On May 9, 7:33 pm, "RJA" <r...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> "Kevin McClave" <kmccl...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
>
> > First of all, crack is worse then "regular" cocaine, no? Secondly,
while
> > Raines may have had a career (and lots of injuries) until he was 42,
is
> > that type of mircale really the type of thing we want to rely on? How
> > many guys are not only not playing but dead before their time?
Allan Wiggins and Rod Scurry clearly had their careers and life
shortened by substance abuse issues. Strawberry, maybe Gooden
(more likely he was simply worked too hard young). Howe?
DIdn't seem to affect his arm, but at minimum you have to
count the time lost to his suspensionss.
You can argue for John Mayberry or Willy Aikens -- though
I don't see it myself. Daryl Sconiers was a big-time prospect
who washed out. You can argue for drugs here but there's
no way of knowing.
Dale Berra, Vida Blue, LaMarr Hoyt and others had their
careers affected by drug related prison time. Blue's
career actually ended when he failed a court ordered
drug test during spring training. Mike Norris was dealing
with injury problems and legal problems at the same time.
The injuries would have killed his career in any case.
Jerry Martin couldn't catch on with anybody after he did
time. Willie Wilson ent to prison at the same time and
basically continued his career without interruption.
Others (like Caminiti) had no obvious affect on their career
but died young.
But Raines isn't a miracle at all. Plenty of guys had normal
career arcs after picking up a coke habit.
Paul Molitor comes to mind. Aged very well.
And I'd take Keith Hernandez's career. Hell I'd take Lee Lacy's
(he sure aged well at any rate)
Here's the full list of players Peter Uberroth attempted to
discipline (mostly fallout from the Curtis Strong affair)
Joaquim Andujar
Dale Berra
Enos Cabell
Keith Hernandez
Jeff Leonard
Dave Parker
Lonnie Smith
Al Holland
Lee Lacy
Larry Sorenson
Claudell Washington
Gary Matthews
Tim Raines
Vida Blue
Dickie Noles
Daryl Sconiers
Manny Sarmiento
Derrel Thomas
Alan Wiggins
Rod Scurry
Oh yeah. Dusty Baker.
(At one point I counted 42 players who had been before various
commissioners for drug problems in the 80s)
Throw in Otis Nixon and Darrell Porter.
Don't get me wrong. I've had the pleasure of dealing with addicts.
If they don't get treatment (and stay with it) I don't
want anything to do with them. But an awful lot of guys went
through coke issues and came out fine.
(This by the way was Whitey Herzog's policy. Smith and
Porter got help and he had no problem keeping them. And he
ran Hernandez and Mayberry out of town when they wouldn't
deal with their problem)
> Awwwwwwwwww man. Is that true? Tim Raines was my favorite growing up.
My
> APBA leadoff hitter for several years.
Yeah. Molitor's career is fairly similar to Raines'.
How do we know about Molitor's use? Well the story is that he
paid his dealer by check. May or may not be true since to
my knowledge Molitor's actual testimony against the dealer
has never been made public.
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