Sports Then and Now

Dave Roberts announced on Monday that he has Hodgkin's Lymphoma

If you ask a Red Sox fan who Henri Stanley is, most will look at you funny, their heads cocked to the side like the RCA dog, and tell you they don’t have a clue.  Stanley was an outfielder who never played a Major League game, but exists as a footnote in the historic 2004 season that saw the Sox win their first World Series in 86 years.  Henri Stanley went from the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox to AAA Portland, the Dodger’s affiliate, in a trade deadline move, July 31, 2004.  The player the Red Sox got in return was Dave Roberts.

Roberts himself a journeyman with no aspirations of ever having a bust in the Hall of Fame, spent his ten year career playing for five different teams, patrolling various outfield spots and occasionally DH-ing.  He was brought to Boston that year predominantly to be a pinch runner.  In 45 regular season games with the Red Sox that summer, Roberts stole a grand total of five bases.  In the post-season, with zero at-bats, Roberts managed to steal one base – a close play at second that no Boston fan will ever forget. Read the rest of this entry →

Padres catcher Yorvit Torrealba has weighed in on Arizona's proposed immigration law.

A new Arizona law being proposed that would require all individuals suspected of immigration violations to produce identification has been garnering much attention in the last few weeks. A lot of that attention has been from Major League Baseball, more specifically the Players Association and its members. It isn’t as though another reminder was needed of why politics and sports should remain separate was necessary, with the not so distant memories of steroid hearing before congress and threats of the same over tobacco use. Yet, here is the issue of immigration, adding a negative weight to baseball’s buoyancy, meant to help us float happily through the summer.

Immigration is certainly a polarizing issue, more so in areas such as Arizona where its proximity to Mexico make the issue extremely relevant. As such, while this proposed law seems sort of like a non-issue to the outsider: You have to show identification when the police stop you? Well, sure. Don’t we all? (Also, the law only applies to non-citizens. If you are a US citizen, all you must do is assert so. Lying about such is another, Federal charge.) For the residents of the area and for MLB players, especially Hispanic individuals, the legislation is anything but simple or appropriate.

If you click on a link to read articles at your favorite sports news site, you’re probably looking for scores, statistics, race results, and so on. Chances are that readers who are interested in the immigration debate are heading to sites like CNN or MSNBC to find information. Lately, though, if you read baseball news, you have had a steady diet of your favorite fare, peppered with numerous mentions of this Arizona bill.

Players like Venezuelan born Yorvit Torrealba, catcher for the San Diego Padres, was quoted in the San Diego Union-Tribune, “Why do I want to go play in a place where every time I go to a restaurant and they don’t understand what I’m trying to order, they’re going to ask me for ID first? That’s bull.” It’s not clear what this proposed law has to do with menus in restaurants or the wait staff – work visa is a legitimate form of identification – but when you consider the fact that in 2008 Arizona’s population was over 30% Hispanic (double the national average), Yorvit should be able to find restaurants with Spanish menus and staff.

Torrealba’s comments are indicative of why we don’t go to ESPN for political news. His comment is obviously based on an overarching view that immigration laws are unfair. Never mind that the laws only deal with those individuals here illegally, the details don’t matter. At least they don’t seem to when you talk to folks whose time is (and should be) occupied with other pursuits.

The Players Association is involved as they are whenever there is anything with a perception of affect on its members. Some players are reportedly considering boycotting the Arizona Fall League as a form of protest.   There is a push for Bud Selig to weigh in, to add an official position for Major League Baseball to the mix. All three should keep their figurative noses out of things. This law affects no MLB players directly because they are all here legally.

There are folks who really enjoy heated debates about issues like immigration, abortion, same-sex marriage, and so on. There are others who avoid them like the plague and focus instead on less stressful pursuits like sports. As much as taxpayers would like their senators to spend their time on something better than whether baseball players chew tobacco, so would sports fans be happier if the athletes, teams, and leagues would focus all their considerable energy on their respective sports and stay out of the political arena.

Pitcher Dallas Braden did not appreciate A-Rod's shortcut.

In the sixth inning of the Yankee-A’s game on Thursday, Alex Rodriguez was rounding second and realized the play was moot and he jogged back to first.  The problem was, he crossed directly over the pitcher’s mound.  Dallas Braden, the now 3-0 A’s starter took exception to A-Rod’s lack of respect for baseball etiquette, and he told him so.  A-Rod, for his part, waved Braden off with a swat of his hand, much like a pesky fly.

So, what of this baseball etiquette thing. The term refers to the unwritten rules of baseball.  Examples of these include the idea that sliding hard is OK, but coming in with spikes high is not, stealing bases and bunting are OK, unless your up by 8 runs.  Another is be happy when you hit a home run, but don’t stand and watch it leave or expect to get someone plunked, and yet another is (according to Dallas Braden) don’t run across the pitcher’s mound. Read the rest of this entry →

The New York Mets are in last place in the NL East.

Those who know me, those who follow my “Sound Offs” on “Vegas Unwrapped”, or on these and other hallowed Blog pages know if nothing else, I rarely hit the panic button nor do I demand change for the sake of change only or because of one incident alone.

It takes a lot to rattle these old bones especially when it comes to making changes in the Mets organization, particularly with the man at the helm, for it has always been my opinion that a manager does just that, manage. He doesn’t pitch one pitch, steal one base, or score one run. He is there to use his considerable skills in motivating his players to do their best and on really very few occasions will make a move within a game that can clearly determine it’s outcome. Read the rest of this entry →

Tobacco has long been an engrained staple on the baseball diamond.

Many, many folks share the opinion that Congress should keeps its collective nose out of the area of professional sports all together.  A recent story from the Associated Press revealed that the new cause du jour for sports minded elected officials is chewing tobacco.

The use of chewing tobacco and snuff, or “dip”, is prevalent in Major League baseball.  While it is common knowledge that the use of these products is associated with largely increased instances of cancers of the mouth, throat, and stomach, and with the minor leagues having banned it’s game time use in 1993, its use is still common place in the big show.

“Good luck,” said Brandon Medders, San Francisco Giants pitcher, referring to trying to ban the use of tobacco. “Guys do what they do. We work outside. It’s been part of the game for 100 years.”

While not using the stuff is obviously a good idea, it will not be an easy sell.  Not to mention that it is far from the most pressing issue in professional sports.  Here are five better ways for Congress to focus their extra time.

5. Gambling

Gambling is one of the best kept non-secrets in the universe.  The one player who has been banned from professional baseball in the last half century, Pete Rose, was booted for gambling.  The “industry”, both legal and illegal versions, constitutes a multi-billion dollar cash sow for those raking in the dough.  Gambling has proven itself every bit as addictive to some individuals as tobacco or drugs, and the NBA was rocked by a scandal where referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for being involved in a gambling scandal. Read the rest of this entry →

Jackie Robinson made his Major League Baseball debut on April 15, 1947.

It was 63 years ago today that Jackie Robinson played his first game as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The future Hall of Famer didn’t get a hit that afternoon, but his mere presence forever changed professional baseball and American society.

During his rookie season, Robinson hit .297 and was named the National League Rookie of the Year.

Despite being 28 years old at the time of his major league debut, Robinson played 10 seasons for the Dodgers and helped them reach the World Series six times and claim the World Series title in 1955. He had a career batting average of .311 and was named the NL MVP in 1949.

In honor of Jackie Robinson Day across Major League Baseball, we are including several Youtube videos that celebrate his greatness both as a baseball player and as the man who paved the way for baseball to truly become the American pastime.

Read the rest of this entry →