Jeff Reardon, the Blown Save

Jeff Reardon, who is sixth all time on Major League Baseball's Saves list with 312, evidently was good at saving everything but the money he made on the field. Reardon was arrested yesterday in Florida for robbing a jewelry store of $170 in cash. Reardon of course was blaming his medication. Why is it when these athletes mess up there is always someone or something to blame other than themselves? On the rare occasion when someone steps up and says "I blew it, I knew this was wrong and I simply made a mistake, no excuses. I am seeking help for my issues", they automatically get compassion from me, because by comparison to the 99% of other high profile criminals, they at least show remorse and point the finger at themselves.

It is alleged that Reardon, who made more than $11.5 million in his career, did not need the money. That would be like saying Barry Bonds did not need the steroids to hit all those home runs. Maybe, but he took them, so every record he sets should be erased. But I digress.

If I bought a professional sports franchise (yes, you can insert a joke of your choice here), the first thing I would do, after calling all my friends to tell them I got into Dan Snyder's Fantasy League, would be to hire a financial advisor to help these kids making millions of dollars plan how to keep their money safe and secure for life. Not one of these high tech slick guys. I would hire someone who could get to their level of understanding and get the players involved in their future. This is important. Too many athletes are losing their money and have no skills on which to fall back to earn more. Then they rob jewelry stores for $170.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to call Ron Guidry back so we can knock off a liquor store.