August 3: Germán’s entry into a treatment program was preceded by an incident in the Yankees’ clubhouse, reports Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, the pitcher was apparently intoxicated when he entered the clubhouse in preparation for the Yankees’ game on Tuesday. Adler writes that Germán argued with teammates and manager Aaron Boone and flipped a couch amidst those confrontations. He eventually went into the stadium nap room while the rest of the team prepared for the game.
August 2: “Domingo Germán has agreed today to voluntarily submit to inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse,” the Yankees said in a press release today. “He will be placed on the restricted list for the time that he is away from the club. It is critical that Domingo completely focuses on addressing his health and well-being. We will respect his privacy as he begins this process.”
General manager Brian Cashman met with reporters this evening (relayed by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com and Andy Martino of SNY). The GM said Germán has battled alcohol issues in the past and had an incident — about which he declined to go into detail — yesterday. As the team did in its statement, Cashman expressed that his foremost concern is for Germán and his family. The right-hander will not return to the playing field this season.
Germán, 30, has pitched for the Yankees since 2017. He was suspended for the entire shortened 2020 schedule after violating the MLB – MLBPA domestic violence policy the preceding September. He returned to the club in ’21 and has worked mostly out of the rotation in the three years since then. Germán etched his name into the history books six weeks ago, throwing a perfect game in Oakland on June 28.
Altogether, Germán carries a 4.56 ERA through 20 appearances on the season. Players on the restricted list aren’t paid or credited with MLB service, so Germán will forfeit what remains of this year’s $2.6MM salary (roughly $838K). He’d been on track to surpass five years of service this season but seems likely to now fall a bit shy of that mark. He’ll be eligible for arbitration again during the upcoming offseason.
Is that what caused the “armpit discomfort” Monday night?
Might be what got him through it.
I saw someone on Twitter say he showed up to the stadium drunk and had to sober up a bit before he could pitch. Wouldn’t surprise me
I told you that was a wineskin in his back pocket and not a goiter. Nyuk, Nyuk
Just like Mickey Mantle – and a lot of players of that era.
That’s spelled nyuck!
All bad behavior is simply written off anymore.
How about an apology to all folks you denigrated?
Don’t let him back in until he’s truly apologized to everyone he’s screwed!
That makes it next year, or maybe later…
dugmet: Well before that. His teammates had to drag Grover Cleveland Alexander out of a nearby bar and bring him to the stadium on days he was supposed to pitch. It didn’t seem to affect his game. He’s in the HOF.
I am far from a bleeding heart liberal, but even I have compassion for people with a drinking problem. It’s not like he was sticking a needle in his arm or snorting cocaine because these are conscious decisions. Alcohol can get out of hand without you really noticing. You have no idea what’s going on at home, or what might be happening behind the scenes of his public life that he’s trying to cope with. Cut the man some slack and don’t judge him to harshly.
@Pete What a world we live in where you feel the need for a caveat before stating that you have compassion for another human being. Lol. Hard drugs is just another form of substance abuse where your body/brain craves/depends on it. Addiction is any form sucks.
I think his point is you make a choice to take illegal drugs knowing they’re highly addictive. While alcohol can be as well it typically isn’t. I enjoyed a couple glasses of tequila yesterday but I won’t need to have more today.
@Pete
The Yankees are showing compassion. They haven’t DFA’d the guy yet. Addiction is a tough one. Hopefully he will get his life together.
The Mick drank because of horrible pain in his legs and doctors could do nothing then.
Then he became an alcoholic.
Keep telling yourself that Copper. Mick drank because he was a drunk, and his knees gave out causing him to drink that much more. He didn’t start drinking because of the knees
Be honest though. If he was a lesser pitcher, they probably would. Ability and not compassion drives decision.
It’s a pointless endeavor to try to determine what caused an addiction, but I think it’s been documented that Mantle blew his knee out on an outfield sprinkler early in his career.
One would imagine if German refused going to a rehab facility, he might have been waived. But your cynical take does have some substance (no, not that kind of substance).
That’s for you. I used to think like you and still don’t completely understand it. However…..6 months with a girl visiting from Germany changed my mind. She was incapable of showing any discipline when it came to drinking. Maybe it would get soooo bad or there’sa repercussion that might stop it for a day or too but left to her on device and she’s guzzling at 11 am. 2 bottles of empty red wine on the floor and 2 hidden in the seat cushions. Sexy and lovely gal but she had some major issues she would never talk about.
Might have been how he dealt with the anxiety of pitching. A standard medication for ‘nerves’ was a couple of shots of your favorite xxx.
