I saw this tiny item at the bottom of Paul Hagen’s Baseball Notes today:
Twins reliever Pat Neshek was dominant early last season, but had a 4.83 earned run average in the second half. He thinks the fade might have been caused by an unhealthy lifetsyle, so he’s become a vegan.
I couldn’t believe what I was reading, so I went to Neesh’s blog and sure enough, it’s true! From the March 13 entry:
The last time I ate a whopper jr. was in 2004…the article never gave a date but people might have thought I ate those things last year…not the case. I didn’t go Vegan to do better on the field or improve my game, the article makes it sound like I was looking for answers and this is what I came up with, not the case. I feel like the article was suppose to be about me getting stronger and how I struggled late last season and in some odd way the vegan thing got tied in. … For the most part of the season last year I was vegetarian (didn’t tell anyone) if I had the choice and when we were on the road I really didn’t have a choice and ate what the clubby had or whatever restaurant was close…who cares. This really isn’t new to me its just another step that I’m trying out. I’m not telling anyone to go out and go vegan, I’m not here to say this is the best thing in the world, as is everything I do on here I’m telling my story and shedding light into the life of a ballplayer…
Aside from the defensive tack he takes, this is a really cool news item. How many major league pitchers are vegans? Pat, you have to come to Citizens Bank Park–PETA says we have the best vegetarian ballpark food!
Ladies... 
I heard that Dennis Kucinich throws a mean curveball.
How many Major League pitchers are vegans? What a dumb question. David Wells. Josh Beckett. Curt Schilling. Bartolo Colon. CC Sabathia. I mean, come on!
I posted a comment earlier today, but the comment monster ate it, so I’ll try again.
I know it’s not Vegan, but Prince Fielder became a vegetarian in the off-season. Its not often you find 300 pound power hitters doing things that might jeopardize their status.
http://cutesports.blogspot.com/2008/02/prince-fielder-vegetarian.html
Nicole, I saw the thing about Fielder too. I think it’s so cool that players do that. I mean, they show everyone that you can, in fact, be vegetarian and incredibly healthy.
I just love Pat Neshek. His windup is so funny–it’s hilarious to watch.
(For the record, this is Liza. New name. ^_^)
Really? The home of the cheesesteak and scrapple is actually a destination for vegetarian baseball fans? Cripes, there is nothing to believe in any more.
I mean, they show everyone that you can, in fact, be vegetarian and incredibly healthy.
You can also eat nothing but meat and be incredibly healthy–in fact, our ancestors did that until about 10,000 years ago, which was the beginning of organized agriculture. If Prince Fielder’s wife is so concerned about the commercial meat packing industry I’m sure that with one Google search she can find independent farms that humanely raise grass-fed meat and poultry. It’s more expensive, but it’s not like he couldn’t afford it. I eat a diet that would horrify most veggies–lots of meat and fat, not a lot of plant food, no wheat, no grains, no sugar. Since I’ve started I’ve lost twenty pounds, feel great and–best of all–have been able to get off blood pressure medication that I’ve been on for two years. And this is eating BIG steaks and LOTS of chicken, not the “deck of cards” servings. Just saying.
Trish, I didn’t mean you can only be healthy by being vegetarian. I’m mostly vegetarian (meaning I’ll have an occasional chicken sandwich or something), but I encounter a lot of people who tell me that I should eat more meat to be healthy. I eat a mostly vegetarian diet, and when I do eat meat, it’s humane, free-range, cage-free, and all that jazz.
And this is eating BIG steaks and LOTS of chicken, not the “deck of cards” servings.
My dream diet. Seriously though, good for Pat Neshek.
RSRG, sorry. One of my friends (although that may soon end) has recently turned into one of those incredibly annoying vegans. I get the “meat is murder” thing on a pretty regular basis. We should be extremely grateful that we live in a society where we have tons of choices of what we can eat, considering that per the World Health Organization 25,000 people starve to death every day around the world. Or as I like to say to the Veganator, we’ll see how long your “meat is murder” theory would hold up if there was nothing else to eat.
No problem. There’s always that side of the debate too, and it’s equally annoying.
good for him! Everyone should eat what they want of eat, but I have to laugh at people who become vegetarians/vegans because it’s the it thing to do and end up eating nothing but bread and fruit. WHERES THE BEEF. Or you know, tofu.