Well, thanks to the semi-pro Florida Gators, Team Slavik finishes tenth in the local office pool, costing us the $5 entrance fee. I HATE GAMBLING!!!! Now, I'll never be able to retire.
Bonds looks good, hitting a home run, stealing a base, and making defensive plays in LF. Maybe he'll make the All-Star Game (being held in San Francisco this year). And maybe he'll break Aaron's record, which of course will cause the end of the world as we know it. HAHAHA.
Devil Rays look good, taking one of two in Yankee Stadium. I'd be really excited about their chances if they had more pitching. Upton, Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes, three of the four Devil Rays bad-boys seem ready to make their mark on the field instead of by doing and saying stupid things. Good for them.
And the fourth bad-boy, Josh Hamilton, a former 1st pick overall, now Rule 5 reclamation project of the Reds, was one of the the feel-good stories of the spring. Yes, Johnny you too can virtually piss away your career by doing and make a comback in the minds and hearts of America. That's been proven once again by the Josh Hamilton story. Pssst, Johnny....just make sure you're a white-boy, or as they say, it just won't play in Peoria. Sorry folks, but if you can cite an example that shows where I'm wrong about this, please let me know. The tone and theme of the stories would be entirely different if any of the other three guys (Upton, Young, or Dukes) were drug users to the level and repetiveness of Hamilton. It would not be portrayed as a feel-good story, I can assure you of that. I'm still not sure the media is done demonizing Delmon Young for tossing a bat at a scab umpire (who hasn't wanted to do that?). He sure hasn't been publicly forgiven yet. I bet umpires as a group have forgiven him more than the media and the public at-large.
Nice to see baseball doing the right thing by honoring the anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut with the Dodgers. And it is a nice touch to have ANY African-American who desires, wear his number on that day in honor of the event. Kudos to Griffey for coming up with the idea. MLB marketing honchos can take the rest of the year off, if necessary.
Every Dodger will wear number 42, which will be a scorekeepers nightmare. Not really, the names over the number will give them a clue.
In discussing the event this week, it was interesting to hear some of the commentary from the major players in the mass media. Some commentators made note of the declining numbers of Afircan-Americans who play the game today as opposed to 10-20 years ago and launched into a search for the answers.
It was pricless to hear Gary Sheffield interviewed and asked his opinion why the numbers are declining. His answer ran along the lines of white owners don't promote black superstars, if anyhthing they run them down or promote inferior white players instead. The NBA and NFL, by contrast, will positively promote black superstars. They almost have to in most cases. They have no choice.
After the interview, it was hilarious to hear the two clown-asses (KO and DP of ESPN)
try to make the case why Sheff was wrong and of course, these two had a better answer. I mean, who would be in a better position to know the hearts and minds of young African-Americans, Gary Sheffield or Dan Patrick and Keith Olberman?
When you ask a brother a question about the brothers and he give you an answer, perhaps you should give it some serious consideration. Not dismiss it and come up with speculation of your own. It makes white people sound stupid at best, mean-spirited and stupid at worst. PLEASE STOP.
And things like the new DIRECT TV deal and no afternoon World Sereris games are not the answer either. That's just stupid talk. I became a fan when there was ONE GAME a week on TV not the daily saturation of games and highlights available now. My dad left me handwritten notes of the results of west coast Giants games on the refrigerator. That was my version of Sports Center. And I became and remain a fan. There's never been a better time, in my opinion, to be a baseball fan.
To hear a self-absorbed, douchebag commentator whine about the DIRECT TV deal because his Manhattan association won't allow installation of sattelite dishes, smacks of elitist whining, not the concern of REAL baseball fans. Go figure out, how to link President Bush to this decision and leave the sports commentating to the full-timers.
They mentioned the entry cost of playing baseball, the equipment, fees, etc. Which are no higher on a relative basis than the were 10-20 years ago. And then they detour into celebrating what the arrival of Tiger Woods has done for the numbers of AA who are able to play golf. Ever priced how much it costs to play golf? Are the number of young African Americans playing golf really increasing enough to explain the dissapearance of number from baseball. Kids and lower income families can't afford cable or satellite installation, but they can afford golf equipment and greens fees. COME ON!! Let's be realistic.
Sheff's right, it's time for a reality check. And in the same way that owners and the baseball media closed their eyes to the PED scandal, they are metaphorically closing their eyes and ears, but unfortunatley not their mouths, to the issue of race and racism in baseball. Denial is not just a river in Egypt fellas.
Aaron passed Ruth thirty years ago, but Ruth was still the deity, THE REAL HOME RUN CHAMPION, not Aaron.
We fixate today on whether or not Bud Selig will be there when Bonds passes Aaron, as if that's a big deal, and conveniently forget to mention that Commissioner Bowie Kuhn (GRHS) did not attend the game where Aaron passed Ruth. Just another case of history repeating.
Let's hope we someday do a better job of righting the wrongs of racism and the declining numbers of African American males participating in baseball, than we did trying to FIX the PED problem. It might require that some, who have little knowledge of the subject matter, do less pontificating about the subject and more listening to those who are in a better position to know the answers. And if you don't know who you are, I'd be happy to let you know.
Judging how the debate and the formulation of a solution to the PED issue has gone, unfortunately, I fear the worst. But I'm willing to hope for the best. For all that he went through to blaze a trail for his fellow man and raise hope for a better day, Jackie Robinson deserved better.
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