Dribs and Drabs

Y'know, a few years ago, Lenny DiNardo seemed like a pretty good Rule V pick for the Sox - a lefty spot starter/middle reliever/loogy type - but never quite made it happen.

And then last night he pitches the game of his life.

I don't even want to investigate how little time has passed since I was crowing about Tim Wakefield's sub-2.00 ERA, now that it has ballooned 3 runs. As I right this, he's struck out 7 and is losing the to the A's while something called a Joe Kennedy shuts down the Red Sox.

I'm pleased to report that a probe has found that Mike Shannon's restaurant was not at fault, and that Josh Hancock's family's lawsuit will not go forward. There are lessons to be learned, certainly, but needless litigation never solved anything - just ask Nicole Brown Simpson's family.

So... Jason Giambi might talk to the Mitchell Comsission - this being George Mitchell, part-owner of the Red Sox, and blah, blah-blibbity-bullshit conflict of interest.

Whatever.

Basically what I've gotten out of the Mitchell Comission is that he's trying to get players to talk to him, the Union is telling him "no", and he's powerless to force them to speak.

Giambi has, apparently, already incriminated himself to a Grand Jury, and certainly implicated himself to the media (and in the court of the public opinion) and with his current disability status and the threat of the Yankees' voiding his contract, he has nothing left to lose.

As loath as I am to speculate about steroid use by players past and present, this brings to mind another Mitchell:

Kevin Mitchell.

Kevin Mitchell would have achieved baseball immortality for no other reason than the fact that he was the guy who scored when the ball went through Buckner's legs in '86.

What people remember him for is primarily the numbers he put up in '89 - .291/47/125/1.023.

He was never as good before that or ever again - he went from being a spunky supersub to an all-or-nothing corner outfielder.

Giambi's resume also includes an MVP award, and his plate patience alone makes him Mitchell's superior, but as the revelations keep coming - faster and more furious, I think we'll see more clouds over past achievements.

The Sox are now down 3-2; I'm not holding my breath.