FanHouse

Todd Jones Remembers the Good Old Days

PostmanR — 2008-05-16T11:41:00 00:00

Filed under: Detroit, Tigers, AL Central

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.

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Barry Bonds Charged With Some Other Stuff, but It's Really All the Same

PostmanR — 2008-05-13T23:11:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Gossip, San Francisco

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.

This is why I never went to law school.

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A-Rod Will Not Be Back This Weekend

PostmanR — 2008-05-12T22:11:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Injuries

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.

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Shane Victorino and Conor Jackson Got Friendly At First Base

PostmanR — 2008-05-08T11:07:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phoenix, Phillies, Diamondbacks, NL East, NL West, MLB Video

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.

But yeah: ouch.

HT: The 700 Level.

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Roger Clemens Will Not Wear the Red, White and Blue

PostmanR — 2008-05-07T22:02:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: MLB Gossip

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?

Well, not so much says Bob Watson.

"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.

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MLB Is Investigating the White Sox and Their Blow-Up Dolls

PostmanR — 2008-05-06T18:25:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Chicago, White Sox, AL Central, MLB Gossip

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.)

But this is what has happened. And the Association for Women in Sports Media is none too pleased about it. So now, MLB is stepping in.

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.

I mean, he knows baseball pretty well, right?

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Suzyn Waldman Riffs on Roger Clemens, Like Only Suzyn Waldman Can

PostmanR — 2008-05-06T15:46:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: New York, Yankees, AL East, MLB Gossip

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.

And well, she is.

"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.

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The Phillies Love Mother Earth

PostmanR — 2008-05-05T21:32:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Philadelphia, Phillies, NL East, MLB Biz

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.

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Ryne Sandberg Will Return to Wrigley As Coach

PostmanR — 2008-05-02T19:41:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Chicago, Cubs, NL Central, MLB Fans

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!

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Cubs Lose; Lou Piniella Gets Cranky

PostmanR — 2008-05-01T23:17:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Chicago, Cubs, NL Central

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.

Welcome back, Lou. It's been too long.

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Pat Neshek Got Cracked Upside His Face

PostmanR — 2008-05-01T15:17:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Minnesota, Twins, AL Central, MLB Video

Twins reliever Pat Neshek might not have the most visually appealing site, but hey, he sure is fan friendly. Neshek responds to e-mails, riffs on baseball card collecting -- all and all, he seems like a swell fellow.

So when fans asked to see a video of Neshek taking a ball off his face freshman year of college at Butler in a game against Wichita St., Neshek provided it for them. Even uploaded it onto YouTube himself.

I've got to say: that looked nasty. But Neshek seems to take it in stride like a real man. If that was me, I would have been on the ground crying my eyes out. And I wouldn't have uploaded it to YouTube.

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Barry Bonds Likely Done For Good

PostmanR — 2008-04-29T17:44:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Giants, AL East, NL West, MLB Gossip, San Francisco, Toronto

It's still hard to fathom how Barry Bonds remains jobless. Looking purely at his stats, here's a guy that OBP'd .480 last year. He got on base half the time he walked up to the plate. Most teams would kill for that. But as Tom Verducci points out today, once the Blue Jays decided not to pursue Bonds, the curtain has likely been drawn on the man.

Now here's the bad news for Bonds: The Toronto Blue Jays, the very definition of that best-case scenario for him, want absolutely nothing to do with Bonds.

[ ... ]

The risks? The possibilities that he poisons the clubhouse, challenges the manager's authority (think he's going to listen to John Gibbons, such as if he asks him to stretch with the team?), demands special treatment, brings media and legal distractions, breaks down physically, turns 43 in July at a time when stars of the Steroid Era are falling off career cliffs, and generally harms whatever team culture an organization has established. As Jays president Paul Godfrey told a Toronto radio station, 680 News, back in March when Jays officials ruled out Bonds after, oh, five minutes of thought, "We all agreed unanimously that Barry Bonds would be a major distraction to the team."

