Shea it Aint So!

As many of you know, baseball has turned into a major part of my life.

This past week has been a roller coaster ride for me.

Wednesday night when I returned home from the baseball game, I was very sad to learn that Shea Hillenbrand had been designated for assignment after what nearly became a clubhouse brawl between Shea and the manager. For those of you who don't know baseball very well, this is more serious than a demotion - this means that the club has 10 days to trade the player (which will have very little trade value after telling the world that you are rid of him) or releasing him outright.

Fans immediately took sides in the whole ordeal after hearing that a comment about the Jays being a 'sinking ship' was written on a wipe off whiteboard in the Jays clubhouse. Throughout the next days, bits and pieces of the story have been coming out, but we will never know the full story. Not one of these so called fans were in the clubhouse on Wednesday night during the players only meeting that Gibby burst into. No one has been in the clubhouse for the last 3 months. I have made a deliberate decision to take no sides, form no judgements. I do not have all the information. I am sure both sides are culpable and that the entire situation was handled poorly. My opinons of JP, Gibby and Shea have not changed.

There is one thing that supposedly happened that has decreased my respect for Shea though. There were reports that he ripped the Canadian flag off his hat when he was taken out of the Canada Day game in the 7th inning. I listened to the interview with Shea on the FAN590 on Thursday and I was not satisfied with his response to that question. I truly believe, from his own response, that he did take the flag off. I would NEVER disrespect the American flag and I do not take kindly to other disrespecting mine. Of course, Gibby is using that to his full advantage by wearing his Canada day hat all the time now.

Anyway, what everyone needs to remember is there are always two sides to every story even if only one side gets published.

Good bye Shea and good luck in San Francisco! Take care of Vinnie as well - he doesn't have the seasoning you do and probably feels somewhat abandoned at the moment.