Josh Hancock details from police

Forget college. Alcohol and (smokeless) tobacco are also prevalent among many high school ballplayers, too.

But it's not a baseball problem. It's part of sports culture, the machismo attitude of invincibility. Baseball is a microcosm, always has been. But this is way bigger than baseball.

Totally disagree.

Drinking, I would argue for about 50 percent of people, is mostly a social behavior -- not a "drunken" behavior. I know it is for me.

I vehemently disagree that most people are drinking to get drunk. I think they just don't know their limits, don't comprehend the physical effect of alcohol when it's consumed at high volumes or in quick periods of time.

But it is absolutely legitimate to be a responsible drinker, and I think most people are at most times. I certainly think I am, when I do drink. And I don't think I'm that much of an exception.

We can't blame the alcohol because some people don't want to take responsibility for their decisions.* That's their own damn fault, not alcohol's.


* Alcoholics excepted. Real alcoholism is a totally different discussion.

 

Well, I'll drink to that. But you have to admit that drinking inhibits a person's ability to be responsible.

 

Now I agree with your statement.

Also, I agree with Luggie on the need for more law enforcement around stadiums. The incident at the Meadowlands following a Giants (jets?) football game a few years ago should have had people thinking about that.

Maybe you should have to blow into a Breathalyzer to leave the parking lot (although there may be some privacy issues)? Of course, this all affects revenue streams and sponsors, so there would be a lot of resistance. Cutting off beer sales after the 7th inning at ballparks has helped a little I think, but people who want to overindulge usually can find a way to overindulge.

Really it all boils down to personal responsibility.

 

Maybe someone said this, but the teams that have banned beer in the clubhouse are doing it because they don't want to be held liable, like bars and taverns have been. There's really no other reason, regardless of what they say publicly.

 

After seeing how carefully they policed the steroid problem and the amphetamine issue, I find this difficult to believe. You act is if these athletes are nothing more than chess pieces with which ridiculously wealthy people play games.

 

I think it's about 50-50 liability and public relations.