Zipper Problem Steve appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” this morning, discussing his recent stay at the Tiger Woods-approved Gentle Path rehabilitation clinic. Though Circling The Bases’ Craig Calcaterra admits to feeling bad for the former Mets GM / ESPN analyst (“just because his wounds are self-inflicted doesn’t mean they aren’t wounds”), he’d like us to consider the real victims in all of this ; fans who suffered thru Phillips’ tenure in Flushing.
On a lighter note, the article says that Phillips’ program was an AA-style 12-stepper. Anyone who knows about those knows that a key part is making amends. And the amends don’t just have to be things the recovering party did while specifically subject to the addiction in question. Which means that, sooner or later Mets fans, expect Phillips to call you up and apologize to you for the Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, Pedro Astacio, Mike Bordick, Bobby Bonilla, Rickey Henderson, Kenny Rogers, and Jeromy Burnitz deals.
I remain hopeful that someone will give Phillips a second chance in broadcasting. Mostly because his public statements, if not behavior, have provided precious fodder for this blog, but also because I genuinely believe persons suffering from one addiction or another deserve chances to turn their lives around. Y’know, the sort of chance Phillips was so eager to deny Josh Hamilton.