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COPYRIGHT 2005 South Florida Sun-Sentinal
Byline: Mike Berardino
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ The recent death of writer Hunter S. Thompson might not seem to have a baseball connection, but it's not all that hard to find.
For starters, it was Thompson who invented "Gonzo journalism," and all 11 players named "Gonzalez" in the majors today _ from Adrian and Alex all the way through Luis to Raul _ go by that nickname.
What's more, Marlins backup catcher Matt Treanor, a Southern Californian and former Deadhead, was a big fan of Thompson's writings, particularly The Rum Diaries.
"He was a different guy," Treanor said.
More tellingly, in his later years Thompson contributed a regular sports column to ESPN's Website, weighing in on topics ranging from sports gambling to horse racing to his beloved football to a sport he never seemed to trust, baseball.
In November 2002, for instance, Thompson wrote: "Not even George Steinbrenner's deeply tainted millions will keep baseball alive forever. The Yankees payroll would cover three or four teams in the NFL, maybe 16 or 17, and they are no more dependable than goats when the weather turns cold, anyway. Baseballs freeze in the winter, so they can't bounce normally."
Perhaps that explains the Yankees' run of four straight postseason failures. Thompson, another Louisville product...
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