Back to the Future

One of the articles in the online version of the Tribune today referred to "Robert Valido, 21, once touted as the Sox's shortstop of the future." Now, I know nothing about this guy, but the quote makes it seem like he is no longer being touted as the "shortstop of the future." Wow, washed up at 21. When I was that age, I had just finished a summer working at the Post Office (a regular Clff Claven -- extra points for coming up with his Final Jeopardy question), was worried about the draft (my number was 20), and was a few months away from meeting my wife, Judy. I basically had my whole future ahead of me (where else would it be, behind me?) Valido, by contrast, has gone from being the future to being, well, I don't know. Life's tough in a game where the Future is Now. I know, George Allen (former Bear, Ram and Redskin coach) was talking about football when he said it, but it applies to baseball too.

Good news in the Cactus League: Bobby Jenks pitched a complete inning, throwing 23 pitches and being clocked at 94 MPH. (The Trib reports he wasn't trying to throw full out.) Mark Buehrle struck out three, walked none, and gave up a solo homer in three innings. Darin Erstad batted in the two hole and laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved leadoff man Pablo Ozuna to second, where he scored on a single by birthday boy Paul Konerko (31). Mike MacDougal shut down the Brewers in the only inning he pitched. Bad news: The Sox's spring record dropped to 2-5.

(Alex Trebek will no doubt remember that in response to the clue "Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz, and Lucille LeSeur," Cliff's question on the Jeopardy episode of Cheers was "Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen? The correct response was "Who are Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, and Joan Crawford?" The categories during Single Jeopardy were Civil Servants, Stamps from Around the World, Mothers and Sons, Beer, Bar Trivia, and Celibacy. Cheers fans know why this was Cliffie's "dream board," as Norm described it, and Jeopardy fans know that the categories were actually used in the May 10, 2005 episode on the real game show. I'll stop now.)