Play Ball 

Not quite full, but a nice crowd showed up at the Yankees Spring Training Opener vs. the Pittsburg Pirates.  In a so far quiet pre- season, the 2009 Championship Trophy created a buzz as it was displayed on the field and later in the walk way between sections 111- 113 that became a Kodak moment for everyone.   

What’s Your Name?

Infielder Ramiro Peña made an opening day statement by going yard.  Last year when he was hanging around here, it was more like WHO DAT?  Peña is hoping to be part of the twenty-five players that go north with the team.   

To Be Young and a Yankee

David Winfree, Colin Curtis, Reegie Corona- pay attention when they step into the box, these are your Baby Bombers.  You never know what they might blossom into.  Do you remember Don Mattingly or Derek Jeter? 

The 2009 Championship Trophy Up Close (Arias Sakellaridis)

Most Yankeeish Name

Four year old Mariano Alex Rodriguez from Newport Richey, Florida enjoyed the Yankee Spring Opener.  The young fan has no relation to the Yankee stars that he is named after.  By the way Mariano Alex’s favorite player is Derek Jeter. 

McGuire's disastrous appearance in front of Congress (Edge of Sports)

In the ten years Brian Williams has anchored the NBC Nightly News, he has never once launched a broadcast by lambasting a public figure. Henry Paulson after the economic collapse? George W. Bush after Katrina? Dick Cheney after everything? All were spared the personal disdain of "America's most trusted newsman." Until ... Williams began his broadcast by going after true evil: Mark McGwire. As Williams said,

 "Good evening. Because this is a family broadcast, we probably can't say what we'd like to about the news today that Mark McGwire--the home run hitter, the family favorite from the St. Louis Cardinals--stopped lying today and admitted that he did it while on steroids…..He's been unable to get into the Hall of Fame and, apparently--even for him--the shame here was too much."

Yes, cue the vultures, for retired slugger Mark McGwire has finally admitted the obvious and told the world he used steroids and other performance enhancers throughout his playing career. He clears his conscience a half-decade after a disastrous appearance in front of Congress, simulcast on C-SPAN and ESPN, where he auto-repeated "I'm not here to talk about the past" to his inquisitors. Monday's admission today, in advance of starting work as the new hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, is a shocker right up there with "Sarah Palin finds work at Fox News." His teary audio confession also further cements McGwire's reputation as the Hamlet of the Steroid Era: tortured, indecisive, self-pitying, and in constant mourning about his own frailties.

For anyone who hoped that McGwire's confession could spark an opportunity to have an honest discussion about how we understand that juiced period in baseball history, from roughly 1992-2006, these hopes were quickly liquidated. Now is the time of the Sunday morning hangover and everyone is a born again zealot, personified by the harrumphing visage of Brian Williams. The media, so happy to cheerlead the home run barrage during the 1990s, now want an apology parade of humbled players swimming in tears and begging for mercy.

Gene Wojciechowski of ESPN penned a piece called, Line of Truth Starts Behind McGwire. He wrote, "Bonds, Sosa and Clemens owe the game a similar apology. By finally taking the truth plunge, McGwire gives them, and other players, the perfect opportunity to make amends."

Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports went even further. In a column artfully titled McGwire's Feckless Admission is too Late, Brown writes "We've become so comfortable blaming Bud Selig and Don Fehr, we forget the real villains in this. They're McGwire, Canseco, A-Rod, Palmeiro, Bonds, every man in the Mitchell Report, every player who put a needle in his body and made the next player choose between that and pumping gas for a living, everyone too cowardly to compete straight up."

If you want to know "how the sausages were made" in the steroid era, read the above passages again. Yes, there is truth in what Wojciechowski and Brown write. But like a sausage, by the time the meat has been transformed it is entirely unrecognizable, and while zesty, entirely unhealthy.

