Don’t be a chazar

The word chazar (Yiddish) translates to someone who is greedy; a pig.

In a related story,  the New York Mets announced they will raise ticket prices about 20% for the 2008 season.

Miss the playoffs = 20% ticket price increase for the following season.

Ah, just think what would have happened if the Mets actually made the playoffs last October. 

The Mitchell Report: Name by Name

Kudos to The New York Times for this comprehensive look at the players identified in Major League Baseball’s report on performance-enhancing drugs.

Fascinating. 

The Mitchell Report

Following is a guest post written by Rich Ackerman, one of today’s leading voices in sports commentary…

The findings of the Mitchell Report left me feeling as though I had just seen a well-hyped blockbuster movie that fell short of expectations. The investigation and its findings are a sign of progress, but it’s just a start. Bud Selig said he’ll deal with the players on the list on an individual basis. I’m not sure how he’s going to do this given that some of the names are those of retired players. And what happens to the statistics accumulated during this time?

The names on the list confirmed suspicions that a lot of us had. Roger Clemens is easily the player that stands to lose the most. He’s been the best pitcher of this generation and now his Hall of Fame candidacy is in jeopardy. There were other big names, former All-Stars and Most Valuable Players, but there were many fringe players as well. But what may have been more newsworthy were names that weren’t on the list. The investigation was comprehensive but it only followed leads that were already public. It failed to uncover anything further.

Still, I’ll be excited come spring training. Baseball has had scandals before, whether it’s the Black Sox of 1919 or the drug scandal of the early 80’s, and has survived. While today’s events left me disappointed, it is important to remember it is a start. Now it’s up to Bud Selig, Major League Baseball, and the Players Association to not drop the ball. Let’s hope they have good hands.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Rich attended NYU and graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.  He worked at radio stations in Charlotte, Washington DC and Chicago before joining ESPN Radio, where he hosted the 1997 NBA Draft lottery, the NBA on ESPN studio show and the WNBA finals.  Rich currently handles 20/20 updates for WFAN All-Sports Radio.

Truth*

 Chad AllenManny AlexanderRick AnkielMike BellDavid BellGary Bennett Jr.Marvin BernardLarry BigbieBarry BondsKevin BrownPaul ByrdKen CaminitiJose CansecoMark CarreonJason ChristiansenHowie ClarkRoger ClemensJack CustBrendan DonnellyLenny DykstraBobby EstalellaMatt FrancoRyan FranklinEric GagneJason GiambiJeremi GiambiJay GibbonsTroy GlausJason GrimsleyJose GuillenJerry Hairston Jr.Matt HergesPhil HiattGlenallen HillDarren HolmesTodd HundleyDavid JusticeChuck KnoblauchTim LakerMike LansingPaul Lo DucaNook LoganJosias ManzanilloGary Matthews Jr.Cody McKayKent MerckerBart MiadichHal MorrisDavid NaultyDenny NeagleJim ParqueAndy PettitteAdam PiattTodd PrattStephen RandolphAdam RiggsBrian RobertsJohn RockerF.P. SantangeloBenito SantiagoGary ScheffieldScott SchoeneweisDavid SeguiMike StantonMiguel TejadaIsmael ValdezMo VaugnRandy VelardeRon VilloneFernando VinaRondell WhiteTodd WilliamsJeff WilliamsMatt WilliamsSteve WoodardKevin YoungGregg Zaun

speak softly and carry a big stick

Virtually every Sunday from April through August, I can be found on a ballfield in Central Park, playing in the Big Apple Softball League. Our team, the Skins, has played in this particular league for the past three seasons. It’s considered one of the best men’s modified fast-pitch leagues in NYC. And our best player is a guy named Dan.

As often happens amongst softball teammates, we usually know each other’s actual first name, although sometimes we know a guy strictly by his nickname (i.e., Bugsy, Blaze, Bellevue, etc.). Knowing a teammate’s last name, where he lives, or his dating/marital status… seldom. What he does for a living… fuggedaboudit.

So, here’s Dan. For the most part, this is what we know about him… Dan can hit for average, hit for power, run, field and throw. As baseball scouts like to say, he’s a five-tool player. Simply, Dan’s a heckuva ballplayer.

But, apparently, softball is not Dan’s greatest strength.

The other day, while flipping through the current issue of Esquire magazine, I came across a story about the best young teachers in New York.  Esquire’s editors asked every public school principal in NYC to nominate the rising stars on their faculties. There, on page 223, was a full-page shot of one of these teachers, wearing a borrowed $2,700 Prada suit and $1,000 Movado lizard strap watch.

The guy in the photo… the Skins best player, Dan.

Throughout the entire softball season and thereafter, he never mentioned that he was nominated as one of the best teachers in NYC; never bragged to being photographed by Esquire. You see, Dan is one of those guys that speaks softly and carries a big stick. Funny, it always seems the true stars are like that. In softball. And in life.

Baseball. Life.

In this post, our focus will be on baseball.

Occasionally, we’ll let life seep into our discussions, too.

Baseball.  Life.  Sometimes, it’s difficult to separate the two.