Why Tommy Hanson is the Best Pitcher in Baseball right now. No, seriously.

Since the beginning of the season, I have screamed for his call-up.

When Jo-Jo Reyes was called up ahead of him, I just screamed.

Now after seeing him in person, I am convinced: Tommy Hanson is the real deal.

And, at this moment, he is the best pitcher in all of baseball. Believe it.

Through his first six starts of his career, here are Hanson's stats:

4-0, 2.48 ERA, 29 IP, 24 H, .222 Opps. BA, 9 R, 8 ER, 3 HR

Hanson is the first Brave to start 4-0 in his career since Chuck James did in 2006, and that's not a good omen, but here is the good news:

• Hanson has not given up a HR since his first start against Milwaukee when he gave up three.
• Hanson has not allowed an earned run in the last 20 2/3 innings, spanning games over the Reds, Yankees, and Red Sox (all wins).
• Hanson allowed a combined six hits to the loaded Yankee and Red Sox line-ups, a .150 BA.
• Hanson is the 4th rookie pitcher in the past ten years to pull off wins against the Sox and Yanks in consecutive starts, but the first NL pitcher to do so.

So, that's plenty to make him possibly the best rookie pitcher in the National League, and maybe even the front runner for NL Rookie of the Year, but here is why he is the best pitcher in all of baseball right now.

Over the past 30 days, or Hanson's career, there are 12 pitchers who have amassed four wins or more. Here is where Hanson stands amongst those pitchers.

• Aaron Cook leads with five wins, but one loss. Hanson is one of three starters to be 4-0 over this span.
• He is fifth over this stretch with a 2.48 ERA.
• Hanson is tied for first in runs allowed and all by himself in hits allowed.
• He is fourth in HR allowed.
• The Braves are 5-0 when he starts, but only 9-12 since his call-up.

Through all these stats, there is only one pitcher who can compete with Hanson, and that is Josh Beckett in this stretch, so at the worst, Hanson is currently the best pitcher in the National League.

Such a step down for a rookie pitcher to only be the best in his league.

And if you were wondering how rare it is to beat the Yankees and Red Sox in the same season, here is the list of pitchers who have done it so far this year: Scott Kazmir (TB), Matt Palmer (LAA), Kerry Wood, Carl Pavano (CLE), Tommy Hanson (ATL). Boston and New York have had 13 common opponents so far this year.

With the National League and American League East facing off this year in Interleague play, nine pitchers got their chance against the Yanks and Sox, but only Hanson beat, and shut down, both of them. Three pitchers lost to both teams.

With much left of this season, and a decrepit offense behind him, Hanson could easily fall off the map, but being a rookie could potentially work in his favor until around the end of August. That's when teams like the Mets, Phillies, and Marlins will start to see him for a second time, and that unknown factor would have vanished.

For now, though, Hanson is well on his way to becoming the ace of the Atlanta staff, and if you have been following me on Twitter, you would know that I have started the Tommy Hanson bandwagon.

Feel free to climb on before it's too late.

View From the Stands-June 7th, 2009

It's about Damn Time!: For years, many SEC basketball fans have wondered how Rick Stansbury could recruit to Starkville. There was the location, the lack of available help from football, and then "there is no where to practice" according to Ben Hansbrough, Tyler's younger brother, who transferred from the school. There have been many accusations, especially from Alabama fans, of Stansbury paying his players, paying off churches to get players to State, and even the idea that he was bringing in players who never graduated high school. Now, the NCAA is getting involved for the first time. This past recruiting season, a kid by the name of Renardo Sidney out of Los Angeles had these finalists for his signature: UCLA, USC...Mississippi State. Sidney eventually signed with the Bulldogs after his scholarship offers were rescinded by USC and UCLA. The NCAA now wants to look into the family's bank and housing records while Renardo attended Fairfax High School in the Los Angeles area. Once again, its about damn time someone looked into $tansbury's recruiting.

That other New York team "got what he said I don't have": For those who did not take notice, the New York Mets got swept, yes, swept, by the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this week in a three-game set in the Three Rivers city. Carols Beltran, not to be taken as a loser (despite his career beginning in Kansas City) was none to thrilled with his team's performance, and wasn't impressed with the opponents. "To come in here in Pittsburgh and get swept, I feel embarrassed," Beltran said. "I know they're a big-league ball club, but we are better than them." He says this while, as he noted, his team got swept. After three chances and you come up 0-3, I don't think you are correct But hey, he should be used to having teams being better than him since, as I noted, he started with the Royals. Adam LaRoche of the Pirates responded by saying Beltran had "zero class and zero professionalism." Beltran, before Saturday's game against the Nationals, he responded (mistake #1) to LaRoche, repeating his comments and went on to use excellent English to disagree with the class comment, saying, "I don't agree with him. I got class and what he said I don't got. I got all what he said I don't have." (mistake #2) By responding, that's not really showing class. It doesn't come across very good when you say these comments before losing 7-1 to the worst team in baseball (mistake #3). It's ok, it's not like the Mets have blown back-to-back September leads in the NL East and missed the playoffs both years.

The Village Idiot Strikes Again!: If Lane Kiffin isn't in the news, its not a news day. ESPN's Outside the Lines did a report on Kiffin, covering all of his talking, accusing, and downright stupidity. Take a look at it below.



Besides Ed Orgeron calling him "ahead of his time,"(Yaw, yaw!), Kiffin once again committed a recruiting violation in the report. Near the end of the report, Kiffin is seen meeting with a recruit, the recruit's father, and an assistant coach. It is against NCAA rules to meet with a prospect while in the presence of the media, and of course, just as the report talks about his five previous secondary violations, he commits another. It is bad enough this guy has been given the ability to coach, especially in the SEC, but considering he will be at Tennessee, it just proves that God has a sense of humor.