Cincinnati Reds Quiz: 1) What year did Riverfront Stadium
open? 2) Who was the manager from 2003-2005? [Parts of both
’03 and ’05.] 3) When did the Reds last win the World Series?
4) Four different players won the NL MVP award in the 1970s.
Name them. [Two won it twice.] 5) Name the three to win the
Rookie of the Year award in the 60s. 6) Who was the last Red to
win a batting title? 7) Who am I? I hit 40 home runs in 1955
and my initials are W.P. 8) Who is the all-time leader in wins
with only 179? Answers below.
Kirk Radomski
Looks like this 37-year-old dirtball, now an admitted steroids
dealer, is about to become a household name as he pleaded guilty
to dealing and money laundering as an offshoot of the BALCO
scandal.
As part of a plea agreement with the Feds, Radomski stated “I
distributed anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing
drugs…to dozens of current and former Major League Baseball
players (on various teams) and their associates.”
And who is Kirk Radomski? He was a bat boy / clubhouse
attendant for the New York Mets from 1985 to 1995, though
supposedly his steroid distribution activities were for a 10-year
period following his employment with them, during which he
was acting as a personal trainer up until his Long Island home
was raided by federal agents in December 2005. Radomski has
admitted to providing the steroid deca-durabolin, testosterone,
Clenbuterol, human growth hormone and amphetamines to
players. And he’s been naming names, dozens of them…dozens
of ballplayers.
None of the names have been released as yet but they will be.
[Thus far they have been redacted from the search warrant
affidavit.] And baseball union officials are so concerned they
have been contacting players to warn them of what is coming.
Union officials claim not to know the names.
Significantly, as part of his plea agreement [Radomski could still
receive up to 25 years in prison!], he must cooperate with George
Mitchell’s investigation. Thus far, players themselves have
refused to, but when actual names come up, Mitchell’s boys will
have some leverage. Radomski also agreed to testify in a grand
jury proceeding requested by the government and participated in
undercover activities under the supervision of law enforcement
officials. In other words, there are wiretaps.
Just hours before news of Radomski’s plea broke, union chief
Donald Fehr told a meeting of The Associated Press Sports
Editors, “I think testing is working. The incidence of use is
down. Ten to 15 years from now, people will say, ‘with the war,
global warming and 9/11, why did we spend so much time on
things like Anna Nicole Smith and steroids?”” This sounds pretty
stupid now, Mr. Fehr.
Those of us seeking the truth in this matter can thank Jeff
Novitzky, the IRS special agent and lead investigator on the
BALCO case. In the latest affidavit tied to Radomski, Novitzky
notes he received a tip about him through an unidentified MLB
contact on March 19, 2005. So Radomski was under
investigation for nine months before his home was raided.
Radomski has evidently provided drugs to at least one MLB
player publicly associated with the BALCO investigation, and
more specifically, at least one player now or then in the Bay
Area. [Barry Bonds’ attorney claims “I have never heard this
guy’s name. This has nothing to do with Barry.”]
Reminder…the use of anabolic steroids without a prescription
has been a federal crime since 1991. Barry Bonds’ personal
trainer, Greg Anderson, remains in prison for refusing to testify
before a grand jury that is investigating Barry and drugs.
T.J. Quinn / New York Daily News
“A source who knew Radomski said his business really took off
in late 2003, when the BALCO lab was raided. If Radomski was
working for the government for the past 16 months, there are
players all over the game wondering whether their voices and
names were recorded on wiretaps, if their checks were seized by
the government, and if their names are listed on a redacted search
warrant affidavit….
“[According to the affidavit], IRS and FBI agents seized checks
and phone records connecting Radomski to the players he says
he served. One of those players, yet unnamed, was a BALCO
client.”
“It’ll be interesting where it goes,” said former Met Mike Piazza.
“It seems like the tip of the iceberg – we’ll just have to watch.”
