No amateurs in the clubhouse, please
-
- January
- 24
Todd, a loyal reader from way back, pointed out this story to me.
Seems an 18-year-old managed to impersonate a reporter and get into the clubhouse at Shea Stadium last season. He was discovered when he tried to have a picture taken with Mike Piazza, who was in town with the Padres.
Heck, if he had just listened to Mike talk about heavy-metal music and right-wing politics, he could have stayed there all day.
The kid got a $1,000 fine and was ordered to stay away from Shea Stadium and Port St. Lucie for three years.
Being legally prohibited from entering Shea Stadium and Port St. Lucie? Where can I sign up for that?
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on Wednesday, January 24th, 2007 at 12:28 pm by Peter Abraham.
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Peter Abraham
You couldn’t pay me $1000 to visit that dump, other than possibly to rescue Willie Randolph.
Wasn’t aware that Mike was a right-winger.
not a bad deal, either, considering Shea is only open another 2 full seasons anyway.
You know, it’s a little scary that the kid was able to get in easily. Given his attitude in the Courthouse, that his credentials looked better than the reporter’s who was present, I’d say he didn’t get enough of a punisment. I guess you have to hope that he’ll wise up as he gets older, but I’d say you have to worry about this kid.
Pete, how is security at the various stadia in the majors? Is just showing your press credentials enough to get you in? There are so many nuts running around, and with something going on this year like Barry Bonds maybe breaking the HR record, does security get tighter?
This kid is friends with my roommate at college and spent the day here a few months ago.
Barry Bonds only has 411 HR’s, no record there.
(‘99 on does not count).
TurnTwo,
That’s a good point, but they did go out of their way to say Mets home games. Not that it really matters. The kid could go to Opening Day if he wants to. Are the guys at the gates going to be checking IDs? Delete that. I don’t want to give them any ideas.
So, Chris NY, I see you’ve taken a stand on the Bonds issue :). Me, I’m still hoping is pulls a hammy in spring training. And then re-pulls it when he returns June. Or is it his knee that I think should go out? Hmmm.
Normally, I’m a nice person and I don’t wish hardship to anyone, but injury seems to be the easiest way out in this case. Maybe someone in the Giants locker room and booby trap Barry’s barcolounger. (Only ‘half’ kidding)
I meant: hoping “he” pulls a hammy and; someone in the locker room, “can” booby trap…
My eyes are still dilated from the eyedoctor , so I can’t see what I’m typing!
Doreen, you make a very good point about security, but I think you underestimate the number of nuts at a Major League game. Good luck finding any regular who isn’t a nut in my section.
As far as the kid’s punishment. This really isn’t a big deal. No one got hurt and it’s actually pretty funny.
and here’s hoping Roger Maris’ kids drag McGwire out of hiding and beat a surrender of the single season HR record out of him…. A needle may have made his arms hard but his character is soft as the stay-puff marsmallow man. He’s a no-heart HACK!
Oh, Todd, I certainly agree that there are any number of nuts always in attendance at every game; I was more concerned with actually getting into the off-limits areas.
Saying no one got hurt—my feeling is that that’s only lucky. This particular kid meant no harm, and you have to almost admire his chutzpah in figuring out a way to meet his baseball idol. But I guess these days everything extrapolates into a “what if” situation. And perhaps the next kid doesn’t have such innocent intentions. I guess I believe in taking some preventive measures where it seems reasonable.
I tip my hat to this kid. How many people on this blog would do anything to have a day in the Yankees club house? This kid just went ahead and did it with his team. It doesn’t speak well for security, but an 18 year old pulling something like this off doesn’t make him a degenerate criminal, just a gutsy 18 year old.
Regardless of whether or not the kid was gutsy or funny, his entering the locker room presents to the public a breach in security. No doubt it was a nice effort and good experience for the kid but not punishing him or giving him a light punishment would encourage more acts of his kind, possibly from more dangerous people than an 18 year old fan. How about a 30 year old ex-con pissed that David Wright struck out in the 8th inning the night before? The story certainly sends a message that it isn’t impossible to get in there and some action needed to be taken. Not good.
Anyways, he should have got us some video and put it up on youtube.
“The Fan,” 1996 – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116277/
Speaking of Bonds and the “record”...
Yankees play the Giants in San Fransicko in mid-June. Luckily, Bonds probably won’t be near his magic number. How disgusting would it be if he hit 755/776 off of a Yankee?
I’m not a big interleague fan, but it is cool when you get to see the Yankees’ pitchers face an NL player like Bonds that they never see. I’m curious to see the Mussina/Wang matchup against Bonds.