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Kirk Gibson's Historic Home Run Set To Baseball Cards

PostmanR — 2008-04-28T19:03:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Los Angeles, Dodgers, NL West, MLB Video

Where does Kirk Gibson's homer in the 1988 World Series rank? Top 10 baseball moments of all time? Top five? #1? Wherever you personally rank it: the drama is hard to deny. The greatest closer in the game -- Dennis Eckersley -- going toe-to-toe with a guy that could barely walk, but yet was the catalyst for the Dodgers' offense that season. Pinch hit, bottom of the ninth, 3-2 count. It really doesn't get any more dramatic than that.

So I welcome you to relive that moment -- with the tremendous Vin Scully on the call -- all with baseball cards. Up next? Recreating that infamous homer off Jose Canseco's dome. What say you, YouTube auteur?

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Selig Decides Nobody's Getting in Trouble for the Mitchell Report

PostmanR — 2008-04-24T23:59:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: MLB Gossip, PEDs

After Bud Selig decreed any player named in the Mitchell Report wasn't going to be sent to the corner for their (alleged) transgressions, it should only follow suit that members of management named in the report weren't going to get a slap on the wrist either.

Our assumptions have been confirmed.

As part of Selig's announcement April 11 that players wouldn't be disciplined, management and the players' association agreed that players will join Major League Baseball in "efforts designed to educate youth and their parents regarding the dangers of performance-enhancing substances." The union also agreed to contribute $200,000 to "an anti-drug, charitable, educational or research organization."

"I don't use the word amnesty. I don't think there is amnesty because I think that whatever they're doing, they're doing something as a result of what they did. And the club officials and the clubs will be treated in exactly the same manner," Selig said. "That would be unfair if they weren't."

Asked as a follow-up whether that meant management officials wouldn't be suspended of fined, Selig responded: "They're going to be treated the same way."

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Frank Thomas Should Be Back in a Baseball Uniform Soon

PostmanR — 2008-04-24T12:36:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Oakland, Blue Jays, Athletics, AL East, AL West, MLB Rumors, Toronto, MLB Transactions

UPDATE: Thomas is now an Athletic. Hooray!

After Frank Thomas got all hissy about the Blue Jays limiting his playing time and then his subsequent release from the team over the weekend, some speculated he might land back in Oakland. Thomas revitalized his career there in 2006, going .270/ .381/.545 with 39 dingers and 114 RBIs after the White Sox seemingly left him for dead.

Well, according to Tim Brown at Yahoo! Sports, not only have the A's extended Thomas an offer, so has another team.

Frank Thomas was close to signing with the Oakland A's on Wednesday until another team made an offer at the last minute, according to a baseball source. [ ... ]

The A's have had little production from their designated hitters. Jack Cust is batting .148 with one homer in 54 at-bats, and Mike Sweeney has only a .346 slugging percentage in 52 at-bats.

Should the A's sign Thomas, it would likely end any lingering speculation that they would sign Barry Bonds.

As an unabashed Thomas fan from his days on the South Side, I'm glad he's likely getting another shot. (Though, if I were a GM, I don't know if I'd take a risk on a near 40-year-old who is injury prone.) What's most crazy about all this? Still no peep from anyone on Barry Bonds. Perhaps his price is too high and teams don't want all the baggage that comes along with him, but surely he's worth more than a released Frank Thomas, no?

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Jeff Conine Not Taking Retirement Lightly

PostmanR — 2008-04-23T15:02:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Miami, Marlins, NL East

Ah, retirement. Beaches, golf, reading books on the back porch with the old lady as you sip on some chilled Bourbon. Sounds like a charmed existence. Or you could also train for the Ironman. A race that after an ungodly amount of swimming and biking you run a freaking marathon. That's what recently retired Jeff Conine is up to these days.

From the New York Times:

Conine, a 17-year veteran of six big-league teams, has spent long hours swimming, cycling and running in preparation for an ambitious triathlon schedule that will culminate in the Ironman world championship in Kona, Hawaii, in October. Several former teammates, accustomed to the less rigorous conditioning of baseball, have questioned his sanity.

"Guys in my position are supposed to sit back and relax, not do something ridiculous like this," said Conine, who lives in South Florida and will make his triathlon debut here Sunday at the St. Anthony's Triathlon.

This is pretty wild. I salute Conine for his post-baseball pursuits. At 41 and being a former professional baseball player, he certainly still has some spring left to him. I just hope he realizes the race doesn't culminate with him taking over for Cal Ripken, Jr. in baseball's Hall of Fame.

