Alex Rodriguez has passed Ted Williams on the all-time career home run list. He has a great shot at surpassing Barry Bonds if he stays healthy. |
Scattered Thoughts From A Mad Hatter
With all the news swirling around the Major Leagues, I am approaching The Grumble from a helter-skelter perspective… not the White Album version of the Beatles classic, but the Anthology 3 where Paul McCartney often substitutes the words “helter skelter” with the words “hell for leather”, thus I give you my take of the Major League world that I see.
I give you…. “HELL FOR LEATHER”
METS HOLD ON FOR THE WIN; MOTHER LEFT WITH A LOSS
A sad story came out of Shea Stadium yesterday, as reports were made available of the tragic escalator accident that occurred. 36-year old Antonio Nararainsami died, tragically, while leaving Shea Stadium with his two young daughters and a cousin. Antonio left his wife, pregnant with their third child at home and took his daughters to see his favorite team, the New York Mets. The game ended positively; however, Antonio slipped off the escalator rail and fell four to five stories onto the loge level escalator. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died. Leaving a wife who is pregnant is tragic. Having your two young daughters watch you fall to your death is something that I simply could not imagine.
WHO SAYS CHEATERS NEVER WIN? PT. 1
Barry Bonds holds the homerun record. Barry Bonds is a multi-millionaire. Barry Bonds may have committed an act of perjury in front of a grand jury. Barry Bonds may have taken performance-enhancing drugs to increase his productivity. This guy has made millions of dollars by utilizing alternative options to increase his earnings, and ultimately took away records from honest competitors, and that should not have happened. Now, I have to endure articles about how some factory owner in Quebec, who makes bats for Bonds, is concerned about his client’s future? (Bats Ready, but Bonds May Not Need Them) There are far more interesting storylines out there than to have to read about Barry Bonds anymore. I sincerely wish that Bonds’ career in the Major Leagues would end up like Enron… Shred all the records created by the player, sell off all assets, then face the grand jury for what he really is.
TOO MUCH MONEY, NOT ENOUGH STRETCHING
I do not know what is going on in the league but the number of injuries is ever increasing by the day. We are now seeing more and more freak injuries, such as that suffered by Chicago Cub outfielder Alfonso Soriano. While fielding a return fly ball in practice, Soriano did his typical “hop” en route to the ball, and injured his calf. He claims it was not the hop, but the first step into the dugout after the catch. “Oh!!! Thank Goodness! Thank you for explaining. That makes much more sense…WHAT!!…Okay… Did you learn that from Jeff Kent?
WHO SAYS CHEATERS NEVER WIN? PT. 2
Miguel Tejada has come clean! Tejada admitted that he is, in fact 33-years old, not 31 as was believed when he was signed with the Oakland A’s in 1993. To be honest, I am not shocked that another player from the Dominican Leagues has adjusted his age, to get out of the situation that is the Dominican Republic, but what I do not get is why he waited 15 years to reveal the lie. To lie about your age, given the situation that he, and likely his family would have been in at the time, seems like something that almost anyone would do; however, this again shows that cheaters DO win!
[Editors note: That lie might come back to haunt him, considering he is under investigation for perjury. No? T.M.]
HIGHS AND LOWS
The 522nd home run of Alex Rodriguez’ career, surpassing Willie McCovey, and the late-great Ted Williams, (or at least his body is late…his head…not so much) was a big hit, pardon the pun, in the Yankees’ win over the Red Sox last night. On the flip side, the Red Sox took another hit to their corner infielders, this time The Greek God of Walks, Kevin Youkilis. While Alex’s home run energized the crowd, Youkilis’ hit simply ignited pain in his big left toe. It appears that the Red Sox are taking a lot of injuries and one can question whether or not the grueling schedule they have endured to this point in the season is taking its toll.
That may not have been the typical review of the day in baseball, but it is how I see it.
See you next time on… The Grumble.
Kevin M. Burgoyne II a.k.a Statistocrat
