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| Little Laura Jean |
Pete Rose has requested reinstatement
from current baseball commissioner Rob Manfred.
At this point Manfred has agreed to meet with Rose even though there
appears to be little to no chance he will be reinstated. All appears to be well on that front.
Meanwhile, Alex
Rodriguez, the most egregious of Baseball’s current cheaters continues to
flourish. The news now reaches us that
the Yankee organization has hit a new baseball-low by announcing they will have
a public celebration at Yankee Stadium on September 13 in honor of A-Rod
collecting his 3000th hit this season. Are we to just ignore the fact that he should
have never been allowed back into the game and certainly should have never
again been allowed to adorn Yankee pinstripes?
OR - that a great many hits
were gathered while he was all juiced up?
So why should we care if the Yankees continue to make a mockery out of our most sacred sport? Why? Because it sends a message – a message that legitimizes corruption and therefore weakens not only baseball’s image but American culture and value structure as well.
Consider, if you
will, little Laura Jean.
Laura
Jean had her heart stolen when she was seven-years-old and the culprit has
never returned it. This felony occurred at the ballpark where her baseball
crazed father once took her on a regular basis.
Granted
this malicious thief was twice named to the All Star team. He played his position better than anyone
else in baseball having won four Gold Glove awards and was once named the Most
Valuable Player in an American League Championship Series. Yet, he will never be enshrined in the Hall
of Fame.
So on
a beautiful soft summer night on the ride home from the ballpark, with little
Laura Jean rambling on about her hero, her old man had to ask; “Why
do you like him so much?”
All she said was; “Oh dad, he’s really special.” Her intuition was validated some 12 years
later when she spoke disappointingly about his retirement.
It
was in April of 2000 when the 41-year-old, 18 year veteran, carried his weary
bones into manager Jimmy Williams Boston Red Sox office. He said his injured knee from 1988 was aching
and his bat was tired. He told the
skipper because he could no longer be of value to the Red Sox he would be requesting
his unconditional release from the team.
Williams pleaded with him to stay and fill a reserve role with the Red
Sox. Laura Jean’s heartthrob responded
by saying he could not continue with a clear conscience. To him, that would be the equivalent of
stealing his $350,000 salary.
Laura
Jean was asked which she would choose; an autograph from Pete Rose, Barry
Bonds, Roger Clements, A-Rod or her hero?
“That’s a no brainer;” she
said. It would definitely be the man who
will never be considered for induction into Cooperstown.
Yes -
she is definitely of sound mind and is today a beautiful young woman who is
also a loyal, devoted and loving wife and mother. It was baseball that provided her with an
important role model and through the years, even greater admiration for a man
whose character and integrity eclipsed his on field performance. To this day if you ever want to bring a
twinkle to the eyes and a soft warm smile to the face of Laura Jean, all you
have to do is mention “The G-Man”, Gary Gaetti.
Instead
of a celebration to honor a lout who has disgraced the game, the Yankees should
be emulating Little Laura Jean.
“Have the courage to say no.
Have
the courage to face the truth.
Do
the right thing because it is right.
These are the magic keys to living your life with
integrity.” ~ W. Clement
Stone
