SmashingLists

Month: January 2015

  • Top 10 Professional Boxers of All Time

    Boxing has been a popular sport ever since it was created. Even though some people see it as cruel, others see it as a pure form of entertainment between two highly calibrated fighters. Speed, agility, and punching ability are a few of the skills that make up a really good boxer. We are going to talk about the top 10 professional boxers of all time.

     

    10. Muhammad Ali

    Muhammad Ali is considered one of the best heavyweight boxers of all time. He was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky in 1941. His name at birth was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. but this quickly changed after converting his religion to Muslim. Throughout his career, Ali won an outstanding 56 out of 61 matches. 37 of those matches were won through a knockout. During his time, he dominated some of the toughest heavyweight boxers around including Joe Frazier in 1971.

     

    9. Rocky Marciano

    Rocky Marciano was a legendary heavyweight boxer who was born in 1969 in the United States. A spectacular feat that he was able to pull off throughout his career was never being beat by anyone. In all of his 49 matches, he won all of them. 43 of his fights were won by knockout. He was one of the greatest boxers to enter the ring and his legacy will be sure to live on in the boxing community for a long time to come.

     

    8. Joe Frazier

    Joe Frazier is easily considered one of the best heavyweight champions in boxing history and is very famous for fighting the great Muhammad Ali three times in 1975. The third fight during that year was considered the best in his career and is often referred to as the “Thriller in the Manila”. His record of 32 wins in 37 matches has placed him on a pedestal in the boxing community and today he is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

     

    7. George Foreman

    George Foreman is a former heavyweight boxing champion who was born in Texas in 1949. His nickname “Big George” served him well as he won his entire 13 career matches (in his first year), with them all decided by a knockout. In his second year as a professional boxer, his record quickly rose to 32 wins and no losses. He was ranked at the top for a long time and finally retired in 1977. He is now a church minister.

     

    6. Jack Dempsey

    Jack Dempsey made it on this list because he is one of the best heavyweight champions of all time. He was born in the United States in 1895 and held the world championship title from 1919 to 1926. His reign was supreme and there were very few boxers that could even stand toe-to-toe with him. In his 83 appearances in the ring, he won a total of 62 matches. He had a very aggressive fighting style and today he is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

    5. Joe Louis

    Joe Louis is a former heavyweight boxing champion who was born in 1914 in the United States. He starting fighting professionally in 1934 and quickly rose to the top of the ladder. His first fight was against a champion who he knocked out early in the match. Out of his 72 matches in the ring, he won a staggering 69 of them. He knocked out his opponents 55 times. After he retired, he partook in a few movies and was later award the Congressional Gold Medal for honor in 1982.

     

    4. Evander Holyfield

    This name rings bells and is one of the more famous ones in the boxing community. Holyfield was born in 1962 and early on in his professional boxing career he won the Cruiserweight division title. In 1982 he won the bronze medal in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In 1990, he became a champion and he has amassed a solid 39 wins in 49 matches. 26 of those matches were won via knockout. He is considered one of the greats and has become champion four times.

     

    3. George Chuvalo

    George Chuvalo was born in 1937 in Canada. His 21-year career was considered long by most people’s standards and he was known for fighting some of the most prominent fighters in the industry. He had two fights against Ali which were very famous and he was much known for his stamina and defensive abilities. After beating Chuvalo in 1966, Ali said that Chuvalo was one of the toughest fighters that he had ever faced. George won a staggering 73 matches in his lifespan as a fighter and 64 of those were via knockout.

     

    2. Mike Tyson

    When you think about legendary boxers, Mike Tyson’s name immediately comes to mind. He was a boxer who was born in 1966 in America and had won a massive 50 matches of the 58 that he participated in throughout his career. He was known for having fast hands and a lot of physical ability. He knocked a lot of boxers out and he also happened to be one of the more controversial boxers of his time. Even though he’s built a bad reputation outside of the ring, he is still considered a legendary boxer inside of the ring. His name will live on forever in the boxing community undoubtedly and most would agree that he earned it.

     

    1. Lennox Lewis

    The reason that his legendary boxer made his way onto the number one spot is because he is the third boxer ever to win a heavyweight championship on three different occasions. He was born in the UK and was a very aggressive fighter during his time. He had a very famous fight against Mike Tyson and won a staggering 41 out of 44 matches. 32 of those matches were won via knockout. Although he declared retirement in 2004, he is one of the most prominent boxers of all time and his name will be immortalized in the boxing community forever.