Most illegal drugs are not highly addictive. Most heroin users are recreational users, for example.
Portugal decriminalized or legalized all drugs in 2004 and saw significant drops in addiction, in crime, even in drug use. —Anyone who’s still falling for the propaganda of the absurd drug war has a ways to go.
I thought he hurt his knee because of mishap in the outfield.Something involving a sprinkler head.
He’s already being paid for this year. Let’s see if he’s tendered an offer next year.
I know in real world jobs the addict gets a chance to get help. It’s considered a disability. Not sure how the union agreement reads.
Check the facts. Alcohol is the #1 most abused drug in the US.
Most heroin users are recreational users, for example.
=========================
I thought heroin (and most opioids) were the most addictive of all drugs. I remember one comedian (Brand?), when asked how long it was since he thought of shooting up was, and he replied “yesterday”.
That said, and without making this political, I agree with your sentiments on drugs. As a conservative, I have serious questions about violations of the Castle Doctrine.
As an accountant, the amount of money we spend on enforcement could be used to provide recovery efforts of every kind. Not to mention how US drug use impacts Mexico, and how that impacts immigration. Just a vicious and stupid cycle.
I like beer, and don’t smoke pot, but I have yet to read an article that convinces me that pot is any worse than alcohol.
Let the government control the cocaine trade, let everyone control the weed trade, and let every large city license opium dens.
And tax them heavily.
JoeBrady: I completely agree that addiction is a public health problem and that treating it as such would be much more effective than our current approach.
And FWIW I’m on the other side of the political spectrum – maybe there is hope for a civil, solution-oriented political discourse after all… 🙂
That’s a ridiculous mindset. There Is absolutely zero difference between an alcoholic and a drug addict. They’re nothing battling with the disease of addiction
You can’t actually be serious right? Alcohol is highly addictive. More addictive in fact then other drugs.
He apparently beat his wife’s ass a while back so we do know a little bit of his home life.
Portugal also invested billions in treatment facilities and increased penalties for dealing drugs. Possession or use was decriminalized, but selling it to someone else has stiffer penalties.
In the US 1 in 40 people (or about 2.5%) that request treatment for drug abuse are able to get a bed at a treatment facility. In Portugal its 100%.
Heroin users are NOT recreational users unless you are using the definition of “without medical supervision”. If you are using heroin, you are or will become an addict. NIDA has statistics that show that without treatment, close to 100% of non-medically supervised heroin users become addicted.
Try doing some research before spouting complete garbage that could get people killed.
The US spends more than $20 billion on interdiction alone and 800,000 law enforcement personnel are involved in drug law enforcement or incarceration with a total cost of more than $100 billion.
In the US, 1 in 40 people that request treatment for drug or alcohol abuse are able to find a bed in a facility. For people without insurance that number is 1 in 70 or higher. Only 1 in 10 that request addiction treatment ever get it.
With 21 million Americans struggling from diagnosed addiction and a large number more un-diagnosed, the cost of providing treatment would be staggering. Once we started the process, we do not have the personnel to staff the facilities nor the actually facilities to house the patients. We do not have the medical schools to train the number of people that would be needed in a timely manner. It would take a decade or more to approach what they did in Portugal of 100% of addiction treatment requests getting a bed.
The cost of addiction to the US economy has been estimated around $680 billion. Whatever cost there was of getting 100% of people that want treatment a bed in a facility would almost certainly be recovered by an improving economy.
There are only a handful of drugs that have a higher addiction rate than alcohol. Marijuana is not one of them. Opioids including heroin are at the top of the list. Methamphetamine, Cocaine. Nicotine, Barbituates. Those round out the top 5.
The Castle Doctrine applies only to people entering your home that intend and present harm to your person.
Cocaine costs about $6-7 per ounce to produce. The US government could literally give it away cheaper than trying to interdict, catch and prosecute users, and jail them.
Jenna Jameson also struggled with addiction before her knees gave out.
Guy looks up to CC Sabathia.
CC doesn’t hit women
those 2 are nothing alike
What you living with CC now? Basically how would you know? Smh.
I’m living with CC, he’s a class act.
CC seems like a good guy, never lived with him though.
Oh boy, here it all comes! Smh
Too bad the comments aren’t closed here like the way it is for other favored players going thru problems.
“Too bad the comments aren’t closed here like the way it is for other favored players going thru problems.”
How about no comment sections being closed.
@SocoComfort- For Favored players it will never happen, let’s just continue to kick a guy that’s continuing to have problems. That will definitely help him get better and recover quickly.
i feel for anyone battling an addiction but i’m less sympathetic to someone who physically abused their partner
Dollars to donuts that the alcohol and DV incident are related.
