Sporting News staff reports
Injured Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said Thursday he still doesn’t know when he’ll return to action.
"The doctors have got me on a great physical therapy program. We are working and making progress. Unfortunately, I just don’t have a final date right now," Roberts told the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network in an interview during the team’s pregame show.
"My back is feeling a lot better, but unfortunately, the disk injury and the nerve injury is something that they say will really just heal over time, and there’s really nothing that you can do to speed the process up."
Roberts strained his abdomen and aggravated a back injury on April 9. He has been on the disabled list since. There have been reports he could be out until midseason.
"Right now, we’re just trying to be patient, trying to work hard, trying to keep my body in shape enough that when the time is right, I’ll be ready to get back out there," Roberts said.
Sporting News staff reports
Injured Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said Thursday he still doesn’t know when he’ll return to action.
"The doctors have got me on a great physical therapy program. We are working and making progress. Unfortunately, I just don’t have a final date right now," Roberts told the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network in an interview during the team’s pregame show.
"My back is feeling a lot better, but unfortunately, the disk injury and the nerve injury is something that they say will really just heal over time, and there’s really nothing that you can do to speed the process up."
Roberts strained his abdomen and aggravated a back injury on April 9. He has been on the disabled list since. There have been reports he could be out until midseason.
"Right now, we’re just trying to be patient, trying to work hard, trying to keep my body in shape enough that when the time is right, I’ll be ready to get back out there," Roberts said.
Chris Bahr, Sporting News
What to expect in the major leagues today:
Andre Ethier was one of the many Dodger thorns in the Rockies’ side last season.
Kick ’em when they’re down
The Rockies’ late-season surge in 2009 — what had been a six-game deficit on Sept. 26 was trimmed to a single game by Oct. 2. — earned them the wild card but not the NL West title, which went to the Dodgers. Things would have been different if the Rockies hadn’t gone 4-14 against the Dodgers last season, and that is why they would love to make a statement at Dodger Stadium this weekend. To do so, Colorado must find a way to contain Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, who hit .349 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 17 games against it last season. Meanwhile, the Dodgers would like to continue their mastery of the Rockies and escape the NL West cellar.
Tamed Tigers
The Tigers brought a five-game winning streak to Target Field earlier this week and had a chance to claim sole ownership of first place in the AL Central. However, Detroit was swept out of Minnesota and must claw its way back toward the first-place Twins. Good news for the Tigers: They will open a three-game series at Cleveland tonight. Detroit is 3-0 against the last-place Indians this season, and Jeremy Bonderman, tonight’s starter, held Cleveland to one run in five innings for his only win of the season. Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is 4-for-9 against Indians pitching this season and 12-for-22 in his past six games overall.
A’s want to be the Rays
The first-place A’s will welcome the first-place Rays this weekend, and Oakland would love to make a Tampa Bay-like run from worst to first this season. However, the A’s will have to pitch better than they did last week at Tropicana Field, where the Rays outscored them 18-9 in a two-game sweep. Oakland hitters struck out 21 times in that series.
Chris Bahr, Sporting News
What to expect in the major leagues today:
Andre Ethier was one of the many Dodger thorns in the Rockies’ side last season.
Kick ’em when they’re down
The Rockies’ late-season surge in 2009 — what had been a six-game deficit on Sept. 26 was trimmed to a single game by Oct. 2. — earned them the wild card but not the NL West title, which went to the Dodgers. Things would have been different if the Rockies hadn’t gone 4-14 against the Dodgers last season, and that is why they would love to make a statement at Dodger Stadium this weekend. To do so, Colorado must find a way to contain Dodgers right fielder Andre Ethier, who hit .349 with five homers and 18 RBIs in 17 games against it last season. Meanwhile, the Dodgers would like to continue their mastery of the Rockies and escape the NL West cellar.
Tamed Tigers
The Tigers brought a five-game winning streak to Target Field earlier this week and had a chance to claim sole ownership of first place in the AL Central. However, Detroit was swept out of Minnesota and must claw its way back toward the first-place Twins. Good news for the Tigers: They will open a three-game series at Cleveland tonight. Detroit is 3-0 against the last-place Indians this season, and Jeremy Bonderman, tonight’s starter, held Cleveland to one run in five innings for his only win of the season. Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is 4-for-9 against Indians pitching this season and 12-for-22 in his past six games overall.
A’s want to be the Rays
The first-place A’s will welcome the first-place Rays this weekend, and Oakland would love to make a Tampa Bay-like run from worst to first this season. However, the A’s will have to pitch better than they did last week at Tropicana Field, where the Rays outscored them 18-9 in a two-game sweep. Oakland hitters struck out 21 times in that series.
Lawrence Taylor’s recklessness finally has caught up with him.
Lawrence Taylor could end up spending as many as four years in prison.
Throughout and after his football career, Taylor periodically found trouble. He never quite faced any real consequences, possibly due to the things he could do — and did — on a football field.
Now, more than 17 years after he left a football field for the last time, Taylor finds himself facing real prison time for an alleged crime as to which there are precious few defenses. Every state has selected an age below which no person — male or female — legally may consent to sexual relations with someone over a certain age. If sex happens, even if there is consent or (as in the case of Mary Kay LeTourneau) love or (as in this case) cash payment, a violation of the law has occurred.
And it doesn’t matter if the defendant didn’t know the person’s true age.
Is it fair? Fairness doesn’t matter. If the person looks a lot older than he or she is, the other, older person could soon be in prison.
Considering Taylor’s history, it’s surprising that he hasn’t previously found himself in this situation. He has utilized anecdotes of his escapades with prostitutes to sell his autobiography, including tales of ordering ladies of the evening for an opponent, in the hopes of wearing the guy out the night before a key game — something Taylor learned after an opponent put him in a similar predicament, which Taylor welcomed. He also spoke with bizarre pride regarding the fact that he once showed up for a team meeting wearing handcuffs that had been applied to him by not one but two women who were trying out new gadgets.
Surely, Taylor realizes that the time for laughing and boasting and bragging has ended. He could spend up to four years in prison. And even though his lawyer believes that Taylor will eventually plead guilty to a misdemeanor, the downside to fame and celebrity is that when they screw something up in spectacular fashion, that fame and celebrity often triggers an aggressive prosecution. The ensuing media coverage will send a powerful message to anyone who may be inclined to dial up a prostitute that he (or, technically, she) should worry about the very real possibility that the person who shows up at the door will be too young to lawfully consent.
