Firings of thirdbase coaches are like onions, they have layers

I’m rarely, if ever, offended by words or deeds. People say and do what they believe is right or necessary. That’s fine. Me too.

Recently, I sarcastically suggested the Yankees had solved their problems by offing Bobby Meacham and Rich Monteleone.

Obviously, these guys, a thirdbase coach and a special pitching instructor, whatever that is, had nothing to do with the Yankees’ awful play in 2008, but stranger firings, and hirings, have and will always happen in pro sports.

That said, I ran across this:

http://blackathlete.net/artman2/publish/BASN_BLACKBOX_54/Yankees_Eliminate_Major_Problem.shtml

This Web site says the same thing I said, only takes it a step further and says the Yankees saw Meacham as a problem because he is black. I’d tell you more but it crashed my browser - twice. Because I’m white? I wonder ... *thoughtfully taps chin*

Anywho ...

The Web site points out the Yankees had no black players on the roster. It states Derek Jeter doesn’t count ... doesn’t count? It also suggestes the Yankees cut black players from the roster in an effort to make the playoffs. Well, yeah ... we all saw how Latroy Hawkins pitched.

It should be noted few blacks play baseball these days. An April 15, 2008 report stated 8.2 percent of MLB players are black. Numerous stories have been written about this and MLB has made an effort to reach out to “inner city youths” with programs such as RBI.

Here’s a story from 2007 about economics and baseball. It blames the draft’s structure and cost, which pushes teams to look elsewhere, specifically Latin nations, because those players don’t need to be drafted, just found and signed, and take smaller bonuses.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/13/commentary/sportsbiz/index.htm

Former Yankee, Dodger, Marlin, Brave, Brewer and now Tiger, and longtime malcontent Gary Sheffield infamously suggested teams want Latin players because they work cheap. There wasn’t too much made of that at the time, probably because people were more interested in his alleged connection to steroids.

If this is sarcasm, and I assume it is, bravo. The best sort is delivered in a way that doesn’t look or feel like sarcasm. It’s said and if the audience gets it, good. If not, we move along.

So my question is: Was Monteleone fired because he’s Italian?

Tom Tresh died today

Don't know much about him. I remember my dad buying his baseball card for me during THAT time. You know, when everyone was collecting and suddenly there was 40 brands and dozens of special releases.

He looked like a Yankee of the era. Short hair, baggy uniform, on one knee leaning over a bat. He was Rookie of the Year in 1962, I've learned.

Not sure that card is worth anything. Anyway, one more piece of the past falls away.

Here's the card I have. His rookie card, it turns out. Nice job, dad.

Give us the Willie

Yankees are rumored to be courting Willie Randolph. It makes sense and it’s typical of the Yankees to reach out to ex-players. Randolph was certainly greated with warmth at the Stadium’s closing ceremony.

This stuff about Madonna and A-Rod, true or otherwise, is an absolute joke. Who cares?! WHO CARES?!?!

Blame shifting

So, the Yankees have identified the scapegoats for their failure to make the playoffs. More will undoubtedly follow.

Bobby Meacham, their now-former thirdbase coach, and Rich Monteleone,
their now-former bullpen coach, were fired. Clearly these men were
responsible for the Yankees not hitting in the clutch, or getting more
than 30 starts from only two of their starters.

Now,
finally,the dust has settled and the Yankees can move forward. These
great weights have been lifted, the cross taken from their aching
shoulders.

Please, Meacham stood around most of the season eating sunflowers seeds, looking supremely goofy in that flapless helmet and Monteleone answered a phone. He was more a receptionist than coach.

Special guest appearance by ...

If you look closely, you can see the Virgin Mary's outline in the text of my previous post.

Crazy, I know.

You haven’t heard the last of me!

Brian Cashman got his extension. Good. He deserves it. He makes reasonably good decisions and can’t force pitchers to not stink. He’s the right guy for the job ... plus, I’m pretty sure no one else wants it.

Except me.

Hear that Steinbrenners? I’ll take your ranting and raving and media antics.

I’m just saying.

Thespoof.com, which can be described as a poor, stupid, unfunny man’s onion.com, posted an article about how mad George Steinbrenner was about the Yankees not making the playoffs. If you’re a Yankees fan or are just in a good mood and want to be annoyed, here’s the link:

http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s6i41459

Or, you could do yourself a favor and pretend I never mentioned it.

In other news: The special edition “Iron Man” DVD will rock your face off. Go buy it. In fact, if I were a Congressman, I’d demand a rider to the bailout bill be: Every American receives one copy of the double-disc “Iron Man” DVD. But not the Blu-Ray version. That would be fiscally irresponsible of me. It would be a misuse of taxpayer dollars, which we all know Congress vigorously protects and would never take an impossibly large amount of and heave straight into the gaping maw of Wall Street, whose participants deserve only a raging case of VD — any VD will do.

Fin.