Robservations – Ex-teammate weighs in on Cat?s contract

(When the cold weather?s got you singing the blues, and shaking in your shoes, what could be better than a nice warm dose of random Robservations?)

I feel insulted. And, as fine upstanding citizens of the Volunteer State, you probably should, too.

Detroit pitcher Todd Jones recently found his way into the pages of Sports Illustrated, for a quote he made about our own Jamie ?Cat? Walker and his $12 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

?Twelve million dollars in Tennessee?? Jones was quoted as saying. ?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??

Funny? You bet it was funny. And, of course, Jones said it all in jest.

But to be honest, it hit a little close to home for this friendly neighborhood sports writer.

I?ve been known to buy the occasional bit of fishing tackle at our local major retail outlet; and although I?m more of a night-crawler man myself, the thought of how many worms 12 mil would buy is mind-boggling.

But generic-brand beer? Come now, Todd. I don?t want to tattle on our hometown hero, but it?s safe to say from the conversations I?ve had with Jamie, that he has enjoyed the occasional responsible sampling of an adult beverage. I don?t think I?m revealing any secrets when I say that. But ?generic?? I don?t think so. With $12 million in the bank, I?d bet ?Cat? heads to the import cooler.

Even the generic beer comment doesn?t bother me as much, however, as the fact Jones, who made these tongue-in-cheek remarks about his former teammate, is a resident of Alabama.

What? Tennesseans are being described with hillbilly-esque clich?s by someone born in Marietta, Ga., who lives in Alabama? Ridiculous!

I guess it could?ve been worse. Jones could be from Mississippi.

? Speaking of baseball, let?s talk about baseball!

Specifically, big-league pitchers and catchers report soon, and our own high school club is allowed to hit the practice field in a matter of days.

I got my annual sneak-peek at the Pioneers a few weeks ago, when I shot their team photos. And first impressions are that no one will accuse these guys of steroid use. They might not be the biggest collection of athletes ever assembled, but there is a lot of experience coming back to the WCHS clubhouse, so baseball fans could be in for some exciting nights this spring.

? And, finally, a word about WCHS basketball.

The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers have both had more than their share of struggles this season. But if you count heads at most home games, you wouldn?t know both teams were in last place in their district.

That?s a credit to the fans, and Saturday night, those fans will have a chance to say farewell to this year?s senior class, as WCHS plays host to DeKalb County.

Wins might not have come as easily to the class of 2007 as some of their predecessors, but the players honored this weekend stuck it out, when several others opted to bail out on the program. That?s something to be proud of.