Thus, Taylor now needs to worry about a prosecutor seeking to throw the book at him, in the same way that another former Giant, Plaxico Burress, ended up going away for two years on a charge that routinely results in probation or, at most, minimal jail time.
In announcing last month that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wouldn’t be charged with rape, prosecutor Fred Bright seemed almost disappointed by the fact that he wouldn’t get a chance to scare straight any man who may be inclined to ply a woman with drinks and then try to take advantage of her. In this case, the prosecutor has been handed a gift-wrapped conviction, an opportunity to deter similar conduct from coast to coast, and a chance to have his or her name uttered by every news outlet in the country on multiple occasions.
There’s also a curious connection between Roethlisberger’s case and the entanglement in which L.T. now finds himself. Many reacted to news of Big Ben’s alleged habit of trolling VIP rooms for sexual partners by wondering why he and other rich and famous types don’t simply use prostitutes instead. As the saying goes, celebrities don’t pay women for sex; they pay them to leave.
Taylor’s case shows that even that approach can lead to prison, too, if unbeknownst to the customer the woman is still a girl. Though some may think the chances of this happening are remote, it happened to Taylor. And it’s just one of the bad things that can happen when someone’s hobbies include patronizing the world’s oldest profession.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Lawrence Taylor’s recklessness finally has caught up with him.
Lawrence Taylor could end up spending as many as four years in prison.
Throughout and after his football career, Taylor periodically found trouble. He never quite faced any real consequences, possibly due to the things he could do — and did — on a football field.
Now, more than 17 years after he left a football field for the last time, Taylor finds himself facing real prison time for an alleged crime as to which there are precious few defenses. Every state has selected an age below which no person — male or female — legally may consent to sexual relations with someone over a certain age. If sex happens, even if there is consent or (as in the case of Mary Kay LeTourneau) love or (as in this case) cash payment, a violation of the law has occurred.
And it doesn’t matter if the defendant didn’t know the person’s true age.
Is it fair? Fairness doesn’t matter. If the person looks a lot older than he or she is, the other, older person could soon be in prison.
Considering Taylor’s history, it’s surprising that he hasn’t previously found himself in this situation. He has utilized anecdotes of his escapades with prostitutes to sell his autobiography, including tales of ordering ladies of the evening for an opponent, in the hopes of wearing the guy out the night before a key game — something Taylor learned after an opponent put him in a similar predicament, which Taylor welcomed. He also spoke with bizarre pride regarding the fact that he once showed up for a team meeting wearing handcuffs that had been applied to him by not one but two women who were trying out new gadgets.
Surely, Taylor realizes that the time for laughing and boasting and bragging has ended. He could spend up to four years in prison. And even though his lawyer believes that Taylor will eventually plead guilty to a misdemeanor, the downside to fame and celebrity is that when they screw something up in spectacular fashion, that fame and celebrity often triggers an aggressive prosecution. The ensuing media coverage will send a powerful message to anyone who may be inclined to dial up a prostitute that he (or, technically, she) should worry about the very real possibility that the person who shows up at the door will be too young to lawfully consent.
Thus, Taylor now needs to worry about a prosecutor seeking to throw the book at him, in the same way that another former Giant, Plaxico Burress, ended up going away for two years on a charge that routinely results in probation or, at most, minimal jail time.
In announcing last month that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wouldn’t be charged with rape, prosecutor Fred Bright seemed almost disappointed by the fact that he wouldn’t get a chance to scare straight any man who may be inclined to ply a woman with drinks and then try to take advantage of her. In this case, the prosecutor has been handed a gift-wrapped conviction, an opportunity to deter similar conduct from coast to coast, and a chance to have his or her name uttered by every news outlet in the country on multiple occasions.
There’s also a curious connection between Roethlisberger’s case and the entanglement in which L.T. now finds himself. Many reacted to news of Big Ben’s alleged habit of trolling VIP rooms for sexual partners by wondering why he and other rich and famous types don’t simply use prostitutes instead. As the saying goes, celebrities don’t pay women for sex; they pay them to leave.
Taylor’s case shows that even that approach can lead to prison, too, if unbeknownst to the customer the woman is still a girl. Though some may think the chances of this happening are remote, it happened to Taylor. And it’s just one of the bad things that can happen when someone’s hobbies include patronizing the world’s oldest profession.
Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular contributor to Sporting News. Check out PFT for up-to-the minute NFL news.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
Ken Griffey has struggled mightily at the plate this year.
STRIKE 1: Mariners have been offensive
Milton Bradley needs help to deal with emotional issues. His team needs help, too. And soon.
The Mariners entered the season as a media favorite following a 24-game turnaround in 2009 and after making big move after big move in the offseason. All of those moves were made with a focus on pitching and defense. Now the Mariners find themselves in desperate need of offense. They need a slugger, or their next big turnaround will be one in the wrong direction.
Seattle isn’t interested in dealing prospects, partly because it doesn’t have many. The team’s best chance is to trade for a highly paid thumper from a team going nowhere that is looking to cut its losses.
Paul Konerko would be a great choice, though the White Sox probably think they still can get in the AL Central race. Kansas City’s Jose Guillen is another option, though his ability to maintain his early production is no certainty. Same goes for the Orioles’ Ty Wigginton, whose salary is reasonable enough ($3.5 million) that he might cost too much in terms of prospects. That likely would be the case with the Marlins’ Dan Uggla also.
Obtaining the bat is the first challenge. The next would be even more difficult: What would the Mariners do with Ken Griffey? If MVP awards were given for clubhouse presence, Junior would be a shoo-in. But as a DH, he is hurting his team as much as Bradley.
Griffey is hitting like he is every bit of 40: .212/.268/.242 with no homers. Time soon will be up on the "it’s early" excuse, and the club insists the knee problems that limited Griffey last season aren’t an issue. But he has about as much chance as hitting 19 homers — which he did last season in what was considered a mildly disappointing output — as Cliff Lee.
What can the Mariners do? Cutting the franchise’s all-time great player is out of the question. Releasing fellow clubhouse stalwart Mike Sweeney and moving Griffey into his pinch-hitter role would be difficult. Would the Mariners have the nerve to ask Griffey to step aside? Griffey most likely wouldn’t go for that. You don’t become a sure Hall of Famer without having a lot of pride.
But first things first. And the first thing the Mariners need to do is find a bat.
STRIKE 2: Rays are the new road warriors
Manager Joe Maddon spent spring training stressing the importance of a strong start for his Rays. With a majors-best 20-7 record, it seems the Rays listened to their manager. His words might not have been needed, though.
