I recently did a brief Q&A with a Bottom Line Sox — a Red Sox blog — about the 2009 Baltimore Orioles. I tried my best to answer his questions in full at least with the team we’ve got right now.
If you’ve got a moment, check out it here…
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It’s been a utterly depressing week in sports with the whole A-Rod episode along with Miguel Tejada; however, today brings another sad tale — assuming it is true.
Former Oriole and potential Hall of Famer Roberto Almoar may be hit with not only a lawsuit, but a deadly disease which has permeated all segments of life, race, gender and economic status.
From the NY Daily News: Baseball great Roberto Alomar has full-blown AIDS but insisted on having unprotected sex, his ex-girlfriend charged Tuesday in a bombshell lawsuit.
The shocking claim was leveled by Ilya Dall, 31, who said she lived with the ex-Met for three years and watched in horror as his health worsened.
In papers filed in state and federal court, Dall said Alomar finally got tested in January 2006 while suffering from a cough, fatigue and shingles.
“The test results of him being HIV-positive was given to him and the plaintiff on or about Feb.6, 2006,” the $15 million negligence suit says.
Nine days later, the couple went to see a disease specialist who discovered a mass in the retired second baseman’s chest, the court papers say.
Alomar’s skin had turned purple, he was foaming at the mouth and a spinal tap “showed he had full-blown AIDS,” the suit says.
Alomar, 41, who quit baseball over health issues in 2005, could not be reached for comment.
His lawyer, Charles Bach, would not say whether Alomar is HIV-positive. “We believe this is a totally frivolous lawsuit. These allegations are baseless,” Bach said. “He’s healthy and would like to keep his health status private. We’ll do our talking in court.”
I don’t know what to say about this, just that I am saddened to hear this story at all. At least from what I saw in my time, Alomar was one of the best second baseman I saw and was that incredible player who you just had to admire. He also had a dark side — noted by his incident with umpire John Hirschbeck long ago — however, you could not discount his greatness on the field. Roch Kubatko, who covered him as a beat writer for the Orioles also has his thoughts on MASN Sports.
Sadly, though — if this story is true — athetes are not invincible and he may have paid a high price for his risky behavior. My mother has been in medical field for a long time — I’ve met AIDS patients and had them over — thus, one can assume it’s not easy for either side to handle.
I’m sure the full story will come out, but it sure sounds heart-wrenching.
