There is no more polarizing topic or question in sports right now than steroids in the Major Leagues. From my recent rant about Sutcliffe to the ever present fact that Barry Bonds will soon pass Hank Aaron for the greatest record in all of sports, Major League Baseball is the center of the sports world. But it is not baseball that has lost its mind here folks...it's just the professionals.
Growing up in an urban area with a backyard the size of a mini-cooper my brother and I had very little room in the backyard to practice sports. My father put up a basketball hoop which consisted of plywood attached to a 4x4 with a rim on it. That soon gave way to the old school metal beam and synthetic backboard. But the true prized possession of the yard was what gave us the best bonding experience kids can have...the game of baseball. With a rule book and a ruler in hand we measured out the yard to see how much space we had....45 ft...on the diagonal. Sensing our excitement, my father, once again putting himself to work for the betterment of us, built a little league pitchers mound and made a plywood plate (probably from the old backboard) and we were in heaven.
From that day forward, at the age of 7, I completely forgot that we were surrounded by condemned homes and daily drug deals. Instead, we were surrounded by baseball and the world was good. Everyday two things happened in my home after homework until the age of 14 when my brother went off to college...foul shots and pitching. Once we got older the old 41' head/torso game replaced pitching in the World Series for the Red Sox EVERYDAY (and we never lost). I learned more about baseball in that tiny backyard than I did anywhere else but I also learned so much more about morality, honesty, and dedication. What I certainly wasn't concerned about was bettering myself artificially.
Currently, I have the privilege of helping out with my soon to be step-sons farm league team (7-8 year olds). Every day that I see these little guys and gals eat up the game that I myself have loved to play for decades, I am inspired. I see the simple joy in catching a ball, joining a team, striking out swinging instead of getting called out on strikes OR just getting the ball to first base IF a play is made in the field regardless of if first was where I should have thrown the ball. Today I volunteered to umpire and the picture threw A strike and turned and smiled at his mother. In short, I get to see baseball.
There are times when I get wrapped up in the rivalry, sports talk shows or whatever else in the sporting world seems to be the hottest item. But I sleep better tonight because I can rest assured that baseball in its truest form exists all throughout America. The basics haven't changed in a century and chances are they never will. So while we watch Barry Bonds on television break the most hallowed record in sports, do not be saddened, depressed or even the slightest bit angered. Instead, rejoice...because all you have to do to see baseball at its best is take a quick drive to your local farm league park or take a look out of your back window and watch what baseball was, is, and always will be.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Are the Yankees Conceding the AL East?
Based upon the New York Yankees decision to hold off Roger Clemens for the series with the White Sox. Do you feel that the Yankees are now playing for the wild card? Tell me your opinions and give some details.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
These Yankees Deserve to Lose!
The millennium New York Yankees deserve to fail as much as the mid to late 1990’s teams deserved to succeed. Baseball is a game of integrity, tradition, intensity and respect. These Yankees have lost their sense of all four.
Some will say that being a Red Sox fan I have no right to comment on the New York Yankees. I will argue that this blog has more to do with the game of baseball than it does the New York Yankees. I have never liked the better team from New York, but there was a time when I respected them. I will never forget my first game at Yankee Stadium; May 2000. I was 19 years old living in the city during an internship in Bronx. Spending some weekends watching series’ at Fenway enjoying all that the historic park had to offer as a child, my parents had never dared take us to New York for a game. I am almost certain that it was because we could not afford to stay in Manhattan for two nights but the Howard Johnson next to Fenway was certainly affordable. Couple that with the fact that HOJO was located directly next to the player entrance to the Park and we were little always looking for autographs Fenway was a great choice (I hated George Brett and loved Roger Clemens for their respective treatments). Regardless, I had to transfer trains at 161st from the 4,5,6 line to the D train to get to my teaching internship a few blocks from Fordham. That means every single work day for 5 months I had the pleasure of viewing the beautiful and historic Yankee Stadium. It was time to buy some bleacher seats!
The feeling as you approach the inner areas, and ultimately the field itself, was just like Fenway. Yankee Stadium exudes history and tradition and commands respect much the same as Fenway Park. The open air joined with architectural strength and beauty takes your breath away every time. At the beginning of the game the bleachers called out players one by one and each player responded with a gesture of some sort showing complete respect. The style of baseball I enjoyed that day was sophisticated dominance done with integrity, pride and efficiency. The Yankees earned my respect. Since that World Series Championship season…they have lost it.
There are many inexplicable reasons why I loathe the current Yankees team and organization but there are many reasonable ones as well.
Integrity has been somewhat of an issue over the years for the Yankees, whether it be Steve Howe, Dwight Gooden, Daryl Strawberry and others. However, the teams of the late 1990’s played a brand of baseball that any true fan of the game should not only respect, but hope that their team should one day experience. In fact, I was jealous. The Yankees were the epitome of all that baseball should be and the Red Sox seemed to have heart but lacked the polish and class of a champion. Those Yankees deserved to achieve everything they accomplished. These Yankees deserve to be at the bottom of the American League East and sit 13.5 games out of first place.