As early as 1992, every aspect of baseball management was officially on notice about steroids. MLB Commissioner Fay Vincent sent a memo to every team reading, "The possession, sale or use of any illegal drug or controlled substance by Major League players and personnel is strictly prohibited ... [and those players involved] are subject to discipline by the Commissioner and risk permanent expulsion from the game.... This prohibition applies to all illegal drugs and controlled substances, including steroids…"

We now know that general managers assessed whether they thought a player was juicing when they made trades. We know that trainers and their lackeys helped the players score a wide variety of performance enhancers. We know that the Dominican Republic, where Major League Baseball invests millions to develop talent on the cheap, has steroids available over the counter with next to no oversight. Even with all of this knowledge, the media still demands little more than seeing a parade of players sob in front of the cameras while owners retreat to the shadows. It's hard not to see parallels in the absence of public accountability among the banking titans of Wall Street. For the powerful, profits mean never having to say you're sorry.

It's long past time we reframed the question and asked: what did the owners know and when did they know it? Why have no owners had to speak in front of congress? Why have owners been allowed to keep every penny from the big money, big bopping 1990s, while players have been put through the thresher? How have no owners even been threatened with punishment for allowing steroids into their locker rooms? And how in the blue hell does Bud Selig still have a job? In response to McGwire, Selig said, "The so-called "steroid era" -- a reference that is resented by the many players who played in that era and never touched the substances -- is clearly a thing of the past, and Mark's admission today is another step in the right direction." Here's another step: Bud Selig joining the ranks of the unemployed.

Mark McGuire will coach how to, ah, hit le ball (Getty Images)

Mark McGwire’s admission that he used steroids and performance enhancing drugs (to become the home run hitter he was) and the apology  to Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and to his former manager Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals was a slap in the face to baseball fans.

Because for years, did we ever have any doubt?  But for McGwire, who said “It was foolish” his admission came, a little too late. It won’t help his hopeful enshrinement to the Baseball Hall of Fame, nor does it help his respectability as one of the top home run hitters of all-time.

You see McGwire also admitted years later, that he used performance enhancing drugs during that media hyped season home run race with Sammy Sosa in 1998 that saw him hit a record 70 home runs.  And at that time there were always the questions about him and Sosa. Except baseball was happy then that home runs were bring hit out of the ballpark in a record pace as the game was recovering from a nasty labor war between the owners and players.

All that time the questions were being asked. The speculation was always about reconfigurations of outfield fences, or that the baseball was different and easier to hit out of the park.  Yet, guys like McGwire, Sosa, and others always denied that steroids and other body enhancement drugs were the reason.

They made us, the media, and you the fans look like fools. Because they fabricated their reasons for becoming such proficient home run hitters and all the time you looked at McGwire, you saw Sosa, and were amazed at how big the arms were, and how deep the home runs were being hit out of the park.

It made sense then, as much as it is now.  McGwire denied using performance enhancing drugs before a Congressional Committee and his 538 home runs are eighth on the career all-time list.  Barry Bonds is no angel here and will always be the center of attention with his denial of allegations that he did what McGwire did.

Baseball owners knew it was happening, and perhaps so did Commissioner Selig, Home runs put people back in the seats and players hitting the long bombs out of the park were getting their lucrative pay checks. 

But getting back to the admission that is putting McGwire back on the national map: He was appointed the hitting coach for La Russa’s Cardinals in November.  Back in baseball now and teaching hitters, hopefully the right way to hit a home run out of the ballpark.

McGwire had to finally come clean or the scrutiny would continue at every Major League ballpark in 2010.  Too bad it came years later, that admission. The home runs he hit are still questionable. They are surly under consideration when the name Mark McGwire comes up every year now for enshrinement to Cooperstown. He came up short again last week when the ballots were counted.

It would have helped him to come clean years ago when this all started, most of all telling the truth then would have diminished the bad image that baseball received and at times continues/   McGwire said he did not tell the truth then because he feared there would be legal jeopardy.

He may get those sympathizers that give a second chance, Many, in the baseball community believe the steroid home run race is still a disgrace and the punishment is always denying Mark McGwire enshrinement to the Hall of Fame. All of those home runs in the record book now with this admission deserve an asterisk.    

