Orioles: Alomar and then some
It's not an accident that there was no comment here about Roberto Alomar yesterday, and it wasn't because I was too busy to get around to it or too lazy to tackle a tough issue. I really didn't know what to think and I'm still not sure what to say.
When Alomar (left) was playing for the Orioles, I was the national baseball writer for The Sun and, frankly, I didn't have a great relationship with him. We tangled over a couple of issues related to his behavior both on and off the field, though obviously nothing related to the possibility -- claimed in a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend -- that he is in the advanced stages of AIDS.
Frankly, he just seemed like a big, immature kid, but there never seemed to be any malice in him and you couldn't deny the Hall of Fame talent. Since we're talking about a health issue here, there's no reason for this week's revelation to affect his chances of getting into Cooperstown, and I hope he's healthy enough to enjoy the occasion when he gets elected in the next few years.
I don't have to tell anybody it has been a very strange month so far in sports, especially here in the Baltimore area, from the Michael Phelps bong photo to the Michael Bogdan/Larry Bigbie steroid expose by The Smoking Gun to former Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada pleading guilty yesterday to lying to congressional investigators. And, of course, this, though I hope and pray Robbie is okay.
Hopefully, it really is darkest before the dawn, because they're going to break out the bats and balls this weekend and we can only hope that things can not get any worse.
Tonight on WBAL: Former Orioles executive Jim Duquette will join me in studio for a special Sportsline spring training preview starting at 6 p.m. Go to 1090 AM or go to WBAL.com and click on the "Listen Live" icon.
Associated Press photo
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Comments
Pete, I hope he is in good health , strangley his "people" say he's in good health but don't deny the AIDS part .
As far as the Hall , I say he's on the list of 104 .
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | February 12, 2009 12:10 PM
The report was funny to read. HIV/AIDS really doesn't have any symptoms, but the ex claims that Alomar had a lump (in his chest?) and was foaming from the mouth. A lump would mean some type of tumor or cyst and maybe he has rabies if he was foaming from the mouth. I say this case gets thrown out.
Posted by: Victor | February 12, 2009 12:15 PM
Pete,
Your absolutely correct a sad and dark few days for our region in sports. Don't know how this Alomar situation gets better nor the steroid allegations that will only get bigger as the other 103 positive testers dribbles out! But with every sunset their is a sunrise and it will be soon time to hear "Play Ball", lets just hope with all the bad news folks are listening! Very sad!
Posted by: Keith Rowe | February 12, 2009 12:45 PM
"we can only hope that things can not get any worse"
Pete, that pitching staff has yet to take the mound. Here's to hoping.
Posted by: bill | February 12, 2009 12:57 PM
Peter,
All this off the field news is intriguing, but I'm trying to focus on Spring Training. Last year the Orioles had several "guest" instructors--including Mike Cuellar. Given the large group of pitchers in camp, I was wondering if there will be some helping hands this season.
Jim
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Pete's reply: I don't have a list, but I'm sure they'll do the same again this spring, though there will be fewer available lockers in the clubhouse.
Posted by: Jim Carter | February 12, 2009 1:26 PM
Pete,
The diagnosis was described by a lawyer trying to obtain substantial monetary compensation for his client. I would wait until a medical diagnosis is given before making any judgments in this case.
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Pete's reply: I agree. That's why I said I really don't know what to think.
Posted by: Rusty | February 12, 2009 1:44 PM
I only remember Alomar being a second baseman. When was he a pitcher or a catcher?
Posted by: Mike N | February 12, 2009 2:07 PM
Alomar supposedly spit on Hirschbeck because he used a homosexual slur towards Robbie.
Posted by: Jason | February 12, 2009 2:09 PM
I'd be freaked out if I was John Hirschbeck.
Posted by: jason | February 12, 2009 2:11 PM
Peter,
How come everyone has taken this Lawsuit allegation as fact. I havent seen any other evidence to corroborate this, Alomars father didnt seem to know about it, or denied it.
Theres a good bit of information in this lawsuit. And frankly a good bit of it seems to be there just to drag Alomars name through the mud. The reference to the rape, doesnt seem to have anything to do with the case at all.
I think we should all wait to call this sad news about alomar until we have some real evidence. I believe Alex Cintron asked Alomar about signing with Baltimore before he did so they must be good friends and he must have been in good enough health not long ago to have a conversation with and make such a recomendation.
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Pete's reply: That is true. There is no confirmation of this, though I suppose it's fair to wonder why Robbie's lawyer chose not to deny he has AIDS, choosing instead to say he is healthy and wants his medical situation to remain private.
Posted by: Aftab | February 12, 2009 2:16 PM
Alomar is a schmuck.
Posted by: Jack | February 12, 2009 2:31 PM
I wish Robbie the best and hopefully this is just way overblown. It definitely sounds like a jilted lover who is out for revenge and lots and lots of money. From reports I have read she was with him for 4 years while he showed "symptoms". Then she made him take the test and she said it came back positive in 2006. She stayed with him for 2 more years after that. How this is a basis for a lawsuit, I will never know. What a waste of the court and taxpayers time.
Posted by: Rick | February 12, 2009 3:08 PM
Hi Pete, with the Nats signing Dunn, is there any chance Nick Johnson might be available via trade? He's injury-prone, but may be the kind of risk the O's should take to get a decent bat at 1B.
