Chuck Knoblauch

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The Twins announce that Knoblauch's HOF ceremony and induction has been canceled due to "recent news".

 

That news being that he was arrested last night for assaulting his ex-wife.

 

I think the induction will still be on... to prison.

[John Bonnes]

This whole Knoblauch saga is getting seriously sad. Here is the story about his arrest:

 

http://www.khou.com/sports/Ex-MLB-star-Chuck-Knoblauch-accused-of-assaulting-ex-wife--268479052.html

 

With all that we've learned recently about concussions and such in baseball, I'm starting to wonder if there is some mental illness going on, or physical brain problem that he is fighting. This is getting reminiscent of Darren Daulton, who also had a domestic violence charge, espoused some very goofy beliefs in occultism, and needed brain surgery in 2013.

[JB_Iowa]

There's something peculiarly right about this ...

 

even though he was very, very wrong.

[Otto von Ballpark]

From the release, it sounds like just the induction ceremony is cancelled... will he still be a member of the Twins HOF?

 

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/268495992.html

[DaveW]

This whole Knoblauch saga is getting seriously sad. Here is the story about his arrest:

 

http://www.khou.com/sports/Ex-MLB-star-Chuck-Knoblauch-accused-of-assaulting-ex-wife--268479052.html

 

With all that we've learned recently about concussions and such in baseball, I'm starting to wonder if there is some mental illness going on, or physical brain problem that he is fighting. This is getting reminiscent of Darren Daulton, who also had a domestic violence charge, espoused some very goofy beliefs in occultism, and needed brain surgery in 2013.

He could just be an alcoholic/drug addict.

 

It's not a huge secret in NYC that during his time here he was actually banned from multiple bars for drugs/boozing to much.

 

While you can never fully know about head injuries etc, it just appears to me that Knoblauch falls into the rather large group of having drug/booze issues and being an ******* at the same time. Then again, he may not have drug/booze issues and may just be a huge jerk, who knows. Sad story all around though.

[Giles Ferrell]

I was looking forward to his HOF induction next month. Sad situation but the Twins were right to pull the plug on this.

[Otto von Ballpark]

With all that we've learned recently about concussions and such in baseball, I'm starting to wonder if there is some mental illness going on, or physical brain problem that he is fighting. This is getting reminiscent of Darren Daulton, who also had a domestic violence charge, espoused some very goofy beliefs in occultism, and needed brain surgery in 2013.

 

Certainly pro baseball players can suffer mental illness just like people in any other occupation, only much higher profile. Doesn't necessarily have any connection with concussions or the sport itself.

[tobi0040]

He could just be an alcoholic/drug addict.

 

It's not a huge secret in NYC that during his time here he was actually banned from multiple bars for drugs/boozing to much.

 

While you can never fully know about head injuries etc, it just appears to me that Knoblauch falls into the rather large group of having drug/booze issues and being an ******* at the same time. Then again, he may not have drug/booze issues and may just be a huge jerk, who knows. Sad story all around though.

 

 

Could be lot of things, but he looks hammered in the picture.

[jokin]

Twinsights: Induction ceremony canceled after Chuck Knoblauch’s arrest

 

Sad story concerning a very troubled guy.

 

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/07/24/twinsights-induction-ceremony-canceled-after-chuck-knoblauchs-arrest/

[JB_Iowa]

http://www.twinsdaily.com/showthread.php/12758-Chuck-Knoblauch

[kydoty]

That's the look of a man with a lot of regret in life.

 

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/8ef2cef0298394c906bce15ffdf3d0acd49f60ad/c=28-0-244-163&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/07/24/1406231919000-knoblauch.jpg

[Beezer07]

Wow, back to back jokes about domestic violence.

[Craig Arko]

Wow, back to back jokes about domestic violence.

 

Yes, part of having a sense of humor is recognizing when something is not funny. This isn't. It's just really a very sad story.

[JB_Iowa]

Got to think this dude is drowning away his past glory with Alcohol out of pure boredom and the fact he has no connection to the game currently. He was a good baseball player but seems to have some anger issues.

Probably has some side effects from past concussions and possibly even steroid or amphetamines use? Baseball players from that era, several of them have had these problems.

 

HGH???

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/sports/baseball/11clemens.html?_r=0

[Pius Jefferson]

It should not have taken a second domestic abuse charge to keep Knoblauch out of the Twins Hall of Fame.

[JB_Iowa]

It should not have taken a second domestic abuse charge to keep Knoblauch out of the Twins Hall of Fame.

 

That was kind of my basis for my strange comment above.

 

First we have him not attending the opening of TF because it was right after he was sentenced in the assault against his first wife.

 

Now we have this charge.

 

And women, get a clue, if they assault the first wife, they are probably going to assault future girlfriends, wives. Stay the heck away.

[snepp]

I was looking forward to his induction that weekend, he was 1b on my favorite players list.

 

 

No excuses for this kind of thing though.

[DaveW]

And women, get a clue, if they assault the first wife, they are probably going to assault future girlfriends, wives. Stay the heck away.

Ah yes, nothing like a little victim blaming.

[Willihammer]

Memorial Villages police officers arrested Knoblauch and said he appeared “extremely intoxicated.”

 

He's looking at more probation/jail time, lost the HoF ceremony... Hopefully this is rock bottom for Chuck.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Ah yes, nothing like a little victim blaming.

 

I think that was more of advice from one woman to another. Let's try to keep this thread civil. There are already a ton of deleted posts in it. Thanks guys.

[JB_Iowa]

Ah yes, nothing like a little victim blaming.