"We saw what happened last year when we got off to a slow start (9-14 in April) compared to the year before," righthander Jeff Niemann says. "It wasn’t a very good feeling to point back to that slow start in April as the reason. We wanted to come out of the gates good and get those April woes behind us."
In doing so, the Rays have overcome their other Achilles’ heel of a year ago: playing on the road. They won 14 road games after the break last season; they already have 11 road wins this season.
"I’m not sure you can really put your finger on a reason, but the comfort level is different," Niemann says. "A lot of these guys, including myself, have been around the league for a year longer and been to all the stadiums. The second and third time around to a stadium, you get a little more comfortable and that helps a lot."
STRIKE 3: It’s a pitcher’s world so far
Stats to confirm your suspicions that the first four-plus weeks definitely have favored the men on the mound:
• Through May 5, 35 starters had a sub-3.00 ERA this season. Through May 5 last season, only 16 did. In that same span, 19 starters averaged at least a strikeout per inning this season. Last season, only 12 did at this point.
• Through May 5 this season, the majors’ average batting average was .257, down six points from this point last season. On-base percentage, homers and runs also are down.
Don’t blame the weather because this season has seen much warmer temperatures across the land, and that would benefit hitters. It can’t be the ballparks because the only new one is Target Field, where the .270 batting average is higher than the MLB average.
Testing for performance-enhancing drugs must be working then, right? That is what many scouts and executives believe. But how does that take into account the fact that pitchers used performance-enhancers as much as hitters?
My take: Drug testing has improved defenses. The one-dimensional slugger types have been replaced by more athletic baseball players. The better the defense, of course, the better the pitching.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Stan McNeal analyzes three hot topics in Major League Baseball:
Ken Griffey has struggled mightily at the plate this year.
STRIKE 1: Mariners have been offensive
Milton Bradley needs help to deal with emotional issues. His team needs help, too. And soon.
The Mariners entered the season as a media favorite following a 24-game turnaround in 2009 and after making big move after big move in the offseason. All of those moves were made with a focus on pitching and defense. Now the Mariners find themselves in desperate need of offense. They need a slugger, or their next big turnaround will be one in the wrong direction.
Seattle isn’t interested in dealing prospects, partly because it doesn’t have many. The team’s best chance is to trade for a highly paid thumper from a team going nowhere that is looking to cut its losses.
Paul Konerko would be a great choice, though the White Sox probably think they still can get in the AL Central race. Kansas City’s Jose Guillen is another option, though his ability to maintain his early production is no certainty. Same goes for the Orioles’ Ty Wigginton, whose salary is reasonable enough ($3.5 million) that he might cost too much in terms of prospects. That likely would be the case with the Marlins’ Dan Uggla also.
Obtaining the bat is the first challenge. The next would be even more difficult: What would the Mariners do with Ken Griffey? If MVP awards were given for clubhouse presence, Junior would be a shoo-in. But as a DH, he is hurting his team as much as Bradley.
Griffey is hitting like he is every bit of 40: .212/.268/.242 with no homers. Time soon will be up on the "it’s early" excuse, and the club insists the knee problems that limited Griffey last season aren’t an issue. But he has about as much chance as hitting 19 homers — which he did last season in what was considered a mildly disappointing output — as Cliff Lee.
What can the Mariners do? Cutting the franchise’s all-time great player is out of the question. Releasing fellow clubhouse stalwart Mike Sweeney and moving Griffey into his pinch-hitter role would be difficult. Would the Mariners have the nerve to ask Griffey to step aside? Griffey most likely wouldn’t go for that. You don’t become a sure Hall of Famer without having a lot of pride.
But first things first. And the first thing the Mariners need to do is find a bat.
STRIKE 2: Rays are the new road warriors
Manager Joe Maddon spent spring training stressing the importance of a strong start for his Rays. With a majors-best 20-7 record, it seems the Rays listened to their manager. His words might not have been needed, though.
"We saw what happened last year when we got off to a slow start (9-14 in April) compared to the year before," righthander Jeff Niemann says. "It wasn’t a very good feeling to point back to that slow start in April as the reason. We wanted to come out of the gates good and get those April woes behind us."
In doing so, the Rays have overcome their other Achilles’ heel of a year ago: playing on the road. They won 14 road games after the break last season; they already have 11 road wins this season.
"I’m not sure you can really put your finger on a reason, but the comfort level is different," Niemann says. "A lot of these guys, including myself, have been around the league for a year longer and been to all the stadiums. The second and third time around to a stadium, you get a little more comfortable and that helps a lot."
STRIKE 3: It’s a pitcher’s world so far
Stats to confirm your suspicions that the first four-plus weeks definitely have favored the men on the mound:
• Through May 5, 35 starters had a sub-3.00 ERA this season. Through May 5 last season, only 16 did. In that same span, 19 starters averaged at least a strikeout per inning this season. Last season, only 12 did at this point.
• Through May 5 this season, the majors’ average batting average was .257, down six points from this point last season. On-base percentage, homers and runs also are down.
Don’t blame the weather because this season has seen much warmer temperatures across the land, and that would benefit hitters. It can’t be the ballparks because the only new one is Target Field, where the .270 batting average is higher than the MLB average.
Testing for performance-enhancing drugs must be working then, right? That is what many scouts and executives believe. But how does that take into account the fact that pitchers used performance-enhancers as much as hitters?
My take: Drug testing has improved defenses. The one-dimensional slugger types have been replaced by more athletic baseball players. The better the defense, of course, the better the pitching.
Stan McNeal is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at smcneal@sportingnews.com.
Sporting News staff reports
Astros first baseman Lance Berkman told the Houston Chronicle that if he were running the team and it was out of contention by the All-Star break, he would try to trade the veterans, including himself.
"As a player, if they came to me and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a deal to go to a contender,’ I’d take it," Berkman told the newspaper. "Heck, it’s only a three- or four-month deal. It’s not like I’m signing on for 10 years with another team."
Berkman added that he ideally would retire as an Astro but would accept a trade. "I would say yeah," Berkman told the Houston Chronicle. "I think it would benefit the organization, and in the end, it would be a benefit for whoever it is — whether it’s me, or Roy (Oswalt) or Carlos (Lee). I’m not saying we’re at the point where they should start pulling the plug on us, but they need to start thinking forward. If this thing keeps going like this, they’ve gotta do something."
Astros general manager Ed Wade told FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal that Berkman called him afterward to explain what he meant.
