Had I noticed this? Obviously not.

For the first time in a complete, uninterrupted season, no pitcher won 20 games. The absence of 20-game winners is all the more remarkable considering that last season featured 27 pitchers who had won 20 a total of 45 times. The group included Roger Clemens (six times) and Tom Glavine (five). Clemens, of course, pitched on the novel half-season plan, but Glavine had 11 victories by June 23 and made 16 more starts. "In order to win 20 games nowadays, you have to have so many things go right," Glavine said. "You can’t have stretches of times like I had where you go three or four weeks between wins or four to six weeks where you only get a couple wins. You have to be steady and win games. If you get thrown off that consistency at all, it becomes difficult to win 10 after the All-Star Game."

I wonder if it is a stat worth watching anymore. Maybe pitchers get pulled earlier with more focus on the middle relief. Maybe, compared to earlier years, more pitchers are getting injured or being pulled from the line-up to avoid injury.

Spring training starts next month. J.D. Drew may be a Red Sox when it happens but only if his counsel of choice learns to avoid the sorts of arguments that would fail you in a first year law school exam:

the Sox hope to have the J.D. Drew [stats] deal finalized later this week. The free agent outfielder agreed in principle to a five-year, $70 million contract with the team nearly four weeks ago, but the Red Sox want to change wording in the pact in order to have financial protection if Drew’s surgically repaired right shoulder becomes an issue. Drew’s agent, Scott Boras, claims his client is healthy and that such language changes aren’t necessary. Sox general manager Theo Epstein is on a brief vacation but is due to back in a couple of days.

"It'll never happen so why include protections against it happening?" is a classic of bad negotiation. If there is no risk there is no downside is the response.

Spring training now ten minutes closer. Good summary of recent Red Sox history here as part of your 2007 preparations.