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Children from the Miracle League ready to Play. (Photo Esperanza Ramirez)

Tampa, FL: When you mention Spring Training and Tampa you automatically think of the World Champioship NY Yankees and the beginning of the game of summer: Baseball. However, there are other events taking place that are just as important and meaningful as well. The following is one of them;

Mathew who has cerebral palsy and other young players with disabilities had an amazing time on February 20, 2010 the opening day for The Miracle League which is a league dedicated to children with physical challenges and is directed by George Stone.

Yankee Mascot having a ball with the children from the Miracle League. Demonstrating that baseball is for everyone.

The Miracle League is all about smiles and everybody is a star player. Seeing the kids playing and happy was a pleasure for not only the kids, but for the adults present and myself attending this event. There is no entrance fee and there is no obligation that they have to show up every week. Each player bats once per inning, all base runners are safe, every player scores a run before the inning is over and the last one to the plate gets a home run. Community volunteers and parents are part of the Team. This year Ray Negrón and the Yankee Mascot visited the ballpark and helped bring more smiles to the kids.

Every Child deserves to play Baseball...

For more information on the league visit: www.miracleleague.com

Carlos Delgado show here with WBC Team Puerto Rico uniform (Photo LS File)

Carlos Delgado, the leading Puerto Rican Homerun hitter in the Major Leagues, will have to wait at least 4 months to be in condition to play baseball – at a time the 37 year old Star, who wears number 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente, is a free agent without a contract to begin the 2010 baseball season. He underwent surgery on his right hip for the second time in less than 9 months (his first one took place in May 2009) and as bodies get older and healing, or recovery time take longer, the prospects of Delgado’s career is pretermitted to the point of a possible final conclusion.

With 473 career homeruns in the Majors, he needs only 27 to reach the magical number of 500. Delgado has maintained that he could extend his playing days by two years – ample time to reach this personal goal and have the opportunity to be considered a baseball Hall of Fame (HOF) inductee 5 years after his retirement.

Should his career be cut short, no pun intended, because of this second round of surgery, his chances at the Hall of Fame, though maybe si o no a spit away – all intended – may be an uphill battle given Carlos Delgado’s once manifested anti- Iraq war stand and his past history of solidarity and support for ending the U.S. Navy’s military bombardment and occupation of the Puerto Rican Island of Vieques. Sports in our country is imbued with much patriotism and show of military force (witness jet fighters flying over stadiums) and earmarked at the large audiences that make up spectator-sports.

Besides, if Carlos Delgado were to miraculously return towards the tail end of the 2010 season, he will most likely perform as a Designated Hitter (DH) in an American League team. If he reaches 500 homers in this role,   the verdict is out that DHs are not looked upon favorably for HOF status despite Delgado’s 473 dingers as a full time player. Distracters will be heard saying his last 27 or more homeruns came off as a DH. A well known sports talk radio commentator and voice of one of New York baseball teams has already written-off Carlos Delgado for HOF considerations.

Last season as the New York Mets first baseman and in the final year of his contract, Delgado was limited to only 26 games due to the same right hip injury.  It is reported that the same surgeon who operated Alex Rodriguez’s hip injury, Dr. Marc Philippon, performed the operation. The surgery was done to repair the labrum in Delgado's hip. It is purported that Delgado also underwent microfracture surgery to repair his hip socket.

But unlike Alex, Carlos did not healed in time to finish 2009 and his attempt to play winter ball in Puerto Rico proved that his physical condition did not render him in top shape to sell his services to either the Mets or any other baseball team this upcoming season which is already in its Spring Training phase.

Delgado will turn 38 next June; besides 473 homers, he has 1,512 RBIs and a .280 Batting Average in 17 major league seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Florida Marlins and the NY Mets. He has won the 2000 AL Hank Aaron Award, the 2000 ML Major League Player of the year and the 2006 ML Roberto Clemente Award. In the 2006 post-season Delgado played a total of 10 games as a Met; 3 games in the National League Divisional Series (NLDS) against the L.A. Dodgers and 7 games in the NL championship series (NLCS) against the St. Luis Cardinals.  He had a combined .351 Batting Average with 4 homeruns and 11 RBI in 37 plate appearances.

Latino Sports wishes Carlos Delgado a speedy recovery.

