Results tagged ‘ controversy ’
Maybe, They Were Tired…
Before I go on, here’s a few words from the President of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Frank Coonelly, in a statement presented to the Commissioner’s Office today:
“The Pittsburgh Pirates organization is extremely disappointed by the way its 19-inning game against the Atlanta Braves ended earlier this morning. The game of baseball and this game in particular, filled with superlative performances by players on both clubs, deserved much better. We have filed a formal complaint with the Commissioner.
“While we cannot begin to understand how umpire Jerry Meals did not see the tag made by Michael McKenry three feet in front of home plate, we do not question the integrity of Mr. Meals. Instead, we know that Mr. Meals’ intention was to get the call right. Jerry Meals has been umpiring Major League games for 14 years and has always done so with integrity and professionalism. He got this one wrong.
“For Pirates fans, we may have lost a game in the standings as a result of a missed call but this game, and the gutsy performances by so many of our players, will make us stronger, more unified and more determined as we continue the battle for the National League Central Division.”
What happened? It was the bottom of the 19th inning at Turner Field last night with one out on the board. Scott Proctor of the Atlanta Braves hit off Daniel McCutchen of the Bucs, then slipped on the grass en route to first. Meanwhile, the Braves’ Julio Lugo was charging in from third towards home. The Bucs’ Pedro Alvarez threw to catcher McHenry just short of home plate, who swiped a tag on Lugo.
Meals called Lugo safe.
I can imagine the many post-game arguments that went on in light of this play – a mere six hours and 39 minutes after the first pitch. I know Clint Hurdle was beyond upset. I know the pundits have been chomping at a chance to pontificate on changes in instant replay or making excuses for either team. I can go on playing conspiracy theorist – but, why?
Though there is nothing Commissioner Selig or Joe Torre can do about the situation, Coonelly simply filed a complaint to the Commissioner’s Office on behalf of the Pirates.
Meals had his hands full already that evening tossing out the Braves’ Nate McLouth and Fredi Gonzalez.
No excuses, perhaps? None whatsoever. The game went too long and something had to give.
On a quick note, Ervin Santana of the Los Angeles Angels thew a quick and early no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field this afternoon. Too bad those who attended had to go back to work in downtown Cleveland…
Photo of Jerry Meals (above) courtesy of Major League Baseball.
Plunkapalooza
Has this weekend’s series in The Bronx between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Indians become a HBP contest?
It began on Friday night after the Yanks’ Curtis Granderson went deep on the Tribe’s Fausto Carmona. The next batter was Mark Teixeira. Carmona pitched a high fastball to Tex, who turned his back to protect his head. The pitch landed on the back of Tex’s shoulder bounding up to his helmet. Of course, Tex was hot. Carmona reacted by gesturing to Tex for what could be some pugilism. Next thing you know it, all the benches and bullpens cleared.
Tribe manager Manny Acta didn’t help things at all that night. He was arguing with the umpiring crew and somehow engaged Yanks’ skipper Joe Girardi into the conversation. The camera showed both Acta and Girardi jawing at each other to the edge of another potential round of fight club fisticuffs. Girardi was throw out of the way by one of his coaches – a smart move because this game would’ve gotten worse if anyone had a punch of several land on them.
The umpires gave both teams a warning of ejections of another plunking occurs in the game – retaliation or not.
That warning was in effect into Saturday’s game. Mitch Talbot was on the mound when Alex Rodriguez tapped him for a homer in the fourth inning. In the sixth, A-Rod was up again when Talbot threw a fastball inside on the batter. That pitch landed on A-Rod’s left thigh. With A-Rod in pain, Talbot was tossed from the game.
So, were the pitches intentionally thrown? Carmona denied he threw his pitch as retaliation on the Granderson home run. In fact, Carmona blames Tex for the way the batter used his body against a high-and-inside pitch. Talbot also denied that his pitch was intentional as well. But, in the court of public opinion would argue about coincidence, circumstance and timing.
What should not have happened was Carmona’s counter-reaction to Teixeira’s words to the Tribe pitcher. A pitcher should never throw more fuel on the fire when things are already hot, regardless who instigated the situation. Then again, how many times we’ve seen this scenario? How many times has the conflict become actual fisticuffs?
Perhaps we should be lucky that these both incidents did not get any uglier than they were this weekend. There is another game today in The Bronx – let’s hope some peace will prevail.
