Big Mac's legacy is nearing devaluation; Hello, Ichiro, does anybody remember Darin?

Things a columnist would not be thinking about if he had a beat to cover:

--Will this be the season remembered in years to come as the beginning of the de-mythologization of Mark McGwire?

--The numbers are catching up to Big Mac.

--Sammy Sosa is on the brink of having hit at least 50 homers for four consecutive years, breaking the tie and record of three years he holds with McGwire.

--Barry Bonds has closed the gap considerably between he and McGwire during the past two years for lifetime home runs. Bonds is still playing like a spring chicken and you can pick your own simile for the crippled McGwire.

--And Ken Griffey Jr. may eventually pass everyone.

--Bonds and Sosa are on a pace right now to top Big Mac's 70 home run mark for a single season. Of course we all know the flaw inherent in paces. Lorrie Morgan was once on pace for a Golden Wedding anniversary. Still, it seems just a matter of a short time.

--I keep hearing about the kid, Danny Almonte, who threw a perfect game in his team's Little League World Series opener. That reminded me of Angel Macias who, in 1957, tossed a perfecto for his Monterrey, Mexico, compadres in the LLWS championship game. Macias, as I recall, sometimes pitched left-handed and sometimes right-handed. And I do recall -- he is a hard one to forget.

--Will this be the season Mike Piazza finally tops Todd Hundley for most home runs in a season by a catcher (41)?

--Is Ben Grieve finished?

--Will Harold Baines supplant Al Oliver as the player with the most hits who is not in the Hall of Fame? Baines has 2,866 hits (11 this season) and Oliver finished with 2,743.

--Will the player of the year award in the Rookie League go to Rick Ankiel?

--Will Rickey Henderson have a major league team to play for next year?

--What happened to Ryan Klesko's sock in the second half of the season?

--Will Manny Ramirez end up with many more RBIs this season than last year when he had 122 in just 118 games?

--Has his long loop of a swing, coupled with the loss of bat speed that comes with age and attrition, contributed to Ken Griffey Jr.'s declining batting average since late 1999?

--Will Ichiro Suzuki get as many hits as Darin Erstad last year (240)? As many as Johnny Damon (214)?

--It won't happen this season, but can Jose Canseco hang on long enough to hit 500 homers? Can Fred McGriff?

--Is Tim Salmon flambe?

--Can Jeff Bagwell become the first major league batsman to have 30 homers, 100 RBI and 100 walks in six straight seasons?

--Roger Clemens is likely to, and Greg Maddux probably will, but can Tommy Glavine stretch out 300 wins over a career?

--Sure, Randy Johnson struck a bird in flight while pitching, but that was in pre-season. Can he do it in an actual game?

Just wondering.