ESPN - Honoring the very best (and worst) of the first half - MLB

ESPN - Honoring the very best (and worst) of the first half in MLB

Yankees, June 7 vs. Kansas City. They're the first team to win a home game in which their starting pitcher gave up 10 earned runs since Vic Johnson did it for the Red Sox on Sept. 19, 1945, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The Rockies' Mark Redman, April 26 in Dodger Stadium, gave up 10 runs in the first inning, but, amazingly, was allowed to stick around and go six. Not one other pitcher in modern history has ever given up 10 runs in the first inning and thrown another pitch beyond that inning, let alone another five innings.

Mariners catcher Jamie Burke's 15th-inning July 6 journey to the mound made him the first catcher to wind up as the losing pitcher in any game since Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan pulled it off for the 1901 Baltimore Orioles.

Colorado's Willy Taveras, June 14 vs. the White Sox: 5 stolen bases, 0 runs. He's the first player in the last half-century to swipe five bases in one game and not get to cross home plate once.

Best lines:

• Third prize: From David Letterman, on the Pope's trip to New York this spring: "Since the Pope is at Yankee Stadium, he's going to be let Billy Crystal be a bishop for a day."
  
• Second prize: Also from Letterman, also on the Pope's visit to The Stadium: "People are saying it was a great mass. As a matter of fact, afterward the Yankees retired Roman numeral XVI."
  
• First prize: From Jay Leno, on A-Rod's alleged new favorite girl, Madonna: "How old is Madonna? Instead of A-Rod, maybe they should call him AARP-Rod."