Shawn Chacon never knew eating dinner could be so bad for his health.
He sat down for a pregame meal on Tuesday and ended up the lead story on “SportsCenter.” Chacon’s gut had been boiling for a week, upset after he was yanked from a game and then ultimately the starting rotation.
So when Astros manager Cecil Cooper asked to speak to him, he refused. When general manager Ed Wade followed suit, requesting the player go to Cooper’s office, Chacon declined. Anything that needed to be said, he insisted, could be said right there.
There are conflicting versions, but this much is true. Wade told Chacon to look in the (bleeping) mirror regarding his performance. Words were exchanged before Chacon shoved Wade to the ground and then grabbed him around the neck.
Going Latrell Sprewell is no way to advance your career. And in Chacon’s case, it could be not only his enduring moment, but his last. He’s radioactive now, in my discussions with talent evaluators and GMs.
Not only is he considered a fringe big- leaguer — the 11th or 12th man on a staff — he has character issues.
Having covered Chacon, this snapshot is not accurate.
He can be stubborn and different, but that’s something I admired about him. And he was always popular among teammates in Colorado.
There’s no question the atmosphere in Houston is spoiled, with the players losing respect each inning for Cooper.
But there’s no excuse — none — for Chacon choking the boss. For his career to end somewhere besides Long Island or St. Paul, he needs to make amends. I offer not damage control, but advice for a player I would like to see get another chance.
For starters, take full responsibility. Not 90 percent. Or even 99 percent. So, Wade used profanity. He shouldn’t have, but if every GM was skewered or fired for vulgarity with players or the media, the kid in aisle 7 at Target would be running the local nine.
Chacon should have listened, bit his tongue, then repeated his demand for a trade.
As he sits in limbo, he must be proactive. An anger-management course would be a great step. It shows that he understands the depths of his mistake.
Also, don’t be afraid to reveal passion for the game. Chacon loves painting himself as the underdog, proving people wrong. Here’s a great opportunity to do just that. Show that it’s not just about the money. Go play independent ball if they will have you. Pitch in remote outposts where cold hamburgers and macaroni and cheese qualify as cuisine.
The reality is this: Chacon’s career is over without genuine contrition. Such a move would reveal what I think of Chacon: He’s a good guy who made a bad decision.
Trevor Time up?
This is one of the events that you’d rather not see, like Willie Mays playing center field for the New York Mets. The home fans at Petco Park booed Trevor Hoffman when he blew a save last week. Hoffman, for those who haven’t been paying attention, is the face of the San Diego Padres.
But his diminishing velocity and lacking fastball command have conspired to spoil his Bugs Bunny changeup. The problem is Hoffman’s role. There’s no easy way to make a future Hall of Famer a setup man. And yet you can’t wait too long for him to regain his traction at the expense of the team. Ideally, Hoffman will be able to walk away on his own terms, but whether that’s through the bullpen doors in the ninth inning is becoming less certain.
Start it up.
The all-star team is as much a popularity contest as a merit badge. The onus is on the players and fans to select with their calculators, not hearts. If the players fail, Rockies manager Clint Hurdle will be in a difficult spot with the NL pitching staff, particularly if an undeserving Johan Santana makes it.
That will put a tight squeeze on Hurdle and Bob Apodaca for the final spots if they take seven starters, same as last season. The locks are Edinson Volquez, Tim Lincecum, Brandon Webb, Ben Sheets, Ryan Dempster and Aaron Cook. That leaves the likes of Carlos Zambrano, Dan Haren and Kyle Lohse vying for one slot. One of those pitchers could make it through the online final-man fan ballot.
If you’re counting, that’s two possible Cubs starters on the all-star team, and they and the Brewers are considered the early favorites in the C.C. Sabathia sweepstakes.
Footnotes.
New Mets manager Jerry Manuel’s second-guessing of Howard Johnson doesn’t bode well for the hitting instructor’s future. Manuel seems to think the Mets’ problem is approach, not lack of talent or desire. . . . Cheers to Major League Baseball and umpire Brian Runge for his one-game suspension. Runge apologized for baiting Carlos Bel- tran into a confrontation last week, and the commissioner’s office did the right thing by announcing the ump’s discipline rather than keep it secret. . . . The Rays are for real. Evan Longoria, as former college teammate Troy Tulowitzki predicted in spring training, is a strong candidate to win AL rookie of the year honors.