Russ, I absolutely agree with you. It is problematic to me that anyone can see this as simply a harmless prank. And to that point, Chris NY, great link on this subject. I could really get into a discussion on the permissiveness of today’s society, the tendency to excuse poor behavior, and slaps on the wrist serving as punishment, but this is not the place.
As far as Bonds breaking the record in mid-June, isn’t that about the time Hughes and/or Clemens could be pitching for the Yanks? Now, this would NOT be funny, but wouldn’t it be interesting if Hughes’ first HR was given up to Bonds to break the record? Ugh!!! Or to have Clemens’ name forever linked to Bonds? Ugh!!! It’s really not that far-fetched. I think is magic number is 12, right? And if he gets off to a hot start, it could happen….
I’d much rather see Clemens on the mound and brush him off the plate every at bat. His decrepit knee would buckle and he’d be back on the DL where he belongs…..
Plus, does Bonds even have the power left in his legs to generate a HR out of the Stadium? I think I heard all his shots now are pretty weak..
Chris, I like your Clemens scenario much better. Is the Giants’ stadium that easy to hit in? I keep hearing that they built that stadium specifically tailored to Bonds’ power. is that true?
They’d probaby have Bonds DH-ing at Yankee stadium, so he might have a little stamina.
I’m not sure, but I think their stadium (SBC) is pitcher friendly, which didn’t really matter when Bonds was hitting every HR a mile long… but I don’t know if he still has that kind of distance with the bum knee.
If Bonds hits a homerun off Clemens, it will only be one steroid user hitting it off another steroid user. Anyone who doesn’t think Clemens is on something is just plain blind.
Settle down on the steroid issue, Chris. Most players in the 90’s used them so McGwire isn’t anymore of a “degenerate” than anyone else. And Bonds probably would have reached 700 hrs without steroids. People forget that when he was skinny, he could still flat-out rake. Ditto McGwire.
Doreen, that definitly isn’t true. Like most lefties, Bonds is a pull hitter, and the distance to the right field foul pole is only 310 feet. However, the wall is over 20 feet high and the distance to right center is much further at 365. The ballpark juts out even further in deep right center and center, which is about 420 feet. At&t Park (it’s the third corporate name already) is a pitcher’s park that doesn’t really favor any hitter.
Spoken like a true Sox fan, or is it Mets’ fan?
Bonds probably would have, other than the 73, his numbers weren’t that skewed from his earlier years… but he’s a soap opera star and a whiner, so I could care less about whether or not he deserves the criticsm. He didn’t need the steroids, but he did it, and did nothing to hide it (30lbs in one off-season…. any idiot can see it in the photos).
As for Clemens, I don’t know where you’re getting blind from… sure, steroids COULD explain his longevity, but he got fat over the years, not jacked. Yes, not all steroids and the like are used to gain size, but I doubt he’d get fat while working out on them either. Hard work and exercise as he got older can also explain the longevity. Ask any 70 year old you see in the gym or still running marathons, there’s plenty out there and I doubt they spike there Ovaltine.
McGwire has no character at this point, period. At least Giambi gave a half assed apology. “Big-Mac” is a recluse who publicly showed no back-bone. He stole a Yankee record and does not deserve the credit anymore than it’s current holder.
I suppose Roger Meris used to inject himself also??
and for the record, I’m not so naive to think there wasn’t an alarming number of players that juiced in the 90’s… I just can’t stand Bonds and his whining. McGwire, I just think handled things terribly.
I am a die-hard Yankee fan. Clemens fan is another story. First of all, Clemens is a great pitcher and a hall of famer and I think he would be great regardless of steroids. But he is not fat. He is very muscular and keeps in tremendous shape. But keeping in shape alone can’t explain what a freak he has become: no one has had this much success so late in a career. At 44, he is still one of the best pitchers in baseball. Nolan Ryan and Warren Spahn hung around into their forties but did not dominate the way Clemens does now. His physique has changed drastically from his younger days, like Bonds and McGwire. In addition, steroids help recovery time and can lengthen careers (but no lives) Clemen’s dominace at this age is something that needs to be scrutinized a little more.
I meant so say “not lives” not “no”. Also Chris, do these 70 year-olds still win the marathons they compete in? I would say no. There’s a difference between hanging around and blowing away the competition.
I don’t disagree that he’s anomaly, but you have to realize he is also pitching in the NL. I hope like hell he can dominate the same way back in the AL East, but I think it’s only realistic to think his numbers are going to suffer. Will he still do very well, yes, extremely well for a 44 year old, yes. But if you don’t think there’s fat along with his changed body, look at his gut. His body changed at least in part because of age, which is inevitable. I highly doubt you can look honestly at the changes from a 21 year old boy to a 44 year old man and equate them to the changes Bonds and McGwire made literally overnight (and I’ll even concede the same for Giambi).