  • Top Ten Bizarre World Records

     

     

    5. Most Concrete Blocks Broken While Holding A Raw Egg

    Joe Alexander, a native of Germany can break twenty four blocks, all assembled in three stacks of eight. That should be impressive enough. Schools of martial art students try to break blocks all the time and fail to reach this milestone. Yet, the number isn’t the most impressive part. Alexander did this block breaking with a measure of care… specifically to his hands. You see, Alexander broke twenty four blocks with his elbow. Why his elbow? Because he was holding a raw egg in his hand, a raw egg mind you, that didn’t break. Oddly enough, this record breaking was even more impressive still as the previous record was a mere fourteen.

     

    4. Most Insured Hair

    Troy Polamalu, the Samoan Pittsburgh Steelers  safety, is a bonafide megastar. With endorsement deals left and right, Polamalu is recognized as much from commercials as he is for his exploits on the gridiron. Yet, why, of all people, was Polamalu picked for these endorsements? Simply, the answer is his hair, his wild, free and very luxurious (for a football player at least) hair. In a sport where most players are slight varying shades of crew cut and bald, Polamalu sticks out like a sore thumb and as such was the subject of much talk. This talk, and subsequent endorsement deals, got Polamalu thinking of insurance, which he put on his famous hair, to the tune of one million dollars.

     

    3. Longest Beard

    If you aren’t careful, you might mistake Canada’s Sarwan Singh for a wizard. With a long, a very, very long beard flowing from his face, Singh is a bit of an oddity in his hometown. While long beards aren’t that out of the ordinary in a world where Hipsters have made them fashionable, Singh has gone the extra mile, growing his out to an astonishing seven feet, nine inches. This, despite that Singh himself is ‘only’ seven foot one inch tall. When your beard is longer than Shaq, you likely deserve a place on a list of bizarre world records, and Singh most certainly has that.

     

    2. Longest Fingernails (On Both Hands)

    After eighteen years, most people have had several hair styles, a few different dress styles and maybe even a whole makeover. For Chris ‘The Dutchess’ Walton, however, eighteen years has been a period of keeping things the same, most specifically her fingernails. At nineteen feet, nine inches long, her nails are mind-bogglingly long. The nail on her middle finger of her left hand is twenty two inches long alone.

     

    1. Largest Commercially Available Hamburger

    When you are really hungry and stopping at a fast food place, you might find yourself ordering two burgers, or maybe even three if the burger is light and the hunger is deep. There is a place in Corvallis, Oregon that you wouldn’t have to order two burgers to satisfy your hunger. In fact, neither you or an entire football team would likely ever want to even see another hamburger again after you polished off the masterpiece of Juicys Outlaw Grill. Their massive burger weighs in at an incredible seven hundred and seventy seven pounds and costs five thousand dollars! Don’t rush out to try it though, you have to call ahead with up to forty eight hours of preparation time needed to make the largest hamburger commercially available ready for mass consumption.

  • Top 10 Worst Charity Singles

    Now, the charity record is a noble beast. A group of musicians coming together to create something that will make someone’s life better somehow. It’s just a pity that so many of them are so dull – contestants from reality TV shows rehashing old classics in a more soulful way. And every so often, there’s a charity single that crosses the border from mediocre to bad…and that’s what we’re looking at here.

    The natural home of the novelty single is Britain, where the 1980s and 1990s were peppered with frequent collaborations between bands and comedy acts to produce cover versions that made you want to peel your ears off. If you’re not from Britain, you may never have heard of some of the efforts here…but listen to them at your peril!

     

    10. Band Aid 20 – Do They Know It’s Christmas?

    The original Band Aid single in 1984 was the first huge charity single and it was a good one – the most famous names of the day, singing an anthemic tune that really made a difference. But the second version in 1989 was a bland, shiny effort by the Stock, Aitken and Waterman artists and the 2004 version (Band Aid 20) was blander still, featuring singers like “someone who used to be in All Saints” and “someone who used to be in S Club 7”.

    The atmosphere surrounding the recording hardly evoked the charitable intentions of the original either, with Bono and Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) squabbling over who got to sing the line “Tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.” If that wasn’t all bad enough, they also got Dizzee Rascal to add a rap over the top. An insult to the name of Band Aid.

