It's common knowledge that baseball clubhouses sometimes veer into boy's club territory. (Just ask the White Sox!) And, after some unfortunate events last season, teams took a long hard look at their clubhouse alcohol policies. Nowadays, things just ain't the same.
Well, Todd Jones longs for those lost times when you got drunk after a ballgame, damn it.
... it's not the same today as it was 15 or 20 years ago.
Guys nowadays show up earlier than we used to and leave way earlier than we used to. I can remember when guys would hang around until 2 or 3 in the morning after every game. An older player would call a team meeting, so to speak, and guys would grab a garbage can full of whatever guys drink, sit down and figure out whatever was going on that particular night. If it was 2 a.m. when everything was figured out, then everybody would shower and leave. If it was 4 a.m., then it was 4 a.m. The best times in my career have been with teammates figuring it out. Now, any figuring out that needs to be done is taken care of before the game.
Yes Todd: "figuring it out" is what it's all about. In fact, I plan on "figuring it out" with my friends tonight and tomorrow night . Some of the best times of my life, too. See: ballplayers are just like you and me.
So, lest we all forget, not only is Barry Bonds possibly got some collusion coming against him, but he's also got that whole indictment lying to a federal grand jury thing to deal with. Poor guy. If you remember the particulars of the indictment back in November, Bonds was charged with one count of obstruction and four counts of perjury.
Well, a new superseding indictment is charging Bonds with 14 counts of making false declarations and one count of obstruction of justice. So what does it all mean? Nothing much, it seems.
No new lies were alleged in the new indictment and Bonds wouldn't serve additional prison time if convicted.
"It's exactly the same," Golden Gate University law professor Peter Keane said. "It's two ways of saying it's lying and there's really no substantial difference between what he was charged with then and what he is charged with now."
So yes: it's pretty much the same thing. But the wording and charges are a bit different. Confusing? Perhaps.
Those waiting with bated breath for the return of Alex Rodriguez from his right quad injury for the Subway Series this weekend against the Mets will be waiting longer. Although the third baseman was eligible to come off the DL as early as Thursday, it ain't going to happen.
The Yankees currently rest at third in the AL East, are .500 and have the MLB's 18th ranked offense; one would surely think a healthy A-Rod would help improve upon that. But let us remember, it's only May, so probably best not to rush the prized possession - or at least the most expensive -- of the Yankees back if he's not quite ready.
And other than a short stint on the DL in 2000, A-Rod has been a specimen of perfect health. Unless it's his wife's health, then he gets sort of squeamish. Let's all point and laugh at him together about that now: HA HA.
My favorite rule in baseball? The dropped third strike. Even if you completely swing and miss at a horrible pitch -- or maybe a good pitch -- there's still a chance for redemption. Hey ook: I struck out but I'm still on first base! (A.J. Pierzynski remembers this well.)
But, as the above clip between Shane Victorino and Conor Jackson shows, sometimes the angle of a throw from the catcher ends up causing a bit of a ruckus at first base. Victorino stayed in the game and ended up scoring that inning. Jackson wasn't feeling too pretty after the game.
At this point, it's a safe bet that any headline with the name "Roger Clemens" in it probably isn't going to cast Roger in the best light. (That is unless you subscribe to the Rusty Hardin News-Gazette. Only $15 for an entire year!)
It's no secret that at 45 years of age, Clemens is not that ideal candidate to suit up for the Olympic squad this summer. But he is Roger Clemens, the man that defies age and can teach those young kids a thing or two, right?
"From my standpoint, we don't need that type of distraction," Watson said.
[ ... ]
"I have not talked to the commissioner. I have not talked to (MLB chief operating officer) Bob DuPuy, nor have I talked to his agent, but I just think the distraction that he's carrying right now, from my standpoint, we don't need that," Watson said.
What's most interesting about this is that Watson has not only been the GM of the Astros, but the Yankees as well. And even he's not feeling Rog nowadays.
To be fair, Watson indicated that Clemens elbow was another cause for concern, but I have a feeling without the Mitchell Report and the Mindy McCready allegations, Mr. Passion and Glory himself would have at least been invited on to the team as some sort of special instructor or coach. Such is life now for Clemens, I suppose.
Look: I know what the White Sox did with these blow-up dolls is viewed as offensive by some. (And rightfully so.) I also know it was in poor taste to do it out in the open in the clubhouse. This is 2008 where evil bloggers are going to expose your clubhouse deeds; probably best not to leave blow-up dolls with bats stuck in them for reporters to write about and bloggers to run wild with on the Web. But I also know the escalation of this whole ordeal is getting a little silly. (Such is the current state of the media, I suppose. Hell, I'm adding to the fire now.)
A spokesman for Major League Baseball said today the league is investigating an incident in the White Sox clubhouse in Toronto involving inflatable dolls. Pat Courtney of Major League Baseball wouldn't comment further, declining to say if he felt the display was appropriate.
"We are looking into it," he said. "We're talking to the club."
