Wow...

RS v. Yankees, July 2008

Wow. Yes, I detest Alex Rodriguez (although not with the same fervor that I detest Jeter). Yes, I like to make fun of him, with his Hamburger Helper gloves and purple lip gloss. Yes, I do I think he's a total head case - obsessed with being the center of attention, with extremely low self-esteem, always looking for approval from others. Yes, I think he is a borderline dirty player - think of his swiping the ball out of Arroyo's glove or calling "mine" to throw off an infielder trying to catch a ball. But, yes, I also think he's a really good ball player - albeit one who seems to fail in the pressure cooker of post-season play year after year.

But I never would have guessed him to be a steroid user. As a matter of fact, if I could name a player who I thought needed MORE testosterone, it would be Alex. And yet, in some ways, it makes sense; it fits his psychological profile. He wants to be the best (but so does every other athlete, so no excuses there); he wants to be the center of attention; he wants "respect." So I can imagine him thinking, hey, I'm already a great player, but imagine how GREAT I could be if I used what everyone else is using.

I'm more worried about several other issues in the midst of this great revelation from si.com. First is the whole issue of the confidentiality of the steroid tests. Players were assured these tests were anonymous and that there would be no repercussions if they test positive. MLB was simply trying to figure out if there was indeed widespread use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs. How did ARod's name get out? There are reportedly 103 other names on "the list" - surely, they're not all minor leaguers?! And why did the Players' union retain the results list - it should have been destroyed. Jon Heyman has got a great article now on si.com, lambasting COO Gene Orza for retaining the list, and implies that Orza was messing around with the list, and that's where he ran into trouble.

The feds subpoenaed all the records instead of just the BALCO boys.

All 104 players who tested positive were now at risk.

"He wouldn't give up the BALCO names,'' one baseball person said of Orza, "so instead, [the federal government] got every name.''

Also troubling is Orza's involvement in this. Some seem to imply that he was actually tipping off players as to when their drug testing would take place, which allowed them to clean up their acts, or get other players to switch out urine samples. If this is true, he ought to be tossed out on his butt and sent before Congress to testify.

I'm also worried about those other 103 names. I don't believe ARod is the only name we'll recognize there. I'm not naive enough to think there won't be past or present Red Sox players on there (Gagne, anyone?). Will these names also be leaked? Will this be another Salem Witch Hunt?

I heard one pundit say this morning that he won't cast a vote for any current player for inclusion in the Hall of Fame. He said that there is a cloud of suspicion cast on EVERY player of the past ten years. And that is my greatest worry. What effect will all this have on the Game, on our great and glorious game of baseball? What about those players that didn't heed the siren's call of the needle, who stayed clean and who performed to the best of their natural abilities? Do they deserve to be tainted by the same dirty brush?

My heart is heavy today. Well, maybe not totally. The idea that this revelation will throw the Yankees into a grander state of confusion pleases me! That they will have an additional distraction as Spring Training begins is definitely a pleasant thought!!

Smart Women Love Baseball

According to this article on Jezebel.com !

A really well written piece, and I agree with many of her points. The little details one learns by closely examining a game, for example:

What a woman will see upon careful examination of the game is that what at first seemed arbitrary is in fact, well-orchestrated: a foul ball is not an insignificant annoyance, but an expression of the battle raging between a pitcher and his prey; the left-fielder who once looked to be pacing in boredom in the outfield is not only keeping his blood pumping in the chilly October air but positioning himself to discourage the base-runner on third who is angling for home.

And there's also the visual beauty of the game:

Through close attention to the game, women begin to appreciate a masculinity defined not by muscles or money but by hard work and humility. Baseball players are men, after all, who sublimate the more primitive characteristics encouraged in other sports — aggression, rage, dominance — in favor of something approaching grace...

Thank heavens the Red Sox will begin the season (or begin again?) tomorrow evening. It's a late game from California - we're playing the A's at 10:07 pm - but at least I'll have a box score that I'm interested in reading Wednesday morning. And by the end of the week, they'll be back in the Eastern Time Zone (although not in our own country - they're playing in Toronto!)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

CBS Sunday Morning had a great feature about the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." I didn't know that what we sing at the ball park is, in fact, the refrain. The song is actually about a young lady, whose boyfriend wants to take her out on a fancy date. She says, no, must take me out to the ball game!

Here's a story from MSN about a recent book about the song:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23878705/

The original song was written in 1908, and was a huge hit. It was re-recorded in 1927 - here is that version (slightly different from the earlier one)

Nelly Kelly loved baseball games,
Knew the players, knew all their names,
You could see her there ev'ry day,
Shout "Hurray" when they'd play.
Her boy friend by the name of Joe
Said, "To Coney Isle, dear, let's go,"
Then Nelly started to fret and pout,
And to him I heard her shout.

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

Nelly Kelly was sure some fan,
She would root just like any man,
Told the umpire he was wrong,
All along, good and strong.
When the score was just two to two,
Nelly Kelly knew what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the game sing this song.

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."


Gee, don't know any gals like that!

A cartoonist who gets it

Cartoon by Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press

How refreshing that our local political cartoonist chooses to focus on our love of the game!

Countdown: 12 days

Only 12 days until Pitchers & Catchers report to Ft Myers. Yeah!

And baseball news is starting to show up in the news: Sox sign Sean Casey. The good guy former first baseman for Detroit and the White Sox signed a one year deal with the Red Sox. He'll be back-up for Youk, Lowell and Ortiz - looks to be a good bat off the bench. Plus, he was recently voted the nicest guy in the AL - a great clubhouse guy to have on our team. So that plugs the last hole in our 40 man roster....looks like we're set for the Fort!!

A harbinger of spring. Today I went down to the indoor track to do my daily walk (2-3 miles, depending on my mood). As got down to the gym, I popped in my iPod - the first song to play was "Centerfield" by Jon Fogarty. As I approached the gym, I heard a noise that sounded surprisingly familiar. As I got into the gym, I saw the origin of the sound. The Middle School baseball coach had his team down there, tossing long ball. The sound of the ball hitting the leather was like a hymn.

Soon, soon, soon.