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.

I'm not advocating players being able to drink on the job. I'm just saying that the "effect on kids" is almost nothing...considering they're being bombarded with commercials every half inning about alcohol. My point was if MLB did enact the ban it would solely be a PR move, and if they want to do that, more power to them.

Does Stone Cold Steve Austin ring a bell? :p

Give me a Hell Yeah.

Dean Martin always had a cigarette and a glass of bourbon in his hand when he was doing his variety show.

Anyhoo, smoking, dipping and chewing is stupid no matter your profession.

I'm guessing you would be fired if you smoked and drank on the job.

From Ricci Martin's biography of Dean:

"While it was true that Dad drank, the drunky routines were an act. On stage, and later on the set of his TV show, Dad usually had a J&B scotch and soda he nursed through the performance. It was almost always a weak scotch and soda. Other times it was just apple juice."

Not sure what political correctness has to do with not being allowed to use these things. It is illegal to use in many places not called a ball park. You cannot use these things on school property in our state. You cannot smoke in bars and restaurants.

Peace

As Dino would say himself, "Naw, dat ain't right."...............:)

I think Stone Cold spills much more than he actually drinks.

You left out Cowboy James Storm and Beer Money.

This story broke becaue it became known that players were drinking while at work. My kid and many others watch ESPN and know what is happening.

A number of clubs prohibit alcohol in the clubhouse and locker room. They didn't publicize it and all was fine until a couple knuckleheads pushed the envelope and now MLB is stepping in. The Players Union is considering suspensions for members who get popped for DUI/DWI. That never would have happened without media scrutiny. Times have changed.

Mickey Mantle told of his being too drunk to play and how dangerous he was when inebriated. Josh Gibson and Babe Ruth are also known for not being able to play due to drinking too much. I like a beer as much as the next guy but if the boss says I can't do it at work, I don't question his reasons.

MLB's resoning doesn't need to have anything to do with example to children. A no alcohol consumption at work is a reasonable HR rule. This allows the employer to avoid possible liability in the case of one of their employees being at fault in an accident and the employee got drunk at work with the boss as the "bartender".

I know that my employer has strict rules on such things.

It's all about the context.
 

It probably also matters that the Red Sox lost this year. After all, in 2004, the whole team was drinking liquor before playoff games. I suspect that beer and chicken wouldn't be a negative story this year, had the Red Sox made it to the World Series.

Now, the fact that success keeps judgment at bay is probably a good lesson for our children to learn.

They didn't lose. They folded like a cheap suit.

Go, Rangers!

The Cubs have Theo now, so maybe we'll have to watch the boys celebrations a bit closer. That is, if we finally get something to celebrate! ;)

Reports are that MLB is leaving it to individual clubs to decide on policy.

"...except for celebratory purposes?"

So the Cubs can drink after each of the 7 games they'll win in 2012? ;)

JJ

Reminds of the late great Mill Famie.
He was the only ML pitcher to have a better "head to head" record against the great Cy Young. Unfortunatley his drinking got the better of him, and was a constant battle, he'd miss trains, practices and even starts from time to time.
After a season off (due to drinking woes), he refound himself and chose to make one last go of it and discovered sobriety. After a dominate year, he found himself starting game 7 of the series against non other than Cy Young.
After 8 strong innings his team is leading 1-0.
Everyone new of his drinking woes and in an effort to sway his focus "someone" snuck an ice cold one out and dropped it behind the mound, as Mill took the mound in the 9th he noticed the beer there and thought; man I've really earned that, I should, but he shakes it off and gets back to business, he K's the 1st two batters, grabs the rosin bag, and thinks "what can it hurt", he slides the beer into his glove pops the top and slams it. After several months of sobriety coupled with an unseasonably hot Sept. day game in which he's given his all, the effects are immediate. He walks the bases full, walks in the tying run, then struggles to a full count on the next batter only to loose him and allow them to score the winning run.
As the victors hoop and holler and dog pile each other around the mound, one of the young rookies notices the empty beer bottle lying there. He asks, hey what's that? One of the vets say's "come on kid, everybody knows. That's the beer....

that made:






Mill Famie Walk Us

Good one, but I don't think they had pop tops back in those days. Plus, I would almost be willing to bet Cy Young didn't pitch a World Series game 7, or for that matter even pitch in a World Series. He did most of his heavy lifting before that.

FWIW, I checked and he did play in the first World Series in 1903 with the Boston Pilgrims (later the Red Sox) against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pilgrims won in 8 games, 5-3.