Too much vodka makes me violent, so it’s all probable he drank something that made him short tempered, he was drunk and they had a fight. After a gallon of vodka I’m ready to fight the world, that’s why I don’t drink straight vodka anymore. I believe that German has the same problem.
A gallon is 85 shots. Unless you sir are Andre the Giant, you are dead after 85 shots.
Bruh it’s over like 12 hours and yes I can easily do that. That is why doctors have put me in inpatient rehab facilities. I’m not the size of Andre lol but I’m far from a small dude myself. I’m 6’4 300 pounds myself. I don’t drink everyday, in fact when sober I don’t have a problem not drinking. When I get started after like 2 I’m going for a ride, I can’t stop until I’m passed out and pissing myself and that takes a lot.
I highly doubt you could make a good argument about Trevor Bauer being a favored player.
Captain Judge is your typical Yankee fan with a persecution complex. Always the victim. You know you d have no problem smack talking if this was a player from any other team. But go ahead and cry some more about your last place poverty franchise being victimized by the mean ole media!
@kylelohse- if you’re going by that screen name, then that’s a lot to cry about, loser name and a loser fan, definitely goes together. Good luck!
They get closed because the incels here are too aggressive about pushing their stupidity when the article is about violence towards women. This one is focused on substance abuse so we can just expect some mildly offensive stupidity.
@case Or when the issue is nothing like ‘violence against women’ but the white knights ride to the rescue when only an accusation has been levied.
An accusation of violence against women is nothing like violence against women? Sounds like the people that confuse lack of evidence with empirical proof of innocence.
Hurt his arm lifting too many beers
No, he was trying to make fart sounds with it.
No he was making fart sounds. with it.
Turn up
Big step towards recovery.
Why on earth are we putting his business in the streets? Like why not just restricted list? This wouldn’t have happened with an English first player.
@bkbk
“English” players have been put out there too, josh Hamilton, Trevor Bauer, and mike clivenger to name a few albeit for different reasons but that info was shared. Honestly it comes with the territory, sports is in the entertainment business and if you decide to make your living in the entertainment industry you should expect almost no privacy. Right or wrong isn’t the debate honestly everyone has a right to privacy, but that’s not the society we live in and we want to know “everyone’s dirty secrets but not mine” and until media sources like tmz are no longer viewed anyone in the spotlight will never have privacy unless they live an isolated life
Lol you patronizing fool. Hamilton was the one who volunteered the relapse and Bauer had a criminal case. Unless Estevan German has made a statement himself which I don’t believe he has, it is the Yankees deciding to share a personal matter. And to Ella B, what in the land of reading comprehension are you talking about?
bkbk
it is the Yankees deciding to share a personal matter.
============================
I assume that German agreed to it.
The alternative would’ve been far, far worse. As someone with a domestic violence past, if German was put on the restricted list, without an explanation, everyone would’ve assume there was another DV incident.
And honestly, imho, these things should be publicized. The more often a player raises their hand to say they have a problem, the easier it becomes for everyone to say they had a problem.
I’ve seen that in my neighborhood. It got to the point where no one even batted an eyelash when you heard that someone was in recovery. It is a good thing.
Why would you make the assumption it’s a DV ‘incident’ rather than a DV accusation?
@JackStrawb
Because this is Domingo Germán, a guy who hit his partner at a team function
I’m an ‘innocent until proven guilty’ type of guy, but I can tell you what everyone would think.
So players that know English aren’t abusers of women, got it. What an ignorant statement bk. Congrats, you’re the first to proudly show your hood today! What an achievement.
I always find it funny when a commenter attacks someone and they clearly didn’t understand the comment
Not fair to the German players I suppose?
I’ll take “dumbest possible take for $400, Alex”
We always protect all the players from England. You should know that by now bkbk
Wow another racist to add to the list.
Another white guy running around crying racist.
@Mark Grace True. I’ve never heard whites denigrated in the U.S.
Oh. Wait.
Funny, though, that what’s often taken for anti-white racism is often misandry or primarily misandry.
Yes, the Yankees made a statement about this highly unusual situation because they secretly hate players whose first language isn’t English. You have cracked the case. Well done.
Idiot.
Because these are entertainers (performers?) and the country clearly loves its celebrity gossip.
Every time you think this Yankee season can’t get any worst….
This isn’t about the Yankees it’s about Domingo German & his health & his recovery & to put the Yankees above his health is 100% WRONG
German works for and is getting paid by the Yankees so it is about them also. German chose to drink alot and not be able to live up to his contract so he better do something. Most employers don’t want drunks around. Yankees will have to do the whole acting like they care thing so he will be ok if he chooses the right path. Don’t throw the “his health” thing in there. It was totally self inflicted. It’s up to him. He’s young enough.
