By The Numbers

1:1,000,000 – Chances that free agent C.C. Sabathia will end up with the Boston Red Sox next season. Although the addition of Sabathia would make the Red Sox rotation so good it’d be illegal in 20 states, there are just too many factors that contribute to him not wearing a Sox jersey next season. Mainly the fact that the 6’9”, 290 pound pitcher from California wants to stay on the west coast is the issue, but the fact that Theo Epstein doesn’t like offering big contracts to pitchers doesn’t help either. Especially that Sabathia is not too enthused by the 6 year $140 million dollar contract offered by the Yankees.

3 – The number of players in MLB history to win the Rookie of the year award, and then the Most Valuable Player award the next. Cal Ripken Jr. did so, winning the Rookie of the year award in 1982, and then MVP in 1983. Then Ryan Howard winning the RoY in 2005, and league MVP in 2006. Finally, just this past month, Dustin Pedroia became the third winning the best fresh meat award last season (2007), and winning the league’s best this year. Although Pedroia did this with a Gold Glove award as well, and at the age of 25 (although he looks 55) he has an extremely bright future ahead of him.

7 – The number of touchdowns that the previously crowned “touchdown champion” has this season after 13 games. LaDainian Tomlinson broke the record for touchdowns in a season by a running back just two seasons ago, and had an “off year” for LT last season with 15 touchdowns and 1400 yards. After being hyped yet again as the league’s best, being taken first in thousands of fantasy drafts, and being considered as the one to dethrone Emmitt Smith atop the career rushing yards list, LT battled through injuries and has had his least productive season yet. His numbers this season are all career lows (including his rookie year) from total rushes, to yards per game. Is Tomlinson on his way out already?

62 – The again humiliating amount of points that the Oklahoma Sooners put up against the once BCS considered Missouri Tigers. Including their loss to Texas, the Sooner offense hasn’t put up less than 35 points this season, and average 54 points per game. They also have scored 60 or more points the past five games. For those who doubt the Sooners talent and National Title chances after the Texas loss, they also average only 24 points against them, giving them an average 30 point margin of victory. With Sam Bradford and his Heisman hopeful arm leading the way, the Sooners should be able to squeeze into the Title game against the SEC champion Gators, creating quite the controversy due to the fact the Texas Longhorns won’t play against the Gators after they handed the Sooners their only loss earlier this season.

5,160 – The weekly Drew Brees update: after a “disappointing” 296 yard game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, Drew Brees has lost some of the steam he had going earlier this season. Although he is still on track to break Marino’s 5,084 mark, Brees has dropped 42 yards from his estimated number last week. Another story to look at is Kurt Warner’s number of 4,988 yards after a 235 yard game last week, his worst since week 3. Drew Brees however should easily be able to pass Marino with Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit and Carolina left, two of which are in the bottom for passing yards allowed, and one of which guarantee a 500 yard game.

18,500,000 – The contract given to shortstop Edgar Renteria of $18.5 million over 2 years. As a desperate team, it seems the Giants are just throwing away money to do whatever they can to win more games. Renteria has been a shaky story in the baseball world ever since his big year in 2003 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Renteria has been on four teams in the past five years, and in those five years hasn’t been the hitter he was once believed to be. In St. Louis, he was a young, athletic shortstop who could hit over .300, around 15 homeruns, and steal around 30 or more bases. However, since leaving the Cardinals, he’s hit over .300 only once, and hasn’t had more than 17 stolen bases. With Renteria at the age of 33, it is understandable that he would receive a 2 year deal, but for $18.5 million? Are the Giants that desperate? Well, yes they are, but they could’ve put that money to much better use. As a comparison to those who do not know much of MLB contracts, Renteria’s $8 million (roughly) that he will make this upcoming season, is (again, roughly) $2.5 million more than shortstop Hanley Ramirez will make, and $2.25 more then Jose Reyes will be making this upcoming season. Both of these shortstops are much more productive offensively, and are 8 and 7 years younger respectively. These two are clearly much better and prove that the Giants could have really done better with this money. Maybe they should have used it to buy Barry Bonds out of trouble and get him back in a Giants uniform.