Mike Lupica / New York Daily News
“There is somehow this cockeyed idea that once Barry Bonds
breaks the great Henry Aaron’s home run record, that he does
this without the government ever laying a glove on him or
baseball producing anything other than a positive test for
amphetamines (you could get greenies from Radomski’s drug
store, too), that somehow we will have closed the books on the
steroid era, and that we can be at peace and move on. It is a
ridiculous notion.
“To this day, Bonds is still treated by some as a political
prisoner. Sure he is. People who believe that and want you to
believe that are telling you this: They don’t believe a word of
‘Game of Shadows.’ They believe Mark Fainaru-Wada and
Lance Williams made it all up on Bonds, the drugs and the drug-
taking schedules and the way he seemed to grow like Pinocchio’s
nose over the past decade.
“But if that is the case, if it is all a lie and he never used what
Fairnaru-Wada and Williams said he used – the kind of drugs
Kirk Radomski is accused of selling now – where is the big libel
suit against the book? It is nowhere, that’s where it is.”
But on the issue of cooperating with George Mitchell’s probe,
Murray Chass of the New York Times weighs in.
“The Radomski list will give Mitchell leads, but why should
those players talk to Mitchell? He can’t force them to talk
because he has no subpoena power, and they would only be
putting themselves in jeopardy with the law.
“Yes, the Feds have the names, but there’s a difference between
having names, and even checks, and a person’s admission that he
used. That’s why the United States Attorney’s office has not
indicted Bonds and is still waiting for his former trainer to tell
what he knows about Bonds’ alleged use of steroids.
“Anything a player would tell Mitchell would subject him to a
subpoena by the government. Players who tell Mitchell of their
purchase and use of steroids would be incriminating themselves
before the law.
“If the Radomski-named players refuse to talk, Mitchell could
threaten to take the matter to a Congressional committee, which
does have subpoena power. Then baseball’s dirty laundry would
be out in public for all to see. That’s not what (Bud) Selig wants,
but it’s what he could get.”
Jason Giambi / New York Yankees…and admitted user (at least
to a grand jury)
“I’ve got nothing to do with (Radomski). I don’t know the guy. I
don’t worry about it. I did what I already did, and I’ve moved
on.”
Oh, were it that easy.
[Sources: Juliet Macur / New York Times; Amy Shipley /
Washington Post; T.J. Quinn and Amelia Hansen / New York
Daily News; Mike Lupica / New York Daily News; Murray
Chass / New York Times; Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-
Wada / San Francisco Chronicle]
Stuff
–This past Friday, North Carolina’s attorney general released the
most detailed account yet of the Duke lacrosse rape case and the
events of March 13, 2006.
From David Zucchino / Los Angeles Times
“Not only was there no rape or assault, the report by Atty. Gen.
Roy Cooper concluded, but the accuser was so ‘significantly
impaired’ by alcohol and/or drugs that she stumbled and fell
during her brief striptease. Shortly afterward, she was escorted
outside, only to pound on the back door and demand to be let
back into the house. She also shouted ‘I’m a cop’ and passed out
on the back porch, the report said.
“While being interviewed by Cooper’s investigators early this
month, the report said, the accuser was high on at least four
powerful prescription drugs including methadone. Confronted
with evidence that her allegations were false, the report said, the
woman slurred her words but continued to insist that all three
accused men had raped her.”
But Cooper’s report doesn’t answer the question, “Why did
Durham County Dist. Atty. Mike Nifong doggedly pursue a
prosecution even after it was clear early on that no eyewitnesses,
DNA tests or forensic evidence supported the accuser’s
account?”
–Boy, as a Jets fan I was fired up to see them get Pitt cornerback
and kick-returner Darrelle Revis. Great move by the team to
trade up.
But interesting bit in the Star-Ledger on Brady Quinn and his
costly fall to 22nd pick. Taking a sampling of contracts signed by
players in the 2006 draft, highlighting the third pick, where many
thought Quinn would go, or even the ninth, where the QB-
challenged Dolphins were selecting, you see what Brady lost.