 

It isn't victim blaming. It's being smart and not letting yourself get caught in a trap.

 

That doesn't mean that no one ever gets forgiveness. It does mean that it is rare that someone abuses only one victim and women need to proceed with extreme caution with someone who has any history of abuse. (We've had personal experience with this in my extended family with very bad results so I feel very strongly that the woman needs to protect herself -- and one of the best ways is not to get involved with someone with an abusive personality in the first place.)

[Seth Stohs]

Knoblauch was my favorite non-Puckett Twins player in my formative years. I'm sure that this will come across as making excuses for him, but I don't take lightly anything he's done. Reading the report on this incident is scary.

 

I recall that Knoblauch's father was a big part of his life, good and bad. I found an article and it was talking about his throwing problems when he went to the Yankees. Here is one interesting quote from Knoblauch (in 2000):

 

''You guys see the baseball stuff,'' Knoblauch said. ''It might not be a baseball thing. It probably isn't. It's probably something else.''

 

He's had his demons off of the baseball field for a long time. A lot of the things (the yips in the playing days, and the arrests off) started when his dad was diagnosed with and then really started dealing with the effects of Alzheimer's Disease.

 

Again, not an excuse for any of this, but something clicked with him at that time, and obviously not in a good way.

[JB_Iowa]

Again, not an excuse for any of this, but something clicked with him at that time, and obviously not in a good way.

 

The whole thing is just sad ... the allegations of domestic violence, the allegations of substance abuse, the allegations of HGH use ... it is just a dark, dark picture. And I'm assuming that his father was diagnosed at a relatively young age so the possibility of a genetic tendency to Alzheimer's would add to the dark picture.

 

It is also a reminder that ballplayers are human beings like the rest of us .... and face the same challenges (although perhaps heightened by the public spotlight).

[DaveW]

I think that was more of advice from one woman to another. Let's try to keep this thread civil. There are already a ton of deleted posts in it. Thanks guys.

Fair enough.

 

I think it is a lot more complicated then that to be honest, and she is the mother to his three kids which of course complicates it even more and makes it that much more terrible. Battered wife syndrome is a very real thing and I think 100% of the blame should go towards Chuck on this one. It sounds like her only "crime" was trying to keep her children's father in their lives.

[DaveW]

With that said, I think it is absolutely great that the Twins did the right thing in not only postponing the ceremony, but flat out canceling it indefinitely. I know the Twins "hall of fame" can be a bit silly at times, but it's good to see them basically taking the anti NFL "hell lets just give him a slap on the wrist" stance on this.

[DaveW]

Knoblauch was my favorite non-Puckett Twins player in my formative years. I'm sure that this will come across as making excuses for him, but I don't take lightly anything he's done. Reading the report on this incident is scary.

 

I recall that Knoblauch's father was a big part of his life, good and bad. I found an article and it was talking about his throwing problems when he went to the Yankees. Here is one interesting quote from Knoblauch (in 2000):

 

 

 

He's had his demons off of the baseball field for a long time. A lot of the things (the yips in the playing days, and the arrests off) started when his dad was diagnosed with and then really started dealing with the effects of Alzheimer's Disease.

 

Again, not an excuse for any of this, but something clicked with him at that time, and obviously not in a good way.

Not to sound callous, but almost every human goes through adversity like that at some point or another, we have all lost people close to us way before there time was up. Alzheimers is of course a very heartbreaking disease, but it doesn't give anyone a license to do what he did.

 

Chuck Knoblauch is nothing more than a sad, sad coward, as only a coward would strike a woman.

[Sssuperdave]

Man, such a sad story. The thing that has always stuck with me the most about Chuck is this quote from a story in the Strib a few years ago:

 

Fifteen miles away, in the condo where Knoblauch spent his offseasons as a player, boxes line the walls. All of it is junk. That's what he told his real estate agent when he gave her instructions to toss the stuff.

 

She opened one of the boxes and found a Gold Glove.

 

He told his real estate agent to throw away a Gold Glove?????? There has got to be so much pain under the surface. It's really hard not to feel bad for a guy like that, even if he has responded to it with some very destructive (to both himself and others) decisions.

[Sssuperdave]

 

Chuck Knoblauch is nothing more than a sad, sad coward, as only a coward would strike a woman.

 

 

I think you are over simplifying here Dave. You yourself said that "It is a lot more complicated" when talking about the woman's side. I think Chuck's side is more complicated too. It's way too easy to label someone a coward and brush them aside than actually look at why they behave the way they do.

 

I'm in no way trying to defend Chuck here. He obviously was completely in the wrong here and should be punished. But I don't see what good it does to write him off as a coward. It's an easy way out.

[DaveW]

I think you are over simplifying here Dave. You yourself said that "It is a lot more complicated" when talking about the woman's side. I think Chuck's side is more complicated too. It's way too easy to label someone a coward and brush them aside than actually look at why they behave the way they do.

 

I'm in no way trying to defend Chuck here. He obviously was completely in the wrong here and should be punished. But I don't see what good it does to write him off as a coward. It's an easy way out.

It is actually very simple: If you are a man and hit a woman (not to mention putting her head through a wall) you are a coward. There is no excuse to do so, unless you literally don't know right from wrong.

 

I don't feel bad for him, he has had 10+ years to turn his life around, he chose not to. Fool me once, etc etc etc

[Kwak]

Changing the subject from assault(s), how many of you saw the cover of the Strib where the byline was of the Knoblach case but the picture was of a young Scott Erickson? Oopsie.