Another Death in Baseball

Here we are in the Spring of the year when a young man's thoughts turn to love, and Spring Training. Ah, yes, baseball, my game. I admit, this year I have an interest, albeit a fraction of what it once was. I have tickets to the World Baseball Classic. World baseball, the Baseball World Cup. I was excited when baseball was a part of the Olympics. But that was several years ago. I am not that much of an enthusiast anymore. Baseball has become a different game.

I used to have respect for the game. Respect for the players and coaches. But in the past few years (some might say decades) the game has changed. It sometimes seems that it is more about the scandals and money than it is about the game itself. Now don't get me wrong. But I know the game is also about people. The people who play it, coach it and manage it. All of these people have stories.

One particular story caught my attention this week. There was a minor story in the sports section of my internet news page the other day the may have gone unnoticed by many sports enthusiasts. I don't remember hearing about the trade last year when it first came to light and if I did, I am sure I probably laughed about it. I can be insensitive like that. But the more I thought about it...the less funny it became.

And then, a few days ago I read this article:

"Minor Leaguer, Traded for Bats, Died of Heroin Overdose"
(Wednesday, March 04, 2009 AP/Tia Owens-Powers)

"Bat Man" or "Bat Guy" or "Bat Boy" — that's what they called him. Ask the most hard-core baseball fan about John C. Odom and most likely you'll get a blank stare. Yet millions of people have heard of the slender right-hander. He was the minor league player traded for 10 maple bats. It became a big joke last May, when word of the unusual swap jumped off the sports pages, and Odom went from pitcher to punch line."

You can read the rest of the article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3950464 I had tears in my eyes when I read of John Odom's death. It seemed so sad. I also wondered whether "the trade" had anything to do with it.

In the days since I read the news and today, there has been more information come to light about John Odom's "makeup" - his psyche. His current team and family and friends are stating that "the trade" had nothing to do with his death. They are stating that his death might have been the result of bad decisions while partying after the election in November. Give recent events in my life (my nephew JJ's accidental overdose) I can see how this may be the case. But I also know that there was a pain that affected my nephew. And how well can anyone ever know what is going on in another person's head and heart. May they both rest in peace.

I used to be Mr. Baseball in my family. I read the sports page everyday. I soaked up the tv news, the radio news. I listened to friends talk about baseball teams. I read minor league reports and journals. I loved it. Until the baseball player Ken Caminiti died. From my blog of May 19, 2008: "...I stated earlier that I have fallen away from baseball. The drugs and steroids scandals have really turned me off. I remember a fallen player, a once great competitor, whose skills waned a bit. He was out of baseball and died of a drug over dose. (I actually remember quite a few players that this happened to). I also remember owners and managers giving quotes to newspapers stating that they knew this one particular player (or players) was (were) using drugs but they were winning, so... " Have we lost so much of our respect for one another that we could treat another human being this way? Such a shame. So, I have weened myself off of baseball. It makes it easier, of course, now that my team is in last place. But I still miss the great ones, and I miss their stories.

If the game changes, I may be back. Until then, I wish them all well.

I hear also, that Manny Ramirez signed a $45 million contract with the Dodgers. He said he agreed to take a cut because the economy is bad. Give me a break. These people make me sick. That kind of money for playing a kids game? I have not been to a major league ball game in over two years. I may never go back. I will go if my wife or son ask me to take them. I will indulge another's desire. But for myself, I will pass. It no longer holds the same interest for me. I miss the respect for human achievement and dignity. There are a great many other issues that will have a greater and lasting affect on human culture than baseball.

Just some thoughts. Thanks for stopping by.
D.