All images above courtesy of Major League Baseball
A Pre-Memorial Day Rundown of What I Missed While Watching the St. Paul Saints Practice
Photo by Randy Stern
Our kick-off for summer – one could argue the unofficial first day of that season – is here. We not only take this opportunity to get out of town and go crazy somewhere (especially in Chicago and Las Vegas…and not for any baseball related reason whatsoever), we also take a moment to remember those who fought for our country and lost their lives doing so.
Yet, there are some pressing issues to tackle as I was concentrating on the last two pieces involving the St. Paul Saints. At least it should put me back in the good graces with Mark and Major League Baseball…
PROTECTING THE CATCHER? The absence of Buster Posey will be a huge hole for the San Francisco Giants. He took a collision at the plate and came out of it in bad shape. While Giants fans sort out their 2011 season, the pundits were sorting out plate defense by catchers.
Let me chime in on this one. In 1970, Pete Rose knocked down Ray Fosse at the All-Star Game. Fosse was fine. In the late 1970s, there was a famous clip that showed Dave Parker slamming into Steve Yeager. Yeager was fine.
How many times have we seen plate collisions between a runner who’s brakes were gone and a catcher concentrating on getting the ball quick enough to do the tag? Yes, the impact on Posey was bad. But, it is not enough to argue about instituting new rules of protecting catchers in defending the plate? The MLB is not the NFL where all the things a defensive player got away with in the 1970s are now considered illegal.
BLAME MADOFF…NOT REYES! Another magazine runs quotes of a MLB figure that were borderline libelous. This time, it is Fred Wllpon’s mouth that made the print (or iPad…or web browser) burn.
The New York Mets owner was interviewed by New Yorker magazine over his investments through Bernard Madoff, which affected the bottom line of the ballclub. How? That was someone else’s money, or supposed to be. If the article simply focused on the Wilpon-Madoff financial relationship, they should have stopped there. No. Wilpon went on to criticize his players – his employees – on performance and contract issues. Namely, David Wright, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes.
Sometimes, you can brush a controversy by making amends. For the Mets, that meant bringing in a new investor, David Einhorn, for a chunk of the team worth $200 million. Everyone’s happy in Flushing. Sandy Alderson and his staff are happy – despite announcing they’ll have to trim the payroll for 2012. That is perhaps the only way this saga could come to a conclusion. Maybe.
GODSPEED, HARMON: I missed out on the memorial for Harmon Killebrew last night at Target Field. Bad me, I know. He was from my era, though I had only a slight inkling about the Minnesota Twins at that stage. I was just one year old when they played the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. But, I knew who Killebrew was when I was cognizant of the game – though it was mostly Rod Carew’s team at that time.
Still, ol’ Number Three for the Twins is a hero. As Kent Hrbek said, he was our Paul Bunyan. An Idaho-born mountain main capable of take a ball over a fence on to somewhere in the stratosphere.
Killer will continue to grace us from above. Perhaps it is an incentive for a team infirmed and in need of direction now.
The Ambulance Chaser and The Inappropriate Bat
You know, I saw it coming a mile away…
As reported in Outsports.com, two of my least favorite people have made the news together. Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred filed a suit against Atlanta Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell on behalf of a fan from Fresno, California – Justin Quinn.
From what I gather from a couple of sources, McDowell was being heckled by fans at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, the final game of the Braves-Giants series there. In response, McDowell allegedly threatened fans with a bat and made some homophobic epithets towards the section he threatened the bat to. I will get into specifics into what McDowell said or a subsequent act he used the bat for, but only to say that whether it is true – it’s unbelievable.
Yet, there appears to be two stories: That one and one where no homophobic remarks were made, but an actual threat of harm by McDowell. The former was corroborated in the San Francisco Chronicle while the latter by TMZ.
Now, do you believe anything TMZ broadcasts anymore?
Back to my first statement: Allred is an ambulance chasing, media hocking lawyer who gets on my last gay baseball nerve. I think after her first case back in the 1980s was fine. But after that, she’s just tired. Does she really mean anything by jumping on this case? It’s all about the money and the bandwidth she can get for this incident – alleged or not.
