Westport – To the folks in Westport, the lifetime duo of Mike Sweeney and Joe Cronin have become a famous tandem. They challenge each other in a way that few lifetime pairs have been able to match. Some will argue that Sweeney is the driving force behind Cronin, while others insist that Cronin is the cog that turns Sweeney’s wheel. Sweeney himself gives all the credit to JC, but it’s not Joe Cronin.
“Jesus Christ, he gives me the strength to do what I do. He’s there for me during the good times as well as the bad. Joe (Cronin) is good, don’t get me wrong, but JC is Great,” gleamed Sweeney when asked about his recent offensive success. Sweeney entered the halfway point of the HBL with a scorching .520 batting average, miles ahead of his struggling lifetime counterpart Cronin. “Croney kind of does his own thing, win or lose. I sat him down after the last series and invited him to pray with me. He wasn’t too keen on it. Last night I left a Gideon Bible in his locker, with a few passages highlighted that I thought would help him. I walked by an hour later, after some BP, only to find that Croney was using the book as a beer coaster. He did the same thing with one of my Amy Grant CD’s. Seriously, how many coasters does a guy need? I guess I’m just glad I could help”, quipped Sweeney.
Fleas manager Buck O’Neil is happy to see the results from Sweeney thus far in the season, but would still like to see some changes in the Christian’s on-field persona. “Michael is a great asset to our team. He works hard everyday and sets a great example. Sometimes, I’d like to see him get mean, though. I joke around with him because I hear him back behind the plate yappin’ to guys, asking how their family is and so forth. I have to remind him ‘Hey, we’re not selling girl scout cookies out here. We’re trying to beat those guys.'”
Even if it means risking a choir boy image, perhaps O’Neil should send the rest of his squad to church with Sweeney. The Fleas are struggling overall and have only been able to average a measly 9 runs per ball game, resulting in a 1-5 start. “It’s a tough league, and if you let down or have a bad game, teams will eat you up, and that’s what’s happening to us out there. The break has been good though, I say let’s go get hot for the playoffs.”
While O’Neil didn’t want to take any credit away from a religious icon, he may have summed up the Fleas’ scenario perfectly when he said jokingly, “Guys can worship whoever they want. I thank God for what he’s given us, and if Michael gives all the credit to Jesus Christ, then that’s great too. I’ll be quick to point that out to management if we don’t make a push in the playoffs this season. Don’t blame me.”