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Ramirez, Ordoñez & Jackson are all smiles (Photo Lisa Luevanos)

Detroit, MI: Detroit Tiger fans attended the annual Tiger Fest at Comerica Park in Detroit.  The event gives Tiger Fans a chance to get autographs from their favorite Tiger players. The players are seated in different areas throughout the park, the fans also have the opportunity to see the club house, dugout, media room, and attend interviews with Q&A that is aired live on local radio.

Miguel Cabrera & Fan @ Tiger Fest (Photo Lisa Luevanos)

Earlier in the week the Tigers hosted a media event where Miguel Cabrera spoke with Detroit media where he stated that he was undergoing rehabilitation and counseling for alcohol use and that he feels better and happier for his family.  The Detroit Media witnessed a Miguel Cabrera that appeared genuine, honest and comfortable.  It was also announced that Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez have donated a total of $190,000.00 to the American Red Cross and the Project Medishare for Haiti, Inc.

Alex & Avila

 

The image of the late, great Thurman Munson lives on through his foundation.

NEW YORK – There are certain events that happen in our life that we can recall exactly what we were doing at the time we got the news. The assassination of JFK, the attack on America on 9-11 and more recently the death of Michael Jackson, just to name a few.

For Yankee fans, this one included, the day in 1979, when legendary New York Yankee captain Thurman Munson was killed in a airplane accident on Aug. 2. His sudden tragic death shook not only the sports world but an organization that was coming off two consecutive World Series Championships.

The team would make only one more World Series appearance two years later, losing to the Dodgers in 1981. They then would go into a playoff drought for the next 14 years. It’s hard to imagine the Yankees going that long without making the postseason had Munson been alive.

To qualify the boys had to show an improvement in their education. Photo Aris Sakellaridis

The NY Yankees got an early start to their 2010 season, with the theme of 2009, which was appropriately named HOPE.  When Yankees Special Assistant Ray Negron approached owner Hank Steinbrenner and Vice President Felix Lopez with a plan to have twelve underprivileged kids from New York and Long Island area come to Tampa and play baseball on its facilities, they both gave the thumbs up.  It was in Yogi Berra’s words, “Déjà vu all over again,” as Negron and Steinbrenner continue the Yankees way of giving back.  It’s been the staple of Hank’s dad George Steinbrenner trademark since he purchased the team in 1973, and implodes into each employee as evidenced by the team’s foundation.  To qualify the boys had to show an improvement in their education. 

Ricky Negron, Ray’s youngest son, led off the trip being the first one to arrive via a 25 hour train ride.  Ricky got his first lesson of the trip as ex-baseball player and current broadcaster Tim Mc Carver was also on board.  After Mc Carver learned that Negron’s son aspired to become a major leaguer, he responded to Ricky, “How bad do you want it?”  With those words the tone of the trip was set.

Upon arrival in Tampa, the senior Negron took Ricky straight to Steinbrenner Field, where the top high school juniors and seniors were working on their swing for the 5th Annual Power Showcase which was held at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.  The freshman Ricky was introduced to Yankees Minor League Coach Jody Reed.  When Reed was told of Ricky’s goal, his response was “you gotta really want it bad.  You have to make certain sacrifices.”  Into the cage stepped Ricky under the watchful eyes of Power Showcase Coordinator Brian Domenico.  Ricky was invited to the next day’s showcase, where he shagged fly balls and got a feel of the event.

On Wednesday, the eleven other players arrived, they were immediately taken to the spring training home of the 2009 World Champion NY Yankees.  The kids were in awe of their surroundings and couldn’t wait to get started.  They stretched and ran drills under the tutelage of fitness coach Rob Malichio, who Negron recruited for the week.  Malichio’s training regimen is what shapes up pro athletes, and each youth held his own.  A quick infield and outfield workout helped work out the kinks of these lucky kids as the “Baby Boss,” Steinbrenner observed from his balcony during a break from the office. 

