From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette’s Edward Canty (link swiped from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory).
Bernie Carbo knows all too well how bad choices can ruin lives.
The former Red Sox slugger, who is now a born-again Christian, shared the highs and lows of his professional career and personal life with an audience of about 50 people, including many youngsters from Great Brook Valley, Friday night at Clark University™s Razzo Hall.
He freely admitted that his addictive personality got him into steady drinking at 16 and full alcoholism by 19. He credited former Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson and former Red Sox executive Tom Yawkey with taking him under their wings and helping him keep the œgiants of drugs and booze œunder control. But in the end, he said, neither man could be there all the time.
In 1993, he hit rock bottom and realized he needed more help. He found it in God, he said.
His family had disintegrated. His mother committed suicide. His three daughters went to jail for selling drugs, and one is still incarcerated. He is in the process of adopting his three grandchildren, ages 9, 6 and 4.
He said major leaguers over the last four decades have had to face an increasing number of the devil™s temptations: liquor, womanizing, marijuana, cocaine and now steroids. He said there is more hope now, because players are turning to God for strength during this decade.
œMore players are spreading the word than ever before, he said.
Indeed, chief amongst them, Atlanta’s G-d fearing John Smoltz, touched up for 6 earned runs by the New York Mets today, 3 of ’em coming in on a bases clearing triple by Jose Reyes in the home 6th inning. Sadly, in the top of the 7th, Shawn Green and Scott Schoenweiss would demonstrate that goyim have no monopoly on screwing up, and the Braves currently lead, 9-6, in the 8th inning. Kelly Johnson just went yard off Notre Dame alum Aaron Heilman for a 3 run HR, giving Keith Hernandez a chance to opine on the importance of not crying after a tough day (Johnson whiffed 4 times Saturday), when he really should’ve been pushing an atheistic agenda. True Believers are getting crushed in Flushing.
“If you’re in Austin on Tuesday, April 24th, come to Book People at 7 p.m. and
meet BP 2007 contributors Jim Baker and Rob Neyer. If you want to talk
baseball and you’re in Texas, there will be no better opportunity.”
please show up and ask rob neyer if there are any metrics on the effect of jesus cristo on the colorado rockies.
i’m pretty tempted, actually. On the other hand, this event does conflict with scheduled ballgames (you know, the sort of things baseball fans occassionally look at) at UT and Round Rock. But if it’s raining, I’m ther.e
I’d normally agree with you, but the express have one real prospect on the team.
H.P. Sauce is an uber prospect, yeah. But even if the games were taxi-squad city (and a lot of ’em are), there are few nights wasted at that place. same goes for the UT games.
still, watching Baker and Neyer fight off the screaming girls at book signing might also be awesome entertainment.