Yanks GM Cashman on Hot Seat; Bat Boy's Job Also in Jeopardy

Things have not gone the Yankees' way so far this season, and George Steinbrenner announced today that General Manager Brian Cashman's future with the club may hinge on the outcome of this season.

Shortly thereafter, Steinbrenner also suggested that if New York's season doesn't turn around, bat boy #99, a.k.a. "Glenn," may be out of work.

"When we brought him here, number 99 was the pimple-covered face of our clubhouse," Steinbrenner said. "Now, we can barely get him to hustle out to grab a foul ball to the backstop."

Given Glenn's $500,000 salary this season, which is significantly higher than the league minimum for players, Steinbrenner said it might be prudent to try to find a trading partner to ease the strain on the salary cap.

The other, more ominous option, entails an investigation into Glenn's past, when it is believed he may have taken performance enhancing drugs. Players and coaches on Glenn's former team, the Marlins, reported record times in bringing replacement bats to hitters.

Glenn's performance raised eyebrows even then, but the Yankees were undissuaded in their desire to sign him to a long-term deal.

But with the season in turmoil -- and foul balls waiting up to three, even four seconds before Glenn can reach them -- the Yankees may look to void Glenn's deal and end his rocky tenure in New York.

Glenn's mom said he was at choir practice and therefore unavailable for comment.

Hancock Lawsuit = Missed Opportunity

I don't know about you, but I've been fascinated by the aftermath of the Josh Hancock tragedy. I initially wrote about the knee-jerk reaction of Major League Baseball teams banning alcohol in their clubhouses, saying that they were closing the barn door after the horse was out.

Now that Dean Hancock has decided to sue Mike Shannon's Restaurant for giving his son as much alcohol as he asked for, I feel compelled to tackle the same topic from a different angle.

Before I go any further, I should mention that I've gotten a couple of insightful comments on the earlier Hancock posting, and I would encourage anyone reading this to check those out as well. If it seems like I'm copying the anonymous sentiments shared on this blog, I'm not. They just agreed with what I had already planned to write.

In one sense, Mr. Hancock's reaction isn't much of a surprise. He's a grieving father who's looking for a way to alleviate his pain. Unfortunately, he has elected to blame others rather than owning up to his son's mistake.

Mr. Hancock's inability to accept responsibility is indicative of our culture. If you've become obese by eating Big Macs, the only logical response is to sue McDonalds! Likewise, Mr. Hancock is suing a restuarant for his son's recklessness, as if their cutting him off would have prevented the accident altogether. The reality is that Josh Hancock's unlimited access to alcohol at a particular restaurant was only a small variable in a complicated equation.

In choosing to blame his son's accident on others -- the restaurant, the tow truck, the stalled driver whom the truck was picking up -- Mr. Hancock missed a golden opportunity to publicly own up to his son's mistake and plead with others not to repeat it.

A co-worker brought to my attention the reaction of Carroll O'Connor (Archie Bunker) to his son's death by overdose. In the wake of tragedy, O'Connor took the platform made available to him and became an anti-drug spokesperson and lobbyist.

I wish Mr. Hancock would be willing to do the same.

As I wrote in the first post, the damage has already been done: Josh Hancock is dead. I'm starting to think the greater tragedy is the teachable moment gone to waste.

New Mascots in the Spirit of LSU

LSU announced today that it will indeed find another tiger to serve as its mascot -- despite protests from PETA. Respectable mascots are a dying breed these days, so count this as a victory for sports.

In the spirit of political incorrectness and general silliness, I've come up with a list of mascots that should undergo a name change -- some drastic, some subtle. Please feel free to add your own in the Comments section below.


Golden State Warlords - With the numbers of Warriors remaining in the world dwindling every day, I'm thinking an AK-47 wielding Taliban could bring Golden State into the 21st century.

Los Angeles Fakers - There aren't that many lakes in or around Los Angeles, so I think the team is due for a mascot change. And what moniker more appropriate for the City of Silicon?

Baltimore Mavens - If you don't know what a maven is, look it up. (Then report back to me.)

Washington Bullets - Yes, I know they had this nickname before, but I think most of us would agree that it's much cooler than the Wizards. Would it be too violent to have actual bullet hole as part of the jersey?

Houston Alaskans - Those Texans are all about big, so they should try the Alaskans on for size. Alaska is over twice the size of the Lone Star State.

Detroit Ligers - Since LSU has already borne the brunt of the political incorrectness for being the Tigers, Detroit could go for a change. Ligers is an easy choice because they're pretty much my favorite animal.

Stanford Maroon - If you're going to be a color, at least choose one people have heard of.

Philadelphia Seagulls - It still has a ring to it, yet better describes the general mentality of the team.

Cleveland Injuns - If they thought Indians was offensive, this should really stir them up.

Jason Giambi: The Next Jim Bouton?

The Yankees paid big bucks for an apparently juiced Jason Giambi, but now they're claiming they received a lemon. ESPN reports that New York may seek to void Giambi's contract based on remarks he made last week, in which he insinuated that he used steroids in the past.

When I first read Giambi's remarks, I can't say I was shocked. Does anyone else remember the "tape worm" he had in 2004? Big surprise that what actually ailed him was never revealed, right?

Actually, I was impressed that Giambi had the courage to say what he said. It takes guts to break with the status quo, both in the Yankees' organization and in Major League Baseball as a whole.

As a side note, I borrowed Ball Four from a relative yesterday. I've never read it, and even though I only got through the first chapter last night, I came down with a bad case of deja vu when I read today that Giambi is in danger of losing his contract. It seems to me that Jim Bouton should have told Giambi that telling the truth can be dangerous.

The fact is that Giambi cheated. So did lots of other players, but he's been the only active player (that I can think of) to admit it. To me, that's bravery.

Of course his contract is inflated. But think about all the extra revenue that the "inexplicable" increase in home runs brought to baseball. The Yankees benefitted from that as much or more than any other team. Besides, what would they do with the recouped money anyway?

Maybe they're just looking for a way to pay Roger Clemens.