For what it’s worth and since you asked, I am in a very very dull mood, so if it seemed like an attack, I sincerely apologize as it was not meant to be so, and I do hope you understand my point.

1. “What he doesn’t need is every person in the world reminding him how important he is.”

Every person in the world? Nice exaggeration. How about a few people close to him who he will listen to.

2. Your analogy of comparing Joba flying down the road drunk with a beer between his legs to some guy raising his kids is a lousy one and totally unrelated.

3. If what you believe has transpired has, including: Cashman speaking to him, teammates being there if he needs them, and of course, his father speaking with him, then at this point, that’s good enough for me. But GPS and shackles? More exaggeration. Did I say something that was going over the top in my concern for Joba? Did I say something about an intervention and having him committed? Are you in a bad mood today?

4. ” Set ourselves up as legal guardians”

Huh? Your taking my comment to exaggerated extremes. FWIW, I’ll be happy to hope Joba puts this one behind him and goes on to a great, trouble-free career with the Yanks.

Obviously, being clean and sober is probably a preferable way to go through life, but MLB history is hardly devoid of very good players who had more than a few cold ones on a regular basis.

That said, although person who made this allegation could be clueless or worse, I will give him credit for attaching his name to the quote. It’s also interesting that he uses the word “had.” So either the problem, as he sees it, is in the past, or his syntax is poor.

and classic Freddie with Art Blakey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noNAphDFA8 he was only 23 here!

Ruben Sierra is an interesting case, awesome first few years for sure, though I think Freddie’s status as a trumpeter exceeds Ruben as a ballplayer…need to think more on this (and yes, I realize how geeky we are in pursuing this comparison, but it’s the offseason, what the hell

Good luck at your gig!

ooh, that’s a TERRIFIC ?, looking for a baseball comp for freddie. i need to go to play my jazz gig now. i’ll try and think of one, though i have a feeling you’ll come up w/ a fantastic one before me! don’t worry, we won’t play Red Clay tonight! i’d like to do Up Jumped Spring, in his honor though…

joe henderson was great to female players. in fact, he had an all female band for awhile. i believe that’s where Renee Rosnes got her start. she’s awesome and i have 7 or 8 of her Blue Note cd’s.

how ’bout someone like Ruben Sierra for a comp?

thelarmis, who would be a good baseball comparison for Freddie? Prodigy, played on dozens of classic albums in his 20s, sold out to some horrid disco fusion in the 1970s..had injury problems, then became an elder statesman (though I heard he was a real prick to any female players..)

What he doesn’t need is every person in the world constantly reminding him of how important he is. That’s like being told everyday by your boss and your coworkers and strangers from all walks of life that if you are a father, you have to love and take care of your kids because you are special to them and important to their future. Cashman has talked to him and his teammates will likely be there for him or in his face, and I’ll bet you bottom dollar his father has had more than a few things to say. What more should we expect, GPS and shackles?

I know our first reaction when a phenom has trouble like this is to set ourselves up as legal guardians and make the decisions for them, but can we at least give him a chance to prove that he’s capable of understanding or reaching out for help on his own before we do? He’s a human being, not a life-sized action figure.