May 5, 2005 [LINK]
In the beginning...
Thanks to Rudi Riet for being the first person to sponsor a stadium page: RFK Stadium, naturally enough. He came across a wonderful bit of creative prose: Opening Day Genesis by Glenn Burkmeier. Thus prompted, I updated the Civic Religion page, which was long overdue.
Eric Mirlis, an independent sports writerbased in New York, recently launched The Writers, a collaborative Web site. Among the group, Brian Wilmer is devoting special attention to touring and evaluating all sorts of ballparks. Check them out!
Selig gets tough on steroids
Commissioner Selig seems to have gotten the message from Congress, and has proposed much stiffer penalties for players who use steroids or other banned drugs. Rather than "five strikes and you're out" under the old policy, the third offense would, under his plan, result in a lifetime suspension from Major League Baseall. The first offense would draw a 50-game suspension, rather than 10 as in the current rules. I suppose he is heading in the right direction, but basic problem remains in the culture of "so what?" The seriousness and sincerity with which MLB officials and players actually carry out the new rules will be just as important as what is written on paper.
Nats cope with injuries
Endy Chavez was called up from New Orleans to replace Terrmel Sledge, who suffered an injury. Chavez choked in a clutch situation in his first at bat on Tuesday night in L.A., as the Nats lost to the Dodgers 4-2, but he made up for it on Wednesday by getting two hits, including an RBI double. Final score 5-2. The Nats win their first series on the West Coast!