Very quickly, while we are paying so much attention to those at the top of their game, I found two pieces today about those that had their moments, and struggled after those moments passed.

First, this Ken Belson piece looks at Hideki Irabu, and what had been filling his time prior to him taking his own life.  The second piece, is one of atonement, a way of beginning to make amends for the wrongs he has done.  Sammy Stewart was an Oriole, a teammate of Mike Flannagan.  He sends this letter to an Orioles beat writer, Dan Connelly, so that it can be shared with all the fans.  Sammy is serving 6 years in prison stemming from drug charges.

We will get back to playoff coverage later today.  But for now, it may not be a bad idea to remember the other side of the golden coin.