Learning from self-inflicted tragedy: The Doc Gooden saga

Gone are the days when a young, rising star which played on both New York baseball teams in the mid 80s to early 90s wowed packed crowds at stadiums. The pitching prodigy proved to be impressive, recording amazing strikeout totals and superb performances. Now a beaten man, Doc Gooden ponders where he went wrong while sitting in a Florida prison for violating his probation by smoking cocaine. The 41-year-old stated, "I'd rather be shot then come back to jail."

Gooden will serve just over a year in prison for his addiction. It's truly a shame the road the former star baseball player has gone down. Of all his battles and repeat occurrences with the law you would think he would have learned his lesson by now. The real question here is, what the hell is wrong with you Doc?!! Does the allure of crack outweight the importance of your life?

I hate to say it, but Doc is getting to be a charity case. No one should really feel sympathy for him. He has put himself in this uncomfortable position. Obsessions and addictions are tough to break, everyone can agree on that. On the other hand, there still comes a time in every man's life where you have to let things go and snap the hell outta your fantasy world. Doc, try hard to get a grip on your life and return to reality.

Thoughts on Ruth's historic mark being broken

Being a baseball fan is awesome, especially if your favorite team is winning. The best part about the game is it's rich history and the records set by baseball Greats. People, mainly watch baseball to see the long ball. It's always on their minds. Yesterday marked another historic day as Barry Bonds passed the Babe on the all-time homerun list with his 715th career homer. This got me to thinking about what the record means to true baseball fans.

It's no secret that most followers of the game aren't fond of Bonds. Some are adamant about how they feel, expressing themselves with obscene signs and exhibiting crude, blatant heckling. All the time, throughout the whole steroids investigation Bonds pretends the negative reaction in the crowd doesn't bother him on the field. Though, when questioned by reporters, Bonds' attitude and demeanor are clear. So now he has jumped ahead of Ruth to claim second place, only trailing Hank Aaron. Hitting another 40 homeruns isn't out of the question for Bonds, but it's going to be quite difficult. His health is an issue these days plus pitchers walk him so much he may not have a chance to tie or pass Aaron.

Most people really don't care if Barry breaks the record or not. They despise him because they believe he cheated to get where he is today. At the conclusion of the steroid investigation (whenever that may be, Selig doesn't look to get the bottom of this ordeal any time soon) pending he's found guilty, all the statistics and records he obtained will probably be cleared and disregarded. I know fans look for honor, integrity, and sincerity from star players, though Bonds doesn't exemplify any of these qualities. If he is found guilty of using steroids Major League Baseball should clear his name from the record books and recognize Babe Ruth again as the no. 2 career homerun hitter. This would be the righteous thing to do.

A/P Photo/ Kathy Willens

Have the Mets reached early season success?

Considering all the agonizing seasons of old the way the New York Mets have played through this season so far must make them feel proud. The confidence and morale level is up. They have a healthy lineup for the most part (with the exception of Cliff Floyd) with their stars beginning to prove their self-worth to the club. The Mets have jumped out to 29-19, 3.5 games ahead of the Braves. Carlos Delgado's 15 homeruns are helping provide the power on offense.

Today the Mets knocked off Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins 7-4 behind effective pitching from Tom Glavine, who lasted 7.2 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 6 hits. The crafty left-hander struck out 9 in to gain his 8th win. Wagner nailed down his 11th save. This very well could be the year the Mets triumph in the East. Carlos Beltran (2 hits, 2 RBIs) and David Wright (4-for-4 on Saturday) are swinging hot bats. Jose Reyes leads the team in steals (19) and runs scored (37). The instant offense available can carry this team down the stretch. That's without saying the sterling pitching gems starters Martinez, Glavine, and newly acquired Orlando Hernandez will contribute.

Taking control of the East shouldn't be a problem unless the Braves go on a hot winning streak. The Phillies are an improved team, but they nor the Marlins will pose much of a threat coming down the stretch. The Miracle Mets from the past may be resurfacing though just as another refined ball club in a new decade. Pedro Martinez is considering retirement after the 2 years remaining on his contract are up. Until then the Mets should have few worries if any and put their sole concentration on winning the pennant.

The Tigers continue hot streak at 32-14...what the h---?

