I never get tired of thinking about the Nolan Ryan-Robin Ventura fight. And now that Ventura is managing the White Sox, people are finding occasion to talk about it all again.
Over at CSNChicago.com, Chuck Garfien has a new angle on it. Seems that one of Ventura’s players -- Paul Konerko -- was at the game. He was in the stands with his U.S. Junior Olympic baseball team. In fact, they met Ventura before the game when Ventura offered them inspirational words about sportsmanship and stuff.
So of course seeing him charge the mound in blind fury a couple hours later had an impression:Did seeing Ventura go after one of the best, most respected players in the game change his opinion of him?
Nope. The opposite.
“That made me think nothing less of him, only more because anybody who’s going to charge Nolan Ryan, you gotta have...”
Konerko paused for a few seconds, trying to find the right word he can use on family television. Then one popped in his head.
“You gotta have some guts let’s just put it that way.”I’m glad he corrected himself. Because you can’t say “balls” on Comcast/NBC-affiliated outlets.