I’m not a fan of McDowell. Never was. I could say a few things, but it is my personal editorial policy to never call out anyone any name in the game of baseball unless they absolutely deserve it. I still call Ozzie Guillen “Mr. Inappropriate” for both his history of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time – and for being crazy. He’s one of the few exceptions. However, in all due respect to McDowell, he has apologized for his actions. But, honestly, McDowell has never shown any respect for a lot of different people in the past – and remains so.
As for Quinn’s story, was it true or not? Or, did he try to edge into EPSN’s Twitter by self-promotion via his own Tweets? Outsports did question did – and I corroborate this questioning.
My reasoning is simple: Did anyone from that section of AT&T Park corroborate Quinn’s story? Have these people gone to Allred or to the media with corroboration? No clue, either.
Frankly, I was hoping to laud Chipper Jones’ mark tying Mickey Mantle for an obscure record of the second place for most RBIs by a switch-hitter or Andre Ethier’s month-of-April longest hit streak. Or, get into Ozzie’s post ejection Tweet (gotta love him!). Then again, I did shelve my barbequing of Frank McCourt for his “cry” wanting his team back (similar to Dave Chappelle’s wanting his show back in the last episode of Season 2…). But, no. Facebook decided to interrupt my yearly photography gig chronicling the local Dining Out for Life efforts by Minneapolis’ Aliveness Project with, first a teaser, then the naming of the parties involved in this incident.
If you excuse me, I need to purge this out of my system – then get back to my duties as volunteer lensman.
Keanu Reeves Said it Best
It’s been taking a bit to come down off of Capstone. I’m aware of what’s up with baseball. After all, I had the XM tuned to channels 175 through to 189 for my fill of the game as I have been doing my other writing gig – the newly re-branded Victory & Reseda automotive blog.
I’ve been paying attention, of course, to some of the fallout from Kobe’s mouth. What I did not know was that GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Deformation) worked with the New York Yankees in the aftermath of Game 3 of the ALCS last year and their bleacher fans remake of the Village People classic “YMCA.” This is perhaps the first real interaction with the activist organization with one of Major League baseball’s entities – outside of the oft Gay Day at the ballpark.
Ah, but this is even more insane: It appears that the Commissioner’s Office will take over financial responsibility of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Whoa.
Did it really get that bad? Consider the divorce case between the McCourts as a source of this craziness. Also, consider that Frank requested a personal loan from Fox (Fox who or what?) to meet the latest payroll.
Whoa.
Before the question is asked on whether the Commissioner’s Office can do this – the answer is “yes.” We often forget the troubles the Montreal Expos had before they were eventually sent down to Washington, DC and how this Commissioner help facilitate that situation. While this is indeed a move that was begging for intervention from the Commissioner’s Office, this is not just a mere rescue operation. McCourt will be investigated by Selig’s office regarding the (mis)management of the finances of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Whoa.
Without sounding like Keanu Reeves on a loop track from The Matrix (or, was it Point Break?), I’m astounded by this revelation that McCourt was truly screwing the good fans of Los Angeles over by making a mockery of the Dodgers. I agree with the initial reaction of this move that this would lead to even bigger changes at Chavez Ravine – including improvements on the field.
I know some Jints fans are cackling over at Lefty O’Doul’s or the Lone Star Saloon over the news that their biggest rivals are on the verge of a neo-Roman Fall similar to L’Expos. I doubt that will happen. There’s too much invested in Chavez Ravine to let this team sink into the San Andreas Fault. The Commissioner knows this very well.
As I hope that this intervention and investigation will do the fans of Los Angeles some good, maybe this is the final act of Frank McCourt and his misguided leadership at Dodger Stadium.
Now That’s All Done…
Photo by Randy Stern
M’kay…grad school was completed on Saturday. It went better than I thought. The feedback was good. Now, I wait until I get notification from the Dean of my conferral of my Master’s degree.
Wow…look at all the free time ahead of me!
What to do next…other than look for a job, ramp up my business venture and keep writing? Get in a game? Um, sure, I’d love to – but gotta get paid, you know. In fact, the Twins-Dodgers series in June is sold out. There’s always the St. Paul Saints – starting in May. Northwoods League play starts in June and I have both Mankato and Rochester on my radar.
There’s always my MLB atBat ’11 app. It’s a handy thing when I need scores or that oft want to listen into a game. There’s nothing like the voice of Vin Scully to warm up the ears when Minnesota refuses to transition into spring.
One of my fellow Capstone travelers reminded me of this blog. She asked if I have been following the game. Well…of course! You’re my witnesses, right?
