Comparisons are natural, we feel the need to rank, rate and rank again. Usually, we compare apples to apples, but occasionally we slip in a potato or potahto. We’re also pursuing the EST, or rather the fastest, best restaurant, TV show, biggest money maker-whatever. We see something new and we’re already proclaiming it’s the EST.

Regardless of the sport or level, we’re quick to project career numbers on that athlete five minutes after initial success. When asked. most athletes that hold long-standing records are gracious when someone comes along to break said record. Rather than letting the athlete play out their career and succeed or fail on their own merits, we hope to dictate the terms of the narrative. Editor’s note: It’s usually the press that controls the narrative. In some cases, the media tries to protect the record holder as was the case when Barry Bonds approached Hank Aaron’s 755.

Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 career strikeouts always sounded pretty safe to me yet every time a new flame-thrower appears, Ryan’s numbers seem to be an obvious target. Note the commentary in the attached story about Stephen Strasburg’s likely early retirement.

Stephen Strasburg plans to retire (mlb.com)

Despite reaching 1,500 strikeouts faster than anyone else, he only fell 3,991 short of Ryan. The game is not better without Strasburg, but he hasn’t been among the best since 2019. Without him, the Nationals/Expos franchise doesn’t have a World Series title, but could they have won more had they handled him differently earlier in his career?