The next day was the same routine as juniors Herman Hernandez, Bryan Dromerhauser, Jonathan Vasquez, and Erik Kondak, took their cuts in an impressive batting practice session.  V. P. Felix Lopez appeared on the field to get acquainted with the possible future Yankees.  Jeffrey Rodriguez, Matt Duran and Andrew Sesto took in every word that Lopez spoke, as he stressed on the importance of education.  He posed for photos and answered questions from the youths.  As an extra bonus, members of the 1977 Championship team, led by Mickey Rivers, Bucky Dent, Mike Torrez and Chris Chambliss took a break from their fantasy camp duties to spend some time with the youths.  The camera crew from the show “Yankees Magazine,” captured every moment.  The group was also amused by Tampa Yankees mascot “Sultan,” who happened to be in the neighborhood.  The young boys displayed their skills by showing their glove work.  They scooped up groundballs and made crisp throws as the cameras rolled.  Before they called it a day there was a special treat.  The 2009 Championship trophy was on display on the main field as each youngster was in awe of the crown jewel.  They each posed for a photo to the patience of Tampa Security Director John Sabean who was the keeper of the trophy. 

The next day was a trip to IMG Baseball Academies, were a team was awaiting their presence thanks to IMG advisor, Kit Carlson.  After a quick warm up led by Malichio, it was play ball!  To their surprised the youngsters were shocked to be facing an ex-major league pitcher in Steve Frey.  What a show as the boys from New York held their own against the crafty lefthander.  IMG prevailed at the end, but on this day there were no losers.  Afterwards Frey spoke to the kids about how he was impressed with their approach to the game.  His inspiring words of perseverance and going after your dreams, was felt by all.

 The next day was a trip down memory lane, as Negron took the boys to the Huggins/ Stengel complex in St. Pete.  He enriched the boys on the history of the old spring training home of the Yankees.  Negron reminded them that Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig got ready for their seasons on this same field where they were getting ready to practice on.  The youngsters got the message of being on sacred grounds and were humbled by the number 430ft. sign down the right field line, which was all made possible by Director Shawn Drouin.

The trip was more than just about baseball as most of these youngsters were on their first trip away from home.  They were even lectured on the evils of drugs and steroids from Vice President of the Christopher D. Smithers Foundation Tom Croce and Yankees Minor League Team Doctor Joe Calandra, who were in town to participate in the Yankees Fantasy Camp.  The boys wouldn’t blink as they visioned every word that Croce and Calandra spoke.

A visit to future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar’s home was priceless. Photo Aris Sakellaridis

The youths got to see Alomar’s Gold Gloves and other awards he gained in his storied career.  Alomar stressed the importance of focus and preparation in anything they strived for in life.  He then outfitted each member with his new dry-fit shirts entitled “Second 2 None,”  which will soon hit the market.

The finale came when they packed to leave for their trip back home.  Upon leaving Negron’s home, where they spent the week, their “baseball boot camp” was about to end, and on the last day they hit.  It was back to Steinbrenner Field, where they got their last licks in the indoor hitting cage.  They put on an impressive display, and for these student athletes, they go back home on this January day being a better person.  They got a taste of life’s lessons brought to them by Hank Steinbrenner, Felix Lopez and the 27th time World Champion NY Yankees.

Roberto Alomar in a previously held ceremony (Web Photo)

Nine voters left Hank Aaron off their Hall of Fame ballot. Joe DiMaggio wasn’t even elected until his third try. So, Roberto Alomar you are in good company.        

Let’s look at the record.        

An All-Star for 12 consecutive years (1990-2001), he was a defensive wizard (10 Gold Gloves) who could hit (.301 lifetime), hit with power (206 home runs), and run (474 stolen bases). Add his prowess with fielding and throwing and Alomar ranks right up there with Ryne Sandberg and Joe Morgan, both already in Cooperstown, and ahead of both Nellie Fox and Bill Mazeroski, who made it mainly for their defense.      

Some writers remembered the spitting incident, when Alomar allegedly responded to a verbal insult from umpire John Hirschbeck, or his last two seasons, when the switch-hitting Puerto Rican suddenly lost his skills after the New York Mets traded a bundle to coax him from Cleveland.       

Alomar was hardly the first Hall of Fame candidate to implode. Brooks Robinson was a mere shadow of himself during three tortuous seasons at the end of his career. Willie Mays and Warren Spahn were outright embarrassments. So were Steve Carlton and Phil Niekro.       

