There is no other sport in which statistics are parsed, scrutinized, debated and revered like baseball. So with an abundant harvest of numbers from 162 games lying tantalizingly before us, let's take a closer look at some of the figures from the 2010 regular season.

Two of the more interesting statistical anomalies happened right here in Milwaukee, featuring Brewers who spent most of the season on the bench.

Backup catcher George Kottaras had 43 hits, more than half of which (22) went for extra bases. Utility man Joe Inglett had five triples in 142 at bats. That's a lot of three-baggers in not a lot of time at the plate. Consider that the Yankees Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner who finished tied for fifth in the American League in that category had seven triples apiece in 466 and 477 at-bats, respectively. The major league leader was Colorado's Dexter Fowler with 14.

Two observations there. First, where have all the triples gone? Philly's Shane Victorino led MLB with only 13 in 2009. The Mets' Jose Reyes topped the circuit with 19 in 2008. Granderson had 23 and the Phils' Jimmy Rollins had 20 in '07.

Is it becoming unfashionable to leg a double into an extra base? Are managers becoming more concerned about making outs on the base paths?

Second, Fowler is proof positive that in hitting sometimes, it's all about location, location, location. Fowler hit .313 in his home park, the batter's paradise that is Coors Field. On the road, Dex could only manage a .211 average. Also, Fowler apparently isn't much of a night owl, hitting .218 under the lights, but a robust .338 while swinging in the sunshine. But as a switch-hitter he is the model of consistency batting exactly .260 against both lefties and righties.

There were fewer big triples hitters and fewer big hitters overall. In 2009, four players had over 200 hits, led by Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki at 225. This year, Ichiro was the only player to clock in over 200, at 214. But hitters were making more contact, at l…

The University of Illinois has a slight chance to win the NCAA football championship. It's a slight chance. In fact, it's one chance in ten-thousand. So say the head honchos at the Las Vegas Hilton who list the Illini's odds of winning the big prize at 9999-1.

I spent last weekend in Las Vegas where I made my usual 10 or 20 dollars bets then shouted at the monster TV screens in the sports book just as loudly as the guy next to me who had bet 5 grand. Because it's not about the money. It's about being right. But I digress.

My favorite part of the sports culture on The Strip is the futures bet; the odds for teams winning championships. While the Illini's hopes were infinitesimal, Wisconsin was slated at a reasonable 30-1. UCLA, losers of 2 of its first 3 games, went off at 5000-1 as of last Friday. But the oddsmakers must have swallowed hard when the Bruins went into Austin and upset nationally-ranked Texas the following day. Ohio State (7/2) and Boise State (9/2) were deemed favorites. But what fun would it be betting on the powerhouses when Ole Miss is out there, also at 9999-1

Can Carolina, Buffalo, Cleveland St. Louis or Detroit win the Super Bowl? There are 500-1 odds against each of those teams. The Packers, who are always listed at shorter odds because of the nationwide legion of green and gold fans who bet with their hearts, are 7-1 to win the championship, 5-2 to take the NFC.

American pro sports don't feature astronomical numbers ever since the sports books got burned by the longshot Rams in 2000. Minnesota is the biggest NBA underdog at 500-1. The Bucks are 50-1 and 25-1 to take the Eastern Conference. The favorite? The Heat. What a shock! Miami is 9-5. There was one intriguing pro hoops side bet, the Lakers, plus 1.5 games to win more games that the Heat. In hockey where playoff upsets abound (the #7 seed Flyers and #8 Montreal made serious runs at the Stanley Cup last season) Edmonton is major league sports shortest of longshots at 100-1.

In the Engl…

I just finished watching the season finale of "Memphis Beat," a new cop drama on TNT. I almost gave up on the show several times. The acting is not great, the dialogue can be downright wooden but I found myself staying with it because I truly did like "the beat."

The music selection is sensational. Where do I rank on "The Shallow Scale" by admitting this?

Jason Lee plays the lead role as Det. Dwight Hendricks, a more than slightly clichéd character of the dedicated policeman with a softer side. Lee, most famous for portraying "Dave" in "Alvin and the Chipmunks" and as Earl in television's "My Name is Earl," has his moments but isn't entirely convincing as a lawman. His writers do him no favors, either, shackling him with lines like, "M'aam, we'll do whatever we have to do to make sense of this thing."

When I saw the show had cast Alfre Woodard as Lt. Tanya Lee, I had seriously high hopes. Lee is a multiple Emmy winner for guest performances in "L.A. Law" and "The Practice," and she turned in a riveting portrayal as Dr. Roxanne Turner being interrogated by detective Frank Pembleton (played by the incomparable Andre Braugher) on "Homicide." But the desired chemistry between the lieutenant and Det. Hendricks just isn't there.

Woodard huffed and puffed mightily in the early episodes trying to come off as the no nonsense squad leader putting the detective in his place but the emotion was not believable. She also had to soldier on, reciting hackneyed writing.

"Cut down in the prime of life. Life can be cruel," said Lt. Lee in a recent episode, to which detective Hendricks replied, "God can't be that twisted."

Compare the religious references in that script to the superbly dark "Rescue Me." Lead character Tommy Gavin (Dennis Leary) was trying to cure his alcoholic daughter with some tough love, dunking her head into a baptismal fountain full of booze at a church altar. He looked up at a crucifix, staring at the face of Christ.

"Stop l…

I've had the good fortune to work in television the past 34 years but was never more fortunate than last night. I was part of the Fox Sports Wisconsin broadcast team for the Brewers-Cardinals game that ended with Trevor Hoffman's 600th career save.

Milwaukee scored two in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. An audible buzz in the stands grew louder with each passing inning. When acting manager Willie Randolph (Ken Macha was ejected in the second inning) brought in John Axford and made a double lineup switch with one out in the eighth, it appeared Hoffman would remain seated in the bullpen while his young protege would be called on to finish the final inning and two-thirds.

But when the Brewers were retired in the bottom of the eighth, I raced to the end of the camera pit adjacent to the home dugout. Axford was putting on his warm-up jacket. "Hells Bells!" Ax was done for the evening!

"I was really hoping Trevor would get the call," said an unfailingly unselfish Axford. "This will be my best 'hold' ever."

The crowd, whipped into a frenzy when Trevor trotted in accompanied by his AC/DC anthem, quickly grew quiet when Colby Rasmus led off the ninth with a bloop single, an unlucky Texas League-hit that generated inevitable flashbacks to the veteran's early season struggles.

But with every Brewers player and coach stationed on the dugout's top step, every fan standing, screaming, hoping and praying, there was a palpable sense of karma throughout the stadium. This team, this city, would not let Trevor fail.

"I was just praying I didn't let a ball go through my legs or throw one in the stands," Casey McGehee told reporters after the game.

The Brewers fortuitously had stationed big game veteran Craig
Counsell at shortstop. A two-time World Series champion, Counsell knows all about making plays under pressure and did so twice in the final inning. He took a flip from Ricky Weeks to force Rasmus, and then fired to first to double up Randy Winn…