Well yeah, this whole idea didn't turn out so hot. What started out as a harmless prank to try and get the Sox offense out of its slump -- which didn't work, by the way -- has now turned into a freakin' national incident. Call up George W., I think his services are needed here.
If we've learned anything about Suzyn Waldman, it's that she's passionate about the New York Yankees. She exalted like crazy when Roger Clemens was in GUERGAGE'S BOX. She wept when Joe Torre took his final bow. So when it comes to the latest Clemens news, you would expect her to be in Roger's corner more so than most.
"I can only judge people on what I observe and how they treat me," she said, "and since the mid-'80s, I've known him and all of his family and watched the kids being born and knew his mother and know his sisters ... I never saw this stuff. I don't know if it's true. Does it change what I think of Roger Clemens? I don't think so." [ ... ]
"The only thing that surprises me about anything that happens is the glee with which people are dealing with this venom," she said. "It surprised me last year when it happened to me."
It's easy to go after Clemens these days. But when he's close enough to you that you know his children, know him as someone else, know him as a terrific pitcher and friend, well, it's not so easy to turn the tide on your opinion, no matter how bad the accusations seem.
That being said: she's in the minority. A caring and compassionate minority sure, but a minority nonetheless.
The US is going green, buildings are going green, your mom is going green, baseball is going green: we know this. It's become cool to start loving and caring for our environment, instead of something your third grade teacher tells you about in social studies. And, it is the Philadelphia Phillies who are leading the charge MLB-wise in this whole Al Gore-minded endeavor. Seriously, they've made quite the splash.
To offset the carbon footprint created by the team's utility power usage at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies have purchased 20 million kilowatt-hours of Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). According to the EPA, this is the largest single purchase of 100% renewable energy in professional sports and is equivalent to the planting of 100,000 trees.
Whoa, 100,000 trees? Kudos on the major buy, friends. No word on whether the purchase of this renewable energy is going to speed along Jimmy Rollins' recovery time, but, you know, he'll be back soon enough.
So here's a nifty idea: the Cubs, beholders of the precious night game inside their stadium -- are ceding their July 29 evening to let their Class A affiliate Peoria squad take on the Kane County Cougars. (Sidenote: The only foul ball I've ever caught at a baseball game was at a Kane County Cougars game.)
The reasoning? To let Peoria Chiefs coach and former Cub second baseman Ryne Sandberg show off the Cubs No. 1 pick Josh Vitters.
"I think it will be very cool," said Sandberg, the Hall of Famer in his second season as Chiefs manager. "It's an opportunity for everybody involved, probably the chance of a lifetime for some of these players to come here and play at Wrigley. I can't imagine what that will be like."
The game-the only one in town that day with the White Sox playing in Minnesota and the Cubs in Milwaukee-will include team mascots, T-shirts being shot into the bleachers and kids running the bases afterward, or, as Kenney said, "things we've never really done here before to bring the spirit of the minor-league system into Wrigley Field for a night."
Three cheers to the Cubs for letting these teams play inside an MLB stadium: should be fun for all parties involved and might be the highlight off some of these kids' careers. And sweet, t-shirt guns? Whooooo!
It's certainly not anything out of the ordinary for a baseball manager to get enraged. Whether it be a tough loss, an annoying question, a bad call: there's really no other job in all of sports where you see dudes flip their lid more often. (Unless you're Rasheed Wallace maybe.)
So let us revel in Lou Piniella's first mini blowup, after Kerry Wood -- hi Buzz! -- let up three runs in the ninth to blow the game for the Cubbies this afternoon. First, Piniella whacked a water cooler in the dugout in said ninth inning. Then this happened in that little tiny hole-in-the-wall press room at Wrigley Field:
After Thursday's 4-3 loss to Milwaukee, Piniella plopped down in the interview room, tersely answered the first four questions he faced, and then was asked if he had thought about putting Reed Johnson in left field as a defensive replacement for Alfonso Soriano.
That did the trick.
"You damn right I thought about it. You think I'm stupid or something?"
Though the interview was done, Piniella wasn't.
As he left the room, Piniella continued muttering about the question, this time using a little stronger language.
It's common knowledge that baseball clubhouses sometimes veer into boy's club territory. (Just ask the White Sox!) And, after some unfortunate events last season, teams took a long hard look at their clubhouse alcohol policies. Nowadays, things just ain't the same.
So, lest we all forget, not only is 
Those waiting with bated breath for the return of 
At this point, it's a safe bet that any headline with the name "
Look: I know what the White Sox 
If we've learned anything about 
The US is going green, buildings are going green, your mom is going green, 
So here's a nifty idea: the Cubs, beholders of the precious night game inside their stadium -- 
It's certainly not anything out of the ordinary for a baseball manager to get enraged. Whether it be a tough loss, an annoying question, a bad call: there's really no other job in all of sports where you see dudes flip their lid more often. (Unless you're Rasheed Wallace maybe.)