But they’re in Cooperstown while Alomar isn’t. Apparently, the voters didn’t pay much attention to ESPN punster Chris Berman.      

To be sure, Alomar came excruciatingly close, with only a handful of ballots separating him from first-ballot enshrinement.          

Some writers refuse to vote for anyone on the first ballot. Some are still protesting the exclusion of Pete Rose, the banned-for-life career hits king. And others – especially the ones who voted for Eric Karros and Pat Hentgen – aren’t worth retaining as members of the Baseball Writers Association of America, the group that does the voting.        

Milo Hamilton, venerable radio voice of the Houston Astros, says with some merit that broadcasters should be voters because they see the game every day.      

“Who would you rather have voting – Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, and Milo Hamilton, or some guys who take vacations in the middle of the season and see only half the games?”          

Hamilton also decries the fact that some BBWAA voters no longer cover the game, while others are too young to remember seeing Dale Murphy, Bert Blyleven, and Lee Smith – other greats who, like Alomar, were turned away at the door by the Hall of Fame.   

The biggest problem, from this perspective, is a voting structure that provides 10 spaces on each ballot but does not eliminate ballots that contain fewer than 10 times – as the MVP voting rules dictate.         

This is not to say that writers must pick 10 candidates for Cooperstown in every election but that they should list their Top 10 preferences. Without making that change, the odds of anyone reaching the required 75 per cent are astronomical.     

Writers also need to do their homework. How many voters knew that Dale Murphy was the only man to lead a decade in total bases and not be elected? Or that Murphy was second in home runs and RBI during the ‘80s, trailing Mike Schmidt and Eddie Murray, respectively? Or that Murphy was not only the youngest man to win back-to-back MVPs but one of two, with Roger Maris, not in Cooperstown? The other seven consecutive-MVP winners are already in the gallery.           

Speaking of that 75 per cent, how about rounding off the number? Bert Blyleven had 74.2 per cent of the vote – more than 74 per cent but not quite the required 75 per cent. So now the author of 60 shutouts has to wait another year?         

Every eligible 300-game winner is enshrined, along with many pitchers who won considerably less, but Blyleven (287) and Jim Kaat (283) are consistently turned away. How about Tommy John (288) who surely would have won 300 if he had not been the first victim of the elbow ligament transplant commonly called “Tommy John surgery”?

And what are the arguments against Alomar, spitting aside? Okay, so he only led his league in one department in a single season (138 runs scored for the 1999 Cleveland Indians). But he was so consistently good, topping .320 five times and topping 40 steals four times.     

There’s no doubt he was the best second baseman in the American League, if not the majors, throughout the decade of the ‘90s. Thanks largely to his play, Alomar participated in postseason play seven times. That should count with the voters too.      

Assured that he was a lock for enshrinement, Alomar waited anxiously by the phone for word of the Jan. 6 announcement. Informed that both he and Blyleven missed by an eyelash while Andre Dawson suddenly surged past the 75 per cent cutoff, Alomar admitted disappointment.        

But the process has disappointed many others too.       

Although he’s an odds-on favorite for next year, Alomar will have to spend another year hearing his name included in a Bob Feller anecdote about Cooperstown.     

During his heyday with the Cleveland Indians, Alomar pulled into the Winter Haven parking lot one spring training morning. With only one car ahead of him, Alomar figured he had plenty of time to get ready.    

But the other car wouldn’t move. It was Feller, the ancient goodwill ambassador, exercising his penchant for schmoozing. He was talking it up with the security guard. And talking. And talking.    

Finally, Alomar honked. The indignant Feller, who hates to be rushed, demanded to know who was behind him. The security guard looked and said, “Hey, that’s Roberto Alomar!”    

Feller, not about to budge for the team’s top star, said: “You tell him that when he gets into the Hall of Fame, he can honk at me!”   

It may take a year longer than expected, but Alomar’s time is coming.

Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ writes about baseball for LatinoSports.com. His 35th book, The 300 Club: Last of a Breed, will be published in March by Ascend.