     

    9. Pat and Mick – Use It Up and Wear It Out

    A typically British affair, this single was fronted by radio “personalities” Pat Sharp and Mick Brown. They covered the disco classic, originally by Odyssey, and Stock, Aitken and Waterman (they turn up a lot, it seems) turned it into a pop-tastic dance tune. The song was fairly awful, but it was the music video that made it truly terrible – mullet-ed Pat and cheesy Mick dancing around with huge grins on their faces, flanked by dancers in typically tasteful 1990-era clothes. (For those not in the know, fashion in 1990 was just like the 80s…but worse) And don’t even get me started on Mick’s suggestive finger-waggling. Still, it raised some money for “Help a London Child”, so it was probably worth it…

     

    8. Shane Richie – I’m Your Man

    And there’s more cheesiness next, with TV presenter Shane Richie turning his hand to the world of music, with this 2003 offering. Originally a Wham! hit, it featured Richie posing in George Michael-fashion, slicking down his eyebrow with his finger. It wasn’t funny enough to be a parody or musical enough to be a serious cover version…yet it somehow got to number 2. Maybe because it was raising money for Children in Need, which is a huge charity in the UK. Maybe because Shane Richie has a long-running part in Eastenders, also huge in the UK. But however much money it raised, no-one could pretend that this added anything good to the music world!

     

    7. Patsy Palmer & Sid Owen – Better Believe It

    Eight years before Shane Richie released his single, other Eastenders actors were attempting to bother the charts in the name of charity. The actors in question were Patsy Palmer and Sid Owen, who had played on-off lovers Bianca and Ricky. Bianca was chiefly known for her foghorn-like, piercing voice so it was somewhat alarming when that same voice was wrapping itself around a schmaltzy ballad (along with obligatory video of small children looking sad and/or less sad than they used to be before Patsy & Sid’s intervention). Not even the 4 remixes on the single (including the karaoke version, and the intriguing-sounding “Eat Your handbag” mix) could help push sales, and it stalled at number 60 in the charts. It didn’t stop Sid Owen  trying again, and he hit number 14 in 2000 with “Good Thing Going”.

     

    6. Northern Lights – Tears Are Not Enough

    It’s not just the Brits that produce cheesy charity records. While the mammoth Band-Aid effort was tailing off after its huge sales of Christmas 1984, this Canadian version popped up. Same idea – assemble the big names of the day (by Canadian standards) and use images of the Ethopian famine in the music video. But it’s just a bit rubbish, from the spoken-word intro to the 80s synth drenching everything. Not even the renowned Joni Mitchell could save it, musically speaking. But it did raise $3.2million for famine relief, so it’s hard to be too dismissive of it. Interestingly, many of the names who sang on it were known as actors rather than musicians – Eugene Levy, John Candy and Catherine O’Hara among others. Eugene Leve and Catherine O’Hara would later sing together again in the 2003 film “A Mighty Wind“.

    5. Westlife – Uptown Girl

    Back to the UK for another cover version that left fans of the original clutching their ears in despair. “Uptown Girl” was an unchallenging, easy to listen to but joyous hit for Billy Joel. The Westlife version was boy-band shiny and took the grit out of the original with their sanitized harmonies. The music video added on some kind of skit at the beginning – featuring Notting Hill actor Tim McInnerny among others – which made the English look like caviar-swilling idiots, while the plucky Irish lads were the cool kids (although they were working in an American diner, so maybe they were meant to be American?). Claudia Schiffer also appeared, as the titular girl who ends up walking off with the boys (of course). Crimes against music didn’t seem to bother Westlife’s massive fanbase, who bought shedloads of copies sending it to number one straight away. Luckily, Comic Relief benefited from it all!

     

    4. Wet Wet Wet – With a Little Help From My Friends

    Now, this 1988 single for Childline starts as a pleasant enough cover of the Beatles’ classic – a little bland, but nothing much to complain about. Then, at around a minute in, the band get a little overconfident, and start adding in some extra bits. It starts at the end of the middle 8, where the last line magically turns into “I need somebody to love-ove-to-love-ove-to-love”. If I’d owned the vinyl, I think I would have assumed it was skipping at that point. But it gets worse, as they descend into the kind of vocal gymnastics normally performed by the likes of Mariah Carey. The original melody is not so much lost at sea as packaged up and thrown overboard with a grin. Again, not one for purists…

     

    3. Stop The Violence – Self-Destruction

    This 1989 single  is for another noble cause – stopping the violence that frequently erupted between rap fans – but the music was the kind of corny pop-rap made popular by Will Smith, and it featured such cringe-worthy rhyming couplets as “Not negative cause the way we live is positive/
    We don’t kill our relatives” It was a worthy effort to try and stop black-on-black crime, but a song wasn’t going to help sort out a complicated and long-running history of rap violence and it rumbled on into the 90s – only it would soon become the hip-hop stars that were dying rather than just the fans….

