O'Neill's Hit & Run: Wednesday Edition, By: Dan O’Neill
March 15, 2006, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
One thing about Curt Schilling: He speaks his mind. Another thing about Schilling: The consistency of that brain matter sometimes fluctuates. For instance, Sporting News scribe Ken Rosenthal recently conducted a Q&A with "Schill the Thrill" during which the Boston Red Sox hurler talked about the steroids cloud that hangs over baseball. On one hand, Schilling cut Jose Canseco no slack.
"Bottom line is he cheated," Schilling said, "took his money, then dropped a dime on a plethora of players after the fact. It's ugly, and in no way, shape or form should he be lauded for being some sort of savior. If even one Hall of Fame voter casts a ballot to get him into the Hall, they should lose their voting privilege."
Canseco is eligible for Hall of Fame consideration in 2007 and, by the way, so is former Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire. Later in the interview, Schilling was asked if steroids users and alleged users would be regarded as negatively in the future as they are now. The answer brought McGwire into the topic of conversation. He cut McGwire lots of slack.
"I don't think baseball fans will. I have nothing but great memories of Mark McGwire, for a couple of reasons," Schilling said. "One, he's a fantastic human being. Two, this game was dead in the water but for him and Sammy (Sosa)."
Rosenthal interjected that questions concerning McGwire and steroids are legitimate.
"Sure, they are," Schilling said. "He didn't quell anyone's concerns (at the congressional hearing). That was as hard of a thing for me to watch and be a part (of) as anything I've ever seen. I don't think any less of Mark than I did the day before the hearing.
"Do I think he did something wrong? I don't know. If he did cheat and spent that day doing that, then, yeah, but that doesn't make him any less of a human being. And anyone who criticizes him, there's that proverbial Bible saying: Take the plank out of your eye before you worry about the splinter in mine."
So, to sum up: Canseco is a cheating sleazebag for using steroids and blowing the whistle on others. McGwire, if he did cheat and lie about it, is no less of a human being and entitled to all favors and protections under the Holy Bible.
EYE DROPS
* According to my watch, it's time for Vashon High to get rid of those old rags they wore at the state tournament and get new uniforms.
* Iditarod update: "Mush you doggies, mush!"
"Arf, you sled driver, arf!"
* Invigorating to see the student-athletes in the Missouri basketball program put so much stock in that free education they are getting at the university.
* E-mail from the Missouri Valley Conference to Jim Nantz: Billy Packer would like his act back.
* Just wondering ... if Barry Bonds goes to McDonald's, does he ask for his order to be "Supersized" or does he apply the clear himself?
BACK PAGES
On this date in 1869, a group of Ohio investors financed the first openly professional baseball team - the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The budget was slightly more modest than what Walt Jocketty has to work with this spring. The most valuable of the Stockings nine was deemed to be infielder George Wright, who was paid the handsome figure of $1,400 for the season.
Of course, the contract was incentive-laden, meaning Wright could make more money if he met the incentive of finding a real job to supplement his baseball wages. All in all, it was a successful season for the Cincy nine. The club finished 65-0 and turned a profit of $1.39.
ROOM SERVICE
Hotel rooms can be hard to come by during Final Four weekend, no matter where the tournament lands. However, you never know when you might just fall into something, so to speak. Former NCAA official Chuck Neinas relayed to the Chicago Sun-Times how he scored a room during the 1962 Final Four in Kansas City.
"The afternoon of the first game," Neinas said, "we got a call from somebody at one of the hotels who said, 'We just had a guy jump out of a 12th-floor window. As soon as we clean up his room, you can have it.'"
Neinas jumped on it, of course.