Addiction means he didn’t choose. If he was able to choose he wouldn’t be going into inpatient treatment now.
Why you choose to be such an ignorant a$$ is mind boggling.
As a former addict I can tell you for certain it is a choice. Every single time. Now, the choice gets more and more difficult as you get deeper and deeper into it, but I was aware each and every time I chose to use. Taking responsibility is a real thing, and the beginning of any possibility of lasting change. Don’t be so quick to claim another to be ignorant, especially resorting to name calling. Life is tough enough without others throwing name grenades in your direction. Peace.
@ Baseballislife.I was a drunk myself once. I didn’t blame anyone or anything for my problems. I quit drinking when I had enough driving myself into the ground and taking my family with me. I chose to be a drunk then I chose to live sober. Both my choices. I did both. 100% me. I was addicted until I decided not to let the bottle run my life. Life is to important. Simple as that. You sound like an idiot with your comment by the way.
saluelthpops – glad you are better now! Great job. I hope you shared these thoughts on more platforms than the comment section on this site. I hope Domingo gets all the help he needs to be a better person
@bambi……where’s my thumbs up?
LOL! I’ve given up trying to keep track of how many people I know have given up alcohol. Probably half of them started well before 18. That stuff just happens. I’d hate to think of where I’d be if I had been more successful earlier in life.
I can only handle so much inspiration at once. 🙂
In any recovery program the first thing you do is admit you don’t have the power to quit on your own.
“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable”
Being an addict is a disease. You don’t have a choice unless you get help. If you had a choice, you weren’t an addict.
Period.
I have read your other BS. This is just more BS from you retired.
The bottom line is the definition of an addiction is you do not have a choice. You are powerless over the drug and your life has become unmanageable.
So please peddle your garbage elsewhere.
Oh he definitely did choose, I’m a binge drinker I will be fine having one or two drinks but once I get to three it’s all downhill. I make the choice do I take that third one. Before I know it I’m a gallon into a handle of vodka wanting to fight somebody drunk as hell and I won’t remember any of it. I will get video replay later when sober from a friend. I think German has a similar issue and he has to choose differently.
You are not worth a response because you have no idea what you are talking about. I would mute you but that button is for the pssys on here.
Don’t think the guy said anything about putting the Yankees season above German’s health.
I was replying to George Ruth.
Well, dont confuse these strangers for more than a cog in your preferred distraction. I’m sure the relevant people in his life will assist in his recovery.
My man above was just saying the Yankees have been having a LOL season and this is the latest example.
Can you guys not see the comment from George Ruth? I was replying to him.
We all are responding to the same virtue signal from Ruth bud.
We aren’t friends. Sorry. I’m also sorry you are having problems reading.
In agreement with you, retired. I feel badly for the young man and hope he can turn it around. But in the end, it surely is a “Yankees thing” and it’s another kick in the head for fans.
If Domingo German weren’t on the Yankees or MLB he wouldn’t be relevant here.
Very true.
Well…. This IS MLBTR, after all. Of course him being a MLB player makes it relevant here. What a pointless comment.
Aren’t the Yankees, his employer, and his team mates effected by this happening? He is the main concern, but to say it isn’t about the Yankees is pretty short sighted.
The apparent lack of an offer for Canha or Pham was bizarre.
Doc Ellis through a no hitter on acid. Was Domingo abusing alcohol (drunk) when he threw his perfect game?… Or were the A’s batters?
Well, that’s one way to keep a rubber arm..
Can’t say much about Domingo’s perfect game, but I recall David Wells threw his while completely hungover after a night out drinking at a bar somewhere.
Didn’t the late wade boggs drink like 50 to 70 beers on a cross country flight then went 3/4 the next day.
Wade Boggs is very much alive!
@redsoxu571
I know he’s alive I was throwing in an always sunny reference
You got it, boss hog
But his career is not.
rest in peace, Wade
50 beers in 5 hours = dead. A BAC of .438 for a 240 lb man. If my memory serves me right, Boggs was under 200 lbs
Maybe he drank 12 beers in 5 hours, but 50 sounds so much more “macho” to idiots.
@pads fans
50 is not out of the realm of possibility, I’ve killed a 20 pack in 6 hours and I know people that could do 30 packs in a night, not to mention 1/2 the armed services I know they can put down the drinks. Wouldn’t surprise me if wade built up a tolerance over the years, Charlie day even said when shooting the episode everyone was drinking prop beer but was pretty sure wade was drinking real beer the whole shoot.