The people who did accuse Clemens also accused Pettitte. Now if you look at pictures of Pettitte, he looks exactly as he did when he broke in with the Yankees (just saw the 1996 opening day on YES over the weekend, no skinnier than he is now). He is another one who had put on some weight but now that he’s been on Clemens’ workout program, has slimmed down, but his body does not look to have changed.
I won’t balk at people bringing Clemens’ name up in these conversations because of the sheer unlikelihood of what he’s doing. But, I will argue it is not some foregone conclusion like it is for Bonds, McGwire, Canseco, etc…
My point with the 70 year olds is that people in general are realizing that lifting some weights can have tremendous health effects, not just for meatheads in bodybuilding competitions or linebackers. Yes, this is assisted with drugs for atheletes, and weekend warriors just looking to impress for that matter, can it still be done naturally as well, especially if the desired effects are to be built like Clemens. Go to any gym and you’ll see plenty of 44 year olds with his physique. If they happened to be superstar pitchers from the time they were 21, I’m sure they’d still be pretty good now too. yes, pretty good, not dominant, but he’s one guy doing it. If steroids were the answer, I have a feeling there would be more 44 year olds dominating now than there are.
Ross, thanks for your answer regarding AT&T Park (and also thanks for the current name of the stadium) and Barry Bonds.
I don’t know about Clemens and steroids, but I’m not naive enough to be surprised if it’s true. What I do think is it’s a sad, sad thing that players of Clemens’ and Bonds’ absolute talent and dominance of the game felt a need to be bigger than the game. Bonds probably would have beaten the record without using steroids, and ironically may not have been plagued with the particular injuries he’s now suffering from. Or maybe not. But he sure would have been close.
The reason why Clemens gets some benefit of the doubt is that he’s had a strong work ethic ALWAYS and no one has ever challenged that; in addition, he’s been a good teammate, for the most part, during his career. Again, I know he’s not been a boyscout and he also has a big ego—he knows he’s Roger Clemens.
I think one of the differences with Barry Bonds, and why he gets no sympathy, no benefit of any doubt, no nothin’, is that he’s NEVER been seen as a team player—mostly a selfish guy who thinks his talent and his “pedigree” puts him on a plane above anyone else he plays or has played with. He’s arrogant, and I think that is what no one will ever be able to forgive him for. Is it fair? No, but that’s human nature. We can take conceit, but only with a grain of self-deprication.
Giambi “apologized.” Or at least you felt he was humbled a little by the experience. Again, he’s another guy you see as a team player.
McGwire I don’t know enough about, but he’s never seemed to get that whatever he took at least may have enhanced his performance. But I also think he never expected to hit that many home runs; I think he, as much as all of us, got caught up in the hype and excitement of it all. Add in the fact that it was a race with another player, it all became larger than life. What seemed ridiculous with McGwire was his “performance” in front of Congress. Perhaps he felt between a rock and a hard place, but there had to be a better way to handle it—maybe he should have gotten better lawyers. But the fact that’s he’s locked himself away speaks volumes. It either says he’s too ashamed to face the questions; or it can also say, he simply does not know how to handle it. Either way, it’s sad.
I have learned as I’ve gotten older that most of my “heros” from my youth (in many areas, not just sports) have not lived up to my idea of what I thought they were. As long as I didn’t read the “unauthorized biographies” or watch the 60-minute-type exposes, or actually listen to them open their mouths and sound so collossally stupid, I was okay. But sometimes reality stinks.
The one thing I will say for McGwire is that the way he’s acting now does seem to be hiding due to shame. That at least shows he might regret it or at least feels some guilt and shame, yes weak for not stepping up, but I kinda feel for the guy in a small way. Bonds, I would highly doubt will ever feel anything other than that this world owes HIM something, as he is our God and we should all bow down to him… Massive ego, that is why no-one likes him.
To get back to a MUCH earlier part of the thread, I had no idea Piazza was from the conservative side of politics. Hey Pete, could you shed anymore light on this? I wouldn’t be shocked though, most athletes are conservative republicans. Just look at senator Jim Bunning (as ultra conservative as they come)
Isn’t the SF Giants stadium on it’s 4th corporate name? SBC, Comcast, Pacbell, AT&T? And to someone who questioned Bonds’ homerun power earlier, he led the NL in longest Ave home run last year with 407 ft. Actually tied with Shawn Green.
Ross: Piazza is more of a Libertarian than a Republican. He pays close attention to the discourse. Piazza was always an interesting guy to talk to.
Thanks, Pete
I knew there was a reaon I always dug Piazza.