"I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it, players have every right to make whatever comments they want to the media. Focus on showing up and winning tomorrow,’" Wade told Rosenthal.
"We need Lance to not be hitting .220 or whatever. The same with (Carlos) Lee and (Hunter) Pence. Take advantage of the pitching we’ve had and get back into this thing.
"His quotes are timely because they just came out, but they aren’t timely as far as I’m concerned. We’re trying to be the best club we can be."
On Thursday, Berkman tried to further clarify his stance.
"I’m not demanding to be traded," he told repoters. "I’m perfectly content to be a Houston Astro. We were just talking hypothetical."
The Astros are an NL-worst 9-18 and in last place in the NL Central. They have endured two eight-game losing streaks already this season.
Berkman, 34, is in the final year of his contract, though the Astros have a $15 million option on him for the 2011 season. He was a first-round draft pick by Houston in 1997 and has spent his entire 12-season major league career with the Astros.
The switch hitter is batting .213 with two homers and seven RBIs in 14 games this season. He didn’t debut until April 20 because he was rehabbing knee surgery.
Sporting News staff reports
Astros first baseman Lance Berkman told the Houston Chronicle that if he were running the team and it was out of contention by the All-Star break, he would try to trade the veterans, including himself.
"As a player, if they came to me and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a deal to go to a contender,’ I’d take it," Berkman told the newspaper. "Heck, it’s only a three- or four-month deal. It’s not like I’m signing on for 10 years with another team."
Berkman added that he ideally would retire as an Astro but would accept a trade. "I would say yeah," Berkman told the Houston Chronicle. "I think it would benefit the organization, and in the end, it would be a benefit for whoever it is — whether it’s me, or Roy (Oswalt) or Carlos (Lee). I’m not saying we’re at the point where they should start pulling the plug on us, but they need to start thinking forward. If this thing keeps going like this, they’ve gotta do something."
Astros general manager Ed Wade told FoxSports.com’s Ken Rosenthal that Berkman called him afterward to explain what he meant.
"I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it, players have every right to make whatever comments they want to the media. Focus on showing up and winning tomorrow,’" Wade told Rosenthal.
"We need Lance to not be hitting .220 or whatever. The same with (Carlos) Lee and (Hunter) Pence. Take advantage of the pitching we’ve had and get back into this thing.
"His quotes are timely because they just came out, but they aren’t timely as far as I’m concerned. We’re trying to be the best club we can be."
On Thursday, Berkman tried to further clarify his stance.
"I’m not demanding to be traded," he told repoters. "I’m perfectly content to be a Houston Astro. We were just talking hypothetical."
The Astros are an NL-worst 9-18 and in last place in the NL Central. They have endured two eight-game losing streaks already this season.
Berkman, 34, is in the final year of his contract, though the Astros have a $15 million option on him for the 2011 season. He was a first-round draft pick by Houston in 1997 and has spent his entire 12-season major league career with the Astros.
The switch hitter is batting .213 with two homers and seven RBIs in 14 games this season. He didn’t debut until April 20 because he was rehabbing knee surgery.
MLB: RIP, Ernie Harwell. Lots of misty-eye-making coverage of the Comerica Park viewing in the Free Press and in the Detroit News.
• More sad baseball news … Phillies HOFer Robin Roberts has died. We’ll have more on the baseball page as we learn more.
Don’t expect to see the latest golf title among these.
CBK: No confirmation yet, but Zach Klein, sports director for the Atlanta ABC TV affiliate, tweets: "Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Hewitt is now an assistant coach!!! assistant for the USA Men’s U18 National team that is."
CFB: Yeah, but can they sing? College football coaches Rich Ellerson (Army), Chip Kelly (Oregon), Tim Murphy (Harvard), Tommy Tuberville (Texas Tech) and Ron Zook (Illinois) are going on an eight-country, nine-day tour of Germany and Southwest Asia with the USO later this month. "This visit to our troops will be very inspiring," Zook said in a statement. "If in some small way our visit can help to motivate them, our time will be very well spent."
Golf: The Joslyn James adult DVD that, er, "portrays" her "relationship" with Tiger Woods is due out May 17. We would link out to a press release from Vivid Entertainment, but there’s an NSFW line that Fly’s uncomfortable crossing. Kinda like, you won’t see "The Eleventh Hole" pop up in your Netflix recommendations just because you like "Caddyshack," "Bagger Vance" and "Tin Cup."
MLB: RIP, Ernie Harwell. Lots of misty-eye-making coverage of the Comerica Park viewing in the Free Press and in the Detroit News.
• More sad baseball news … Phillies HOFer Robin Roberts has died. We’ll have more on the baseball page as we learn more.
Don’t expect to see the latest golf title among these.
CBK: No confirmation yet, but Zach Klein, sports director for the Atlanta ABC TV affiliate, tweets: "Georgia Tech Head Coach Paul Hewitt is now an assistant coach!!! assistant for the USA Men’s U18 National team that is."
CFB: Yeah, but can they sing? College football coaches Rich Ellerson (Army), Chip Kelly (Oregon), Tim Murphy (Harvard), Tommy Tuberville (Texas Tech) and Ron Zook (Illinois) are going on an eight-country, nine-day tour of Germany and Southwest Asia with the USO later this month. "This visit to our troops will be very inspiring," Zook said in a statement. "If in some small way our visit can help to motivate them, our time will be very well spent."
Golf: The Joslyn James adult DVD that, er, "portrays" her "relationship" with Tiger Woods is due out May 17. We would link out to a press release from Vivid Entertainment, but there’s an NSFW line that Fly’s uncomfortable crossing. Kinda like, you won’t see "The Eleventh Hole" pop up in your Netflix recommendations just because you like "Caddyshack," "Bagger Vance" and "Tin Cup."
PHILADELPHIA — Robin Roberts, the tireless Hall of Fame pitcher who led the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1950 National League pennant as part of the famed "Whiz Kids," died Thursday. He was 83.
Roberts died at his Temple Terrace, Fla., home of natural causes, the Phillies said, citing son Jim.
"He was a boyhood hero of mine," team president David Montgomery said. "Then I had a chance to meet him personally. I remember pinching myself knowing I was talking to Robin Roberts. His career and stats speak for themselves. But first and foremost he was a friend and we’ll miss him badly."
Robin Roberts topped the NL in wins from 1952 to 1955.