At least German should have tipped his lampshade to the crowd after the perfect game.
As a Pirates fan from the olden days, I doubted it when Ellis said it then and doubt it now. He passed away some time ago, but the guy loved attention, headlines and stirring the pot. Highly doubtful.
But that home run ball he threw to Reggie in the All Star game…..
@cornwhisperer
Even if doc’s lsd no-no isn’t true let the legend live on, plus if it wasn’t for the alleged lsd game he would just be another guy on the no no list.
Has that ball Reggie hit landed yet?
Once it leaves the atmosphere, it doesn’t come back down.
I definitely believe Doc was on LSD that day for two reasons. One being that he walked about 8 or 9 batters in that no hitter so his stuff was untouchable but he wasn’t exactly controlling it either so something was off a bit. The other reason I believe it is because a handful of years after his playing days were over he became a big advocate for sobriety and helping people get off of drugs and spent the rest of his life devoted to that cause in part due to the notoriety and glorification of that game. Never made big headlines or news with his post-playing sobriety advocacy but it certainly made a bigger impact than anything he did on the field to those he helped.
Side note: Doc should be remembered more for throwing at every Red in the lineup back in 74 more so than the LSD game. The Reds were top dog in the division and Doc made it his personal mission to send a message that the Bucs wouldn’t back down so he was going to hit everyone. He hit 3, walked one because the guy was able to get out of the way 4 times and was pulled halfway through the 5th at bat because the Bucs manager realized he was seriously going to hit everyone. Doc was a very unique person who did things according to his beliefs regardless of what others or society at large thought which certainly rubbed people the wrong way a lot of times. But it’s a heck of a lot more admirable than falling in line and simply being a “yes man”.
Nice that you believe the baloney, and that’s truly what the story was, and still is.
You put a nice spin on his playing career here. Yeah, I remember him “challenging” the Big Red Machine. That’s nice. But I also remember him as the highly inconsistent pitcher you make note of with the snapshot of his no hitter. A malcontent, a guy who yearned for the spotlight. I tend to appreciate mavericks and guys who exude individuality but sorry, Dock was a guy who wasn’t so much “unique” as he was a me-first type
From 1968 to 1975, his time with the Pirates, Dock Ellis walked 2.8 per 9 IP. League average was 3.34. He had better control than the average pitcher of his day by a substantial amount. Ellis only walked more than 6 batters twice in his career, one of which was the no-hitter.
The Doc Ellis one is suspect, I believe the Wells story though, don’t really need to be an athlete to play baseball (shout out Big Pappi)
In fact, John Kruk named his book “I ain’t an athlete, lady.”
Alcohol is a mother ******! No! Stay away
Ice cold beer here
GET YOUR ICE COLD BUDLIGHT
ICE COLD BEER
GET YOUR ICE COLD BUDLIGHT HERE
ICE COLD BEER HERE
GET YOUR ICE COLD BUDLIGHT
ICE COLD BEER
ICE COLD BUDLIGHT
GET YOUR ICE COLD BEER
ICE COLD BUDLIGHT HERE
Almost killed me… no never again
Thanx but no thanx
*threw
I wish Mr German the best & hopes the treatment he is going to get will be successful & take him off of the Alcoholic list & moves him to the Recovering Alcoholic List & it will be a fight he’ll have to fight the rest of his life.
Fight the Good Fight Domingo
Kudos to Domingo and the Yankees for getting him the help he needs. All too often, especially around the trade deadline, we talk about these players as assets on a page. As a Cardinals fan, I’ve seen two players that lost their lives due to alcohol.
Angels have lost players on the other side of that alcohol problem.
Celebrations for the perfect game have gone on too long
I’m glad he’s seeking help and that he has a support system in place.
Good. Hope he comes out of this better.
Good for him. Admitting you have a problem with substance use and committing to recovery and treatment is a very difficult thing to do and it takes real courage. I remember earlier in the season around his perfect game there was a lot of folks around the club mentioning he had just lost a close relative and ill bet that added to whatever he was already struggling with. I’m glad to see the yankees supporting him in this. Wish him well in taking this step and hope it will allow him to come back to baseball in a better place when he’s ready.
I mean he did really good on Monday after he sobered up.
Most important – hope he comes through this 100% healthy. Why NYY didn’t deal expiring contracts at deadline remains one of the great mysteries of baseball
Comments closed in 3…2…1..
Wasn’t this dude already suspended for beating up his GF?? Fine ppl this team employs. What next from this outstanding citizen?