So, what’s happening? Lenny Dykstra’s being shady, I see. Bankruptcy embezzlement? Really?!? Wow. I guess retirement’s hard sometimes…
It’s probably best I stop there…the rest I will need after Saturday’s big finale will be huge! Maybe there will be tickets waiting…wishful thinking, of course!
A Rivalry Gone Wrong (Part 2)
I don’t know who Bryan Stow is. Yet, anyone in baseball might know of him – or someone like him. He is a true baseball fan – one who takes the road to support the team he loves.
He came down to Los Angeles with a couple of his friends to enjoy his beloved World Series champions as they begin their defense in enemy territory: Dodger Stadium.
He knew the risks of going to Chavez Ravine on Opening Day. It certainly has changed since I was a kid – people getting there early, grilling in Elysian Park prior to the game. It’s different now.
What hasn’t changed is the disrespect towards the enemy. That manifested in what I described in my last post. Stow is still in critical condition and in a coma as we speak.
Both Dodgers and Giants fans are trying to find ways to both help out Stow and his family to get through this ordeal. The Giants already contributed $10,000 towards the fund set up for Stow and have dedicated their home opener to him. His employers in San Jose will collect additional monies at the gate of AT&T Park prior to the Giants home opener.
Why am I still on this topic? Because I am asking one thing from 30 MLB ball clubs, and every Minor and Independent league team in North America one thing: Check your stadium and perimeter security plans very carefully. As pointed out by some Dodger fans, pre-game security is fine. It is post-game security that seems to be lacking in various venues. That is where you will find the most trouble – including the events of last Thursday at Dodger Stadium.
Here in Minneapolis, there are some safety concerns as close as across the street from home plate at Target Field. With a few homeless shelters either across the street or within blocks of the ball park, a Greyhound bus station attached to the A Ramp, groups of people along 7th Street down to Nicollet Mall and nearby Hennepin Avenue and other partiers in the Warehouse District and North Loop, fans coming out of Target Field may be at risk of being hassled – especially at night.
I know that the Minneapolis Police Department, along with the Downtown Improvement District, the Hennepin County Sheriff and the security working the ABC Ramps for the City of Minneapolis, has downtown covered. There is a police station on 4th Street between Hennepin and First Avenue North in case you need it! However, that is not to say things can happen – but you have access to help (including Metro Transit police who are patrolling the heavier used bus and light rail stops downtown) when it happens after you leave a Twins game.
There is simply no excuse for not having enough security and law enforcement around to protect fans and the ballpark around the clock. Again, I urge every ball park in baseball – on every level – to revisit your security plan and do something to ensure the safety of your patrons. Even if that means keeping your security detail working until the last person leaves the parking lot.
I ask you to do this in Bryan’s name. It would be appropriate to do so.
A Rivalry Gone Wrong (Part 1)
There is one Opening day story that I needed time to digest.
After the final out of the Dodgers-Giants game at Chavez Ravine, three fans from Northern California were heading back to their vehicle in Parking Lot 2. They came down to Dodger Stadium to celebrate their World Championship ballclub on Opening Day, but were coming home a bit disappointed after the Dodgers won, 2-1.
Soon, two male Dodgers fans out followed them to their vehicle. These fans could have been anyone, but they were loaded for bear – shouting at them with expletives and anti-Giants chants. What transpired afterwards was uncharacteristic of baseball fans – regardless of where they live or whom they root for.
The three Giants fans were physically attacked as they arrived at their vehicle in Lot 2. One of the trio, Bryan Stow, has been in critical condition in a coma at a nearby Los Angeles hospital. A paramedic from the San Jose area, Stow took the brunt of the physical attack by these two male Dodger fans – suffering head injuries upon impact of kicking by the attackers.
The two suspects have been identified, but are still on the loose. The Los Angeles Police Department released sketches of the suspects, two Latino males. A reward of $25,000 has been posted for information leading to the arrest of these suspects.
The story could have stopped there. It hasn’t. This is not just a story about a rivalry gone badly amongst fans. There’s much more to this than just a fan from out of town lying in hospital in a coma after a moment of stupidity concluded on Opening Day.
For one, the casual observer must understand that the Dodger-Giant rivalry is as entrenched as the Red Sox-Yankees, Cubs-Cardinals and any other rivalry in the game and throughout sports. There are people who take this particular rivalry seriously. The potential for violence have always been present between these two clubs – the Roseboro-Marichal incident, for example – and it does spill into the fan base.
