Miscellany

Jim Salisbury wrote a very fine piece on Jimmy Rollins over the weekend in which he elaborates how hard the shortstop worked from an early age to get where he is today, namely, one of the premier players in the game. The piece also fills in details on how Rollins' multiple champions and boosters, his father, coaches and Jim Poole, the first Phillies' scout to watch him play, helped further his career. There is even a great picture of the diminutive Rollins, high above the crowd, celebrating a winning home run for his high school team. Naturally, he's smiling ear-to-ear. My only quibble with the piece is the quote at the end in which Poole says " "I hope he wins the MVP. When it comes to Jimmy Rollins, I'm his biggest fan."

Poole is going to have to get in line regarding that claim, and when Jimmy is named the MVP tomorrow afternoon, the line will get even longer.

* * * * * * * *

The indictment of Barry Bonds for perjury and obstruction of justice has brought out the expected number of opinions pro and con. Most commentators who oppose the indictment question why Bonds is being singled out when there are plenty of other abusers, some admitted ones. Other skeptics wonder why the Federal Government took so many years to bring the indictments if they had solid evidence all along.

Among the more amusing caution flags was one waved by the Inquirer's David Aldridge who wondered, "And what happened to our post-Duke reflexive gene, where we weren't going to convict people in the media anymore just because they've been indicted? Does Bonds not deserve his day in court to face his accusers?"

Actually, if nothing else, Mr. Aldridge, Bonds was indicted because he had a day in court and the Federal Prosecutors and a Grand Jury didn't believe his testimony.

* * * * * * * *

If Alex Rodriguez re-signs with the Yankees, some of the credit will be given to the Sage from Omaha, aka Warren Buffet. It turns out that Buffet, the billionaire investor and friend of Bill (Gates, that is) is also chummy with the MVP third baseman. Apparently, he urged Rodriguez to get in touch with his true feelings -- that he loves being a Yankee -- and negotiate directly with Steinbrenner fils and Cashman without the intervention of his agent, Scott Boras. If you believe Boras had nothing to do with this whole thing, I have a bridge for you from another borough of New York.