A lot of times alcohol abuse and domestic violence go hand in hand. Not every drinker beats a spouse, but it’s rare to find a non-drinker that does.
Citation needed.
Btw, when did you stop hitting your wife?
What does that have to do with this story? Show some respect dude this isn’t the place for that kind of comment.
Clearly, given his history of off-field issues, he has some development to do as a person. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction for him.
I would like to say here that to my eye, Yankees have been a pretty class act, and while we seem to have their number these last 8 or 9 years, they are generally the team I most fear facing. That said, may Domingo find the peace & joy that I have found, since I walked into an AA meeting 40 years ago.
Glad that the majority of the replies here are positive and supportive.
I won’t be coming back to see if that continues.
I’d drink to if I was on that team
i must agree my friend.as a yankee fan,i have had no choice but but to down a few beers watching this team.they are a joke.they need to blow the team up and that includes german.
YANKEES: Furthermore, we regret that we were unable to trade him yesterday.
Appreciate the comments that show appropriate regard, respect and support for German taking an important step to better his health and wellbeing and grow as a person. Trolls and armchair Judge Judies I see yall and hope yall at some point learn something about just how many people around you have had their lives affected by addiction and how much it takes for a person to overcome and heal from that struggle.
Wade Boggs would drink a 50 pack on the way to the west coast every road trip
Yeesh, were they still taking trains?…
See my above comment about the late wade boggs
I’ll drink to that.
They certainly were just fine with drunk Babe Ruth!
Not to mention Mickey Mantle.
Interesting u bring up mickey mantle considering he later came to the realization that his alcoholism had negatively affected his life, family and his career and fought to get sober and educate others with his story in his later years.
Good luck to him. As a role model to kids, it’s a big positive to see that German is seeking treatment and making it public. And good on the Yankees for putting this news out in a positive light, rather than waiting for a possible catastrophe to occur.
LOL Domingo Germán isn’t a role model to anyone
This guy has had the most up and down season in MLB in a long time.
Yes, looked like something was wrong. He had some pretty bad outings.
Dallas Keuchel to the rescue
alcohol is no joke. I’m 51 years old and started drinking when I was 7. I was legally dead twice. The withdrawals from it are horrific and make it very difficult to quit. I’m now 11 years sober.
started drinking at 27 and drank. bottle of jack a day for 20 years. All the while smoking 3 packs a day. One day I decided to quit them cold turkey and has been sober ever since.
Wow. That’s an outstanding effort. Good job.
Congratulations. Taking it day by day too.
I’ve only been on the wagon for one year as of next week, but it has been good. Lots and lots of beer over the years, with a bunch of pot added in. I’m 66 now, and wish I had done this about 30 years ago… but I feel lots better, and friends have been helpful. German has a lot of life left ahead of him, I hope he can be successful in finding his way. It isn’t easy, but it’s a good thing for him that he’s working on it now.
Congrats on the soon-to-be 1 year, Heathcliff!
Good luck to him.
At least greenies focus your attention, I would have gone for those over the sauce. But I guess everyone smokes the skunk these days, who knows.
Alcoholism is a disease. He should be on the IL not the restricted list.
It may be that this was not voluntary.
It’s written into the CBA that substance abuse (addiction) is something that qualifies for the restricted list. They’d have to change the CBA in order for players to be paid while undergoing treatment. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening.
It should be, imo. There aren’t that many addicts going into recovery, so the overall costs are pennies, but the message it sends is important.
I went on a whiskey diet once.
Nothing but whiskey for 2 weeks.
I lost 14 days.
I guess working in NY will drive a person to alcohol abuse
Wishing him the best in his recovery. He did the hardest part and that is admitting he has a problem.
With the latest August 3rd update to the article, I think he made it abundantly clear to his team and his manager that he had a drinking problem. Good for him on agreeing to seek professional help for it though.
Dude probably threw a perfect game hammered. That’s impressive.
Wow, a dozen straight stories about injuries, releases and now this. The trade deadline fun sure came to an abrupt end. Back to the reality of baseball. And life. Good luck to him, a sad mess.
Poor guy I wish him all the best
At least the only thing he hit this time was a bottle. Timing being everything he couldn’t have done this before the trade deadline?
All kidding aside, good for him. Admitting he has a problem is the first and usually toughest step to getting help
I was surprised to see NY be so candid about why he is taking time away, but I also think it’s great to see issues (in the right circumstances) not hidden away. Addiction is a serious problem, one which mixes both personal responsibility and the need for treatment. Huge step towards getting better. Baseball is secondary to life.
CC Sabathia entered alcohol treatment right before the Yankees entered the playoffs in 2015. Cashman and the Yankees talked about it then. CC was/is open about it.