However, a rivalry is no excuse for extreme belligerence. Baseball is a place where you bring the family, your loved ones and your friends. There’s no amount of alcohol, weed or any other substance taken prior (or at) the game that will stop some idiot from calling out another person in the stands and starting something that would put a mark on their future.
An unfortunate turn of events in this incident was a rash of stereotypical commentary by fans inside and out of Southern California. Since the suspects happen to be Latino, you could imagine the racism that poured out in the moments after the Los Angeles Police Department released information on them. “Thugs” and “gang bangers” are what I read and heard not only about these suspects, but also of a larger and integral fan base boosted from the days of Fernando Valenzuela’s arrival to the big club.
To set the record straight, Los Angeles was once ruled by Spain, then Mexico before the U.S. expanded to the Pacific. The Latino community remains an integral and vital part of the Southern California community – producing great leaders, artists and athletes for the world. If we allow this racial stereotyping to characterize Dodgers fans attending the games and financially supporting the ballclub – then you made a larger incident out of this than it should.
Furthermore, is Dodger Stadium safe after a game? In 1982, I attended a game there with a friend and had a Giants jersey on. I recalled the incident in a previous post earlier this year. It continues to serve an example that, truly, this is not an isolated incident (and my antagonist was Caucasian and heterosexual, BTW). It used to be that Giants fans were more violent than Dodger fans – especially at Candlestick. As we seen in various locations (namely The Bronx and Philadelphia) – a newer ballpark will do wonders to hooliganism in baseball. That is by scale, of course.
It did come as a shock when Dodger fans recently pointed out the lack of security after the game at the Stadium. If security details were prevalent on the property and the perimeter prior to the first pitch, what happens if they’re not around afterwards? Do they go home like everyone else? Is that how Frank McCourt pay these people? Keep in mind, there’s a lot of acreage to cover in Chavez Ravine, it would make sense of security remained a couple of hours after the game is over – as in most places around the country.
This has been a wake-up call for all of us who attend games and would rather have the best experience from start to finish. Would it quell the rivalry? There are still fans that will hate the other side, but understand now the line between being hooligans and manifesting that hooliganism into violence – verbal, physical or otherwise.
It is my hope that the LAPD catch these guys, that Bryan Stow recovers from his condition and the Dodgers (and any ballclub with a similar situation) address security issues at the Stadium. Perhaps a greater lesson for all of us to keep our passions for the game and the teams we love alive, but understand its limits upon our fellow fans.
It is worth repeating that violence is never the answer – no matter how it is manifested and to whom it is directed to.
Governor Walker, Meet Nyjer Morgan!
Photo courtesy of Major League Baseball (c) 2011
The teams have wrapped up their Spring Training camps. Opening Day is Thursday. What else can happen until then? Fine tuning the 25-man roster, for starters…
THE MINNESOTA TWINS INFIELD UTILITY POSITION SWEEPSTAKES WINNER IS… In the end, Matt Tolbert won the final spot on the roster.
Luke Hughes had a great spring. The Bloke from Perth gave it his all, showing the club his power at the plate and strength at third and second base. But, he ended up batting .246, struck out 17 times in 65 at-bats and was not as sharp playing shortstop.
Gardy was looking for a backup shortstop to Alexi Casilla. Tolbert can play short, as well as every other position in the dirt. It made the decision to option Hughes much easier that way. The Minnesota Twins infield utility position sweepstakes goes to Tolbert.
Hughes knew he had a good spring. He said it himself. But, it’s not all bad news. When he starts off in Rochester for the Red Wings, he knows he’ll have to stay healthy and kick serious butt. I’ll be keeping tabs on him as he returns to West Central New York State.
The Minnesota Twins will also have platooning closers. The solution to the Joe Nathan-Matt Capps issue may be to have both pitchers be designated as closers. That’s fine as it gives Nathan a better chance to properly heal his arm before taking on heavier duty during the grind of the season. It also gives Capps a chance to shine. This may be a temporary solution. Come trade deadline, I have a feeling Capps is going away – if not sooner. That is, of course, given Nathan is back to his dominating form prior to September of 2009.
SCONNIE’S NEXT BIGGEST HEADACHE: Dear Doug Melvin, are you out of your *bleeping* mind?
