Since July 1, Paul Lo Duca of the New York Mets has been the top hitter in the major leagues, averaging about .430.
I tell you this because, coincidence or not, former Playboy model Sonia Lo Duca filed for divorce from Paul on June 30. In her divorce petition, Sonia accuses the catcher of being a philanderer. There also are allegations about him being an out-of-control gambler.
Sonia asked the court to ban her husband from using all bank accounts and from incurring any indebtedness. Both Lo Ducas were being hounded daily this week by reporters in New York, but none of the above has affected Paul’s on-field performance. Quite the opposite, actually.
And that’s amazed Mets slugger Carlos Delgado, who says: “I’ve seen ball players lose their concentration and effectiveness because of trade rumours about them or because they don’t like the way their latest hair cut looks. But Paul seems to be thriving. He’s remarkable.”
• Arizona desperately would like to unload underachieving outfielder Shawn Green and his 2007 salary of $9.5-million US, but the problem is that the former Blue Jays’ contract allows him only to be dealt to the Angels, San Diego or San Francisco, and they don’t want him … The Dodgers are making a second-half run for the post-season and they figure they’re contending largely because of their catcher, Russ Martin of Toronto. They’re lobbying for Martin to be the NL’s rookie of the year … Martin, incidentally, lives at the posh home of his veteran teammate, all-star pitcher Brad Penny. “I could probably buy a place,” he says, “but what for? I hang out at his swimming pool. And he has lots of good DVDs.”
• Hamilton safety Wayne Shaw may not play against the Argonauts tomorrow because of an ankle injury. With vicious hits, Shaw is singlehandedly responsible for placing two starting quarterbacks on the injured list this season — Toronto’s Damon Allen and Winnipeg’s Kevin Glenn … Jeff Hunt, owner of the Ottawa 67’s, has been offered a second job in sports. Golden Gate Capital Corp., one of the groups putting together a serious offer to revive CFL football in Ottawa, has asked Hunt to serve as its president, which means he could run the Renegades when they resurface next season.
Marty York’s column appears Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Listen for Marty on The ROCK 94.9 FM, Monday and Friday at 8:40 a.m.
