I was just curious. What exactly do you find ridiculous? Superstitious baseball players? Pine tar? Kids with cancer? What, dammit, what?
In particular, it's really just Biggio's superstitious fascination with wearing the same crusty old paint chipped helmet for years on end. I mean...if he changes his helmets, then is he really going to forget how to hit? Is his knee going to collapse on a swing and end his playing career? What dammit? It doesn't look good on him nor on TV for those watching it. Primarily, I'm sick of seeing it.
It's not paint-chipped, it's covered in pine tar. He likes pine tar. You'll see him, about 3-4 times per AB, touch the top of his helmet, like he's adjusting it. He's just getting a little extra sticky on his gloves. You're not allowed to have an excess of pine tar on your bat or any part of your uniform, including batting gloves. It's his little hidden-in-plain-sight way of circumventing the pine tar on uniform rules. On the subject of superstitious ballplayers: "If you believe you're playing well because you're getting laid, or because you're not getting laid, or because you wear women's underwear, then you ARE! And you should know that." -- Crash Davis
whats really crazy is that he has these numbers engraved in the pine tar on his helmet - 4 8 15 16 23 42
Great article on Biggio from Page 2 writer Paul Lukas. link Is there anything sadder than a kid with cancer? How about a league that cracks down on someone who tries to help kids with cancer? Uni Watch That was the situation that unfolded around Craig Biggio on Thursday. For most of his 20-year career, Biggio has been involved with the Sunshine Kids, a nonprofit group that helps cancer-stricken youth. He's raised more than $1.8 million for the group through his annual golf tournament, and he's always shown his support and raised awareness by wearing a pin of the group's sun-shaped logo on his cap during pregame warm-ups and in spring training games. OK, so it looks a little weird, but big deal -- he's never done it in a regular-season game, he's never covered up the Astros logo and he's never gotten a dime for it. And now he won't be doing it at all, because some pathetic little MLB functionary decreed Thursday that Biggio must remove the pin. You've gotta hand it to MLB: It takes a very special brand of chutzpah to tell a future Hall of Famer to stop supporting cancer patients. Forget about players on steroids -- the real problem, apparently, is kids on chemo. And that's just the beginning of MLB's cluelessness here. According to this account, "a league official, having watched the Astros-Devil Rays game on the local Houston Fox Southwest feed, sent word to Kissimmee that [Biggio] must remove [the pin]. A picture from that game was faxed to the Astros, who informed [Biggio] of the league's request." Whoa, TV and faxes -- they sure caught him red-handed! Apparently the miscreant who employed these high-tech investigative tools was unaware that Biggio had already been wearing the pin on his cap for nearly 20 years. It might also interest the league office to learn that Biggio is hardly the first MLB figure to wear a pin on his cap. Back when Billy Martin was managing the Yankees, he wore a cross pin, a habit he continued when he moved on to the A's. Martin's protégé Bucky Dent did the same thing when he managed the Yankees, and has also worn it during his coaching stints with the Rangers, Cardinals and Reds. Stick pins have also shown up in other spots on MLB uniforms. On Opening Day last year, Manny Ramirez wore a little pin right between the "Red" and "Sox" on his jersey, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a little angel swinging a bat. And during Game 3 of the 1974 World Series, Reggie Jackson wore an A's World Series press pin on his waistband (additional info on that is available here). Nobody from MLB faxed any cease-and-desist letters to Martin, Dent, Ramirez or Jackson -- only Biggio. Was the MLB brain trust worried that he was defiling those new batting practice caps that everyone hates? Was it worried that he was cheapening the value of a crucial spring training game? Was it worried that he was sullying the sanctity of the sport? Remember, this is the same league that was going to sell Spider-Man ads on the bases until public outcry led it to beat a hasty retreat. You can expect plenty of outcry on this one too -- don't be surprised to see that pin back on Biggio's cap by next week.
This is the same league that wanted to put SpiderMan logo on the bases DURING THE REGULAR SEASON! Unbelievable considering it's only ST! Why not make them the entire team wear their proper uniforms instead of these practice jerseys?
First, they make us close the roof during the World Series and now they won't allow Biggio to wear his Sunshine Kids pin? Ridiculous. To be honest, I'm pretty shocked that MLB is making this move. This is the same league that is contributes a TON to the Breast Cancer Foundation during Mother's Day.
Exactly. Universal or whoever the hell makes those movies pays a hell of a lot better than a bunch of advocates for cancer-stricken children. As I said yesterday in a stroke of premonition: Never underestimate MLB's ability to create bad pub & engender ill-will amongst it's fanbase.
This saddens me. I want to follow A-Train's advice... EVERYONE who buys tickets should wear T-Shirts that say something like: "TRY TO TAKE THIS PIN away, MLB"... and... contains something obscene...? Scratch that. Just write to the MLB.
MLB did Pink Bats for breast cancer on Mothers Day. Sounds like someone in the league office has too much time on their hands.
The Astros and Biggio should give out Astros caps with Sushine Kids pins on them as an opening day promotion. It would be great to see 40,000 people wearing an Astros hat with the pin on it, in support of one of the classiest guys the league has ever seen, and in support of their team.
I'll tell you guys the real reason they had him remove the pin. MLB is extremely jealous that many kids with cancer can get legit prescriptions for certain steroids and some even HGH. Some need it to help them keep or add some weight. But when all the MLB doctors prescribe steroids they get busted! If i we're Biggio, i'd keep wearing it. Like it's been said, what are they gonna do? Suspend him from spring training? A 20 year veteran really needs those games to help him get better and earn a spot on the roster. If they fine him, the Astros should match the fine with a donation to his cancer foundation. If they wanna keep at it, The Astros should donate 1,000 seats next to eachother for the kids and let them make their own signs for what they have to say to MLB. I guarantee MLB would love that media attention! And Tim Purpura or someone in the organization really needs to step up and publicly defend Biggio on this one.
Dear Mr. Lucas, I'm not sure who to send this to, but I ad an idea. I was outraged at the MLB's recent decision to disallow Craig Biggio to wear his Sunshine Kids pin during Spring Training. I know there is not much we, as fans, or even you, as a team can do, but I thought of an idea: Wouldn't it be cool to do a special emergency promotion to honor Mr. Biggio, his classiness, and all of the Sunshine Kids? I don't know if this is impossible or not, but I think it would be one of the greatest honors we could give to a player such as Craig Biggio if we could have 40,000 fans wearing Astros caps complete with Sunshine Kids pins on opening day. Once again, I realize this is a monumental task at this stage and if not impossible, it is next to it. I just could not think of a better way to stand behind one of the classiest guys in recent history of the game. I don't know if you're the right person for me to contact regarding this issue. If you are not, I please ask that this email be forwarded to whomever it may concern. Thanks for your time -------- I just sent that to one of the first email addresses I found on their site. I know it's not worded or written very well, but it's one in the morning right now.
Well ain't that awesome. A league that for decades could not be bothered to enforce an effective drug policy but has no problem cracking down on supporters of the fight against cancer. The entire league is one giant freaking soap opera. One more reason why I feel so apathetic about baseball these days. I really just can't bring myself to care about it anymore.
Great response article. MLB needs to rectify this before they get any more bad publicity...they have enough as is. I don't understand how they allow such idiots to have this kind of power...I really love baseball, but the MLB seems to find ways to make it a little less enjoyable and respectable at times.
