter of our generation? That we can only answer when he finishes playing, but I wouldn’t bet against him.

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It happens on an annual basis, without fail. There are always a few NBA players who emerge during the course of the season, hitting the radar screens of every fantasy basketball GM as they break out.

It’s even more frustrating when you’ve been watching them the entire time, only to have missed out on the chance to own them because you were afraid to drop someone else that you dropped a few days later.

During the 08-09 season, players like Tyrus Thomas fit the mold, owned in nearly every league by season’s end. How about this year though? With a few months of basketball behind us, it’s time to reflect by proclaiming some of the next enduring fantasy forces in the league.

Let’s take a look at the player who I believe has had the biggest impact on teams so far this season.

In just his second full season of basketball, it’s clear that Kevin Love will be a force to be reckoned with for quite some time. Few people actually expected him to show the rebounding prowess he has, and no one thought he’d be putting up 15 and 12 on a nightly basis.

Any center who can shoot 80% from the line is magnificent in that category. A huge bonus that comes with owning Love is the fact that he’s averaging over half a three pointer per game.

There are only a few centers in the NBA who shoot three pointers, and their contributions are invaluable to teams. One more great element of Love is the fact that he averages over a steal per game, also a rarity at the position.

No one believed that Love would have the impact that he currently does. He’s been one of the most pleasant surprises in all of basketball, and gives fans of the Timberwolves in Minnesota something to look forward to.

As a result, quite a few lucky GMs around the fantasy world have enjoyed a huge boost from a pleasant surprise.

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The 2009 National League Cy Young race is an interesting situation. There are at least two pitchers who make definitive cases for the coveted award, and choosing the winner will be a difficult decision for those forced to vote.

There were some exceptional pitching performances in the National League in 2009. It can be argued that at least 4 or 5 pitchers would have won it hands down in seasons past had they had these seasons then. Some of the best pitchers this past season included the likes of Adam Wainwright, Jair Jurrjens, Clayton Kershaw, and Matt Cain. Not to mention many others.

However, Tim Lincecum and Chris Carpenter both stole the show. Pitching their respective teams to winning records, both of these pitchers had some of the best pitching seasons in recent memory.

Looking at the stats doesn’t tell the whole story with either of these pitchers. That’s perhaps what makes this race even more difficult to call, as if it wasn’t already hard enough. It’s almost painful to deny either of these incredible pitchers of an award they deserve. Maybe they’ll somehow tie for the award.

As far as Lincecum is concerned, he was magnificent in 2009. A 15-7 record, a 2.48 ERA, and 261 strikeouts (best in the league) in 225.1 innings pitched were all phenomenal. He was largely responsible for San Francisco’s first winning season in years.

Chris Carpenter, on the other hand, is more likely to see a movie made out of his story. After missing two consecutive seasons with an injury that threatened his career, he somehow managed to pull it together with the best season of his career. No one in baseball expected anything this drastic out of Carpenter, who led the NL in earned run average.

As for who will win this race, all bets are off. Voters will probably be required to vote based on the surrounding details rather than the stats themselves. After all, the stats themselves would lead someone to mull this over all day.

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One of the most popular books that come out every year is the Guinness book of records. This is now more commonly known as the Guinness world records. This popular book chronicles things such as the best and worst or the longest and shortest or many other recordable facts from throughout the world.

The book was originally produced in 1955 in Great Britain by two Irish journalists by the name OF Norris and Ross McWhirter. What is not commonly known though is that the book is commissioned by the Irish brewery of the same name, the famous Guinness brewery.

Initially it was produced as a way to settle bar bets in the early fifties. By producing a book with their name on it the Guinness Company thought it might be a good way to further promote the Guinness brand.

It is rumored that the original idea came in 1951 when a certain Sir Hugh Beaver, who was at the time a managing director of the Guinness Empire was participating in a shooting party. He somehow got into an exchange of words with another person about Europe’s fastest bird. They argued about whether it was the Koshin Golden Plover or the Grouse.

Sir Hugh thought that he would find the answer in his reference books that night in his Home at Castlebridge House. It turned out though that his reference books were not all that forthcoming with the information that he required.

