Room for Redemption

They say there is no crying in baseball, but apparently, there are second chances.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about players who, after a lot of fanfare, flame out and slide into oblivion. I mean, what happens to those guys? Are they relegated to life as used car salesmen, forever wondering what could have been?

While major league dreams end in "real jobs" more often than players and fans would care to admit, it turns out that some players, after failing at the first shot at success, get lucky enough to take a second.

• Perhaps the most well-documented case of a player getting a second chance is Rick Ankiel, the former pitching phenom for the St. Louis Cardinals. As a 20 year-old in 2000, the left-handed Ankiel won 11 games and later finished second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
  
  But it was what happened in the postseason that led to Ankiel's downfall. In Game 1 of the Divisional Series against the Braves, Ankiel inexplicably lost the ability to throw a strike. He walked four and threw five wild pitches, all over the course of two-thirds of an inning.
  
  As a pitcher, Ankiel never recovered. He was like Mark Wohlers, only worse, and it seemed like Ankiel's days in the majors were over.
  
  Then something cool happened. Ankiel decided to convert to an outfielder, and the St. Louis Cardinals went along with the plan. That was in 2005, and Ankiel has yet to crack the big league roster. But he's close.
  
  The near-tragic story has turned Pacific Coast League pitching into a comedy, with 19 home runs and 53 RBIs so far this season. Many predict Ankiel will earn a promotion this summer, and I can only imagine the response he'll get when he trots back onto a big-league field again, this time bypassing the mound and heading for the friendlier confines of the outfield.
  
  


• A New York Times story printed yesterday highlights the travails of former #1 draft pick Matt Bush.
  
  Bush was selected by the Padres with the top pick out of high school in 2004, and he projected to be a great shortstop in their organization someday. But as often happens, reality proved a harsh blow to Bush's and the Padres' plans.
  
  After struggling mightily in the lower levels of San Diego's minor league system, Bush decided to give pitching a shot. Though he had entertained visions of grandeur as a shortstop, the former high school ace came to realize that he was not the next Ozzie Smith.
  
  Like Ankiel, Bush has not made it to the major leagues yet. According to the story, though, Bush throws a 95-m.ph. fastball and could be positioning himself to become a closer in the future.
  
  If you find the notion of an infielder-turned-stopper a bit far-fetched, look no further than future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman.
  



• One last story, and this one might be the best. Jeff Pearlman writes of the Long Island Ducks, an independent minor league team that has given second chances to a large handful of major league castoffs.
  
  Edgardo Alfonzo is there, laboring away. Remember him? He's a career .284 hitter that played in a World Series with the Mets. Carl Everett, Donovan Osborne, Damian Rolls, and Danny Graves are there, working their tails off for one more shot at the Big Show.
  
  And you know what's great about this story, about the two stories above, and all the other ones like it? What's great is that even though many of these players will never realize their full potential again (or in Bush's case, for the first time), a few of them will.
  
  These stories serve as a tangible reminder of the truth that it's not falling down seven times that matters, but getting up the eighth. And as much as I loathe cliches, these guys prove this one true.

Joe Girardi's No-Manage Veto Clause

You know how major league players have trade veto clauses built into their contracts?

I think Joe Girardi has something like that when it comes to selecting his next managing job. Baltimore's brass had visions of Girardi leading the Orioles to greatness, but Girardi clearly did not share that vision.

Girardi said that "the timing is not right for my family and I."

Whatever. Basically, that's code for "I would never take this job in a million years." The timing will never be right for Joe and his family.

If I'm in Joe Girardi's shoes, I have a list of about five franchises -- including Baltimore -- that I wouldn't manage for love or money:

• Kansas City Royals - It's not that they can't produce homegrown talent, it's just that they don't have the budget to keep it, and they never will.
  
  
• Pittsburgh Pirates - The Bucks haven't had a solid franchise since the days of Bobby Bonilla and Barry Bonds, the original killer Bs (squared). They also lack any real sense of direction. At least they play in a beautiful ballpark with a view of the river.
  
