How about a triple crown of Triple Crowns? Back-to-back-to-back!
Baseball has records it believes are untouchable: Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak; and Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters. But the way Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers is smashing the ball this year, he's en route to accomplishing something that has never happened in the 135-year history of Major League Baseball: Back-to-back Triple Crown titles.
And hey, if the 30-year-old Venezuelan leads the American League in batting average, home runs and runs-batted-in again, who would bet against him doing it again in 2014? - a triple crown of Triple Crowns.
When Cabrera led the league in all three categories last year, he was the first American League hitter to do it since Carl Yaztrzemski of Boston Red Sox in 1967. Ted Williams of the Red Sox did it twice - in 1942 and 1947, while superstars of the game such as Rogers Hornsby, Ty Cobb, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle are among the elite 16 players to totally dominate the three glamour hitting categories. There have been far more perfect games pitched (23, some of them by no-names like Phil Humber and Dallas Braden) than Triple Crown winners (every one a Hall of Famer).
At last look, Cabrera was back on top of the A.L. in batting average (.367) and runs-batted-in (65) while sitting No. 2 in home runs with 17, three behind Chris Davis of the Orioles. ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweeted that Cabrera is the first player in MLB history to enter the month of June with a batting average of at least .340 and at least 15 HR and 60 RBI.
Of the 16 previous Triple Crown seasons, no player has followed up the next season by leading in even two categories.
"I've been playing a long time, and he's the best hitter I've ever seen," Tigers right fielder Torii Hunter told Richard Justice of mlb.com.
"I've never seen a guy that put the bat head on the ball as regularly as he does and on all pitches," Rangers manager Ron Washington said to Justice.
Not surprisingly, Cabrera is starting to be compared to some of the all-time greats - Aaron, Mays, Williams, Mantle, Ruth. "It's too soon to say that," Cabrera said.
He might be right, but if the Tigers' infielder puts together Triple Crown No. 2 this season, get ready for some unbelievable major league hype as he goes after three in a row next year.
Norman Chad of the Washington Post, on the worst team in Major League Baseball, Houston Astros, having "a roster so young that Chuck E. Cheese's caters the team's training table."
Bob Molinaro, Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot: I don't understand what Chuck Norris means when he says he sees some of himself in Tim Tebow. The out-of-work quarterback Tebow has been called a lot of things but, far as I can tell, never a bad actor."
Comedy writer Jim Barach: "Nike is cutting its ties with Lance Armstrong's Livestrong. How bad is it when the company that stuck by Tiger Woods and Michael Vick says you don't measure up to their standards?"
R.J. Currie of sportsdeke.com: Ottawa right-winger Guilliame Latendresse told TSN hockey is a game of mistakes. In which case, the Toronto Maple Leafs are a dynasty.
Scott Miller of cbssports.com, pointing out there is a bright side to Matt Kemp of the Dodgers going on the disabled list with a strained hamstring: "He will be physically unable to strand any more runners at least for the next two weeks."
Blogger Bill Littlejohn, after Broncos QB Peyton Manning shot a 77 at Augusta National: "Though Tom Brady phoned in claiming he took an illegal drop."
Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, after Keyshawn Johnson complained about neighbor Justin Bieber's speeding: "When your behavior offends an ex-NFL receiver, it is time to clean up your act."
Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: A high-school baseball ump - obviously under the influence, witnesses say - passed out during a game in Stark County, Ill., and then attacked first responders who came to his aid and was tased twice by police, WQAD-TV reported. The umpiring situation, in short: loaded, with one out and two strikes."
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: "Better to be lucky than smart? Running back Matt Brown was supposed to sign a contract with Saskatchewan of the CFL. But he forgot his passport had expired and couldn't board the flight. Before he could fix it the Tampa Bay Bucs offered him a contract."
Hough again: "Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Ian Kennedy missed a start recently because he cut himself washing the dishes. And all over America, men are going 'See, honey, I'd love to help clean up but for men that stuff is dangerous.'
Steve Simmons of Sunmedia, quoting Canadian rower Marnie McBean on why athletes in her sport are a lot like politicians: "We sit on our ass and go backwards."
