Thursday, February 28, 2008

Baseball's Real Dirty Secret

I wanted so much to leave all the crap behind.
I won't think of the steroid stuff very much while I'm actually enjoying a game this summer.
I really won't.
When some beefy hitter drills an otherworldly fastball nine miles,I won't sit back and think just how many syringe fulls it might have taken for either pro to deliver the goods.
Am I in denial?
I don't think so.
I'm not lying to myself, I just can't tell the bad guys from the good.
I've been around the game a good long time so I knew what was going on even if I didn't have de facto info on exactly who was doing what.

That's not what I wanted to write about however.

It's baseball's other dirty secret.
It started before steroids.Before Tim Raines, Keith Hernandez, Steve Howe and all the rest of the snorters gave baseball a black eye in the 90's.
Or should I say a white nose?
Before Jim Bouton's Ball Four exposed plenty including the prevalence of greenies or amphetamines in Major league clubhouses.
It started before they allowed African Americans into Major League baseball.
And it reared its ugly head again this week.

Alcohol has long been more than tolerated in the game.
A cold one has always been part of the post game.As Bouton once quoted his manager Joe Schultz after a post game speech:"Now go pound that Budweiser" !

I have seen teammates fight because of it.
I have seen a team plane fill with popcorn.
I know decent careers that have ended because of it.
Tony Larussa fell asleep at the wheel at a traffic light,and one of his pitchers died last year in a car crash caused by it.

The latest bits of news remind us that while some of us can have a drink and go home,
others are consumed.
Nobody could figure out why Bret Boone went from a 35 homer, 117 RBI all star second baseman,to unemployed in two years.
Now we know as he tries to comeback with Washington.
The Nationals of course have his dad Bob in their administration.
Bret back after a stint in rehab.
More disturbing however was the Cardinals swift release of utility infielder Scott Spiezio.He was charged with essentially crashing his car in December, leaving the scene of the crime,going home and beating up his neighbor.
You would think that Spiezio would have learned something last summer.
The late Josh Hancock was his friend.

“We anticipate a successful resolution to this misdemeanor matter,”
attorney Paul Meyer said.

Lovely.

Asked about Spiezio’s release, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said,
“I think it’s a consistent message about what the team represents.”
What does the team represent Mr. I fell asleep at a traffic stop?
Maybe we can ask you at Busch Stadium.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Wrong Again !

It's truly amazing how many times I've been wrong lately.
Apparently the Gazette has stopped counting since the NFL pool came to a close so
there's no official total.
How many times I've been wrong about Carey Price alone is astounding.

I originally argued that if he was the best goaltender in camp than he should not only win a job with the team but that he should win THE job.
The Habs I thought should trade Cristobal Huet, get what they could and use the money elsewhere.
What else should you do with a team that wasn't going to make the playoffs.
Whoops !
Well, Cristobal proved essential in a run at the vaunted Senators after Price got sent to the minors.
Ride the Huet wave !
And...back comes Price.
Let me know who wins game 82 and let's really get going.


According to my morning show mates,
I'm also wrong on the subject of whether a tough guy is needed for protection.
They say yes, I say no.
As we crawl towards the trading deadline, this team desperately needs another top six forward
and somebody who can either win a faceoff or teach others how to do it.

I thought it rather amusing to read the New York papers recently to find out that others need protection from those big bad Habs.
The Rangers being in the market for that same elusive tough guy to handle the Mike Komisarek's of the world from beating up
on the likes of Jaromir Jagr.

And by the way, when was the last time a team pushed the Habs into a loss ?


Have I mentioned lately that I think Roger Clemens is a liar ?
Okay so I wasn't wrong about everything.
I think those that think him guilty might have to settle with him simply being left out of baseball's Hall Of Fame.
Unless they get more on him and Bonds, neither will go to prison.


Thank goodness It's almost time to make baseball picks again.
A year is a long time to go without being right.


Aren't you glad you came with me with that New England Patriots pick in the Super Bowl ?

Can I play golf yet ?

Shameless plug #1:
Why not join me at the Ile Perrot Golf Club this summer.
You won't find a better deal at any private club in or near the city:
http://www.ileperrotgolf.com/docs.htm?kw=index

Shameless plug #2:
Win a trip for 4 to Myrtle Beach, golf,hotel and local attractions thrown in
name and email here, that's it:
www.mycondotels.com

Shameless plug #3
you can come read my baseball columns and soon will be able to watch my online baseball show once again:
www.mcnsports.com

For you basketball fans:
You really need to tune in Wednesday mornings at 9:25 when we talk with Dwight Walton.
If we had a market as big as the U.S. ,
He would be a big media star and could give up his day job.
He is that good, that natural without any formal training in radio.
Was that another shameless plug ?

What have you done with Alex Kovalev and who's this guy that has taken over in his place ?