     

    2. Gareth Gates and the Kumars – Spirit in the Sky

    On a lighter note, here’s more Comic Relief silliness, featuring a comedy act and a pop star in cringe-inducing crossover. In 2003, it was “Pop Idol” runner-up Gareth Gates who took his turn to release a Comic Relief single, along with the cast members of Asian comedy show “The Kumars at No 42”. The result was a cover of “Spirit in the Sky”, complete with Bollywood dancers and Indian-tinged music. It’s hard to say what exactly makes this quite so bad – whether it’s the religious clash between Asian images and a song that references Jesus, or just once again that an interesting song has had all the edge taken out of it by a smooth popstar. Whatever it was, the bad acting and Gareth’s “comedy hair” in the video certainly didn’t help…

     

    1. Hale and Pace – The Stonk

    But the ultimate bad charity song award has to go to the 1991 Comic Relief song, as performed by two mediocre comedians, way past their best. The comedians were Hale & Pace, and the song was “The Stonk”. It wasn’t just a song, it was a dance. You did the Stonk to the rhythm of the…honky tonk…before sticking a red nose on your “conk” (a little-used British word for nose)..and so on. It was a sensation with the schoolchildren of Britain and as such is a natural contender for one of the most irritating songs of all time. It has to be heard to be believed but it reached number one and raised £100,000 for Comic Relief and endures in the memory of anyone who ever had to hear that “ooh stonky-stonky” outro, before being asked “why be a plonker when you can be a stonker?” A classic example of a terrible charity song.

  • 10 Best Zoos – Page 2 of 2

    5. BERLIN ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN, GERMANY

    Berlin - Ten Best Zoos
    The zoo was open to public in the year 1844. The zoo is given importance and is considered as a land mark because it survived the Second World War. It was extensively damaged but was then rebuilt. The zoo also houses a lot of different and rare species of animals that cannot be found in every zoo. That serves as the main attraction for me and also the architecture. The Berlin Zoo also successfully breeds these animals so they are not going to run out of the rarities anytime soon.

     

    4. SCHONBRUNNER ZOO, AUSTRIA

    Schonbrunner Zoo - Ten Best Zoos
    This zoo can be found in Vienna in Austria. It was founded in the year 1792 which also gives it the right to be called the oldest zoo in the entire world. If you are in the area, you might want to visit the Rainforest House and the Artic Polarium; you will love it. The most interesting bit of the zoo is the house of the polar bears. In the late November in the year 2007, the mother polar bear gave birth to two beautiful little cubs and they were brought outside by the mother in March of 2008 and if you are lucky, she might do that when you are visiting.

     

    3. SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK, WASHINGTON D.C.

    Smithsonian - Ten Best Zoos
    This is honored as the country’s national zoo and it is earned this title. It houses around 400 species and that means somewhere around 2,000 different animals. You know how many zoos around the world has a fee to let you enter. Well, the regular admission into this zoo is absolutely free. The zoo also offers a Snore and Roar tour. The tour gives you a tour of the zoo at night time and you also get to camp out. It should serve as a fun experience and also a little scary. This, for me, is the biggest attraction this particular zoo has to offer.

     

    2. TORONTO ZOO

    Toronto Zoo - Ten Best Zoos
    It is one of the largest zoos in the world, spreading over an area of 700 acres. It is home to over 5,000 different animals. An interesting fact you should know while I’m on the subject is that the year 2008 was the year of the frogs. The Toronto Zoo is very active when it comes to activities designed to honor the frog. Amphibians are endangered species by the way, a fact of which not many of us are aware. The zoo also participates in activities to increase awareness regarding this fact.

     

    1. SINGAPORE ZOO

    Singapore Zoo - Ten Best Zoos
    The zoo is very famous for the brilliant landscape. The zoo has a lot of unique and awesome attractions and my personal favorite would have to be the Jungle Breakfast. You can enjoy our breakfast with amazing wildlife right in front of you. You can also feed the elephants and a lot of other things. You will encounter orangutans as they are mingling in the crowd and you will find this very entertaining too. The zoos serve as an amazing place for you to plan an excursion too. It is very educative and it is pure fun to the see the animals in their man-made natural habitat.

