Jeff: Tom Hanks is a liar

I think I might have to stop trusting actors. Stop believing them when they say "I'll be back" or "FREEDOM!!!" or "in the poker game of life, women are always the rake" (wait that last one is definitely true). In the movie a League of Their Own, trusted actor, academy award winner and the guy who once jumped around on a big piano, Tom Hanks, uttered the words "Are you crying?!?! There's no crying in baseball!!! There's no crying!!!" Well Mr. Hanks, or should I say Jimmy Dugan, you sir are wrong! After what I saw from America's past time this past week, there unfortuneatley is some crying in baseball (there was also the story of a guy getting shot in the leg ON A TEAM BUS, but he wasn't seriously injured because he was wearing cheerleading boots while dressing up as a USC cheerleader. I don't even know where to begin with that one, so i'll leave it for now).

Last weekend, ANgels outfielder Jose Guillen was pulled from the game for a pinch runner by his manager (and former World Champ as a player with the Dodgers in '88) Mike Soscia. Guillen, who was hitting .297 with almost 30 HR's and 100 RBI, threw a temper tantrum any 3 year old would be proud of. Yelling and cursing and throwing things (his glove, helmet and contempt) in the direction of his manager who was at the other end of the dugout.

Two nights ago Los Angeles Dodger Milton Bradley (insert board game joke here) got into a fight with a fan--in LA!!! With a DODGER FAN!!! Is there something in the water in LA? Bradley had to be restrained by security guards and then was escorted off the field. On his way, he removed his jersey, which as anyone would tell you is always a classy move, and challenged all the fans above the Dodger dugout (again let me point out these were DODGERS FANS) to a fight before disappearing into the clubhouse.

Now, if this were the NBA, you'd see the headcoach and various other people from team management running after their star player, coddling them, cooing at them and promising to make things better. Thankfully, this wasn't the NBA and there's still a few people in baseball who have a backbone. There's still a few lone souls left who believe in this thing called disipline. These are people who probably spanked their kids, actually said the word "no" to their children and didn't give them everything they wanted. Basically they didn't put up with brats, and knew just how to treat these two so called "men" in baseball. Guillen, following a discussion after the game, was suspended for the season--including the playoffs. Scoscia said today that even if the player's association fights to get Guillen's suspension overturned (I can't decide who's going to hell faster--pro owners or the player's associations. It's a dead heat right now), he will not put Guillen on the field the rest of the year, and MLBPA can sue him for all he cares.

In LA, Major League Baseball suspended Bradley for the rest of the season (which is now 4 whole games) and the Dodgers are not going to appeal. Keep in mind, Bradley started the season in Spring Training with Cleveland, where he failed to run out a ground ball, was benched, started crying and throwing another tantrum and was promptly traded to LA two days later. Without their so-called best player, the INdians played far above expectations. LA wanted him, and this is what they get. I'd be showing him the door in the offseason. I'd be keeping him off the post-season roster. Of course I'm one of those few crazy lone souls left who believes in discipline and respect and not catering to brats (closed circuit to TheDan--and I'm a democrat! HA!). I applaud Soscia for his stand. I would have liked to have seen the Dodgers suspend Bradley before MLB did. Bradley said today he's going to change his tune, and get counselling. I'll believe it when I see it.

Baseball players may be THE most spoiled athletes in sports right now--although NBA players are close. But it's nice to see a few examples of people standing up to them, and showing some "old school" values. Crazy things like putting the team first. Who knows? This kind of thinking might actually work...like with the Patriots, Pistons, Flames--oh wait, we no longer have professional hockey, sorry--and the Marlins last year. You know this might just be crazy enough to work. Somebody should alert the Portland Trail Blazers to this. They might want to know. And somebody see if there's any real-life Jimmy Dugans who don't want to put up with crying, sniveling, whining players. The game would be better for it.

Now about the guy in the cheerleading outfit getting shot in the leg...