It's been smooth sailing for the Detroit Tigers in May, posting victory after victory. Of course this week the competition hasn't overwhelmed them as finished off the Royals last night 6-3 at Kansas City. Jeremy Bonderman (5-3) sealed another win behind sufficient production from the starting lineup. Omar Infante's two homers were all the Tigers needed.

Bonderman went 7 innings and allowed 3 earned runs on 10 hits and a walk while striling out five batters. Closer Todd Jones recorded his 15th save. An impressive statistic considering how no one expected Detroit get off to such a great start in the first half of the season. They're probably predicted to finish 3rd or 4th in the division. If it wasn't for World Champion White Sox they might be able to steal the division title this year.

Leading the team in batting average and RBIs is Maggilo Ordonez (.322 31 RBIs), who's putting together a tremendous season. As for the pitching rotation Kenny Rogers has posted 7 wins already. The team offense has combined for 68 homeruns and 218 RBIs. Chris Shelton is also having a career year, helping fuel the offense. Teams in the East better be aware of the Detroit Tigers this season and not not underestimate them. Otherwise they may get burned.

Pistons vs. Heat: Eastern Conference Finals preview

The Pistons can thanked their lucky stars they triumphed over the Cavs in Game 7 in Detroit. Giving credit where it's do; Lebron James gave the Eastern conference champs a battle. King James stole the spotlight, averaging over 30 points per game in the series. Turning to a new, more straining challenge the Pistons will meet the Miami for another best-of-7 series.

Defense again will be a huge factor in this series. Obviously, Miami has the shooting touch and strength inside. If the Heat can keep composure, not let the partisan Detroit crowd rattle them, and keep their turnovers to a minimum they should be okay. With Ben and Rasheed Wallace dominating the paint on D it still will be tough for the Heat.

Dwayne Wade (averaging 43 ppg in the playoffs) will be the focal point of Miami's offensive attack. Shaq will also get his touches inside, having to deliver some monster performances and play hard-nosed D. The X-factor in the series could be either Antoine Walker or Miami guard Jason Williams. We'll see what happens tonight at the Palace in Detroit.

Interleague baseball weekend

The start of interleague play this weekend has been memorable. Out west, the Giants and the Athletics hooked up in Oakland as Barry Bonds crushed his 714th career homerun, tying the Babe. The record seems to be the only thing Major League Baseball is focused on of late. The Cardinals sweep the Royals, Albert Pujols remains red hot, cranking his 22nd homer of the season. (The folks in K.C. won't have much to cheer about again this year).

In cross-town matchups the Mets got the best of the Yankees winning the subway series 2-to-3. Tom Glavine (7-2) picked up the win on Sunday going six innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. Carlos Delgado homered and had 3 RBIs. The club from Shea Stadium looks hungry enough and plenty capable of capturing the East title this season. The Cubs and White Sox hooked up at U.S. Cellular Field. Things boiled over in a heated affair on Saturday as A.J. Pierzenski collided into Michael Barrett at the plate. From there Barrett punched him in the jaw and a short melee ensued. The Cubbies salvaged the series by winning game 3 Sunday 7-4. Zambrano struck out 9 and won his third game. Guess who tied the game for the Cubs? That's right Michael Barrett.

Seattle got their first sweep of the season against the Padres, improving to 20-25. They ignited a 8-run inning behind Raul Ibanez's dinger. The vibe is said to be good in the clubhouse, but it's still a long season yet. The M's will have a lot of catching up to do still in the AL West. The 3-game series in L.A. went the Dodgers way as they sweep the Angels. Besides the aforementioned series nothing extraordinary took place. Interleague Play is always exciting though and gets teams a chance to take on new, evolving talent in baseball.

Mavs' Terry suspended for punch in Game 5

The Spurs and Mavericks series has got fiery. Coming on a monster game from Tim Duncan (36 points on over 50% shooting, 12 rebounds)San Antonio tries to climb back into the series as they face elimination down 3-2. The intensity escalated between the two Western conference contenders Thursday night as Jason Terry and Michael Finley were involved in an altercation.

Going for a loose ball on the floor, Finley reaches down in attempt to gain possession while Terry, sprawled on the court after being knocked down by another player throws a punch to Finley. During the live televised game this footage was not seen. Afterwards through an extended slow replay the NBA saw what actually occurred during the scuffle. The Spurs' Finley was obviously mad about the incident, but officials didn't know about what until later. As a result, Jason Terry got suspended for Game 6 in Dallas.

