Saturday, May 10, 2008

Question of the Week

Steve, Cincinnati, OH
Subj: Extra digits
Hey Ryan, would you prefer to have a sixth finger on each hand or a third nipple on your chest?

It’s not even close, Steve. I would definitely opt for the sixth finger on each hand. After all, the male nipple is more useless than Britney Spears’ therapist, but a sixth finger can turn you into a Major League talent. Just ask Antonio Alfonseca. The former Philadelphia Phillies reliever has 12 fingers and 12 toes and he enjoyed a productive 11-year career. In fact, Alfonseca actually credits his success to the added rotation he gets from his extra digit. Maybe that’s why he embraces his condition so fully. "I see [people] staring sometimes," he admits. "It's OK. I don't care. It's no big deal to me. Some people see it as a bad thing. I don't." I’d like to think I’d feel the exact same way. Plus, it would be nice to have an extra finger to pick my nose.