This is a list of the pitchers with the top 10 strikeout rates among starters 22 or younger with at least 50 innings pitched. See Washington National’s phenom Stephen Strasburg on there at number 2?

1 Kerry Wood
2 Stephen Strasburg
3 Dwight Gooden
4 Mark Prior
5 Oliver Perez
6 Sam McDowell
7 Mark Prior
8 Scott Kazmir
9 Oliver Perez
10 Rick Ankiel

Thanks, Jonah

Roger Federer hit another shot between his legs. Now he’s just showing off. Here’s last year’s.

Via Jonah Keri.

Basically, unless you’re drafted in one of the fist several rounds, you don’t make very much money. Depending on the state, most players make less than minimum wage, and that’s only during the 4.5 months they’re actually paid. Not very glamorous at all. Really interesting read.

But the biggest difference may very well be the money. The minimum annual salary in Major League Baseball currently sits at $400,000. Meanwhile, most players at the minor league level who haven’t reached minor league free agency are lucky to make $10,000 over the course of a season; a survey of players revealed that those in rookie ball make $1,250-1,300 a month while players in Triple-A, the highest level of the minors, can make roughly $1,000 more per month while under the contracted amount.

(Thanks, Jonah and Andy)

If you thought I wouldn’t post a video Big Baby Davis made of himself dancing to a rap song, you don’t know me at all. AT ALL.

Thanks, Jake!

Kenny G on the Vuvuzela. I wonder how Pat Matheny feels about this video.

“Lame-ass, jive, pseudo bluesy, out-of-tune, noodling, wimped out, fucked up playing.”

Via Jon and Holy Kaw.

Here’s an explanation of the 2010 World Cup team nicknames. My favorites:

Denmark – Danish Dynamite, Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang), Olsen’s Elleve (Olsen’s Eleven)
Why: The brilliant Denmark team of the 1980s was called Danish Dynamite, while the current are nicknamed after coach Morten Olsen. Sounds like a short term strategy for a nickname, but Olsen has been in charge since the year 2000. Plus Olsen’s Eleven is a world class pun.

England – The Three Lions
Why: There are three lions on the Football Association crest, in reference to the total number of lions ever spotted in England. Or because of the English coat of arms.

Thanks, Andy.

Didn’t see a whole lot of crazy from Rasheed Wallace this year. He actually didn’t do much of anything until the playoffs. After they were over, he wanted to talk to referee Joey Crawford. Anyone know more?

Out of the World Cup commercials for the big 3 sneaker companies, this is the most original, and certainly the only one featuring Snoop Dog with a light saber. I like.

Puma made a 2010 World Cup commercial, too. Just as fun.

So this happened last night at Fenway.