Honestly, you asked for trouble Kids really do say the darndest things, a fact Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. was rudely reminded of recently.
Seeing that he wasn’t starting against the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Maholm, he asked Manager Dusty Baker’s 9-year-old son, Darren, why he was out of the lineup.
According to the Dayton (Ohio ) Daily News, here’s the conversation that followed.
Darren: “Because you can’t hit left-handed pitchers.” Junior: “I hit 21 home runs off left-handers in 1996.” Darren: “That was 1996. You’re old now.” Informed of the exchange, Darren’s dad just shook his head.
“Hey, don’t ask a kid,” he said. “He’ll tell you.” New York, New York New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain gave Sports Illustrated his take on New York City. “Such an eclectic group of people — different cultures, different styles,” he said. “In Nebraska [his home state ], we don’t get clothes from Europe; we get Wranglers.” Interesting Add Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf to the list of those who think interleague play is an idea whose time has passed. “I think it takes away from the World Series, but the fans want it, so I gave up that fight a long time ago,” he told the Chicago Tribune. “The thing about [Cubs vs. White Sox ] is that while it’s going on there’s so much excitement, so much hype. But at the end of the year, when you look at 162 games, the games in your division are far more important.” Stealing New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said he is saddened that this is Yankee Stadium’s final season and acknowledged that he planned on taking some souvenirs from the old ballpark at the end of the season. “You can write it however you want it. I’m going to steal something,” he said, not mincing his words. But Jeter won’t say what because he doesn’t want the Yankees to know. “When it’s gone, they’re going to come after me,” he said.
Seller’s market San Diego Padres Chief Executive Officer Sandy Alderson says he expects the team to be a seller before the July 31 trading deadline. “If we were to be buyers, it would be hard to choose among catcher, shortstop, outfield, starting pitcher, half the bullpen,” he said. “There’s not a shopping cart big enough.” Pickup Oakland Athletics closer Huston Street told Sports Illustrated how he met his wife, Lacey: “She doesn’t like me to say that we met on Sixth Street, but we met on Sixth Street, at a bar in Austin [Texas ],” he said. “She was 18, I was 20. Then she played hard to get. She didn’t return my calls for two months — literally. And I called a lot. Four times a week. Embarrassing, but it worked.” Happy time “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” turns 100 this year, and it has a real bounce in its step for Andy Strasberg, a San Diego-based sports marketer and author. “How many things have lasted 100 years and are more popular than ever ?” he said. And, he happily says he’s so “obsessed” with the song that his doorbell chimes out the tune.
Quote of the day “It’s a lot of whacking a ball around, that’s for sure. It’s just kind of survival.” LPGA Tour member Kelli Kuehne on playing 30 holes of golf Saturday at the Northwest Arkansas Championship
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