The two key players for San Antonio in the series are Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili. Without strong performances from them the
Spurs chances of surviving to force a Game 7 are slim. I think the Mavs have a little more firepower from the offensive end, but like most tight playoff series it will all come down to defense.

Cavs making a turnaround against Pistons

There is no doubt that the wonders of Lebron James are extraordinary. He is helping take basketball to new heights and bounds. His Cleveland Cavailers refuse to quit against the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Too many critics counted the Cavs out from the start of the series. Now look, they've tied the series 2-2, winning both games at home.

The Cavs have discovered that the key to beating the mighty Pistons is taking them out of their game plan and playing tenacious defense. Rasheed Wallace had to eat his own words after the loss in Game 4, guaranteeing or "Guaran Sheeding" a victory for his team. His boasting and cockiness only motivated Cleveland, lighting a fire under them. The rest of the series isn't going to be as easy as Detroit anticipated. You can damn well guarantee one thing: Lebron James will do everything in his power to help the Cavs prevail. Tonight the two teams lock up for what is expected to be a heated, exciting Game 5 back in Detroit. Go Cavs!

The $7,500 man

Topps' screwup helps card collectors reap high profits

Another fairly no-name minor leaguer's baseball card was released by the Topps Trading Card Company. They made a big oops by mistakely producing a limited quantity of the rookie card. Supposely only 100 are in circulation. The Royals' prospect, Alex Gordon is stunned that his first year card is selling for over a thousand dollars. Last week it sold for $7,500 on Ebay!

The "goof up" by Topps on this now hard sought after trading card is strange. It's kind of funny too because if the Gordon rookie card was issued at the normal production run it wouldn't be worth squat since he plays for the Royals (The club is improving, but they still have a long ways to go from not sucking). Far being from me to judge Topps on such an extraordinary error, although I have never been impressed with their products. Their sets are too big and overpriced in my view while their so called "best inserts" are normally low valued and too scarce and expensive to obtain (autograph odds 1:590 packs, WARNING: May contain pure, worthless crap).

Card collectors can enjoy the moment with this new hobby rarity while young Alex Gordon relishes the recognition and prestige he's getting from this publicity until he's forgotten and tossed to the side like yesterday's garbage. The minor leaguer claims he wishes to request his card from Topps and put it in a frame. Well, he should since that will be the only pride and honor he'll receive while wearing a Royals' uniform. Sorry, Royals but everyone knows it true. If anything fans and collectors can be happy with this experience after obtaining a piece of history that they normally wouldn't care about.

Nets vs. Heat Playoff Series tied 1-1

Another good playoff series is brewing in the Eastern Conference. Last night the Miami Heat were the victor, winning 111-89 as Dwayne Wade paved the way, scoring 31 points (12-19 FG, 3-3 3PM-A) with 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. When he gets hot no one can stop the superstar guard. Bringing his own flavor to the cause, Shaq clipped in with 21 points and pulled down 6 rebounds. Point guard, Jason Williams added 14 points in the win.

New Jersey faces a challenge against the Heat and vice versa. The Nets' Richard Jefferson wasn't expected to play Wednesday night due to a bone bruise on his right heel and ankle. I think he will be the X-factor in the series for the Nets. His health could be an issue, therefore shifting an advantage for Miami. The instant offense and arsenal of scoring weapons this team has makes them a threat to any competitor.

Vince Carter (finished with 22 points in Game 2) and Jason Kidd are focal points on offense for the Nets, pending Jefferson is unable to play later in the series. Much of the scoring load will be dumped on Carter, who is still a prolific leaper and attacker at the rim. I'm not saying he has to score 40 a game to defeat the Heat, though put enough pressure on the Miami defense late in the game. The more fouls he can draw on the big men inside the better his team's chancing are in the series. This Eastern conference showdown is shaping up to be a awesome series.

Bonds refuses to sign homerun ball for fan

I guess all the pressure is getting to be too much for that 'hot shot' Barry Bonds, who's a homer shy of tying Babe Ruth. You know a player is selfish and doesn't deserve to be honored when he refuses to autograph one freaking baseball for a fan who caught his 713th homerun ball. However, Bonds wanted the fan to sign a release form to use the photo of the two together on his show, "Bonds on Bonds" on ESPN. What a load of bull shit!