  • 9 Food Items That Look Just Like Your Organs & Enhance Them Too – Page 2 of 2

     

     

    6. GRAPES – LUNGS


    OUR lungs are made up of branches of ever-smaller airways that finish up with tiny bunches of tissue called alveoli.
    These structures, which resemble bunches of grapes, allow oxygen to pass from the lungs to the blood stream.
    One reason that very premature babies struggle to survive is that these alveoli do not begin to form until week 23 or 24 of pregnancy.
    A diet high in fresh fruit, such as grapes, has been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer and emphysema.
    Grape seeds also contain a chemical called proanthocyanidin, which appears to reduce the severity of asthma triggered by allergy.

     

    7. TOMATO – HEART


    A TOMATO is red and usually has four chambers, just like our heart.
    Tomatoes are also a great source of lycopene, a plant chemical that reduces the risk of heart disease and several cancers.
    The Women’s Health Study — an American research programme which tracks the health of 40,000 women — found women with the highest blood levels of lycopene h ad 30 per cent less heart disease than women who h ad very little lycopene.
    Lab experiments have also shown that lycopene helps counter the effect of unhealthy LDL cholesterol.
    One Can ad ian study, published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine, said there was “convincing evidence’ that lycopene prevented coronary heart disease.

     

    8. WALNUT – BRAIN


    THE gnarled folds of a walnut mimic the appearance of a human brain – and provide a clue to the benefits.
    Walnuts are the only nuts which contain significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.
    They may also help he ad off dementia. An American study found that walnut extract broke down the protein-based plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
    Researchers at Tufts University in Boston found walnuts reversed some signs of brain ageing in rats.

     

    9. CARROT – EYES


    Slice a carrot and it looks just like an eye, right down to the pattern of the iris. Its a clear clue to the importance this everyday veg has for vision. Carrots get their orange colour from a plant chemical called betacarotene, which reduces the risk of developing cataracts. The chemical also protects against macular degeneration an age-related sight problem that affects one in four over-65s. It is the most common cause of blindness in Britain. But popping a betacarotene pill doesnt have the same effect, say scientists at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore . It is definately some combination of this chemical with constituents of carrot that make it uniquely beneficial for your eyes.

  • 10 Strange Fruits Around The World

    Weird things exit both in nature and fiction all the time, such as the existence of weird toys, complicated strange accidents that shouldn’t have happened etc. When you get the chance to visit any tropical or exotic location around the world, you should also explore what the territory holds to its body, there are many places in the world that are home to some unusual fruits, as shall now be discussed. Prepare to be amazed.

     

    10. Passion Fruit

    This fruit is native to South America; it is also grown in green houses to boost its flavor. It is usually found bright red in color but variations can exist, such as in India you might also get to see them half green and half red and quite bulky in size. It is used in juices to add the extra flavor. There are two types to know about, one is the poisonous sibling and the other as passionate as its name. How natural is that!

     

    9. Star fruit aka Carambola

    This fruit lives in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka, it loves to imitate a star, it feels extremely cuddly when squeezed and it’s very juicy when put under stress. Yes guys, this is a really remarkable edible thing. It has been used in making wafers, biscuit creams, and certain pizza sauces and has lots of other uses. It’s similar in taste to a juicy pear only a lot sweeter.

     

    8. Mangosteen

    Mangosteen sounds like a villain from outer space; the only difference is that it lives on our planet Earth. It can be found in Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The look of this fruit resembles an ostrich’s egg laying site. The seeds are shiny white with a peachy pulpy enclosing that is extra creamy and full of rumored antioxidants which many scientists believe can help reduce various deadly diseases. A must have if you are diabetic.

     

    7. Durian aka The King of fruits

    Why would anybody even attempt to eat something if it smells as a sweaty old sock? Yes this Durian fruit which grows in abundance in Malaysia and Brunei has a very bad reputation; it’s even banned in hotels and certain shops. It tastes simply bad, but considering its figure, the hard shell around the fruit, it’s worth giving it a try. That’s why the lozenges are for!

     

    6. Dragon Fruit

    This fruit has many uses once taken off the branch, it is the sweet pitaya commonly known as the dragon fruit and it’s grown in Mexico. This weighs anywhere between 120 to 500 grams. As you can see in the photo, it’s very fiery looking and surprisingly sweet. The flower can be eaten raw or used in making tea. You can find one around the country on a special kind of cactus plant. It’s definitely worth the look.

