Doug Mientkiewicz and the World Series Red Sox ball

Ballgate Swings Wide Open

Everybody Has An Opinion on the Story They Want
Everyone to Stop Talking About

"Doug sounds like he is trying to sound like a guy thinking this out as he goes along. I have heard everything said recently by Doug and canny wife, Jodi who clearly has a big future in public relations work and I hear a whole lot of spin going on. As both Doug and Jodi admit when she first saw him in the clubhouse, she quickly got around to asking; �do you still have the ball�? Interesting preoccupation, don�t you think? ...

"Some achievements in baseball despite occurring in a team context speak so much of individual accomplishment; a three thousandth hit, a no-hitter, a 20 strikeout pitching performance, hitting for the cycle, really any record individual performance, that we readily accept that the player deserves to keep memorabilia associated with the performance. But where was the individual performance here?

"What heroic individual feat trumping team play did Doug Mientkiewicz accomplish in Game 4 of the 2004 World Series that merited singling him out over the effort of the Boston Red Sox team and the hopes and histories of their legions of fans over 176 baseball games?

"The first time such a playoff series winning baseball came Doug Mientkiewicz�s way in a Red Sox uniform was in game 7 of the ACLS. He rightly saw that if one individual deserved the baseball, it was Derek Lowe and he gave the ball to Derek Lowe; nice gesture, Doug. ...

"I am confident that despite the initial response by Larry Lucchino who probably regrets his public airing, the matter will now be negotiated quietly behind the scenes. But make no mistake, Red Sox ownership will not tolerate a situation with an employee where they feel they are being taken advantage of and have options.

"If Doug and Jodi Mientkiewicz don�t come to their senses, Doug won�t be wearing a Boston Red Sox uniform in April 2005. This would be truly unfortunate as it is generally understood by people in the know that the Boston Red Sox intended if possible to trade Kevin Millar, in part because of off-field behaviors, and make Doug Mientkiewicz their first baseman, a move vigorously debated-largely supported by the fans." -- Brasstacks on RedSoxNation.net

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