Jim Edmonds: Toast
Is it over for Jimmy Ballgame?
San Diego Union Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan believes so. Here is his take:
“Should you happen to run across John Moores around mealtime, be sure to pass him some Pepto-Bismol. If the Padres’ owner is about to eat Jim Edmonds‘ contract, indigestion would seem inevitable.
“But the time has come for aggressive action, and the time has passed when Edmonds could be counted on as a productive ballplayer.
“You have to know you’ve overstayed your welcome when Callix Crabbe is sent up to pinch hit in your place in the ninth inning. You have to know the end is near when your general manager goes on the radio to remark on how much your legs and bat have slowed down.
“You almost have to wonder whether manager Bud Black sent Crabbe up last night in Atlanta to play a percentage or to shame Edmonds into retirement. That’s how bad things have become, both for Edmonds and the Home Team, and maybe that’s as bad as it can get.”
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE
Questions to ponder while wondering what, exactly, has gotten into Chris Osgood during these NHL playoffs:
- Where was THAT Osgood when he played for the Blues?
- When John Daly went in for stomach muscle surgery, shouldn’t he have asked them to take a little off the front?
- Will beleaguered Ned Yost be managing for his job this weekend when the Cards come calling?
TORTOISE 1, HARE 0
Talk about a classic contrast: 900-year-old Jamie Moyer of the Phillies recently out-pitched former Mizzou ace Max Scherzer, a Diamondbacks rookie.
Moyer’s “fastball” touches the low 80s. Scherzer, on the other hand, hit 98 miles per hour during his major league debut.
Naturally, reporters asked Moyer what he was clocked at during his big league debut back in 1986.
“Back then, I don’t think they had radar guns,” Moyer said.
FAVRE JERSEY RETIRED, THANKFULLY
Had Brett Favre decided to play on in 2008, David Witthoft would have had a problem. The 12-year-old had worn his Farve replica jersey every day for more than four years.
His hormones were kicking in and the jersey was starting to look like a midriff shirt.
“It was tough for him for a while, but now that he’s 12, he is a little more concerned about his appearance,” his father, Chuck Witthoft, told the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “And the jersey barely came down to his belt line.”
QUIPS ‘R US
Here is what some of America’s leading sports pundits have been writing:
Jeff Schultz, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “The monthly meeting of ‘Women Who Haven’t Slept with Roger Clemens’ will meet this evening at Applebees. A table for six has been reserved.”
Jerry Greene, Orlando Sentinel: “BetUS.com odds on which team will have a player arrested next has the Bengals as 5-1 favorites, followed by the Falcons at 8-1 and Dolphins at 10-1. First time in years that the Fish have been in any Top 3 listing.”
Steve Rosenbloom, ChicagoSports.com, offering Ozzie Guillen some advice: “Jermaine Dye is hitting .182 this month. Congratulations, kid, you’re almost 40 points better than Jim Thome. Paul Konerko has four hits this month. Way to go, son, you’re 50 points better than Dye. Wake up, Oz. I love you, but you are an accomplice here. Your hitters are committing Sox-icide. Bench somebody who makes a lot of money. We heard the same thing from Guillen last year about how these guys are good hitters, veteran hitters, loyalty, blah, blah, blah. Well, guess what? Loyalty got the Sox into the same toilet as the Royals.”
Dwight Perry, Seattle Times: “Roger Clemens offered up a non-apology apology Monday, saying he was sure sorry for all those things he did, whatever they were. Clemens said he would have no further comment, nor would his speechwriter, Jason Giambi.”
Will Leitch, Deadspin.com: “Remember when Dywane Wade was everybody’s favorite athlete? Humble, freakishly talented, good to his family, an All-American guy. So … what happened? The Heat were the worst team in the NBA this year, and Wade’s buddy Shaq is gone. More to the point, though … Wade’s supposedly dating Star Jones (Star Jones! Seriously!) and having alleged groupies of his call into radio stations. Wade went from the superstar everyone can like to a beaten, injured spirit who’s showing up in gossip pages everywhere. (With Star Jones!) (!!) We dunno; we supposed we’re just worried about the guy. That seemed to turn, like, really fast.”
MEGAPHONE
“If you ask anyone close to me, they will probably let you know it’s probably not the right platform for me. I’m guessing that is not the place for me to really excel. ‘Racecar Driving With the Stars’? Maybe. I might be at ‘Batting Practice With the Stars.’ ‘Dancing with the Stars’? Not for me.”
Former tennis star Jim Courier, admitting he isn’t a candidate for “Dancing with the Stars”.



Hey, these jokes are offensive. I had to say that on behalf of Swedish people. OK, I laughed a little, but I’m not anti-Swedish, just ask my friend who’s Swedish (on his mother’s grandmother’s father’s side). Sven and Ole, indeed! It’s very painful to Swedish people that they have no sense of humor. To ridicule them for that is the height of insensitivity!