“Tasteless” radio station stunt targeted at Mark McGwire leads to banishment.
WiLD 95.5 radio learned the upper limits of wildness in the eyes of Roger Dean Stadium officials on Thursday, when they were booted from the premises.
It isn’t just St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa protecting new hitting coach Mark McGwire from the relentless media hordes. Roger Dean Stadium general manager Joe Pinto got into the act, banning the Palm Beach-based radio station from the site.
The WiLD crew was booted from the Cardinals and Marlins spring training facility due to what Pinto labeled a “tasteless” promotion. Outside the stadium, the station set up a stand with a life-size McGwire cutout. They passed out large “steroid darts”, encouraging fans to toss the projectiles, “injecting” the cardboard version of Big Mac.
Wacky morning disc jockey Kevin Rolston told the Palm Beach Post that about ten people had hit the target, winning spring training game tickets, before stadium security gave them the boot.
Rolston, who didn’t actually come to RDS, sending station employees instead, defended the stunt. “Our point is, I don’t think many people are past it, even after the apology he gave, unless they’re blinded by being diehard Cardinals fans.”
Pinto got the last word, however.
“Mark McGwire is a partner on our team,” the GM told the paper. “I am not going to exploit the guy. My issue was they were doing something stupid on our property. It wasn’t right. It was tasteless.”
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Score one for Pinto.
One of the security guys here at RDS was livid over the stifling of free speech. Apparently he was not among those carrying out the ejection.
Strasburg is pitching tomorrow vs. Cards.
Yep, I will be there. I didn’t get to see him in the Arizona Fall League all-star game as Strasburg was a last-minute scratch.
Finally got to see the today’s game. I would say that MM is having a positive influence on most hitters. Light years ahead of last season. At 6′5, Carp was effected by the wind more that you might think.
Very fine article today on Colby Rasmus, including his father and McGwire.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/7DBE20B59037B860862576E6000C8A44?OpenDocument
We arrive by many paths RC. The power we have went in search of, emanates from the eternal present. You were never wrong in your concerns. To have failed to express them could have easily lead to a different outcome, not as promising as what your enjoying. Its high stakes partner, and you’re a winner.
Sounds like a stupid ass cheap stunt by a station needing ratings.Boot the SOBs out of the park.They got what their stupid stunt deserved.And freedom of speech doesn`t mean you can yell “fire” in a crowded theater or yell racial taunts at someone.Common sense prevailed IMO.
I don’t know Westy. I don’t picture RC eminating and all like that. More like: ‘Here boy, take this bat, go out there and rip ‘em a new one’. Of course, he’d know more about the finer points than I do. He would’ve passed that along too.
I got to see today’s game before heading to the airport with the girls. Had to promise my brother I’d stand there and watch his kid get on the plane. My daughter and I got back a little while ago. Never did get to Saturday’s game.
Never saw so much bad pitching.
Linear time is just a concept, an idea BB. It doesn’t really exist outside the mind. All existence lies within the eternal present. To the extent that you know the truth of this is the measure of your wisdom. Eliminating the “your” from that equation is the challenge.
RC knows that the problems he focused his attention on are not gone, their potential just transformed into new challenges for a growing boy. The good part is that they are not his problems now. They are now simply lessons taught, hopefully to be understood for their good intentions when the time is right. Sometimes babies are the best teachers. Lets hope for an inspired lesson plan from the “short one”.
“Linear time is just a concept”. I don’t get into that stuff in connection to baseball, Westy. There was a time I was really into Albert’s field equations (not Pujols), not all ten at once, of course. By the way, the ‘eternal present’ doesn’t really exist outside of the mind either, you know.