The Feeling You Are Walking Around With

“I never took a drink to avoid life or to discover what was missing in it. I drank always for pleasure, because it made me feel better and easier. I believe that a batter in a slump might sometimes help himself with a drink or two instead of further torturing himself over what he’s been doing wrong. Many years later, I kept a notebook by my bedside to jot down different thoughts I had on batting. One night I woke up and wrote this: ‘There are three ways to get rid of a slump. One is to drink and change the feeling you are walking around with. Another one is to get involved in some sort of hobby do you can forget for a awhile. The third is just to practice and practice again. In order to get rid of uneasiness, the first two ways should be considered. The last way sometimes deepens the feelings of uneasiness. However, the first two have nothing to do with progress. If the monster called slump requires improvement in technique and skill then there is only the road of practice and practice and practice…'” -Sadaharu Oh

The Red Sox decision to ban drinking in the clubhouse seems both gimmicky — fried chicken and beer not actually being why they lost last year — and also appropriate — most employers don’t let you drink beer at work, right? The argument is that baseball has a long and storied relationship with beer, but that relationship is sorta fun at best and tragic at worst. Joe Maddon says that since fans drink beers at baseball stadiums (I can note from experience that this is a true statement), there’s no reason players shouldn’t be able to unwind with a couple drinks themselves. That certainly seems to make sense. David Ortiz says “if you want to drink, drink at home.” That seems like it makes sense too. Point being: this issue is nowhere near being easily answered or cut and dry, and I haven’t even really figured out where I stand on it.

Tauntr has a list of “team brews” in commemoration of this ‘news story’ — at first I was bitter that no small craft breweries were represented, then I remembered that Major League Baseball teams are large and nationwide corporate entities as well, so it’s probably appropriate. Still, the Astros should be St. Arnolds Elissa IPA, for innumerable reasons. I totally LOL’d at the Twins/Sparks, though (RIP real Sparks). [HT to Brandon Warne for that link]

I stopped drinking at ball games for an assortment of reasons (mostly because it’s ludicrously expensive), but I’m not opposed to a four pack of Dogfish Head 90 Minute when I’m watching a game at home and I have nowhere to drive but into my bed. Which is to say: Drinking is FUN, but it’s not the only fun. The clubhouse ban might be stupid, but it really shouldn’t be all that hard for anyone, and if it is, they might have a problem. Of course, as David Ortiz is pointing out in his very defense of the thing: people who want to drink will still drink, they’ll just do it elsewhere.

I’ve come to the unpopular conclusion that in the era of Miguel Cabrera and Josh Hancock, baseball playing and drinking would be better off if they were less wrapped up in one another. It’s a hard to pill to swallow when you’ve heard countless amazing stories about the drunken antics of the best players of yore — but most of those guys probably could have added a few years to their lives if they didn’t drink so much. Plus, the kids.

The kids!

“I’m surprised I remember anything after everything.” -Josh Hamilton