Krakatoa,
No, I wasn't implying anything else. I just wasn't sure what you menat by the references to Jef. Airplane and G. Slick. A lot of people who do not know anything about Allison's background, etc., just his struggles with substances, want to criticize him and run him down. I'm not defending or condoning his behaviors, but I do know that there is a lot more to his situation than might meet the eye of the casual observer. He has had absolutely "electric" stuff in the past, really outstanding stuff that few are lucky enough to be gifted with and I hope he can get his life straightened out so that he can enjoy himself and have some success on the field. Not that baseball is the most important thing by any means.
I am also a child of '54, and I agree that our childhood days were much safer and easier days than our kids are experiencing today. It is a helluva lot tougher to be a teenager in 2005 than it was in 1970 or 1980. We do need to remember that before we make judgements about the Josh Hamiltons and Jeff Allisons.