The right-hander was the most productive pitcher in the National League in the first half of the 1950s, topping the league in wins from 1952 to 1955, innings pitched from ’51 to ’55 and complete games from ’52 to ’56.
He won 286 games and put together six consecutive 20-win seasons. Roberts had 45 career shutouts, 2,357 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 3.41. He pitched 305 complete games, but also holds the distinction of giving up more home runs than any other major league pitcher.
"Workhorse is a weak description," Philadelphia Daily News writer Stan Hochman wrote about Roberts in 2003. "He was a mule, stubborn …. and willing to toil from sunup to sundown."
Long after his career ended, Roberts followed the Phillies closely and was still popular in Philadelphia, drawing boisterous applause from fans each time he came back. A statue of him outside the first-base gate at Citizens Bank Park was adorned with a wreath Thursday, one of several tributes the Phillies planned.
Roberts’ No. 36 jersey, which the team retired in 1962, was hung in the dugout before an afternoon game with St. Louis. It will remain there the rest of the season, at home and on the road. Players will wear No. 36 on their sleeves, starting Friday night.
"He was still really close to the organization and he loved this current team," said Larry Shenk, the vice president of alumni relations. "He was a special human being."
Roberts was the leading pitcher on the 1950 squad that won the franchise’s first pennant in 35 years. Roberts put together a 20-11 season with a 3.02 ERA and five shutouts.
The team, with several 25-and-younger stars such as Roberts, Richie Ashburn and Del Ennis, was dubbed the "Whiz Kids." It marked the end of a three-decade span in which the Phillies were mostly awful.
The Phillies led by 7 1/2 games with 11 to go but struggled to hang on as injuries – especially to the pitching staff – took their toll. On the final day of the season and just after his 24th birthday, Roberts made his third start in five days and pitched the Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers to clinch the pennant.
Roberts started Game 2 of the World Series against the Yankees and held New York to one run on nine hits through nine innings. With the score 1-1 in the top the 10th, Joe DiMaggio led off with a home run, giving New York a 2-1 win. The Yankees would go on to sweep. Roberts, who pitched in relief in Game 4, finished the series with a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings.
Roberts spent 14 of his 19 seasons in Philadelphia and was the stalwart of their rotation from 1948 to 1961. His 234 wins as a Phillie are even more impressive considering the team lost more games than it won in that stretch. His best statistical season came in 1952, when he went 28-7 with a 2.59 ERA.
He signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Orioles and spent 1962-64 there before winding down his career with the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.
Roberts was a control pitcher who relied heavily on his fastball. He threw strikes, sometimes to his detriment. He gave up only 1.3 walks per game over his career, but also gave up at least 40 home runs in three straight seasons.
The Phillies retired Roberts’ No. 36.
"I had a high fastball and I either overpowered them or they overpowered me," he once said.
Roberts started five All-Star games and was placed on the team seven times. His best years came before the Cy Young Award, but Roberts twice was chosen pitcher of the year by The Sporting News. He also was the publication’s player of the year in 1952.
Roberts was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. He remains the franchise’s career leader in games pitched, complete games and innings pitched. He was the leader in wins and strikeouts until Steve Carlton eclipsed those marks.
Robin Evan Roberts was born Sept. 30, 1926, in Springfield, Ill. His parents, Tom and Sarah, had moved to central Illinois from Wales in 1921. His father was a coal miner and Roberts grew up listening to the Chicago Cubs games on the radio.
Roberts played baseball, basketball and football at Lanphier High School in Springfield before going to Michigan State, where he starred in basketball and baseball.
During the summers of 1946 and 1947, Roberts pitched in the semiprofessional Northern League for Montpelier, Vt. He signed with the Phillies for $25,000 following his college graduation in 1947. He spent little time in the Phillies’ farm system before being called up.
After retiring from baseball, Roberts was a stockbroker and worked as baseball coach at the University of South Florida.
Best-selling author James Michener, who lived outside Philadelphia, once summed up Roberts’ career in The New York Times.
"For two generations of fans, he symbolized the best in athletic competition," Michener wrote. "Day after day he went out there and threw that high, hard one down the middle, a marvelously coordinated man doing his job. If he had pitched for the Yankees he might have won 350 games."
Roberts is survived by four sons, one brother, seven grandchildren and one great-grandson, the Phillies said. His wife, Mary, died five years ago.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
PHILADELPHIA — Robin Roberts, the tireless Hall of Fame pitcher who led the Philadelphia Phillies to the 1950 National League pennant as part of the famed "Whiz Kids," died Thursday. He was 83.
Roberts died at his Temple Terrace, Fla., home of natural causes, the Phillies said, citing son Jim.
"He was a boyhood hero of mine," team president David Montgomery said. "Then I had a chance to meet him personally. I remember pinching myself knowing I was talking to Robin Roberts. His career and stats speak for themselves. But first and foremost he was a friend and we’ll miss him badly."
Robin Roberts topped the NL in wins from 1952 to 1955.
The right-hander was the most productive pitcher in the National League in the first half of the 1950s, topping the league in wins from 1952 to 1955, innings pitched from ’51 to ’55 and complete games from ’52 to ’56.
He won 286 games and put together six consecutive 20-win seasons. Roberts had 45 career shutouts, 2,357 strikeouts and a lifetime ERA of 3.41. He pitched 305 complete games, but also holds the distinction of giving up more home runs than any other major league pitcher.
"Workhorse is a weak description," Philadelphia Daily News writer Stan Hochman wrote about Roberts in 2003. "He was a mule, stubborn …. and willing to toil from sunup to sundown."
Long after his career ended, Roberts followed the Phillies closely and was still popular in Philadelphia, drawing boisterous applause from fans each time he came back. A statue of him outside the first-base gate at Citizens Bank Park was adorned with a wreath Thursday, one of several tributes the Phillies planned.
Roberts’ No. 36 jersey, which the team retired in 1962, was hung in the dugout before an afternoon game with St. Louis. It will remain there the rest of the season, at home and on the road. Players will wear No. 36 on their sleeves, starting Friday night.
"He was still really close to the organization and he loved this current team," said Larry Shenk, the vice president of alumni relations. "He was a special human being."
Roberts was the leading pitcher on the 1950 squad that won the franchise’s first pennant in 35 years. Roberts put together a 20-11 season with a 3.02 ERA and five shutouts.
The team, with several 25-and-younger stars such as Roberts, Richie Ashburn and Del Ennis, was dubbed the "Whiz Kids." It marked the end of a three-decade span in which the Phillies were mostly awful.
