While reading this week that two very good players - Lance Berkman and Michael Young - had decided to retire, I started to wonder about the perfect way to go out. Berkman and Young both could have kept on playing, but decided the time was right. Ive alway been fascinated by Ted Williams final at-bat for the Red Sox. He homered off Jack Fisher of the Orioles in the bottom of the 8th at Fenway Park on September 28, 1960. "The Spendid Splinter" trotted out to left field for the start of the 9th, whereby his manager Mike Higgins took him out of the game so he could get one last ovation from the fans in the Bosox final home game of the season. Boston rallied for two in the bottom of the 9th to win 5-4. Williams opted to retire immediately and did not go to New York for the final series of the season against the pennant-winning Yankees. So Williams, arguably the best hitter of all time, ended his career with a home run. What I was surprised to discover is this isnt nearly as rare as I thought it would be. Twenty-three American League players have homered in their final at-bat and 22 have done it in the National League. The last to do it was Jim Edmonds on September 21, 2010. A couple of others who accomplished the feat had Blue Jays connections. Wille Mays Aikens slugged his final homer in a Jays uniform on April 27, 1985, and Tony Kubek, star shortstop with the Yankees who later worked on Blue Jays telecasts, homered in his final big league at-bat on October 3, 1965. The saddest of all though was the home run hit by Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane on May 25, 1937 off the Yankees Bump Hadley. Next time up in the game, Hadley nailed the Tigers player-manager in the head with a pitch. His skull was fractured, and it was weeks before Cochrane recovered. He never played again so for the record, his final official at-bat was also a home run. Mickey - for whom Mickey Mantle was named - returned and finished out the 1937 season as manager only of the Tigers before calling it quits at the end of that season. Cochranes .320 career batting average for a catcher was the all-time record, until the Twins Joe Mauer broke it in 2009. Hitting a home run in your first Major League at-bat is far more common. It has been accomplished 113 times - 47 in the American League and 66 in the National. Twenty-eight were hit on the very first pitch the batter saw. Four were grand slams and 19 of those who homered in their first Major League at-bats never hit another one in their entire careers. Three Blue Jays homered in their first at-bats. Al Woods hit a pinch homer in the Blue Jays first-ever game on April 7, 1977. Junior Felix followed that up nearly a dozen years later on May 4, 1989. J.P. Arencibia, the last in the trio, did it more than 11 years after Felix on August 7, 2010. All three homered on the first pitches they saw. This is the real rarity though, and I didnt even realize it had ever happened before. There are actually two players in Major League history who slugged homers in their first and last Major League at-bats. John Miller, a journeyman first baseman who later played five years in Japan, played parts of two seasons in the Majors back in the 60s. His first was with the Yankees where he hit a homer in his first Major League at-bat and then on September 23, 1969, he connected in his final Major League at-bat for the Dodgers. Oddly enough these were also his only two Major League homers. The first to accomplish the feat was a catcher by the name of Paul Gillespie who was a back-up catcher with the Chicago Cubs during the Second World War in 1942, 44 and 45. He connected for his first in 1942 and then belted his final home run in his final regular season at-bat on September 29, 1945. If you want to add a caveat to Gillespies mark, he did play in the World Series for the Cubs in 1945 - their last World Series appearance - and went hitless in the three games he played. I started with Ted Williams, so let me add this personal footnote. Im not old enough to have seen Ted Williams play in person, however there is a bit of a connection. The first Major League game(s) I ever saw was a doubleheader at old Tiger Stadium in August of 1968 against the Chicago White Sox. Pitching for Chicago in that first game was the man who gave up that final home run to Williams, Jack Fisher. He was nearing the end of his career which would wind up the following season in Cincinnati. This particular night in Detroit wasnt good for Fisher. He only lasted four innings and wound up taking the loss. Strangely enough he gave up a home run to the Tigers Gates Brown. Brown, a veteran by this time, is one of the 47 American Leaguers to homer in their first bat and so it comes full circle. Dud of a Deal Michael Youngs retirement re-ignites the debate over the worst trade in Blue Jays history. This one just might be it. The Jays sent third base prospect Young to Texas along with swing reliever Darwin Cubillan for right-hander Esteban Loaiza. Esteban was supposed to help round out the rotation when he was picked up on July 17, 2000 for a Blue Jays playoff push under manager Jim Fregosi. Instead Loaiza went 5-7 the rest of the way and was basically a non-factor. Adding on the next two seasons with the Jays, he went 25-28 with a 4.96 ERA. Then in 1993, he had the best year of career after signing with the White Sox, winning 21 games and