Keith I’ve worked professionally with people who struggle with poverty, homelessness, addiction and mental health for years and substance use and domestic violence are often co-occurring, inter-related behaviors. That said people can be stone sober and still abuse their partners, etc and substance use doesn’t fully explain and doesn’t excuse dv. However it’s reasonably likely that there is a strong,overlapping connection between the underlying causes and factors driving German’s drinking problem and the incident he caught the dv suspension for. Seeking treatment for substance use may help German get support to identify and address those underlying factors and improve how he acts in relationships as well.
Wish him luck, as one who had his own struggles with heroin and alcohol I know how hard it is to quit. But more importantly how much better my life is now.
@arcia later
I’m glad what many can’t in your situation and get out, I’ve lost a lot of close people in my life because of oxy/(insert opiate here) and used to be high and mighty about it too until I came close to being addicted to opioids. After all that I realized addiction is a disease and can be very easy to fall victim. With that said I hope sev the best and it takes alot just to admit you have a problem, but at the same time he’s not free of his crimes and deserves some backlash, he was paid to do a job and failed to do so because of his personal life interfered with that he is also at fault. Regardless I hope he gets the help he needs and gets back to baseball so I can “hate him because he’s a yankee” lol.
Hopefully this is his rock bottom and doesn’t have to keep digging as low as I did. I’m ashamed of my past but I don’t dwell on it and I’ve tried to make amends for the bad stuff I have done. (Both financial and emotional amends .) I’d like to think there is a reason I’m still here even though so many close to me weren’t that fortunate.
Tough stuff. Not even the slightest a Yankees’ fan, but wishing him well.
Is there things in MLB contracts that allows the team to go public with this? I hope he kicks it and does not relapse, but the why he’s on restricted list is really nobody’s business but his.
Yes, Article VIII, Section G (4-6), of the CBA specifies that clubs may divulge the nature of absence and length of expected absence. If a work-related injury occurs (Section G, 4) then they may also disclose additional information about prognosis, surgery, and outcome.
Thanks. I know at times it’s a good thing to know your heroes are flawed. However maybe that should be amended for people seeking addiction treatment, that are not suspended for violating the substance abuse policy.
Not sure what mlb rules are fully, and I know alcohol is a approved substance but if overindulging on it wouldn’t that be considered abuse. I know a lot of workplace consider it abuse especially if you show up drunk or caught drinking at work. Also wouldn’t have some rule about the abuse of legal substance as well
Agreed, you will be fired for it in most jobs. My point is if he’s not suspended by the league, then there should be a rehab exemption to the tell everyone your business clause. Other news outlets probably reported any incidents, so this may be partially a response on the teams part. This is what is being done. After he leaves rehab, maybe have his agent release a statement along with the team’s pr people. Detoxing is no joke. I’ve never lived it, just witnessed. Hopefully it goes well for him.
Wow, Serious Stuff. One of those things that your body is hurting and your hurting yourself. But you cannot stop. No matter what anybody says to you. Even with consequences rearing up every direction. I hope he can get well. Add in the huge amounts of money. And travel. Women. Huge huddles to climb over, But many have done it before. And I hope he can as well.
Wishing him the best. One day at a time….
A 30-day inpatient rehab would leave him a chance to come back and salvage the last month of his season. Hopefully that can happen for him.
That all depends. He may need more time away from the game after inpatient treatment if that’s the plan here. Rehab is really just a starting point for recovery and he may not be ready to cope with the pressure, constant opportunities to drink on the road, after games and so on, not to mention the pervasive presence of beer and beer advertising at the stadiums themselves right out of inpatient. People often need to build up their new routine, supports, and coping skills for a significant amount of time after initial detox before they are able to maintain sobriety when faced with triggers and opportunities to use at that frequency.
On the flip-side, if he comes back in September, he only has to face those temptations for one month until the season ends. He gets the initial culture-shock out of his system without that process taking place during an entire season.
Saw an article this morning with quotes from boone and several other yankees about this. Seems the plan is for him to be out for the remainder of the season at least. There arent many details but it seems there was a recent alcohol related incident that led to this decision. At the end of the day, recovery needs and plans vary from individual to individual but in general, as someone who has a lot of experience working with folks who struggle with addiction, i dont think your interpretation is particularly well founded. I think it would be very likely that he would relapse if he resumed a full mlb schedule fresh out of 30 days in rehab.
It states in this article that he will not return this season.
Hope he can kick his demons. Good luck to him.
Praying for all the best for German in recovery. Fought that demon for years. 38 years sober.
Well done. Stay strong
Thanks.