The Phillies led by 7 1/2 games with 11 to go but struggled to hang on as injuries – especially to the pitching staff – took their toll. On the final day of the season and just after his 24th birthday, Roberts made his third start in five days and pitched the Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers to clinch the pennant.
Roberts started Game 2 of the World Series against the Yankees and held New York to one run on nine hits through nine innings. With the score 1-1 in the top the 10th, Joe DiMaggio led off with a home run, giving New York a 2-1 win. The Yankees would go on to sweep. Roberts, who pitched in relief in Game 4, finished the series with a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings.
Roberts spent 14 of his 19 seasons in Philadelphia and was the stalwart of their rotation from 1948 to 1961. His 234 wins as a Phillie are even more impressive considering the team lost more games than it won in that stretch. His best statistical season came in 1952, when he went 28-7 with a 2.59 ERA.
He signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Orioles and spent 1962-64 there before winding down his career with the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.
Roberts was a control pitcher who relied heavily on his fastball. He threw strikes, sometimes to his detriment. He gave up only 1.3 walks per game over his career, but also gave up at least 40 home runs in three straight seasons.
The Phillies retired Roberts’ No. 36.
"I had a high fastball and I either overpowered them or they overpowered me," he once said.
Roberts started five All-Star games and was placed on the team seven times. His best years came before the Cy Young Award, but Roberts twice was chosen pitcher of the year by The Sporting News. He also was the publication’s player of the year in 1952.
Roberts was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976. He remains the franchise’s career leader in games pitched, complete games and innings pitched. He was the leader in wins and strikeouts until Steve Carlton eclipsed those marks.
Robin Evan Roberts was born Sept. 30, 1926, in Springfield, Ill. His parents, Tom and Sarah, had moved to central Illinois from Wales in 1921. His father was a coal miner and Roberts grew up listening to the Chicago Cubs games on the radio.
Roberts played baseball, basketball and football at Lanphier High School in Springfield before going to Michigan State, where he starred in basketball and baseball.
During the summers of 1946 and 1947, Roberts pitched in the semiprofessional Northern League for Montpelier, Vt. He signed with the Phillies for $25,000 following his college graduation in 1947. He spent little time in the Phillies’ farm system before being called up.
After retiring from baseball, Roberts was a stockbroker and worked as baseball coach at the University of South Florida.
Best-selling author James Michener, who lived outside Philadelphia, once summed up Roberts’ career in The New York Times.
"For two generations of fans, he symbolized the best in athletic competition," Michener wrote. "Day after day he went out there and threw that high, hard one down the middle, a marvelously coordinated man doing his job. If he had pitched for the Yankees he might have won 350 games."
Roberts is survived by four sons, one brother, seven grandchildren and one great-grandson, the Phillies said. His wife, Mary, died five years ago.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
SUFFERN, N.Y. — Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was charged Thursday with raping a 16-year-old runaway who police said was forced into prostitution by a man who had beaten her up.
Taylor, a 51-year-old former New York Giants star who has faced drug and tax evasion charges in the past, paid the girl $300 for sex in a Holiday Inn, where he was arrested early Thursday, said Christopher St. Lawrence, supervisor of the town of Ramapo.
Lawrence Taylor listens to the proceedings during his court appearance Thursday.
The man who’d beaten the girl drove her to Taylor’s suburban hotel room while she texted her uncle for help, police said.
Ramapo Chief of Police Peter Brower said Taylor was cooperative when police woke him up around 4 a.m. Taylor was arraigned Thursday on charges of third-degree rape and patronizing a prostitute.
"I’m not that important," Taylor told a scrum of media after being released on $75,000 bail.
His attorney, Arthur Aidala, said Taylor is a "loving family man" who did not have sex with the teenager.
"My client did not have sex with anybody," Aidala said. "Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody."
Brower would not comment on whether Taylor knew the girl’s age; third-degree rape is a charge levied when the victim is under the age of consent, which is 17 in New York.
"Ignorance is not an excuse to an individual’s age," Brower said.
Police said the girl was reported missing by her family in March and had been staying with a 36-year-old parolee, Rasheed Davis, in the Bronx. The two met a few weeks ago at a Bronx bus stop, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said.
"He chats her up. She explains she doesn’t have a place to stay. He provides one," Browne said.
Davis then forced her to perform sexual favors for others, authorities said.
Early Thursday morning, Davis punched and kicked her, drove her to the hotel against her will and told her she had to have sex with Taylor, police said. When she refused, Davis handed her over to Taylor, who sexually assaulted her, they said. Taylor paid her $300, which she gave to Davis, police said.
Taylor used a middle man to arrange the liaison with the girl, Browne said.
On the way to Suffern, the girl sent text messages to her uncle spelling out what was happening, Browne said. The uncle then went to the NYPD, he said.
Davis was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sentenced in April 1994 to eight to 25 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter. He was paroled in March 2008.
There was no phone number listed at the address provided by police for Davis, and it wasn’t clear if he had an attorney. His relationship with the girl was unclear.
The Bronx district attorney’s office refused to comment.
Taylor was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 and competed in ABC’s "Dancing With the Stars" last year. He had a highly publicized struggle with drug addiction and has had multiple legal run-ins since retiring from football.
At the Metamorphecise Spa in Pembroke Pines, Fla., where Taylor works out and did some of his training for his stint on the dance competition show, much of the talk Thursday was about the charges and how most people simply couldn’t believe the local resident was guilty.
"He’s a regular guy, a good guy who just goes about his business," said Steffen Grover, who said he’d spoken to Taylor once or twice. "I think he just wants to be like everyone else."
Police said no drugs were found in Taylor’s hotel room on Thursday but a bottle of alcohol was.
A quick, fierce and athletic linebacker who redefined his position, Taylor anchored the Giants’ defense and led them to Super Bowls titles in 1987 and 1991. He was selected to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.
A 10-time Pro Bowler, he was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. He recorded 132 1/2 sacks, which doesn’t included his 9 sacks in 1981 when the statistic wasn’t official.
In 2001, Taylor was convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia in New Jersey. The conviction stemmed from the September 1998 discovery in a hotel room of a butane torch and other materials commonly used to smoke crack.
In 1996 and 1997, he was arrested in South Carolina and Florida on drug charges. In those cases, he either admitted his guilt or agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program.
In 2000, he drew five years of federal probation for filing false tax returns and for tax evasion.