coming close to winning the Cy Young Award. Young, meanwhile, played 14 seasons, was versatile enough to play all four infield positions and wound up with a career .300 batting average. Hes not a Hall of Famer by any means but was a classy talented player who would have been of far greater value to the Blue Jays than Loaiza was. Michael Youngs best friend in his early years in the Jays organiztion was Vernon Wells. Still not sure yet if Vernon is going to try to play out the final year of his contract or like Young, call it a career. Nike Air Max Pas Cher .C. United on Saturday night and boost the Unions playoff hopes. Nick DeLeon scored in the 36th minute for United (3-23-6), which had ample opportunities to build on its lead but went its 10th straight match without a victory. Air Max 95 Destockage . That assertion is getting harder and harder to make, especially given the way 23-year-old Danilo Gallinari has been playing this season. http://www.maxnikepascher.fr/destockage-air-max-720.html. Solomon Elimimian did not make the trip with the team after suffering what appeared to be a right leg injury in the teams regular season finale against the Calgary Stampeders. Air Max 720 Femme Soldes .com) - There may be a debate in Philadelphia about who should be the starting quarterback of the Eagles. Air Max 97 Homme Solde . Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris, city natives, handled the catering for teammates that begged them for the tasty postgame feast.TSN.ca presents its latest weekly power rankings for the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League season. Rankings were weighted evenly between separate lists made by TSN Radio host and soccer analyst Gareth Wheeler as well as TSN.cas soccer editors. 1. Chelsea Willian, Ramires and eventually Jose Mourinho were all sent off as Chelsea fell to Aston Villa 1-0. The league leaders are still four points clear of Liverpool, but the Reds have a game in hand. 2. Manchester City Goals by David Silva and Edin Dzeko helped Manchester City overcome a 10th minute red card to Vincent Kompany, as they cruised to a 2-0 victory over Hull City. 3. Liverpool Steven Gerrard scored twice from the penalty spot and Luis Suarez also found the net as Liverpool beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford. Gerrard had a third attempt at a penalty and just missed picking up Liverpools first hat trick at Old Trafford since 1936. 4. Arsenal A Tomas Rosicky rocket in the second minute was enough to give Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Tottenham in the North London Derby. This was the Gunners first victory at White Hart Lane since 2007. 5. Everton Seamus Coleman scored with the last kick of the match to give his Everton side a 2-1 victory over Cardiff City. Gerard Deulofeu also scored for Everton. 6. Tottenham Tottenham spent 88 minutes trying to overcome conceding a second minute marker but were not able to find an equalizer in a 1-0 loss to Arsenal in the latest North London Derby. 7. Manchester United It was a tough day at Old Trafford for Manchester United as they fell 3-0 to Liverpool. Two of the three goals were scored from the penalty spot, while the third penalty they gave up was rattled off the post. 8. Southampton Morgan Schneiderlin, Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez and Sam Gallagher all found the score sheet as Southampton defeated Norwich City 4-2. 9. Newcastle United Newcastle were not able to find a way past Fulhamm keeper David Stockdale as they fell 1-0 to Fulham.dddddddddddd Manager Alan Pardew served the first match of the ban he received for his headbutt of Hull midfielder David Meyler. 10. Aston Villa Fabian Delphs 82nd minute marker was the difference as Aston Villa picked up a big 1-0 victory over Chelsea. Villas goal came against a 10-man Chelsea squad that was reduced to nine before fulltime. 11. Stoke City Peter Odemwingies brace and Marko Arnautovics winner helped Stoke to a 3-1 victory over West Ham United. 12. Hull City Hull City was not able to take advantage of a Manchester City 10th minute red card as they dropped a 2-0 game. David Meyler and Jake Livermore both had chances but could not get their side on the board. 13. West Ham United Andy Carroll scored his first goal of the season but it wasnt enough as West Ham slumped to a 3-1 loss at the hands of Stoke City. 14. Swansea City Roland Lamah opened the scoring for Swansea in the second minute but it wasnt enough as the home side fell 2-1 to West Bromwich Albion. 15. West Bromwich Albion Stephane Sessegnon scored in the 52nd minute and Youssuf Mulumbu fired home the winner in the 85th as the Baggies knocked off Swansea 2-1 16. Norwich City It was a 4-2 defeat for Norwich City at the hands of Southampton as Johan Elmander and Robert Snodgrass scored in the losing cause. 17. Sunderland Fabio Borinis late winner was turned away by the crossbar as Sunderland and Crystal Palace played to a 0-0 draw. 18. Crystal Palace Keeper Julian Speroni was forced into an important save to help Palace gain a point in their matchup against Sunderland in a scoreless draw. 19. Fulham Ashkan Dejagah scored in the 68th minute to lead Fulham to a 1-0 victory over Newcastle. The substitute scored eight minutes after entering the game. 20. Cardiff City Cala scored for Cardiff but it wasnt enough as they fell 2-1 at the hands of Everton. ' ' '