Poor Eric Langill. Certainly, there are worse things in life than being a journeyman catcher in the minor leagues. He got paid to play baseball for 6 years. He got to spend a summer in his early 20's on Vero Beach. Two seasons as a backup in Las Vegas? Yes, please! Parlaying that career into a full-time gig as a big league bullpen catcher? Let's just say that's every mediocre catcher's dream.
But when he signed his first professional contract at 21 years of age, I'm guessing he had something else in mind for his first front page article in the NY Times. For those of you who don't read the newspaper - OK who am I kidding, I saw it on Huffington Post (Who so cleverly refer to him only as "Mets Catcher" in the headline) - Eric Langill drunkenly flipped his car onto one of those famous islands found in the center of Port St. Lucie traffic circles. Then he fled the scene on foot and refused a breathalyzer once the cops caught up to him - a veteran move for any drunk driver mind you, but still an arrestable offense.
The 2012 LOLmets have not disappointed so far. The Wilpon's owe millions in Madoff money, the training staff has been publicly outed for being inept, and even poster boy David Wright thinks those underdog T-shirts were a bad idea. While Mets fans remain optimistic that Johan's changeup will still work even when his fastball sits at 87 (it won't), it's hard to keep positive when even team bowling night turns into a criminal act.
This Spring Training Survival Guide will be short and sweet: Don't do what Eric Langill did.
Port St. Lucie sucks. Vanilla Ice is considered a "notable resident" on the PSL wikipedia page. I remember thinking to myself "I wish this strip mall was a little less rapey" as I walked from the team hotel to CiCi's for the all-you-can-eat $5 pizza buffet (My choices within walking distance were that and Arby's). It is a nice enough Florida town I suppose for a kid from up north who isn't used to waking up to sun and warmth every day. Until of course you realize that neighboring teams get to live in Daytona, Palm Beach, Tampa, and Clearwater. Mets Minor leaguers get the short end of the stick, and with the nearest dog track a solid 40 minute ride up Rte. 95 in West Palm, players in St. Lucie have basically one option for what to do during the down time...Drink.
When taking advantage of dollar drafts and 2-for-1 drink deals is the only available outlet for fun in the entire town, you need to use your head when it's time to speed home and make curfew. Obviously the rules are a little different when you're an employee of the major league squad as Eric is/was, but the decision-making process should always be the same.
Too many adult males treat drinking and driving with the same risk/reward analysis that worries less about "will I get home safe?" as it does about "will I get caught?". For those of us who were around when Scott Shafer was drafted in the 6th round, we know how this story ends. Cops are just itching to lump you ballplayers in with the rest of the Spring Breakers who descend on these Florida towns every March, and telling them "I play for the Mets" will just expedite the process of throwing you into the drunk tank and leaking the details to the press.
So, its 2:00 AM and you're sitting in the Duffy's parking lot with a solid buzz on. It's times like these when you need to think "What would Eric Langill do?" and then call a cab.
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