  • Top 10 Hybrid Cars

    A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that is run by two or more power sources. Unlike the conventional cars, that use gasoline as the prime source of power. In such cars, the main idea is to ignite a combustion that can be used to pressurize a piston of the engine which in turn, makes are car move. Now with this method, there are two problems that the present world is facing. The first being the more obvious, rising fuel costs and the fact that this natural resource is going towards finishing one day. The second being the environmental hazard that each car contributes whenever it burns the fuel.

    In present day, the hybrid cars are using electric power to run the cars as the secondary fuel to petrol. We list some of the most economic and environmental friendly cars available in present day. (ascending on terms of Miles-per-Gallon)

     

    10. Toyota Highlander Hybrid

    The Toyota Highlander is a mid size SUV produced by Toyota. It is categorized as a crossover SUV, the one having features of a passenger vehicle and those of a station wagon as well. Since Japan and Australia had already a vehicle been registered with the Highlander name, Toyota had to rename it as Toyota Kluger. (Kluger means clever or very clever).  Toyota started to produce the Hybrid version of Kluger in 2005. In 2007, the 2nd gen of Toyota Kluger Hybrid started and is in the production cycle since then. Above 100 thousand hybrid versions of highlander have been sold to date.

     

    9. Saturn Vue Hybrid

    Need other options for SUV hybrids? Try Saturn Vue Hybrid. Sold by the General Motors’ Saturn brand, was one time, the best selling make of Saturn. Vue is said to be a mild hybrid, or can be termed as an assist hybrid as it somehow helps the initial move of the vehicle. Also it automatically stops the engine when the vehicle comes to halt and then instantly it restarts the vehicle again when it should move.

     

    8. Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid

    The first Chevrolet make that hits our list, the Chevrolet Malibu is named after the city Malibu, California. It is a midsized sedan vehicle produced by General Motors. Yes this is the same make which was shipped 25,500 in number to Iraq. (For Saddam Hussan’s government, a deal was worth over $100million) The hybrid version was started in 2009, however was discontinued in 2010.

     

    7. Ford Escape Hybrid

    In 2004 people used to wonder why do we always see a sedan car as the one having electricity as fuel. What if someone is a SUV lover and needs to shift to the hybrid technology? Ford Motor Company addressed the needs of such customers with its Ford Escape Hybrid, the first SUV with hybrid technology incorporated in it. Ford Escape was already in the market however in 2004 the hybrid version was introduced. This vehicle was first being produced in Japan and US only. Now its production has been shifted to Taiwan and China.

     

    6. Toyota Camry Hybrid

    Toyota Camry XV40 is the sixth generation of one of the most famous makes of automobiles. It replaces the old XV30 series. Being produced since 2006, it reached the third best selling hybrid car being produced in the US.  Cumulative sales of the Camry Hybrid have reached a figure of 155 hundred thousand approx as of December 2009.

     

  • Top Ten Best MLB Pitchers of All Time

    Baseball is far more than a game, it is a lifestyle. Since the dawn of the early games in the mid 1800’s to the formation of the Major League in the late 1800’s to modern day baseball has gained steam and popularity around the world since its invention. Commonly attributed to Abner Doubleday, the game of baseball has actually been around in various forms much longer than that. Originally a modified version of the game Cricket, baseball evolved to the game we see today, complete with infield fly rules, double pickoffs and instant replay. But one constant through the evolution of the game has been the position of the pitcher. Standing on a mound 60 feet and 6 inches from home plate, the pitcher has what is possibly the most important job in the game: to keep opposing hitters from getting on base. As the game has evolved, so have pitchers, and here is a list of ten of the greatest of all time.

     

    10. Christy Matthewson

    Known perhaps for his demeanor as well as his ability, Christy Matthewson, or otherwise known as ‘Matty’, was one of the games earliest and best pitchers. Compiling a 373 win career with an average ERA (earned run average) of just 2.13, Matthewson was certainly one of the most statistically successful pitchers of all time. The only knock on Matty is that he played during what is called “the dead-ball era”, a time when there was little in the way of run scoring and thus ERA’s were often quite low, even for less talented pitchers. Considered the inventor of the Screwball (or as he called it “the Fadeaway”) Matthewson left an impression on baseball that cannot be denied. A war hero who never pitched on Sundays, Matthewson passed away of tuberculosis at the age of 45.