You might ask why am I going on this rant and rave; shear disgust. Several years ago I began to lose the respect that the Yankees had earned when its fans not only began to question the best closer in the history of baseball, but to “BOOOOO” him after several weak outings following difficulties with the Red Sox and others at the beginning of the season. This clear lack of respect, class and appreciating may be a microcosm of today’s culture but it has no place in a timeless classic like baseball. Mariano Rivera earned the right to never be “booed” at Yankee Stadium for the rest of his life. Hell, they should retire his number while he is still playing.
So who cares Joe….that was two years ago. Well it has happened again. The past two games the fans of New York have booed Joe Torre. This is a man that brought you to the mountaintop time and time again. A manager that led a bunch of role playing scrubs to the zenith of baseball SEVERAL times. Joe Torre is a man, much like Rivera, that has earned a free pass from stadium-wide ridicule. He should be questioned maybe even asked to leave. But he should never be booed out of town. There is no other time in my short life where such an outright disregard for tradition, achievement, and integrity has been displayed. This speaks to the current state of the Yankees organization, fans included. The approach that led them to championships is long gone and all that remains are a disrespectful, me-now, group of booing “fans” and overpaid unmotivated “talent” everyday in the lineup.
The New York Yankees used to embody what baseball is meant to be. As a result, they were champions. Now, I hope they finish in last place. Not because I am a Red Sox fan and they are the Yankees, but because as much as it may be insane to say…I miss the teams of the late 90s. I miss the respect and tradition of the rivalry. I wish I could still respect one of the best organizations in all of professional sports. But I can’t, because it is apparent in their actions that they don’t respect themselves or the game that they get the play or watch while I stand outside the stadium hoping to get some bleacher seats.
Some will say that being a Red Sox fan I have no right to comment on the New York Yankees. I will argue that this blog has more to do with the game of baseball than it does the New York Yankees. I have never liked the better team from New York, but there was a time when I respected them. I will never forget my first game at Yankee Stadium; May 2000. I was 19 years old living in the city during an internship in Bronx. Spending some weekends watching series’ at Fenway enjoying all that the historic park had to offer as a child, my parents had never dared take us to New York for a game. I am almost certain that it was because we could not afford to stay in Manhattan for two nights but the Howard Johnson next to Fenway was certainly affordable. Couple that with the fact that HOJO was located directly next to the player entrance to the Park and we were little always looking for autographs Fenway was a great choice (I hated George Brett and loved Roger Clemens for their respective treatments). Regardless, I had to transfer trains at 161st from the 4,5,6 line to the D train to get to my teaching internship a few blocks from Fordham. That means every single work day for 5 months I had the pleasure of viewing the beautiful and historic Yankee Stadium. It was time to buy some bleacher seats!
The feeling as you approach the inner areas, and ultimately the field itself, was just like Fenway. Yankee Stadium exudes history and tradition and commands respect much the same as Fenway Park. The open air joined with architectural strength and beauty takes your breath away every time. At the beginning of the game the bleachers called out players one by one and each player responded with a gesture of some sort showing complete respect. The style of baseball I enjoyed that day was sophisticated dominance done with integrity, pride and efficiency. The Yankees earned my respect. Since that World Series Championship season…they have lost it.
There are many inexplicable reasons why I loathe the current Yankees team and organization but there are many reasonable ones as well.
Integrity has been somewhat of an issue over the years for the Yankees, whether it be Steve Howe, Dwight Gooden, Daryl Strawberry and others. However, the teams of the late 1990’s played a brand of baseball that any true fan of the game should not only respect, but hope that their team should one day experience. In fact, I was jealous. The Yankees were the epitome of all that baseball should be and the Red Sox seemed to have heart but lacked the polish and class of a champion. Those Yankees deserved to achieve everything they accomplished. These Yankees deserve to be at the bottom of the American League East and sit 13.5 games out of first place.
You might ask why am I going on this rant and rave; shear disgust. Several years ago I began to lose the respect that the Yankees had earned when its fans not only began to question the best closer in the history of baseball, but to “BOOOOO” him after several weak outings following difficulties with the Red Sox and others at the beginning of the season. This clear lack of respect, class and appreciating may be a microcosm of today’s culture but it has no place in a timeless classic like baseball. Mariano Rivera earned the right to never be “booed” at Yankee Stadium for the rest of his life. Hell, they should retire his number while he is still playing.
So who cares Joe….that was two years ago. Well it has happened again. The past two games the fans of New York have booed Joe Torre. This is a man that brought you to the mountaintop time and time again. A manager that led a bunch of role playing scrubs to the zenith of baseball SEVERAL times. Joe Torre is a man, much like Rivera, that has earned a free pass from stadium-wide ridicule. He should be questioned maybe even asked to leave. But he should never be booed out of town. There is no other time in my short life where such an outright disregard for tradition, achievement, and integrity has been displayed. This speaks to the current state of the Yankees organization, fans included. The approach that led them to championships is long gone and all that remains are a disrespectful, me-now, group of booing “fans” and overpaid unmotivated “talent” everyday in the lineup.
