Home Run Derby

Last season, Cubs First Baseman Derrek Lee missed the last two weeks of the regular season after his daughter Jada was diagnosed with Lebers Congenital Amaurorsis (LCA) – a disease which causes blindness.  He helped create Project 3000, a charitable foundation dedicated to identify people with LCA and to raise money to help find a cure.   They’re selling red wristbands to help raise awareness and donations (unfortunately that link is overwhelmed). 

One of his Cubs teammates, catcher Michael Barrett, is donating some scratch to fund Lee’s personal cause of fighting LCA.  A $50,000 donation to Project 3000 plus $10,000 for every home run Barrett hits in 2007.

“I wish I was a home run hitter and could be a little more generous,” Barrett said. “If you ever saw Jada hug my little daughter, Grace, you would know that there was a special connection there and we were tore up when (Jada was diagnosed with LCA in September).”

Barrett has hit 16 HR every year of his three-year career with the Cubs, so he can probably expect to make an additional contribution of $160,000 to Project 3000. 

No word if Lee will help Barrett in his cause – fighting AJP.

The authors of Game of Shadows have posted an afterword to their investigation into Balco and Barry Bonds - one which tallies some intriguing growth spurts Bonds has had during his tenure in San Fran …

… the freakish growth of Bonds’ body parts in his years with the Giants: from size 42 to a size 52 jersey; from size 10 1/2 to size 13 cleats; and from a size 7 1/8 to size 7 1/4 cap, even though he had taken to shaving his head. 

“The changes in his foot and head size,” they write, “were of special interest: medical experts said overuse of human growth hormone could cause an adult’s extremities to begin growing, aping the symptoms of the glandular disorder acromegaly.

Funny how this is yet another case of life imitating the Simpsons – remember the episode when Mr Burns got all those MLB ringers for his softball team?  And he had them all drink Ye Olde Nerve Tonic?

“It’s a brain and nerve tonic, rich in proteins and electromagnetic juices. It promotes robust health. Of course, it has been known to cause gigantism, but only in rare cases. Try some!”

Of course, one player got hooked on the stuff with disastrous results - the picture looks like it could be Bonds to me – except that the player in the episode was Ken Griffey Jr..