Re: General Discussion

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WASHINGTON (AP)—The Washington Nationals are giving away tickets to service members on Military Appreciation Night—an event announced to the public a week ago.

Active or retired military personnel can get up to four free tickets for Monday’s game at Nationals Park against the San Francisco Giants.

The Nationals are wearing what they call “patriotic” uniforms—blue jerseys with a stars-and-stripes curly “W” on the chest—for the first time.

The team says planning for Monday’s festivities began in the offseason. It’s a coincidence the celebration of the military comes the day after President Barack Obama said terrorist leader Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan.

Nationals manager Jim Riggleman says it’s “amazing the way the timing worked out.”

Re: General Discussion

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Shin-Soo Choo was arrested for DUI yesterday

Craig Calcaterra

May 3, 2011, 3:10 PM EDT
3 Comments
Choo_Shin-Soo

We have scant details as of yet, but Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Shin-Shoo Choo was arrested for drunk driving early yesterday morning in suburban Sheffield Lake, Ohio, west of Cleveland.

Indians GM Chris Antonetti released a statement saying that he and the organization are disappointed and all of the usual stuff you hear at these times.

What needs to happen next, however, are not more quotes about how disappointed everyone is. What needs to happen is some sort of baseball discipline for players who are doing this. Many players: Choo makes the sixth baseball player to be arrested for DUI this year, joining Miguel Cabrera, Austin Kearns, Adam Kennedy, Coco Crisp and Derek Lowe.

Major League Baseball has suspended coaches in recent days for using Twitter improperly and for acting like jackasses to fans. While we can debate how serious those things are — the Roger McDowell stuff is serious in my view, the Ozzie Guillen stuff not so much — ballplayers getting behind the wheel drunk are endangering lives.

I don’t propose some zero tolerance policy with unthinking, blanket punishment because facts can make a big difference. But there is something wrong with these guys always being in the lineup the next damn day, regardless of the circumstances.

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Was looking at Kevin Kouzmanoff's numbers again this year and that guy has never really lived up to his promise.

Ironically, right now Jack Hannahan is a far superior player, on both sides of the ball.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain

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Remember me? Luis Valbuena, the Indians' opening day second baseman in 2010, was named their minor-league player of the week. Valbuena, 25, hit .375 (9-for-24) with five runs, two doubles, three homers and seven RBI in six games from April 24 through Saturday for Class AAA Columbus.

Valbuena is hitting .303 (23-for-76) with 12 runs, six doubles, four homers and 15 RBI overall.