  
• Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Thanks to their tremendous ineptitude since the franchise's inception in 1998, the Devil Rays have had a ton of high draft picks in the last decade. Thanks to terrible management, those draft picks have been wasted on players high in talent and low in brains and character. Also, they play in a cave and each of their games draw a slightly larger audience than a high school cross-country meet.
  
  
• Baltimore Orioles - The Orioles are terrible, but it's not because of a low payroll. Since Cal Ripken skipped town, Peter Angelos has done a tremendous job of sinking his own ship.
  
  
• Washington Nationals - Yes, I know the Nationals are getting a new ballpark. That's great! But name one other thing that's this franchise has going for it. In all fairness, we shouldn't expect too much from these guys -- The Expos, by any other name, would play as crappy.

Who are your no-manage franchises?

Sammy Sosa Makes, Mars History

Sammy Sosa has officially joined the 600 home run club with a blast against Cubs' pitcher Jason Marquis.

Sosa is a slippery character that I've never cared much for, a fact that has been documented elsewhere on this blog. While it's hard to overstate the significance of reaching this milestone, my prediction is that, when it's all said and done, Sosa's legacy will be one of a cheater.

MLB: Who's Hot, Who's Not (Round 2)

Who's Hot

• Prince Fielder and the Brew Crew - Fielder has four dingers in his last 10 games and a National League-leading 26 for the season. The Brewers just completed a three-game sweep of the lowly San Francisco Giants (see below) and lead the NL Central by 7.5 games.



• Joe Girardi - Reports have it that Girardi has been offered the Orioles managing job. If I'm him, I act real interested until there's a firm offer on the table. Then I take that offer to George Steinbrenner and say, "Hey there, Boss. How's next season looking?" If Girardi's looking for a project, though, the Orioles are it.
  
  
• Ken Griffey, Jr. - While the Reds tank yet another season, Griffey is quietly approaching the 600 career home run mark. He's got 582, so it's unlikely he'll reach the milestone before Sammy Sosa, but one can hope.
  
  
• Elijah Dukes - Hot-headed, that is. Dukes went on air to lambaste his wife for supposedly stealing his money. Two quick thoughts for you, Elijah. First, I'm guessing you've got plenty more money where that came from. Secondly, it's generally frowned upon to channel your anger via death threats.

Who's Not

• The Chicago White Sox - Paul Konerko met with the management Monday to discuss how to get the club out of their season-long funk, and yesterday manager Ozzie Guillen called the team's performance "a joke." The Sox lost again this afternoon, and at 11 games back of first, find themselves just two games in front of the lowly Royals. It's amazing how far away 2005 seems right now, isn't it?
  
  
• Travis Hafner - The Indians' "slugger" has been downright sluggish lately. Hafner is hitting under .200 in the last 10 days (7-38) and has a total of 10 home runs this season. Not great stats for a guy that circled the bases 42 times last year. If I'm Cleveland, I'm not overly disappointed at this stage, because the Indians are in first place despite Hafner's struggles. Also, this is a contract year for Hafner, so if he keeps this up, the Indians may get a bargain.
  
  
• Barry Bonds and the Giants - The assault on Hank Aaron's career home run record hasn't been as dramatic -- or as fast -- as Bonds probably hoped. He's put together a decent season, but if he's not one of the top three in the voting, Bonds may not be selected as a reserve by Tony La Russa. Talk about a slap in the face. The Giants, meanwhile, are freefalling. They've lost seven straight now and find themselves in the NL West cellar. I guess that makes them sellers at the trade deadline.
  
  
• Michael Barret - Yep, he makes the list two weeks in a row. Barrett has been traded to the Padres, which leaves me feeling disappointed that there won't be a reunion of any sorts with AJ Pierzynski this weekend. It also begs the question, will he retaliate against Chris Young for Young's dustup with former teammate Derek Lee? (Just kidding, of course. He would never try to hurt a teammate...)

