I know we just linked to a story on The Hardball Times, but how could we pass up the opportunity to recognize such an important occasion as the passage of 10,000 days since the 4,000th hit of one Mr. Pete Rose.

Of course, by the time his hit his 4,000th hit, he wasn’t even playing in Cincinnati anymore, but whatevs. Montreal doesn’t even have a damn team anymore, let alone a rose garden outside its hallowed walls.

If you know much about Pete Rose’s career, you’re probably aware that he was one of baseball’s great compilers. He became the all-time hit king because he’s also tops all-time in at bats, plate appearances, and games. He’s the quantity king. When he tallied his 4,000th hit, it came in his 3,259th game. In all baseball history, only two others ever played in that many games, Hank Aaron and Carl Yastrzemski. That’s one reason why Rose got 4,000 hits.

I don’t, frankly, know all that much about Pete Rose’s career (at least in baseball; some of the crazy shit he’s done since his playing days are all too crisp in my memory), so this is some interesting stuff. If you’d like to check it out for yourself, head over to The Hardball Times.

Apparently Albert Pujols fancies himself an insult comedian, or at least a mean big brother, with his antics in Milwaukee yesterday:

It happened with the Brewers hitting in the second. With one out and no runners on base, Yuniesky Betancourt hit a pop foul down the first-base line that drifted toward the stands. Pujols pursued it immediately and tracked the ball about 30 yards before making a difficult-looking over-the-shoulder catch.

Honestly, the play itself would have been noteworthy. But then, when Pujols stopped his momentum, he locked eyes with a gentleman standing along the railing with his arms extended. Pujols approached the fan, stuck out his glove in what appeared to be an invitation to take the ball, and then snatched it away and returned the ball to the infield.

I guess you have to entertain yourself somehow until you become a free agent. There’s a video here from MLB. (I’d embed it except MLB sucks)

Can you imagine what would have happened if the tables were turned and Brandon Phillips had done that to a Cardinals fan in St. Louis? Chris Carpenter’s head might have exploded.

Not to give BP any ideas or anything. The Reds visit St. Louis this weekend.