If Barry thought fans hate him because of his race he's only partially right. They think he's a jerk, asshole, bigot, selfish turd, and not to mention fat head. That doesn't cover all the names, but it's pretty close. The show on ESPN might as well be called, "Bonds On Crack" for all most fans care. The title would be more befitting to his attitude and demeanor. Lack of class is not a good thing for any Major League player especially big stars and sports icons.

When Bonds does break the historic homerun mark set by the Babe he still won't ever measure up to the Hall of Famer's legendary status. Everyone remembers Ruth as a clossial homerun hitter, one of the best of all-time. Fans and the sports community won't reflect on Bond's achievements the same way. He's turned too many people against him and has shown his true colors. Barring a clean steroids investigation (yeah, right! slim chance of that happening)his records and statistics may actually have merit and be worthy of celebration. I don't see a glorious future for the San Francisco slugger.

Lebron leads Cavs to second round of playoffs

Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards must be devastated after their 114-115 overtime loss Friday night to Cleveland. It was the final crushing blow which ended their postseason. This series was fantastic as I knew it would be from the start. For two near evenly matched teams it was bound to go down to the wire in dramatic fashion. The Cavs' Damon Jones, who played rare minutes in the series, hit the game-winning jumper with just under 5 seconds to go.

Throughout the series Lebron James was sensational, making good for two 40-plus point scoring performances, a triple-double (first playoff game), and shattering a couple franchise records (25 points in a half, 5 threes in a quarter, most points in a playoff series). Most of the attention may have centered around James, but credit shouldn't be taken away from Gilbert Arenas. He shot over 50% in two games while scoring at least 34 or more 4 times, his valiant efforts kept the Wizards alive until the closing seconds of Game 6.

What an exciting, intense series! I thought for sure the Wiz would force a Game 7 back in Cleveland. Lebron and the Cavs have a new challenge in the second round, the Detroit Pistons. Any team in the East dreads facing Detroit now. Their defense is superb, no. 1 in the league behind the physical inside play of Ben and Rasheed Wallace. Point guard, Chauncey Billups is a pivotal all-around player who can hurt a team many ways. The Cavailers and Lebron will have one hell of a test as the series kicks off Sunday in Detroit. This doesn't mean King James won't be ready and willing to bring his A-game.

The historic mark: Ruth's homerun record

715 is only a number for most people. Avid baseball fans know different. Everyone around the game is so anxious for the Babe's record to be broken. This is a elite Hall of Famer who is idiolized and considered one of the best homerun hitters in history. The wave of controversy surrounding the whole Barry Bonds investigation seems to be put on hold while the baseball world marvels at exciting possibilities as well as who will be the next great player etched into the record books.

Despite the issues with steroids or allegations clouded over Bonds the most notable achievements such as the homerun record should be given proper recognition and honor. The problem still is will the record be tarnished if Bonds does indeed surpass Hank Aaron's mark. Of course he will breeze by Ruth, only needing a couple more homeruns to do so. I just want to see Major League Baseball keep or restore a level of intregity that it deserves.

Carlos Guillen is congratulated by Ivan Rodriguez after jacking a homer. A/P Photo- Duane Burleson

New Detroit Tigers shining in the early going

Usually I wouldn't mention the Tigers when bringing up discussions about baseball, but they're off to a impressive start. At 16-9, closing out April with a sweep of the Twins the future is looking bright for this team. Driven by a good blend of talent, a cast featuring Ivan Rodriguez, Magglio Ordonez, Dimitri Young, Brandon Inge, Chris Shelton, and Jeremy Bonderman. The Tigers outscored the Twins 33-1 this weekend.

Detroit doesn't possess the most potent lineup in the Central division, but know how to execute as a collective group. So far, first basemen Chris Shelton has been on a tear with 10 homeruns (leads American League) and 20 RBIs. He also owns a .326 batting average. The season is only into the second month, although this Tigers team shouldn't be taken for granted. They will burn opponents faster than the Yankees can earn another $1 million in revenue.

Up next on the schedule are the Royals and Angels at home then the Twins again on the road. Today Jeremy Bonderman (2-2 5.04 ERA) takes the start on the mound against Runelvys Hernandez (1-0 1.29 ERA). The Royals are coming off a horrendous season, posting a 56-106 record.