The New York Yankees used to embody what baseball is meant to be. As a result, they were champions. Now, I hope they finish in last place. Not because I am a Red Sox fan and they are the Yankees, but because as much as it may be insane to say…I miss the teams of the late 90s. I miss the respect and tradition of the rivalry. I wish I could still respect one of the best organizations in all of professional sports. But I can’t, because it is apparent in their actions that they don’t respect themselves or the game that they get the play or watch while I stand outside the stadium hoping to get some bleacher seats.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The World of Baseball Has Lost It's Mind
I was watching the Red Sox/Yankee game on Tuesday night with my fiance. It's always an adventure when we watch this type of series; with her being part of the evil empire and I representing all that is good about professional sports. It was a great game. The Sox were winning, Gruntmaster Flex (Giambi) himself was stepping to the plate, and then the world of baseball, as represented in the words of the great Rick Sutcliffe (ESPN announcer), quickly went town the pooper. Because I lost my mind, I am not able to directly quote Mr. Sutcliffe but let me paraphrase.
I have to give Giambi credit (pause for drama) he is the only player that has come remotely close to admitting steroid use in baseball.
My reaction...you have got be @#!$!@#% kidding me right now. We are at a point in baseball where highly paid commentary men will give credit to a man who cheated the game because he ALMOST admitted that he used an illegal substance. At this point the outcome of the game didnt matter to me...well maybe it did...but to think that this stuff is being spewed out to the public during a prime time event baffles my mind. Well sir, I almost cleared the high jump...can I have credit anyway. I nearly finished writing my doctoral thesis...can you give me credit regardless kind sir. Amazingly, the other announcer seemed to agree.
This conversation of course sparked the dialogue about the comments made by David Ortiz. Ortiz and others have insisted that you cannot blame steroids for increased home run production. This is like saying that reading glasses don't help you read or that old people drive best at night. It just flies in the face of all that is known to man. Ever heard of "warning track power"? I have...hell...i've had it (not any more thankfully). It refers to a players ability to NEARLY hit a home run but, unfortunately, said player lacks the power to do so. Interestingly, steroids give you POWER. But wait, you can't teach someone how to hit a baseball on the money like Bonds, Giambi, etc. I'll give you an inch on that one but I'm taking the mile. While there is a distinctly natural ability that players have to hit a ball on the sweet spot of the bat...steroids, specifically Human Growth Hormone, have been linked to improved eyesight. Ever see a blind man hit a baseball? Me neither. Thats because you have to see it to hit it. And while players may have the ability to put their bodies in the optimal position to hit the baseball...just like blind men...no see....no hit.
Lastly, I understand that people are trying to protect each other and the game from such evil cheaters and therefore the truth. But face it, MLB's steroid policy is a joke. What's that you say? They are catching guys as we speak. Yeah...but they still don't test for Human Growth Hormone. To me, a steroid policy that doesn't test for HGH leaves two things to be desired....truth and purity. Those two things make baseball the greatest game of all time. It's tough to cheat, its tougher to win, and in the end; truth and purity rule the day. Unless of course, you are a fraud...dont test for HGH... and let the cheaters continue for the betterment of your business.
I have to give Giambi credit (pause for drama) he is the only player that has come remotely close to admitting steroid use in baseball.
My reaction...you have got be @#!$!@#% kidding me right now. We are at a point in baseball where highly paid commentary men will give credit to a man who cheated the game because he ALMOST admitted that he used an illegal substance. At this point the outcome of the game didnt matter to me...well maybe it did...but to think that this stuff is being spewed out to the public during a prime time event baffles my mind. Well sir, I almost cleared the high jump...can I have credit anyway. I nearly finished writing my doctoral thesis...can you give me credit regardless kind sir. Amazingly, the other announcer seemed to agree.
This conversation of course sparked the dialogue about the comments made by David Ortiz. Ortiz and others have insisted that you cannot blame steroids for increased home run production. This is like saying that reading glasses don't help you read or that old people drive best at night. It just flies in the face of all that is known to man. Ever heard of "warning track power"? I have...hell...i've had it (not any more thankfully). It refers to a players ability to NEARLY hit a home run but, unfortunately, said player lacks the power to do so. Interestingly, steroids give you POWER. But wait, you can't teach someone how to hit a baseball on the money like Bonds, Giambi, etc. I'll give you an inch on that one but I'm taking the mile. While there is a distinctly natural ability that players have to hit a ball on the sweet spot of the bat...steroids, specifically Human Growth Hormone, have been linked to improved eyesight. Ever see a blind man hit a baseball? Me neither. Thats because you have to see it to hit it. And while players may have the ability to put their bodies in the optimal position to hit the baseball...just like blind men...no see....no hit.
Lastly, I understand that people are trying to protect each other and the game from such evil cheaters and therefore the truth. But face it, MLB's steroid policy is a joke. What's that you say? They are catching guys as we speak. Yeah...but they still don't test for Human Growth Hormone. To me, a steroid policy that doesn't test for HGH leaves two things to be desired....truth and purity. Those two things make baseball the greatest game of all time. It's tough to cheat, its tougher to win, and in the end; truth and purity rule the day. Unless of course, you are a fraud...dont test for HGH... and let the cheaters continue for the betterment of your business.
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