1. Mario Williams / Texans…6 yrs., $54mm ($26.5mm
guaranteed)
3. Vince Young / Titans…6 yrs., $58mm ($25.9mm guaranteed)
9. Ernie Sims / Lions…5 yrs., $16.7mm ($12.1mm guaranteed)
22. Manny Lawson / 49ers…5 yrs., $13.6mm ($4.9mm
guaranteed)
–NASCAR’s Tony Stewart caused quite a stink the other day
when he likened the sport to professional wrestling. Stewart
alleged NASCAR manipulates race results by creating bogus
debris cautions to tighten things up. “I don’t know that they’ve
run a fair race all year,” he said on his weekly radio show. After
a meeting with NASCAR officials, however, Stewart said he was
wrong.
But as the New York Daily News’ Jenna Fryer reports:
“Darrell Waltrip, a three-time NASCAR champion turned
television analyst, has repeatedly told viewers this season that if
the Fox cameras can find the debris, the network will show it. So
when the debris isn’t shown, the perception that it doesn’t exist is
perpetuated.”
–I was watching a little of the Yankees-Red Sox when the
announcers showed Yankee pitching coach Ron Guidry and
noted he was a three-time 20-game winner. It’s easy to forget
how great he was. He didn’t have his first full season in the big
leagues until age 26 and was basically washed up at 35, but for
his career he was 170-91. If he gets to 200, he’s in the Hall of
Fame.
–Interesting tidbit in the New York Times. Omar Vizquel, now
on the Giants, is closing in on 2,500 hits as a shortstop, most in
baseball since 1974; yes, more than Cal Ripken Jr. who had
2,479 hits as a shortstop and 705 more at third base and as a DH.
You could win some coin on this one at your favorite watering
hole. With 11 Gold Glove awards, Vizquel is going to be an
interesting Hall of Fame candidate. I suspect he could eventually
get in through the Veterans Committee.
–You know who’s carving out a nice career, under the radar?
San Diego hurler Jake Peavey, who is 60-45 with 886 strikeouts
in 896 innings. At least I have to admit I haven’t followed him
too closely until I saw his stupendous performance the other day
where he struck out nine in a row and 16 total in a 7-inning
outing. The nine straight was the most since Tom Seaver’s
record 10-in-a-row set way back on 4/22/70 against San Diego.
Seaver fanned 19 in that game, with the last ten outs by way of
the ‘K’, and I vividly remember watching it…at least the last six
innings or so.
You see, I was in sixth grade, the game started at 2:05 p.m., and I
sprinted across the field for home after school let out at 2:30.
And thanks to baseballreference.com, I was able to confirm my
memory that Al Ferrara was the first and last victim in the final
streak; the site having box scores of all the games from that era.
[Go to ‘Mets’ or ‘Seaver’, 1970, then ‘schedule’.]
Seaver gave up a second inning solo shot to Ferrara and had 9 Ks
through five before his historic run. Here are the last ten.
Top of 6th…last out…Ferrara looking
Top of 7th…Nate Colbert, swinging; Dave Campbell, looking;
Jerry Morales, looking
Top of 8th…Bob Barton, looking; Ramon Webster, swinging;
Ivan Murrell, swinging
Top of 9th…Van Kelly, swinging; Cito Gaston, looking; Al
Ferrara, swinging
When Seaver was on in those days, man, he was overpowering.
Roger Clemens (twice) and Kerry Wood would go on to set the
record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 20.
–Speaking of spectacular individual performances, the other day
the New Jersey Nets’ Jason Kidd, supposedly injured with a bum
knee, led his team to a game three playoff win over Toronto by
scoring 16 points, dishing out 19 assists, and hauling down 16
rebounds. Fans around here are calling this one of the great
playoff performances of all time, period.
