The Baseball Column: Missing In Action, By: David Zingler
April 7, 2006
The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall
The 2006 baseball season is officially under way and Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa are nowhere to be seen. They're both on the wrong side of 35, so the big news really isn't that they've "retired"; instead it's how unceremoniously their careers ended. Last year at this time, Palmeiro was on his way to the 3,000 hits/500 homer club, while it was just a few years ago that the always-smiling Sosa was the face of everything right about baseball.
Today, they are pariahs. With all of the allegations and negativity surrounding the fallen duo, it may be tempting to wonder how Sosa and Palmeiro sleep at night. I'm sure, however, they'd respond like the fictional action hero McBain of "The Simpsons" when posed with that question: "On a big pile of money with many beautiful women."
A Misguided Hunter
This may be news to many African-Americans out there, but Twins centerfielder Torii Hunter has nominated himself to be your spokesman, at least on Barry Bonds-related matters. "If you keep talking about Barry Bonds, the black community is going to get mad," the perennial Gold Glover said. "In my black community when I call home, they say, `Why are they messing with Barry? He's never been caught.' You keep messing with Barry, it's going to make this home-run race a race thing."
I can only speak for myself, but to me the controversy surrounding Bonds is clearly about cheating, not race. I simply don't want a man that has used steroids to break sports' most hallowed record. Besides, the last time I checked, the mark of 755 was held by Hank Aaron, who also happens to be African-American. Maybe we should defer to him on such matters.
Rickey Being Rickey
Here are some quotes by the always entertaining Rickey Henderson from his brief coaching stint with the Mets last month (courtesy of Yahoo Sports).
On his desire to play:
"Teams won't give me tryouts because most of them know I'll make the club. If I don't make a club, I know I'm done. But I've still got that question mark. Look out here."
"In life, you're here for a reason. This is my reason. I've been blessed to have this body. I've been blessed to never have a surgery. As much as I hit that ground, never. I didn't burn out. I can play."
On Julio Franco (four months his senior) getting a 2-year contract:
"He hasn't accomplished as much as I have, and that's why he got (the contract). I know I have way more tools than he has."
