Yesterday, I wrote about how I like to live vicariously through my sports heroes, so it's no surprise that some shocking, saddening news regarding one of my childhood sports heroes comes out today.
Roberto Alomar, the slick-fielding, switch-hitting second baseman who spent three glorious seasons with my Baltimore Orioles, helping lead the Birds to back-to-back playoff appearances from 1996-97, is being sued by his ex-girlfriend for knowingly giving her AIDS.
I still vividly remember attending Robbie's first game as an Oriole, Opening Day in 1996. Bill Clinton threw out the first pitch and the Royals turned a triple play, but the Orioles ended up winning. A pretty memorable day for a seven-year old.
Most remember Alomar for spitting on umpire John Hirschbeck, but for me Robbie evokes mostly fond memories of the last great Orioles team.
It's those type of memories that I associate with Alomar that make today's news so disappointing to me. Alomar's health is apparently in bad shape, as he supposedly has full-blown AIDS, but his father, the Mets' first-base coach Sandy Alomar, had no idea his son had full-blown AIDS. There is more to the story obviously, as it seems to me that full-blown AIDS would be difficult to hide from your family.
If this is true, it's obviously a horrible story, but I just hope that this woman isn't trying to eaxct some type of revenge on Alomar.