Taylor is due in court again on the latest charges on June 10.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
SUFFERN, N.Y. — Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor was charged Thursday with raping a 16-year-old runaway who police said was forced into prostitution by a man who had beaten her up.
Taylor, a 51-year-old former New York Giants star who has faced drug and tax evasion charges in the past, paid the girl $300 for sex in a Holiday Inn, where he was arrested early Thursday, said Christopher St. Lawrence, supervisor of the town of Ramapo.
Lawrence Taylor listens to the proceedings during his court appearance Thursday.
The man who’d beaten the girl drove her to Taylor’s suburban hotel room while she texted her uncle for help, police said.
Ramapo Chief of Police Peter Brower said Taylor was cooperative when police woke him up around 4 a.m. Taylor was arraigned Thursday on charges of third-degree rape and patronizing a prostitute.
"I’m not that important," Taylor told a scrum of media after being released on $75,000 bail.
His attorney, Arthur Aidala, said Taylor is a "loving family man" who did not have sex with the teenager.
"My client did not have sex with anybody," Aidala said. "Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody."
Brower would not comment on whether Taylor knew the girl’s age; third-degree rape is a charge levied when the victim is under the age of consent, which is 17 in New York.
"Ignorance is not an excuse to an individual’s age," Brower said.
Police said the girl was reported missing by her family in March and had been staying with a 36-year-old parolee, Rasheed Davis, in the Bronx. The two met a few weeks ago at a Bronx bus stop, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said.
"He chats her up. She explains she doesn’t have a place to stay. He provides one," Browne said.
Davis then forced her to perform sexual favors for others, authorities said.
Early Thursday morning, Davis punched and kicked her, drove her to the hotel against her will and told her she had to have sex with Taylor, police said. When she refused, Davis handed her over to Taylor, who sexually assaulted her, they said. Taylor paid her $300, which she gave to Davis, police said.
Taylor used a middle man to arrange the liaison with the girl, Browne said.
On the way to Suffern, the girl sent text messages to her uncle spelling out what was happening, Browne said. The uncle then went to the NYPD, he said.
Davis was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sentenced in April 1994 to eight to 25 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter. He was paroled in March 2008.
There was no phone number listed at the address provided by police for Davis, and it wasn’t clear if he had an attorney. His relationship with the girl was unclear.
The Bronx district attorney’s office refused to comment.
Taylor was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999 and competed in ABC’s "Dancing With the Stars" last year. He had a highly publicized struggle with drug addiction and has had multiple legal run-ins since retiring from football.
At the Metamorphecise Spa in Pembroke Pines, Fla., where Taylor works out and did some of his training for his stint on the dance competition show, much of the talk Thursday was about the charges and how most people simply couldn’t believe the local resident was guilty.
"He’s a regular guy, a good guy who just goes about his business," said Steffen Grover, who said he’d spoken to Taylor once or twice. "I think he just wants to be like everyone else."
Police said no drugs were found in Taylor’s hotel room on Thursday but a bottle of alcohol was.
A quick, fierce and athletic linebacker who redefined his position, Taylor anchored the Giants’ defense and led them to Super Bowls titles in 1987 and 1991. He was selected to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.
A 10-time Pro Bowler, he was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. He recorded 132 1/2 sacks, which doesn’t included his 9 sacks in 1981 when the statistic wasn’t official.
In 2001, Taylor was convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia in New Jersey. The conviction stemmed from the September 1998 discovery in a hotel room of a butane torch and other materials commonly used to smoke crack.
In 1996 and 1997, he was arrested in South Carolina and Florida on drug charges. In those cases, he either admitted his guilt or agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program.
In 2000, he drew five years of federal probation for filing false tax returns and for tax evasion.
Taylor is due in court again on the latest charges on June 10.
Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
In two separate incidents the past few days, fans went on the field at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. The first incident led to a 17-year-old boy being subdued by Taser, while the second fan was detained without use of weapons.
The events in Philadelphia have led to a new round of questions about how to ensure the safety of fans, players, umpires, and coaches. One man intimately aware of the need to keep fans in the stands and off the field is Tom Gamboa, best known as the Kansas City Royals first base coach who was attacked by two fans during a game in Chicago in 2002. Gamboa joined Into the Night with Tony Bruno to talk about the issue. To listen to the interview, go to Sports Radio Interviews.
A 17-year-old boy was subdued by Taser at a Philadelphia Phillies game on May 3, 2010.
What does Gamboa think about the fans running on the field in Philadelphia?
Gamboa: I’m on a golf vacation and didn’t know anything about this. I hadn’t seen TV or heard radio until at the golf course today, a sports radio guy came up and he filled me in on what happened. And then only just prior to your show did your producer tell me what happened tonight, and I just cringed when I heard that because that is so reminiscent of my situation, when I was in Chicago in ’02.
The next time we went to Chicago in April of ’03, there were tons of security people, and I said to the security director, "What is all this for?" And they said, "Well, because your team is back in town, and the last time you were here, the incident occurred." And I laughed and said, "Gee, did they really think lightning was going to strike twice?"
And there were actually three incidents in one game of people copycatting, and the third one was where the guy tried to tackle the first base umpire. So it’s a shame, I just wish the fans would understand their only place is in the stands, and never any reason on the field of play to take away from the enjoyment of what everyone is there for, which is the competition on the field. But it just seems like we’re in a society where people are looking for any kind of what they think is fame or infamy at any cost. And once somebody does it, then you got people jumping on the bandwagon trying to be copycats. It’s really a shame.
What is Gamboa’s opinion on harsher penalties for fans going on the field?
Gamboa: Certainly, after my attack, Major League Baseball did a great job of really coming up. You look at every stadium now, they’ve got guys sitting back to back near the dugout, and down both lines, and the ushers between innings will come down right near the rail to act as a detriment for people to do this.
But you’re right, if there’s 40 or 50,000 fans, they’re always going to outnumber the ushers and the security people. So it’s virtually impossible to keep ’em, and I wish I had an answer for it. But I agree with you wholeheartedly, the penalties are not stringent enough.
My God, in my case the guy was given probation, and after violating it on four more occasions, the judge continued to give him probation because he said we had to understand this guy had an alcohol and a drug problem. I mean, it just seems to me like society makes excuses for people’s behavior rather than the more stringent thing of holding people accountable for their actions. And maybe a stiffer first offense, some mandatory time – whether it’s a week or 30 days, I don’t have the answer – but some time incarcerated to deter other people from following suit.
What did Gamboa take away from the 2002 incident, when he was attacked by a father and son on the field?