–There were rumors in New York over the weekend that the
Dolans of Cablevision and Madison Square Garden fame were
interested in buying the Yankees once George Steinbrenner puts
the franchise on the market. Steinbrenner, through his
spokesman (George doesn’t say anything in public these days),
said he would never allow Jimmy Dolan, who has destroyed the
Knicks, to do the same to the Yankees.
–This is cool. An 89-year-old Evanston, Ill., man is selling off
an extensive baseball card collection and the first installment
generated $1.6 million, including a record $160,000 for Mickey
Mantle’s 1951 rookie card. I have some mint condition 1968 and
1969 Mantle cards…worth a few hundred…but nothing better
than that.
–Goodness gracious. The spotted owl is not only on the
threatened species list in the Pacific Northwest, but now it is
under attack, literally, from its aggressive cousin the “barred
owl.” So federal officials are launching a highly controversial
plan, a controlled hunt to take out 12 to 32 barred owls in each of
18 areas by luring them with recorded calls and an owl decoy,
then assassinating them at close range. I’m kind of picturing
Michael Caine doing the dirty work, myself.
Now the Humane Society of the United States is saying the plan
to kill barred owls to save the spotted one is all wrong, that’s it’s
really about the destruction of the old-growth forests.
Both sides have it wrong. A think tank should be set up for the
owl species. Then they could appear on the Sunday talk shows.
–Set this aside for Saturday’s running of the Kentucky Derby.
Mint Julep
3 to 4 oz. bourbon
1 oz. mint-infused simple syrup
fresh mint leaves
copious amounts of shaved or pulverized ice
Muddle ½-oz. of syrup with mint leaves in bottom of a Julep cup.
Rub entire inside of cup with the syrupy leaves. Pack the cup to
over the rim with ice. Pour the other half ounce of syrup over the
ice, followed by the bourbon. Garnish with a leafy sprig of mint.
Drink – slowly, that’s a lot of bourbon – through a straw. [Eric
Felten / Wall Street Journal]
Almost sounds easier to attend the race and order three or four,
doesn’t it?
–Yikes…New Orleans is hosting both the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1
and the Bowl Championship Series title game on Jan. 7. Crime
wave!
–Talk about potential nightmares, golf’s 2008 U.S. Open is to be
played at Torrey Pines GC in La Jolla, Calif., at the very same
time the San Diego County Fair is scheduled, overlapping the
final three rounds. From Golf World:
“Only about five miles separate Torrey Pines and the Del Mar
Fairgrounds, and Interstate 5 traffic congestion between the two
points already is among the county’s worst. When the fair is
operating, the delay often exceeds an hour. Throw in a major
championship crowd and virtual gridlock in either direction
seems a certainty.”
Fair officials say they may shift its opening a few days, but in
return it is holding up the USGA for major bucks. One of the
residual issues is the USGA needs the fairgrounds’ parking spots.
–Can you believe the Golden State – Dallas playoff series? I can
only imagine what is going through Mark Cuban’s head. No one
treats his players better than he does, and this is how the Mavs
show their appreciation? [At least Josh Howard is playing OK.
Can’t blame the Wake alum.]
–Five years after Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile was found dead
in his hotel room (it was a heart issue), St. Louis pitcher Josh
Hancock, a key member of the Cards World Series pitching staff
last year, was killed in a car accident early Sunday morning.
–Jeff Gordon, who took a long time to match Dale Earnhardt’s
76 career wins last weekend, won #77 on Sunday at Talladega
(AL) and was promptly booed. Actually, some a-hole fans threw
beer cans at Gordon’s car as he took the checkered flag.
Earnhardt (as well as Dale Jr.) have huge fan bases in Alabama
and compounding matters for Gordon was the fact yesterday
would have been Dale Sr.’s 56th birthday.
–I told you the Yankees would suck. But Torre deserves to stay
on at least until about game 50 to see if he can turn it around.