Different Ironman, Jeff.

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Like Fans, Bobby Cox Might Have to Keep His Cigar in Check

PostmanR — 2008-04-22T18:01:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Atlanta, Braves, NL East, MLB Fans

Like many bars and restaurants around the country, ballparks are banning smoking within their confines. About half are smoke-free (fans at Wrigley Field are reduced to sneaking in drags in the bleacher bathrooms), with a good chunk more designating smoking far away from the stands -- out on concourses, out by gates, etc. etc. (Comerica Park has an enclosed bar area in the upper deck.)

As of now, I suppose one would think this sort of rule only affects the fans. But it affects Bobby Cox too, you know. With the Braves visiting Shea Stadium this weekend, Cox was asked about the new smoking ban there and it prohibiting his postgame cigar.

"You mean the new one?" he asked, referring to Citi Field, where the New York Mets will begin playing in 2009.
[ ... ]
I think that's a great idea," he said after Monday night's 7-3 victory over Washington at Turner Field (which, by the way, is listed as "a primarily smoke-free facility," according to the team's Web site, and lighting up is allowed only in certain entryways, stairwells and landings).

Even for himself?

"The clubhouse doesn't count," Cox quipped.

The Mets said they will speak with Cox about the new policy.

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Fan At Fenway Park Catches Foul Ball, Drops Foul Ball

PostmanR — 2008-04-21T21:02:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Boston, Red Sox, AL East, MLB Fans, MLB Video

"Hey everybody, look at this sweet foul ball I caught! I'm holding it up for all of you. What a grab, huh? Hey you guys over there sitting on top of the Monster, seriously, look at my ball! I'm waving it at yo ... oh crap."

HT: Sports By Brooks

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SI Reveals Max; He Does Not Corroborate Jose Canseco's Claims

PostmanR — 2008-04-18T16:14:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: MLB Gossip, PEDs

Last night, the New York Times reported the feds would ask Jose Canseco who this "Max" character was -- the dude in Jose's latest book he linked as a steroid supplier to Alex Rodriguez. The meeting is slated for Tuesday. However, according to Sports Illustrated, they've already tracked down "Max." His name? Joseph Dion.

And he's not buying what Canseco is selling.

"That's really, really funny because I am the one person that hates steroids," Dion said. "I'm against it 100 percent. And, A-Rod, at the time that I trained him -- and this I swear to God -- was 100 percent against steroids. He was one of the hardest working guys, and most natural guy, that I've met in my life. He hated steroids. We talked about it."

[ ... ]

On Friday, Canseco returned a call from SI regarding Dion's claim but said, "Ask him to call me. I want to talk to him before I comment on it." An associate close to Canseco confirmed that Dion is "Max" in the book.

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Cubs T-Shirt Vendors: Capitalizing on Overt Racial Stereotypes

PostmanR — 2008-04-18T12:27:00 00:00

by PostmanR

Filed under: Chicago, Cubs, NL Central, MLB Fans

Myself and E have been talking about this all season and now that the mainstream media has hopped on it today, it bears bringing up: these t-shirts to your right vendors are selling outside Wrigley Field are a bit insensitive.

The headbands they're selling are one thing, but replacing the letter "l" with the letter "r" and making an Asian-looking face on the Cubs logo is a whole 'nother thing. And before we get into the discussion of whether or not this world of ours today is too PC or I'm overreacting, why don't we just go to Kosuke Fukudome himself.

From Gordon Wittenmyer in today's Chicago Sun-Times:

'I don't know what the creator of the shirt meant this to be, but they should make it right,'' Fukudome said through his interpreter after being shown one of the shirts Thursday. ''Maybe the creator created it because he thought it was funny, or maybe he made it to condescend the race. I don't know.''
Regardless, it's not funny. The image feeds not only ugly, arrogant and ignorant Japanese stereotypes, but also the stereotype of the obnoxious, profane, drunken, booing, garbage-throwing Cubs fan.

So there you have it: if the man himself isn't feeling it ... it's probably wasn't in the best taste of the vendors to dream these shirts up. Hopefully, in due time and with the attention this has gotten today, they'll take them off their shelves for good.

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