     

    9. Nolan Ryan

    As for longevity, Nolan Ryan was one of the most amazing pitchers ever. During a record 27 year major league career spanning just four teams, Ryan compiled 324 wins and an ERA of 3.19. What Ryan is really known for however are his strikeouts, all 5,714 of them. Regularly hitting over 100MPH on the radar gun with his fastball, Ryan also had a devastatingly fast 12-6 curve that would seem to drop off a table in front of the hitters eyes. Even into his 40’s Ryan was topping 100MPH and become the oldest pitcher to ever throw a no-hitter in 1991 against a Toronto Blue Jays team that won the East that year and won the World Series back to back the next two. Now a majority owner and CEO of the Texas Rangers, Ryan at 66 is still as much a part of the game as he ever was.

     

    8. Warren Spahn

    Another pitcher who was exceptionally effective even late in his career, Warren Spahn was a left-handed pitcher who won 363 games and had a career ERA of 3.09. Starting his career in 1942 with the Boston Braves, Spahn was the 1957 Cy Young award and was a runner up three times during the period when only one award was given in baseball. With more wins than any other lefty and more wins than any pitcher since the “live-ball” era began in the 1920’s, Spahn is recognized as easily one of the best in history.

     

    7. Lefty Grove

    Starting his career in 1925 for the Philadelphia Athletics, Lefty Grove was one of the best left-handed pitchers in history and led categories his entire career. Twice winning the Pitchers Triple Crown of leading the league in Wins, Strikeouts and ERA, he was the beloved Ace of the Athletics ‘Dynasty’ teams. Posting a losing record only once in his career (his rookie year), Lefty also twice in the same year struck out the side on just nine pitches, leading sportswriter Arthur “Bugs” Baer to write “Grove could throw a lamb chop past a wolf.”

     

    6. Pete Alexander

    Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1911 season and proceeded to become one of the best pitchers in baseball history. Despite having a well known battle with alcohol and struggling from physical and emotional issues stemming from being drafted in 1918 and serving in The Great War, Alexander still won a Pitchers Triple Crown in 1920, pitching for the Chicago Cubs. Tied for first in the National League record book with Christy Matthewson in wins and holding the NL record for shutouts with 90, Alexander is one of the all time greats of the mound..

     

    5. Randy Johnson

    Randy “The Big Unit” Johnson was one of the most dominating pitchers in baseball history. This 6 foot 10 inch behemoth pitched for several different teams in his career and had consistent quality in all of them, finally retiring after pitching for the San Francisco Giants in 2009. The big lefty threw fastballs that clocked over 100 MPH regularly and finished first in strikeouts per nine innings omong starting pitchers all time. He is second only to Nolan Ryan in career strikeouts and threw two no-hitters including one perfect game.

     

    4. Walter Johnson

    Walter Johnson, known as “Barney” or “The Big Train” was a pitcher celebrated for being one of the most dominant in history. Making his debut in 1907 for the Washington Senators, he played his entire career there, ending on September 30, 1927. After pitching, he would serve as a manager for both the Senators and the Indians. Johnson led the league in strikeouts 12 times, a record, including 8 straight seasons and was the only pitcher in the 3,000 strikeout club for 50 years until Bob Gibson joined him in 1974. Known for his sidearm delivery and explosive fastball, Johnson was one of the game’s best on the mound during its early celebratory years as the Nations Pastime.

     

    3. Roger Clemens

    Perhaps the most controversial entry on this list, Roger Clemens dominance cannot be denied. With 354 wins over a 24 season career, Clemens 3.12 ERA and 4,672 strikeouts are amazing numbers. This along with his seven Cy Young awards which is the most of any pitcher ever, The Rocket Roger Clemens won virtually every award a pitcher can win during his career. While his later career may be tainted due to allegations of PED use, he was found not guilty of lying to Congress that he never knowingly took performance enhancing drugs. The 11 time all star and 2 time World Series Champion hopes to one day soon join the Hall of Fame and shake the cloud of suspicion over drug use. If he can, his credentials are certainly the stuff legends are made.

     

    2. Cy Young

    In 1890, the Cleaveland Spiders introduced a young rookie who would revolutionize pitching in the major leagues forever. Cy Young, who won 511 games during his career (94 ahead of second place), has a career ERA of 2.63 and threw three no-hitters, 76 shutouts and won at least 30 games in a season five times and 20 or more ten times. Even for the dead ball era, those statistics are mind boggling and Young, a hard thrower in the days before the radar gun, was the most dominant of the time. Known as a bridge from the game’s earliest days to its more modern era, Young pitched against all the greats of the pre-Babe Ruth time and is generally seen as the ‘pitchers pitcher.’

