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Print This StoryThe Baseball Column: Sad Stuff
POSTED: 3:26 pm EST March 17,
2006
Told You So
Last May in this column I urged Barry Bonds to retire rather than come back after a series of knee surgeries. Right know he’s probably wishing he had. As has been well publicized, not one, but two books are on the way that provide a detailed account of the tainted slugger’s steroid use. In typical Barry fashion, he is nonchalantly blowing off all of the obvious questions surrounding the books. Don’t let his exterior fool you, however. This has to be making him miserable. Instead of winding down a great career among a wave of love and nostalgia al la Cal Ripken or Tony Gwynn, Bonds will spend his final days in the game engulfed in a tsunami of controversy and inquisition. You almost want to feel sorry for him. Almost.Farewell Kirby
Earlier this month, Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett passed away at the age of 45. During his career, Puckett was untouchable in the media, the model of what a professional athlete should be. He was frequently labeled a “hero.” Following the tragic end to his career in 1996, however, the Minnesota icon’s personal life began to unravel. He went through a nasty divorce, was the victim of a tabloid-like expose in Sports Illustrated and was charged and acquitted of a felony. There weren’t too many people saying good things about the 10-time All Star at that point. In death, however, Puckett has once again been lionized as a hero. The fact is, Kirby was not a hero or a scoundrel; he was a man and a great baseball player that provided a great deal of joy to baseball fans everywhere. We should remember him for that and let his family sort out the rest.Doc Needs Help
In the mid-to-late 1980s, it seemed like Dwight Gooden was on his way to the Hall of Fame and possibly becoming one of the top five greatest pitchers ever. In 2006, it looks like the pitcher formerly known as Dr. K is headed upstate. The former Cy Young Award winner is currently being held without bond after testing positive for cocaine, which violated the terms of his probation stemming from a 2005 DUI conviction."He went to his regular meeting with his probation officer, admitted to the officer that he had used cocaine,” Jo Ellyn Rackleff, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections told The Associated Press. “She did a drug screen, and he tested positive for cocaine." As a result, the 41-year-old faces up to five years in prison.
Last May in this column I urged Barry Bonds to retire rather than come back after a series of knee surgeries. Right know he’s probably wishing he had. As has been well publicized, not one, but two books are on the way that provide a detailed account of the tainted slugger’s steroid use. In typical Barry fashion, he is nonchalantly blowing off all of the obvious questions surrounding the books. Don’t let his exterior fool you, however. This has to be making him miserable. Instead of winding down a great career among a wave of love and nostalgia al la Cal Ripken or Tony Gwynn, Bonds will spend his final days in the game engulfed in a tsunami of controversy and inquisition. You almost want to feel sorry for him. Almost.Farewell Kirby
Earlier this month, Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett passed away at the age of 45. During his career, Puckett was untouchable in the media, the model of what a professional athlete should be. He was frequently labeled a “hero.” Following the tragic end to his career in 1996, however, the Minnesota icon’s personal life began to unravel. He went through a nasty divorce, was the victim of a tabloid-like expose in Sports Illustrated and was charged and acquitted of a felony. There weren’t too many people saying good things about the 10-time All Star at that point. In death, however, Puckett has once again been lionized as a hero. The fact is, Kirby was not a hero or a scoundrel; he was a man and a great baseball player that provided a great deal of joy to baseball fans everywhere. We should remember him for that and let his family sort out the rest.Doc Needs Help
In the mid-to-late 1980s, it seemed like Dwight Gooden was on his way to the Hall of Fame and possibly becoming one of the top five greatest pitchers ever. In 2006, it looks like the pitcher formerly known as Dr. K is headed upstate. The former Cy Young Award winner is currently being held without bond after testing positive for cocaine, which violated the terms of his probation stemming from a 2005 DUI conviction."He went to his regular meeting with his probation officer, admitted to the officer that he had used cocaine,” Jo Ellyn Rackleff, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections told The Associated Press. “She did a drug screen, and he tested positive for cocaine." As a result, the 41-year-old faces up to five years in prison.
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