Walker fires back at Jones? SI comments

A couple of weeks back, I relayed Detroit hurler Todd Jones? tongue-in-cheek comments about our own Jamie ?Cat? Walker, which were recently published in Sports Illustrated.

In case you missed it, Jones was asked about Walker?s $12 million deal with the Orioles, and jokingly remarked: ?$12 million is a lot of money, but $12 million in Tennessee? He might as well be Donald Trump. That?s a lot of generic-brand beer, and a lot of NASCAR tickets. You know how many fishing lures you can buy at Wal-Mart with $12 million??

Of course, ?Cat? couldn?t let that comment slide by without firing a few friendly bashes back at his former teammate.

In a questions-and-answers article written by Baltimore Sun sports reporter Jeff Zrebeic last week, Jamie was asked about the Jones quote, and came back with a response that made me proud to be a Tennessean.

?Yeah, he?s just busting my [chops],? Walker said. ?But I?ve got something for him, definitely. He?s an Alabaman obviously, and when we flush our toilets, that?s where they run to, his house. I thought it was funny, but I don?t drink generic beer. I drink Budweiser, man.?

See? I told you the ?generic beer? line would get under Jamie?s skin. I wonder if the Bud people threw him any swag for that last comment.

? While the banter between Jones and Walker is pretty funny, it?s not quite as funny as the latest chapter of the Kerry Wood saga.

Remember when Wood was going to be the next Nolan Ryan? Well, I don?t remember the ?Ryan Express? ever being derailed by a slippery hot tub.

But Wood, who has seen enough injuries over his career to keep three trainers busy, had to miss several days of preseason pitching because of bruised ribs coming from falling out of his Jacuzzi.

After Jeff Kent?s car wash fiasco a few years back, during which he falsely claimed to have slipped while washing his truck, one wonders if Wood is making up the source of his latest injury. But if you were going to make up a story, wouldn?t you come up with something a little better than falling out of a hot tub?

In fact, that seems like the sort of accident that would inspire its own cover story. Wouldn?t you think Wood could go to Lou Piniella and say, ?uh, Skip? I hurt my ribs saving a kid from a burning building.? or, ?Hey coach? My ribs are a little sore; some Cardinal fans attacked me in the parking lot.?

But no. Now Wood has to play the rest of his career being known as the clutz who ? by his own awkwardness or because of some other catalyst (generic or otherwise) ? couldn?t get out of the tub without hurting himself.

And people wonder why the Cubs never win. With guys like that on the roster, it?s a miracle they make it to the ballpark on time.

? Finally, if you?ve read this article online, at the paper?s fine Website, you?ll notice there is a space at the end of the copy where readers can leave comments.

If you chose to do so, please see to it that you?re logged in under your own account, rather than someone else?s ? and especially rather than mine. It?s unnerving to see comments supposedly left by you that you knew nothing about. And for the record, when I like Dale?s column, I just look to my left and tell him.

That is, if I?m not in the hot tub, enjoying a generic beverage.