     

    1. Greg Maddux

    “The Professor” Greg Maddux is one of the greatest pitchers of all time and simultaneously one of the most humble. Known for his quiet demeanor, Maddux was no less a star on the mound during his career winning the Cy Young a record four times in a row and won at least 15 games a season for 17 straight seasons which is a MLB record. Perhaps the best control pitcher ever, Maddux rarely lit up the radar gun, but instead employed a variety of curveballs, changeups and sliders to compliment his modest fastball and was known for being able to outthink just about anyone. With a career ERA of 3.16, Maddux survived and even thrived during a time period when home runs were the rule of the day and most pitchers ERA’s were ballooning. An incredible 18 time Gold Glove winner, Maddux was the perfect pitcher and has had his number (31) retired for both the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves teams.

     

  • 10 Hot Hollywood Stars When They were Young and Now..

    It’s always interesting to see the impact of time on people and even more when they are famous and have been or are still hot symbols. I must say that most of them are getting along with their life as the aging continues very well except for a few of them.

     

    1. Kathleen Turner

    Kathleen Turner

     

    2. Johny Depp

    Johny Depp

     

    3. Kim Basinger

    Kim Basinger

     

    4.  Richard Gere

    Richard Gere

     

    5. Sharon Stone

    Sharon Stone

  • Top Ten Most Expensive Hollywood Auctions – Page 2 of 2

     

     

    5- Micheal Jacksons Thriller Jacket


    With high plans to raise money for childrens hospital world wide, a gold trader buys the thrilling Micheal Jackson’s red and black jacket for $1.8 Million, which he wore in a world famous music video of the song ‘thriller’ in 1983. The jacket sold by Julien’s auction house in Beverly Hills is in better condition and is signed on the sleeve by the late singer. The 14-minute clip, in which Jackson turns into a zombie and dances with the undead, is considered one of the most influential music videos ever made.

     

    4- 1938 Action Comics No.1

    This comic book which brought to the world the ‘Man of Steel’ Supermangot caught in the headlines when it collected an astounding amount of $2.1 Million at an online auction. This particularly copy of the 1938 Action Comics No.1 was given a coveted 9.0 Grade for its extremely fine condition. This fabulous comic book edition was reportedly stolen from the actor’s, Nicholas Cage,collection in the year 2000, but was subsequently recovered in the following months.

     

    3- Elizabeth Taylor’s Record Breaking Dresses Auction

    Elizabeth Taylor’s couture dresses have sold for a record breaking $2.6 Million. One of the most expensive and astounding seller was Elizabeth’s  Christian Dior evening gown and matching clutch, which fetched $362,500 despite having an estimation price of only $6,000. Her wedding gowns proved hits of the night with her second marriages wedding gown leaving the place for $62,500. The wedding bands, two diamonds and two gold ones sold for astounding $1Million, 125 times more than the estimated price.. The yellow chiffon gown she wore to their first nuptials was withdrawn from the auction at the last minute, and is to be donated to an institution instead.

     

    2- Marilyn Monroe’s White Gown

    Making it the world’s most expensive dress, Monroe’s white flowing gown she wore in the movie ‘The Seven Year Itch’ was sold for an incredible price of $4.6million. The dress which was sold at an auction held at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles, California, was the highlight in a catalogue of 3,500 pieces of memorabilia auctioned off by the Singin’ in the Rain star Debbie Reynolds. This dress was designed by William Travolta and brought by Reynol in 1971 as a job-lot of wardrobe items sold by 20th Century Fox studios, this gown was only expected to score $1-$2million and instead breaking records for the worlds most expensive dress.

     

    1-Elizabeth Taylor’s Jewelry Set


    One of Hollywood’s most celebrated actress, Elizabeth Taylor was remembered again in December 2011 when he fine jewelery set grabbed an amazing price of $116million at Christie’s auction. The remarkable sale has now put the collection in the record books as the most expensive private jewelery collection sold at auction. The auction included a pearl necklace collecting $11.8million, a diamond ring for $8.8million. The most famous necklace called the ‘la peregrina’ layered with pearls, rubies and diamonds was said to have broken the pre-sale estimate of $3-$4million and is now considered one of the most expensive auctioned items of all times.
    I hope you enjoy and drool over the most expensive auction objects of all times!