The Milwaukee Brewers General Manager did the one thing only the Oakland Raiders (if they were a baseball team) would do: Pick up a head case off waivers. That head case is Nyjer Morgan. The Washington Nationals simply had enough of the hotheaded shortstop and threw him onto the waiver wire. I would’ve thrown him to an American Association or Cam-Am League team.
Morgan does create an interesting situation in Sconnie: Carlos Gomez is the current starter in center field. The problem with Go-Go is that he is unfocused at bat, according to the Brewers. No. He’s unfocused period! So, if you were Ron Roenicke, whom would you choose to play in center on Opening Day? Tough choice if you want to win the NL Central this season.
I would consider the arrival of Morgan a just reward for a state that took away collective bargaining rights from its unionized workers. Therefore, Governor Walker – you piss off majority of the people in your state, you get a bigger head case for your trouble! Have fun with that…
JUST SHUT UP, BUCK! There is another reason to despise the Baltimore Orioles: Buck Showalter’s mouth.
The ex-New York Yankees manager who is now in charge in Balmer made some comments about Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein to reporters prior to the spring game matching the O’s and the Sox yesterday in Sarasota. Showalter called Epstein “overrated” in a Men’s Journal article among other attacks on rival personalities in the AL East.
The Sox’ Manager Terry Francona was asked about the article prior to yesterday’s spring training game. Francona defended his boss and wasn’t all that happy with Showalter saying it in print. To squash this controversy, Showalter called Francona to apologize that evening.
The Orioles’ GM Andy McPhail pretty much left Showalter off the hook over his comments: “If that’s how he feels, that’s how he feels.” Could this be the quote of the year, perhaps? Everyone has opinions. Everyone has criticisms. Everyone should take their criticisms with at least a grain of salt. But, what if it was based without context? I could go on pontificating this…but, c’mon, Buck, shooting at Theo (and Derek Jeter) is shooting nothing but air. If you want a piece of the AL East race, get your guys to play at the level of the Sox, Yanks and Rays – and leave your jealousy off the glossies!
Oh, Miggy…What Now?
Welcome to the first week of Spring Training. Already, we’re having problems. Irresolvable – or, at least we thought they were resolved – problems.
Remember before the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers played Game 163 in 2009 that Miguel Cabrera was arrested in an assault case fueled by his drinking? Boy, did we let him have it inside the Metrodome.
After the Tigers crashed out in the extra frames of Game 163, Cabrera somehow claimed sobriety and had an almost MVP year in 2010.
What happened? Cabrera got busted on a DUI last night.
You know, I could call him every inappropriate word known in the English language. I won’t. Just like every Tea Party supporter would like to call me every homophobic epithet known to the human race for calling Miguel Cabrera every inappropriate word known in the English language.
There’s a lot more respect I have for humankind where the failures of the soul prevent a ballplayer to attain sobriety for the better good of his life, his family, his employers and his supporters. I am not one to judge here.
However, we’ve seen this time and time again. We’ve also seen people rise above their low moments to attain greatness – and stay in the realm of sobriety and happiness. I’ve also seen people continue in freefall after hitting a low.
Again, I’m not here to judge. But, we just appear to be nonplussed when Miguel Cabrera falls from sobriety into the abyss – or, are we not being honest with ourselves?
Do we honestly believe that Cabrera was destined to fall off the wagon? Do we honestly expect Cabrera to screw up so badly that we will lose respect for anything he does – on and off the field?
That’s not our job to decide. That’s the job of the courts in St. Lucie County, Florida.
Still, we read every year of some so-called hero getting pulled over by law enforcement for some crime or another. We see some of them get away with it. We see some of them get punished accordingly – or, not. Naming names is inappropriate here – we can list them out, if we wish.
How do I reconcile reading Miguel Cabrera’s latest brush with alcohol and the law? There’s nothing I can do about it. I’m at the point where I can expect heroes to fall. I also expect a rash of opinions, thoughts and pontifications to flood my usual reading sites. What’s so different about someone calling for Cabrera’s head than a Facebook friend posting a link about Wisconsin Governor’s Scott Walker’s push to shrink the state’s budget by going after organized labor or some politician caught in an act of hypocrisy?
My resolution on Cabrera is simple: Let the courts and the Tigers’ brass take care of this one.
Randy Stern
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