EYE ON …
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Padres
Background: Even though he wasn’t the best player on his Chula Vista, Calif., high school team, Gonzalez’s talent wasn’t a secret. The Florida Marlins selected him with the first overall pick of the 2000 draft, beginning a strange yet fulfilling odyssey. The Marlins traded Gonzalez to the Rangers in July 2003 for closer Ugueth Urbina, who helped them win a World Series before landing in prison. The Rangers then shipped him to the Padres along with pitcher Chris Young in January 2006 for Adam Eaton and setup man Akinori Otsuka. Gonzalez is now becoming the face of the Padres franchise.
What’s up: Any list of underrated and unappreciated must include Gonzalez. Playing on an offensively challenged Padres team, in a canyon of a home ballpark, the left-handed slugger continues to put up huge numbers. He entered the weekend with an NL-best 66 RBIs. His 21 home runs ranked third in the league. He was batting .290. “He has great hands, great balance and uses the whole field,” said manager Bud Black, whose Padres will be at Coors Field for a three-game series beginning Monday.
What’s next: He’s heading to the All-Star Game or George Mitchell will launch another investigation.
Renck’s take: There’s nothing like the beauty of a left-handed swing, and few in today’s game take a cut like Gonzalez. To appreciate him, you need to understand the lineup around him — or lack thereof. The Padres rank 29th in runs, 26th in batting average. There are nights when Gonzalez and Brian Giles appear to be the only thing separating the Padres from the Portland Beavers. “The thing I admire most about him is that he’s tough and he plays every day. And it’s obvious that we don’t have a lot of guys protecting him,” Padres catcher Josh Bard said.
AT ISSUE
Work in clutch makes Schilling Hall-worthy
What: After undergoing major shoulder surgery, it’s possible that at 41 years old, Boston’s Curt Schilling has thrown his last pitch. It has brought into focus his Hall of Fame candidacy, which will be controversial for both his numbers and e.e. cummings stream-of-consciousness opinions on everything.
When: Schilling will be eligible for the Hall five seasons after he retires. Age and health are working against a return, leaving strongly debatable, if not borderline, statistics. Those against Schilling cite one number: 216. That’s his victory total. We have all been raised to believe that pitchers without 300 victories need a tour guide and ticket to see Cooperstown. Such thinking is flawed. There are only 23 pitchers who have reached 300 wins. It is a benchmark, but like many statistics, not always the true measure of a player’s impact.
Renck’s take: In the interest of full disclosure, I have never been a Schilling fan. Watching him throw Arizona manager Bob Brenly under the bus during the 2001 World Series was disgusting. Ask fellow players about him, and they roll their eyes. As now-infamous Houston GM Ed Wade once said of Schilling, “He’s a horse on the fifth day and a horse’s (bleep) the other four.” That said, the guy is clutch. He never won a Cy Young Award because former Diamondbacks teammate Randy Johnson enjoyed one of the greatest four-year runs ever during their time together. Schilling, though, owns a .600 career winning percentage. And — this can’t be overstated — he reigns as the best big-game performer of his generation. Beyond his bloody-sock drama, he’s 10-2 in the playoffs with a 2.23 ERA. There are those who say postseason stats shouldn’t matter because it’s unfair to players on bad teams. If that was the case, how many Yankees’ candidacies would require further review? A legitimate gripe against Schilling is that he’s too often hurt. But the reality is this: If I had one game to win, he would be my starting pitcher. I just might pass on interviewing him afterward.
UPS AND DOWNS
THREE UP
1. Twins: Spent last week treating NL teams like the Washington Generals.
2. Angels: Francisco Rodriguez on pace to set single-season save record.
3. Yankees: Joba Chamberlain owns 1.80 ERA in five starts, four team wins.
THREE DOWN
1. Padres: Team fell 16 games below .500 for the first time since moving to Petco.
2. Phillies: MVP candidate Chase Utley suffered through 0-for-23 skid.
3. Reds: Hyped pitching prospect Homer Bailey has been a bust so far.