Congrats. I recently lost a good friend to it. Charming, smart, great athlete, but he never left the lifestyle that we grew up with.
Alcohol can be evil. Lost my uncle to it at age 53. Brilliant guy. Funny. Actor and writer. Addiction to alcohol took it all away.
Very sorry about your friend. That is tough to watch it happen.
Freaking brutal. We were all out of control when we were kids, and he was no different. It impacted a lot of lives. I remember coming home at about 1 AM, and my roommate was sitting in the dark, when he usually worked nights. He told me that his employer (generously, maybe with the help of the union) gave him two choices: get help or get fired.
He went to a facility, came back a few weeks later, gave up smoking about a month after that, got married about a year after that, and never looked back. And we all still get together for dinner occasionally, and I rarely see alcohol on the table for any of us.
I just thought I’d throw out a success story to lighten things up. Hopefully German kicks the addiction, has a successful life, but never wins another game for the NYY.
With the status of this team I’m surprised there aren’t more drunks.
Sorry to hear. Hopefully he gets the help he needs.
Good first step. Here’s to a good turnaround story.
I hope he gets the help he needs. Alcoholism is no joke. I know from family experience.
Congrats to Mr. German. Beating alcoholism is more important than beating the Yanks.
Hopefully the incident was self inflicted and didn’t involve his family. He already has a very public history of domestic abuse as he would abuse his wife without hesitation openly in front of others to the point he did it in front of teammates, front office members and even MLB employees which finally got him suspended. It would really be an even lower point for this organization if they have been standing by all these years knowing the behind the scenes dirt. I have a feeling this won’t stay private and will be leaked somehow eventually.
Manfred is now requiring a Breathalyzer between innings.
Sticky stuff is now okay twice per pitcher.
Serious question, wonder if Sabathia will serve as a mentor for him? He could definitely relate.
Ya gotta want the help first but no doubt CC would put in a phone call at least if asked.
Asking for help is a huge step toward better days. Good luck & be strong – support this man in his time of need.
I used to have a next door neighbor who would bring a 18 pack of beer home almost every night. He was also very skinny. I couldn’t believe how much that guy could drink. Alcohol is a terrible problem for many people. I quit years ago and try to stay away from bars and heavy drinkers.
After reading about the clubhouse incident, the man might have some issues with violence as well, thought they could easily be related.
a drunk Domingo German performed better than a sober Cookie Carrasco
LOLMetsMoments
He probably threw his perfect game against my pathetic A’s while drunk
Mark Buerhle drank before pitching in the world series. Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter on acid. So I don’t get the point you’re trying to make.
Come to think of it, some umpires must be drunk, often…
Nap room? That’s cute.
“We will respect his privacy as he begins this process.”
Not sure how you can do that while simultaneously disclosing he’s an alcoholic.
No reason to make that public
lightweight
seriously its stating the obvious but that’s an awfully bad sign to show up for an mlb game so sauced you flip out
just hurt his future earnings big time
hope he finds the help he needs and sorts things out
I wanna hear more about this stadium nap room
Wait! Yankee stadium
Has a nap room???!!!
Yes, they have two…the field of play and the dugout! Boone has it down to an art he can nap with his eyes open.
Hard to believe he was allowed to pitch at all that night. Surely you put a line through his name immediately.
I just noticed this. Happy 30th birthday Domingo!
I do believe Donmingo might be sitting this celebration out.
Because prohibition was so successful.
Yes, but look at all the lessons we (never f’in) learned from Prohibition.
LOVE all the jokes about a man who’s in the process of ruining his life and career. The anonymity of the internet is the perfect forum for practicing jackass behavior.
For the sake of himself and his family, I hope the guy can get his life back on track.
Getting morose is not the answer. I had yet another friend that passed away from alcohol. We spent the last 30 minutes of his wake talking about some of the crazy schitt he had done until my cheeks we hurting from laughter.
If/when something happens to me, I welcome everyone at the wake to crack jokes at my expense. Heck, I already told my wife that I am being buried in a RS jersey, and that all the Yankee fans attending my wake/funeral have to wear Yankee jerseys.
This guy seems like a ticking time bomb. After the domestic issue, how was this not something someone recognized prior to him flipping a couch?
You’re right, Virginia. What were we thinking?
Let’s all deify the drunk and sanctify the wife slapper and we will all be a blessed society.
What l don’t get is that they still let him pitch on that day.
According to the Star Ledger:
He was sent to the sauna, where they hoped he could sweat out the alcohol, the people told the WSJ. They then moved him to the nap room.
Sweat out the alcohol? Are you kidding me?