Hey now, who's ready for a cold one?
 

The title comes from a vendor at Wrigley Field. He used that phrase for the longest time and considering the Cubs record, we all were ready!

Check out the latest idea from MLB.

Joe Torre, MLB to look at Boston Red Sox drinking; beer ban? - ESPN Boston

The key lines are: As with tobacco, MLB realizes that kids are watching and responsibility is an issue. This is not political, the boss is considering a workplace change. That's all.

One of my favorite traditions of umpiring in Europe each summer is having one guy on the crew bring some ice cold beers to the locker room after the game.

I see no problem with a beer in the clubhouse after the game. During the game? I mean, these guys may be starting pitchers, but they are still players on the active roster who could be called on during the game.

Babe Ruth used to like a shot and a beer.

Dick Allen would smoke a pack during a game.

Clemens, Sosa, McGwire and Palmiero, well, we may never really know...

Reminds me of a great line from the Goose:

"She is poisoning the world with her hamburgers, and we can't even get a lousy beer." - Goose Gossage, after Padres owner Joan Kroc, also in control of McDonalds, banned beer from the Padres clubhouse.

I'm wondering if MLB will mandate stadium name changes in Milwaukee & St. Louis.

Probably not, those aren't really beers afterall. ;)

That reasoning is a farce IMO...especially when every fourth commercial is a beer commercial extolling the virtues and fun times had drinking a particular brand of beer (this isn't an MLB thing...rather it's true for all professional sports). All while kids are watching. The only reason MLB will do this is because it sounds pretty bad in this day and age, to be considered a professional sport where it's okay to drink "during the job."

I read somewhere that it was good that DiMaggio did not play in the television era because fans would have seen him drinking coffee and chain smoking in the dugout.

Why cut Denver a break?

You can say this about any athlete who played in the era before the media and fans followed athletes' every move.

Hardly. As I and others mentioned, smoking was once permitted in MLB. The league stepped in and said, 'no more'. The influence on kids is there. They emulate what they see. I've seen baseball players the same age wearing their pants or hat a certain way to mimic a pro player. I've had to keep myself from laughing when I see them step into the box and do the glove loosen and tighten, cross themselves and shimmy like the big boys. I coach an 11U football team and the kids wanted to wear their eye black streaked across their cheeks and down like they see. They make a big hit and then jump up to loosen their chin straps, stomp around and thump their chests - bad behavior by most accounts. They do it because they see it. Setting a good example is the goal.

MLB is a business and if the boss changes the workplace rules, they can follow them or find other work. If Torre adopts the policy, they'll do just fine.

Political correctness the scourge of modern civilization continues to spread. Now it invades the clubhouse. Next thing you know they'll ban adjusting your cup, spitting on the field (how could Billy Williams ever step into the batters box without first swinging and hitting his spit) etc. :D

And all those things that you mentioned are things people actually see on TV. I don't know about you, but I've never seen any professional athlete, during a game, chugging a cold one.

On one hand, they could do this mostly superficial ban that won't affect anything...yet if those same kids are even watching a baseball game, they're going to be bombarded with all these beer commercials every half inning.

If Torre wants to affect the ban, then that's his decision. Life will go on, but it's not going to affect anything...it'll be a PR move at best.

As long as we Cubs fans can still drown our sorrows...

I received a PM from a friend here who asked if they have a beer ban at Wrigley, the Cell or Soldier Field. I believe they limit how many you can buy at a time and there is a cutoff inning or quarter. I agree that many adults in the stands behave far worse than the players. Wrigley has a jail cell!

If it is just a PR move then why do so many teams already ban alcohol in the clubhouse, except for celebratory purposes? Does your boss let you drink at work? If so, enjoy. Most of us don't have that luxury.