Then a thought struck his mind that perhaps a book like this could in fact be quite interesting. This was the start of the Guinness book of records.

This annual book has sold millions of copies since it was first published in 1955. Funnily enough it now holds a record itself as the most popular and best selling of all the copyrighted serial books in the world.

The Guinness book of records holds another record too. Funnily enough it is the most stolen of all the books in the American public libraries.

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Many believe that a great basketball franchise starts with its point guard. After all, the man running the show coordinates just about every offensive drive up the court.

The ball handling and passing ability of a point guard will directly impact a team’s offensive abilities, and their defensive skills are equally valuable.

Let’s take a look at the best 5 point guards of the last 25 years. This is a tough list to narrow it down and while the ordering may be subject to opinion, I believe that just about anyone would agree that all of these competitors are some of the best to ever play the game.

At number five, I put Steve Nash. This wouldn’t have even crossed my mind five years ago, which is interesting when you consider his age of 35. Despite this, he’s still playing some of the best basketball of his career and his MVP awards speak for themselves.

At number four, Chris Paul gets a spot on the list here. He’s only been in the league for five seasons now, but what an impact he’s made in that span. He’s yet to win an MVP award, but he’s due for one when you consider what he does for his team.

He’s one of the best defenders at the position to ever play the game, and a shoe in to be near the top of the league in assists each year.

Another one of a kind player very worthy of a spot on this list is Jason Kidd. The modern day triple double king is an anomaly when you consider his ability to rebound despite his height. Kidd is another aging player who hasn’t slowed down yet.

After Kidd comes a pure point guard in John Stockton. He was the king of assists year in and year out while he played, and he found great success in Utah with Karl Malone and the Jazz. Year in and year out, they were a competitive team thanks to his proficiency at the position.

Magic Johnson. Ervin Magic Johnson led the Lakers to multiple championships and most people credit this all to him. His ability to pass like few others did, rebound, and score the ball with ease made him one of the most versatile to ever play the position and one of the greatest to ever play.

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It was June 23rd, 2010 in South Africa and the U.S. soccer team faced Algeria. It was late into the game and American fans were starting to lose hope as it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen for them. Passionate soccer fans were heartbroken, considering the boys got robbed with a few calls and could have made it through with a few decisions made in their favor. Just when everyone was down, Landon Donovan comes to the rescue!

With a win vs. Algeria, the U.S. squad would advance. But with all the chances they had, nothing seemed to fall their way. They hit the post, they missed a few great opportunities, and they even had a goal overturned. This wasn’t the only time we saw a bad call make a difference for them. They had to keep on playing and that’s what they did.

While the U.S. was playing Algeria, the England vs. Slovenia match was also being played. As England took a lead in the first half, U.S. was forced to win if they wanted to advance. England never really looked threatened by Slovenia, so as an American fan, we were in trouble.

The history making goal was incredible. It took them 12 seconds to build the play up and counter attack from end line to end line. If you didn’t see this goal, it’s a must see as it’s possibly the most dramatic goals in the U.S. soccer history. The U.S. soccer team has been playing as a National Team for 94 years and many are crediting Landon’s goal as the most dramatic in history.

And of course it was Landon Donovan. The leader of the team steps up for the occasion. This goal, as well as the goal in their comeback vs. Slovenia only solidifies the argument that Landon’s the greatest U.S. soccer player of all-time.

When Landon scored this goal, it wasn’t only a game winner. It didn’t only mean we move on to the next round. It also meant that for the first in the modern era, that the U.S. soccer team completes the group stage in first place. Finishing ahead of England is something to brag about! But now it means a single elimination match vs. Ghana, who caused problems for us in 2006.

One thing you can count on with this U.S. squad is fight. This team doesn’t give up. They came back to tie it against England. They came back against Slovenia down 0-2 at halftime to tie it up and could have won if the ref made the right call. They also fought against Algeria until the final whistle and it sure paid off.

If the U.S. brings their best game to Ghana, they should do just fine. With a win, soccer may just grow a bit more in the U.S. They’ve made it extremely exciting and I’m sure they’ll continue to give us something to talk about vs. Ghana.

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