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Pete's reply: I doubt it. They need all the offensive firepower they can get.
Posted by: mikepcfl | February 12, 2009 3:31 PM
I also don't know what to think about this whole case but I think that the woman for one is kind of stupid if she was seeing all these signs that he was sick that she still continued to sleep with him. I just think something is not right here with all of this and I hope that its her just trying to tarnish his name and reputation because they broke up.
Posted by: Krista | February 12, 2009 4:42 PM
Pete,
Not baseball related but do you think Rex Ryan is in for a tough time with the Jets? Moving from a coordinator position where he was friendly with the players to a head coach can be tough. Throw in the location (New York), no QB, and an aging team with little salary cap room seems to spell trouble.
He really needs 3 yrs to get things turned around but I doubt they will allow him that luxury in NY, especially after spending all that money on free agents a yr or so ago.
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Pete's reply: You've identified several reasons why coaching the Jets is a particular challenge, but team's don't usually change coaches unless that's the case. Rex will be just fine.
Posted by: rich | February 12, 2009 4:53 PM
Again... you never cease to amaze me.
Posted by: a fan with delusions of grandeur | February 12, 2009 5:19 PM
I really wish people would get educated about HIV/AIDS. HIV is the virus, AIDS is the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome once your counts drop below a certain level and you begin to manifest symptoms and conditions associated with no immune system. You can't transmit HIV by kissing or spitting on someone so Hirschbeck should be more concerned about his wife or anyone else he's been with more than Alomar.
The girl filing the lawsuit has no evidence of HIV so WTH is she suing for?
Christ what is this country coming to.
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Pete's reply: You might want to check with Congress on that. They might be willing to add something in the stimulus bill that punishes people for sarcastic remarks.
Posted by: NY O's fan | February 12, 2009 6:18 PM
Hey Jason, I guess you were absent from your 7th grade sex ed classes; otherwise, you would have learned that you can't get HIV from saliva.
When you have some free time, you might want to ask your mom and dad where babies come from.
Posted by: MCG | February 12, 2009 7:45 PM
Robbie Alomar is WAY f****** out of control. He definitely needs to get his s*** together. Here's hoping he NEVER gets elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Posted by: Attila the Hon | February 12, 2009 8:34 PM
Victor wrote: "HIV/AIDS really has no symptoms."
Are you serious?
Being HIV positive does not necessarily mean that the individual has AIDS.
And by the way.....what other kind of AIDS do you know about other than that which is brought on by being HIV positive? Get a clue, man.
Jason wrote: "Alomar supposedly spit on Hirschbeck because he used a homosexual slur towards Robbie."
Actually, Hirschbeck called Robbie a son-of-a-bitch..... and the reason Robbie spit on him was because he (Alomar) was being otherwise physically restrained and could respond in no other way which would have let Hirschbeck sufficiently know just how much of a mindless insult he had delivered.
Mikepcfl wrote: "He (Nick Johnson).... may be the kind of risk the O's should take to get a decent bat at 1B."
Maybe you should telephone Andy and urge him to trade Aubrey (chopped liver) Huff to the Nats for Johnson. I suggest you wear earplugs, though. His resulting laughter is liable to bust your eardrums.
.
Posted by: Bear the Birdfan | February 12, 2009 9:16 PM
Pete--Now is the time for all of us to send that beam into the sky and beckon to Crab City those battery heroes that will make all light up with Oriole Magic once again--Tippy Martinez and Lenn Sakata.
Bring me your base runners! They will not advance!
Posted by: Barry | February 12, 2009 10:17 PM
Pete-
What's up with your blogger Jack? Another case of tainted mother's milk in his infancy?? Muat have been an arduous childhood for that guy.
Why drag your name into (sic) into this pathetically sad situation regarding R. Alomar?
You sit some people at a keyboard and they think they have license to say anything that passes through their cranial region, however limited that region is.
Posted by: patrick lynch | February 13, 2009 6:40 AM
Well things were pretty quit on the Roberto front for several years. Say it ain't so, Roberto! Just hope it is all frivolous lies and that he is okay. Even though he did seem like a big baby at times, he was a hell of a ballplayer that was extremely competitive. If he is innocent he should get tested and release his results before court and get the public on his side HIV testing does not take long to get back results. Here is what a friend in Canada says...
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/586964
Posted by: cb coach | February 13, 2009 7:05 AM
Hey Patrick , to clarify , which "Jack". That was not me . I'm the arteeeest formerly known as .... for the record.
Posted by: the artist formerly known as jack in hebron | February 13, 2009 10:57 AM
Pete, can you help out a displaced Oriole fan? I live in central Florida and I called the local Comcast to ask about getting MASN so I could watch the O's. They say they do not carry it. I thought the O's took Comcast to court and forced them to carry MASN. Can you enlighten me?
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Pete's reply: That probably was only true in their specific region.
Posted by: Hoot Gibson | February 13, 2009 1:20 PM
In light of tejada admissions about
steriods dont u think someone should reopen the Palmiero affair-the mans body and conduct never suggested he used steriods-and now we have an admission by tejada that he did-gives credence to Palmiero assertion he injested it unknowingly from B12 he got from tejada.
Posted by: allan | February 13, 2009 3:06 PM
Jack in Hebron-
No, I didn't confuse you with the other "Jack". I respect you and your contrite opinions. Some people just waste blogspace, if you know what I mean...
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