Lucky for me, I get to tool around Manhattan this afternoon with the great writer, baseball historian and common sense dispenser Steven Goldman, before hopping on the subway for the third of seven straight games featuring soem combination of the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays. To honor the occasion, here’s an excellent piece Steve recently wrote about the Selena Roberts/Alex Rodriguez flap that never seems to die.
Money quote:
Rodriguez and his all-too-evident feet of clay are being attacked by a not particularly knowledgeable writer in a way that hurts the player and the game without adding any illumination. Rodriguez should not be made to carry the banner for the steroids era, one which few sportswriters are willing to treat with anything like fairness anyway. Until the mainstream writers are willing to examine in a realistic way what we really know about the impact of steroids on performance, their metaphorically running down Main Street shouting “Cheater! Cheater!” does nothing but add heat where there should be light.
Also enjoyed this account of Bobby Scales’ major league debut yesterday for the Cubs. Scales is 31 years old. He needed 11 years and more than 3,300 minor league at-bats to make it to the show. But make it he did. Even got a hit off Tim Lincecum, a pitcher so great that he might one day make it to the Hall of Fame.
Waiting in his locker after the biggest game of his long professional baseball career was an expensive bottle of champagne that had been promised five years earlier.
Bobby Scales looked at the note attached to the bubbly and displayed the biggest smile allowed in a losing clubhouse.
‘‘All the hard work paid off,’’ the card read.
Tip o’ the cap to Bobby Scales, living the dream. If he never plays another game, he’ll still share something in common with this guy — plus an extra four at-bats, and a hit.