Kobe to Lakers: Trade Me, 'Cause I'm not Coming Back

Talk about burning bridges.

A newly released video clip records Kobe Bryant ripping the Lakers organization and teammate Andrew Bynum.

A couple of guys recorded a conversation, which apparently took place a few days before Kobe demanded to be traded. The guys who captured the video have created a web site and plan to charge people to view the video.

I wonder if they've realized that it will be all over YouTube five minutes after it's realeased.

Anyway, this isn't about a few dorks trying to make a profit.

It's about the Lakers needing to get a clue and move forward in their attempts to trade Bryant. Why they want this albatross is beyond me, but obviously their sentiments are unrequited.

As I see it, the Lakers have two options:

• Hold onto Kobe and run the risk that he either doesn't play at all, or he plays and behaves like a two year-old, whining when he doesn't get his way and frequently refusing to play well with others. So basically, more of what they've endured for the past several years.
  
  
• Trade Kobe for less than he's worth. You'd have to be living in a bomb shelter to not know that Bryant wants out, which puts the Lakers in a less than ideal bargaining position. Remember when Seattle got a bat boy and a bag of peanuts for Ken Griffey, Jr., once he demanded to be traded? This might not be that bad, as Bryant has yet to demand a specific destination city, but the Lakers won't get market value in exchange for the most talented player in the league.

So there you have it. Keep Kobe and watch the franchise continue to disintegrate, or get rid of him and start rebuilding.

Arrington Proves NFL Idiocy at All-Time High

"Nobody in the game of football should be called a genius. A genius is somebody like Norman Einstein." --Joe Theismann, former NFL quarterback

Three-time Pro Bowl linebacker LaVar Arrington was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash last night. Arrington's condition was described as serious, but not life-threatening, which means what follows will be a rant against the idiocy of today's professional athletes.

For the sake of brevity, we'll leave Cap-Man -- err, Pac-Man -- Jones, Ricky Williams, and Terrell Owens out of this.

In the last two years alone, I can think of two other motorcycle accidents involving NFL players. First, there was Kellen Winslow nailing a curb in a community college parking lot. Then, Big Ben Roethlisberger gets his face all dented in because he wasn't wearing a helmet.

So many times, athletes behave as if the rules don't apply to them. And in some ways, they don't: athletes get to fly on private charter planes, they don't have to wait in line at the bars, and they can have any woman they want -- at least, that's what Kobe was told.

But this attitude of entitlement also breeds a dangerous side effect: an aura of invincibility. Athletes somehow seem to think that they are immune to bodily harm, and as a result, they do stupid, stupid things.

The rest of the league obviously hasn't learned from Winslow's and Roethlisberger's mistakes.

Here's hoping the third time's a charm.

Is it a Sport: Billiards?

What do you say we make a list of the greatest billiards players (strikers? cuers?) of all time? I'll go first.

Allison Fisher.

Can't think of anyone else? Good, because I can't either.

Today, we continue our debate over what games/ activities can be considered sports, and which cannot. This time, it's billiards on the hot seat.

Why Billiards might be considered a sport

Like a lot of other non-mainstream activities -- spelling bees, poker, the world series of tiddlywinks -- billiards has earned some pretty widespread exposure in recent years by its placement on ESPN. And for some people, that's all it takes for an activity to qualify as a sport.

Also, billiards requires a great degree of concentration, muscle control, and practice. Then again, so does water color painting.

Why Billiards might not be considered a sport

Billiards is an activity most commonly performed in bars, where people most commonly gather to consume alcohol. Anything that you can perform better while intoxicated is going to have a tough time making the list.

There's also the element of physical fitness. Sure, it takes some control of your arm and shoulder, but I see no clear edge given to participants that are physically fit. For that matter, I see no reason why a 400-pound person couldn't be the greatest billiard-er of all time (provided he can maneuver in the four-foot space between the table and the wall).

Final Ruling: Is not a sport.
Certainty: Eight ball, corner pocket. Can't miss shot.