–Nice start…the Kansas City Royals’ Ryan Shealy is 5-for-52,
.096, at the plate thus far.
–Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler, who had 14 homers in 423
at bats last season, has 9 in 81 this year.
–Nice moment in golf yesterday as Scott Verplank won Byron
Nelson’s tournament, the late Nelson having been Verplank’s
mentor.
–Talk about a birthday lineup…on Saturday, the following all
celebrated theirs…Ann-Margret (66), Penelope Cruz (33), and
Jessica Alba (26).
–As “For Better or For Worse” grinds to a halt, and begins to
bore some of us to tears, it just hit me that with the recent
revelation from Washington, D.C., April, who underwent an
amazing transformation upon turning 16, is one of the call girls
in the escort service that claimed a deputy secretary of state and
threatens to take down countless others as the madam had a list
of about 10,000 names. Nice parenting on Dr. and Mrs. P’s part.
–We hereby select golfer Curtis Strange for the “Bar Chat Hall
of Fame.” Not only did your editor like the fellow Demon
Deacon alum during his prime, we’ve always gotten a kick out of
his surly demeanor. I also thought he was a pretty good
commentator and got a raw deal.
But we place Curtis in the Hall because of a comment he made to
PGA Tour Partners magazine.
Q: What can’t you live without? Strange: Bud Light.
–We note the passing of Johnny Perkins, a former wide receiver
with the New York Giants who caught 163 passes in a seven-
year career. His best season was 1981 when he led the team with
51 receptions for 858 yards and six touchdowns. Perkins was
only 54.
–And Bobby (Boris) Pickett passed away at the age of 69. He is
known for the 1962 #1 hit “Monster Mash.”
Top 3 songs for the week 4/30/77: #1 “Southern Nights” (Glen
Campbell…his earlier stuff was superior) #2 “Hotel California”
(Eagles…now a bed/breakfast) #3 “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
(Thelma Houston)…and…#4 “When I Need You” (Leo Sayer)
#5 “I’ve Got Love On My Mind” (Natalie Cole) #6 “Don’t Give
Up On Us” (David Soul…geezuz, what a schmaltzy 4 thru 6) #7
“So Into You” (Atlanta Rhythm Section…these guys were
underrated) #8 “Right Time Of The Night” (Jennifer Warnes)
#9 “Sir Duke” (Stevie Wonder) #10 “Tryin’ To Love Two”
(William Bell…can’t place this one)
Cincinnati Reds Quiz Answers: 1) Riverfront opened in 1970.
Before that, Crosley Field had been around since 1912…the first
few years it was called Redland Field. 2) The manager in 2003-
2005 was Dave Miley. [He replaced Bob Boone midway thru
’03 and was replaced himself midway thru ‘05] 3) The Reds last
won the Series in 1990, sweeping the Oakland A’s. 4) MVP
awards in the 1970s: Johnny Bench (1970, 72); Pete Rose
(1973); Joe Morgan (1975-76); George Foster (1977). 5)
Rookies of the Year in the 60s: Pete Rose (1963); Tommy Helms
(1966); Johnny Bench (1968). 6) Last to win batting title: Pete
Rose, 1973. 7) Wally Post hit 40 home runs in 1955 and clubbed
210 in his career, 1949-64. 8) Despite the fact the Reds franchise
has been around since 1882, the all-time leader in wins is Hall of
Famer Eppa Rixey with 179 (1921-33). Rixey also pitched with
Philadelphia and was 266-251 overall. I was just looking at his
numbers and no offense to all you Eppa Rixey fans, but I’m
struggling with why he’s in the Hall. Very nice career, just not
great.
Next Bar Chat, Thursday, from Chicago! [This will not be
posted until Thursday p.m., after your editor visits a slew of
museums and the zoo…in search of yak. Plus, details behind a
2005 grizzly bear attack….if you keep it where it is.]
