A tale layered with tragedy (Jeff Reardon's arrest)

Reardon's bizarre behavior may be linked with son's 2004 death

By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | December 28, 2005

According to the Palm Beach Gardens police, there was no gun in Jeff Reardon's hand when he robbed a jewelry store in a Florida mall the day after Christmas. According to Reardon's lawyer, there is no financial burden, either. The 50-year-old former Red Sox reliever made more than $11 million in his 16-year career and lives in a home on a golf course.

No. It wasn't about money. It wasn't about debt. In all likelihood, it was about loss. Almost two years ago, 20-year-old Shane Reardon, the second of Jeff and Phoebe's three children, died of a drug overdose.

Only those who have experienced such loss can truly know the depth of despair that accompanies the most personal tragedy of them all. Parents who lose a child are an unfortunate club unto themselves. The rest of us never can really know how or what they feel.

So how to explain the sad juxtaposition in Florida yesterday morning? In Tampa, Tony Dungy, the dignified coach of the Indianapolis Colts, was burying his 18-year-old son, who committed suicide last week. Across the state in a Palm Beach Gardens jail, Jeff Reardon -- who at one time had more saves than any other pitcher in the history of baseball -- was posting $5,000 bond and going home to prepare to face a charge of armed robbery.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/12/28/a_tale_layered_with_tragedy/?rss_id=Red+Sox+stories+from+Boston.com

lose loved ones? What a BS excuse to commit armed robbery. Wonder if it will work? Think of the precedent...

It didn't excuse the robbery! Jeez.

First, he didn't have a weapon and the armed robbery charges will likely be dropped. Secondly, he turned himself in. Third, he admitted he did it. Fourth, he is on a very strong medication and is reacting badly to it. Lastly he DOESN'T NEED THE MONEY!

He will likely have to undergo psychiatric evaluation and care, do community service and get the right combination of meds.

That's hardly being excused.

The Professor

If I lost my son I don't know what I would do and I can guarantee I would be a bit irrational and crazy from it. I hope he gets everything ironed out.

On a sidebar I think that Reardon certainly deserved more HOF attention than he got. Closers get a bad rap. They have the most pressure of any positional player in the sport yet they are criticized because it's easier these days to rack up saves. In Reardon's days it wasn't that easy.

I think that it's a shame if Reardon, Sutter, Gossage and Smith don't get a serious shot at the hall. The same way it will be a disgrace if Hoffman and Rivera don't get in.

To that degree we should look at long term effective, durable, middle innings eaters too. Just because the guy wasn't in the glamour spots of starter and closer doesn't mean he wasn't the backbone of the team at times. I think a lot of guys in the pen get disrespect they don't deserve. If they didn't act as a bridge to carry a game from start to finish, many times the great teams wouldn't have been so great.

If someone played and played well at their position they deserve consideration, even if it's closer, middle inning relief, or forgive me for saying this, DH.

They did what they were asked to do within the parameters of the job given to them and they provided constant value at that position.

I think the baseball writers tend to be a bit too discriminatory in their voting.

Rp