Gamboa: My only question in court was, "Why me?" The thing that I got was, "We were on drugs when we got to the park, then we drank beer throughout the game, and then we made a decision to get attention so when we got on the field, you were the closest one to us and your back was turned, so you were an easy target."
So, basically I was just at the right place doing my job at the wrong time with these two wackos. But having to coach third base with the Cubs prior to my tenure with the Royals, I can tell you, I loved going into Philadelphia. Like Chicago, they are die hard fans that support their team, and there’s an electricity in the ballpark there. I would hate to see, like I said about Chicago, I would hate to see Philly get a bad rap because of a couple of stupid people doing a bad act, because it doesn’t reflect to me, the city or the sports fans that they have. And I hope that gets across as this story goes around.
More from SRI
Manny Pacquiao’s trainer talks about a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather fight
LenDale White discusses being traded to the Seattle Seahawks
In two separate incidents the past few days, fans went on the field at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia. The first incident led to a 17-year-old boy being subdued by Taser, while the second fan was detained without use of weapons.
The events in Philadelphia have led to a new round of questions about how to ensure the safety of fans, players, umpires, and coaches. One man intimately aware of the need to keep fans in the stands and off the field is Tom Gamboa, best known as the Kansas City Royals first base coach who was attacked by two fans during a game in Chicago in 2002. Gamboa joined Into the Night with Tony Bruno to talk about the issue. To listen to the interview, go to Sports Radio Interviews.
A 17-year-old boy was subdued by Taser at a Philadelphia Phillies game on May 3, 2010.
What does Gamboa think about the fans running on the field in Philadelphia?
Gamboa: I’m on a golf vacation and didn’t know anything about this. I hadn’t seen TV or heard radio until at the golf course today, a sports radio guy came up and he filled me in on what happened. And then only just prior to your show did your producer tell me what happened tonight, and I just cringed when I heard that because that is so reminiscent of my situation, when I was in Chicago in ’02.
The next time we went to Chicago in April of ’03, there were tons of security people, and I said to the security director, "What is all this for?" And they said, "Well, because your team is back in town, and the last time you were here, the incident occurred." And I laughed and said, "Gee, did they really think lightning was going to strike twice?"
And there were actually three incidents in one game of people copycatting, and the third one was where the guy tried to tackle the first base umpire. So it’s a shame, I just wish the fans would understand their only place is in the stands, and never any reason on the field of play to take away from the enjoyment of what everyone is there for, which is the competition on the field. But it just seems like we’re in a society where people are looking for any kind of what they think is fame or infamy at any cost. And once somebody does it, then you got people jumping on the bandwagon trying to be copycats. It’s really a shame.
What is Gamboa’s opinion on harsher penalties for fans going on the field?
Gamboa: Certainly, after my attack, Major League Baseball did a great job of really coming up. You look at every stadium now, they’ve got guys sitting back to back near the dugout, and down both lines, and the ushers between innings will come down right near the rail to act as a detriment for people to do this.
But you’re right, if there’s 40 or 50,000 fans, they’re always going to outnumber the ushers and the security people. So it’s virtually impossible to keep ’em, and I wish I had an answer for it. But I agree with you wholeheartedly, the penalties are not stringent enough.
My God, in my case the guy was given probation, and after violating it on four more occasions, the judge continued to give him probation because he said we had to understand this guy had an alcohol and a drug problem. I mean, it just seems to me like society makes excuses for people’s behavior rather than the more stringent thing of holding people accountable for their actions. And maybe a stiffer first offense, some mandatory time – whether it’s a week or 30 days, I don’t have the answer – but some time incarcerated to deter other people from following suit.
What did Gamboa take away from the 2002 incident, when he was attacked by a father and son on the field?
Gamboa: My only question in court was, "Why me?" The thing that I got was, "We were on drugs when we got to the park, then we drank beer throughout the game, and then we made a decision to get attention so when we got on the field, you were the closest one to us and your back was turned, so you were an easy target."
So, basically I was just at the right place doing my job at the wrong time with these two wackos. But having to coach third base with the Cubs prior to my tenure with the Royals, I can tell you, I loved going into Philadelphia. Like Chicago, they are die hard fans that support their team, and there’s an electricity in the ballpark there. I would hate to see, like I said about Chicago, I would hate to see Philly get a bad rap because of a couple of stupid people doing a bad act, because it doesn’t reflect to me, the city or the sports fans that they have. And I hope that gets across as this story goes around.
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Sporting News staff reports
Mariners right fielder Milton Bradley packed up his bags and left the stadium after being benched during Tuesday’s game, according to The Seattle Times.
After striking out in the sixth inning, Bradley reportedly returned to the bench and told manager Don Wakamatsu something similar to this: "I’m done. I’m not helping the team."
According to The Seattle Times, Wakamatsu followed Bradley into the tunnel between the dugout and clubhouse to talk to him, and he eventually convinced Bradley to return to the dugout. However, Bradley soon left again — while the game was in progress — when he saw that Ryan Langerhans had replaced him in the outfield.
General manager Jack Zduriencik wouldn’t comment on the report, other than to tell The Seattle Times, "If there is an issue, it will be dealt with internally."
According to the newspaper, Bradley has been frustrated by his poor play (.214 batting average, .313 on-base percentage) and is believed to be putting a large amount of pressure on himself to produce and fit in with his teammates.
The Mariners acquired Bradley this past offseason from the Cubs, who suspended the outfielder late last season for conduct problems.
Sporting News staff reports
Mariners right fielder Milton Bradley packed up his bags and left the stadium after being benched during Tuesday’s game, according to The Seattle Times.
After striking out in the sixth inning, Bradley reportedly returned to the bench and told manager Don Wakamatsu something similar to this: "I’m done. I’m not helping the team."
According to The Seattle Times, Wakamatsu followed Bradley into the tunnel between the dugout and clubhouse to talk to him, and he eventually convinced Bradley to return to the dugout. However, Bradley soon left again — while the game was in progress — when he saw that Ryan Langerhans had replaced him in the outfield.
General manager Jack Zduriencik wouldn’t comment on the report, other than to tell The Seattle Times, "If there is an issue, it will be dealt with internally."
According to the newspaper, Bradley has been frustrated by his poor play (.214 batting average, .313 on-base percentage) and is believed to be putting a large amount of pressure on himself to produce and fit in with his teammates.
The Mariners acquired Bradley this past offseason from the Cubs, who suspended the outfielder late last season for conduct problems.
