With the release of the fans’ current NL All Star standings yesterday, Manny Ramirez is slipping fast. He is now sixth. When these rankings were first released in late May, he was fourth. Only the top three vote getters will start the All Star Game.
Why the change of heart? Are MLB fans tired of players roiding out of their minds and cheating to get ahead? It’s possible, but highly unlikely. Some players including Jimmy Rollins and even Ramirez’s manager, Joe Torre, came out against Ramirez being an All-Star since he tested positive for a banned substance. The substance he tested positive for was a woman’s fertility drug, human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG. HCG is used by roiders to regulate their testosterone levels after coming off a steroid cycle.
Respective parties involved in this dispute will fight for their positions such as the Player’s Association will rightfully say that they have a collectively bargained agreement that allows Ramirez the right to participate in the game, but let’s use some common sense. Using banned substances and cheating the game whether intentional or not should not be rewarded with a trip to the All-Star Game. It’s that simple. The longer the fans vote and reward this behavior, the union fights for their right and MLB remains passive on this issue, the more likely fans will start to drift away and parents will look elsewhere for true role models to show their children right from wrong.
Showing posts with label Joe Torre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Torre. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Another Call for Manny to Sit Out the All-Star Game
Bill Rhoden of The New York Times is calling for MLB and the players union (MLBPA) to change the rules of the All Star Game in light of Manny Ramirez’s 50 game suspension of using a banned substance. Sentiments that were first echoed here at Beef Roids 9 days earlier.
Rhoden takes his ban one step further to include any postseason award. Ramirez’s manager, Joe Torre, has publicly said Ramirez should not be allowed to play in the game even though he is entitled to play based on the current collective bargaining agreement between baseball and the players union. Other current players feel strongly that it sends the wrong message. Jimmy Rollins said it best: “If you get caught in the first half of the season, no matter who you are, what you mean to the game, you shouldn’t be an All-Star. It shouldn’t really be a question. Even if he’s leading in the voting or is second, he’s basically taking a spot for somebody else who is more deserving.”
It should be noted that other sports have similar rules preventing athletes who test positive for banned substances from participating in postseason awards or all-star type events.
Rhoden was also able to speak with the executive director of the MLBPA, Donald Fehr, to get his opinion on the topic. “We have an agreement. This situation was considered during the time the agreement was negotiated. If the suspension takes place during the time the All-Star Game is played, the player is not eligible. If it’s over, and he has completed the penalty, then he’s like any other player.”
An amendment to the current contract will only be added at the time of the next agreement. I’m all for two parties collectively bargaining an agreement. What I’m against is idiotic behavior and baseball is once again going down that path. What both sides fail to realize that clinging to the “agreement” argument is that it turns off fans. There was an “agreement” collectively bargained for that allowed baseball to dope and roid out of their minds (even though it was illegal to have without a prescription) until Congress intervened and forced both sides to reopen the “agreement.”
Commissioner Selig and Donald Fehr: Do the right thing and use some common sense before you alienate even more fans.
Rhoden takes his ban one step further to include any postseason award. Ramirez’s manager, Joe Torre, has publicly said Ramirez should not be allowed to play in the game even though he is entitled to play based on the current collective bargaining agreement between baseball and the players union. Other current players feel strongly that it sends the wrong message. Jimmy Rollins said it best: “If you get caught in the first half of the season, no matter who you are, what you mean to the game, you shouldn’t be an All-Star. It shouldn’t really be a question. Even if he’s leading in the voting or is second, he’s basically taking a spot for somebody else who is more deserving.”
It should be noted that other sports have similar rules preventing athletes who test positive for banned substances from participating in postseason awards or all-star type events.
Rhoden was also able to speak with the executive director of the MLBPA, Donald Fehr, to get his opinion on the topic. “We have an agreement. This situation was considered during the time the agreement was negotiated. If the suspension takes place during the time the All-Star Game is played, the player is not eligible. If it’s over, and he has completed the penalty, then he’s like any other player.”
An amendment to the current contract will only be added at the time of the next agreement. I’m all for two parties collectively bargaining an agreement. What I’m against is idiotic behavior and baseball is once again going down that path. What both sides fail to realize that clinging to the “agreement” argument is that it turns off fans. There was an “agreement” collectively bargained for that allowed baseball to dope and roid out of their minds (even though it was illegal to have without a prescription) until Congress intervened and forced both sides to reopen the “agreement.”
Commissioner Selig and Donald Fehr: Do the right thing and use some common sense before you alienate even more fans.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Joe Torre: Baseball Man Until the End
Joe Torre is in the middle of another steroid blowup. This time involving his star player in Los Angeles, Manny Ramirez, who was suspended for 50 games last week. Steroids and a Torre press conference aren't new, since he was by Jason Giambi's side during Giambi's New York PED "apology." As before, Torre knows nothing of roids in baseball. Odd, he seems to be the only one who thinks that way. The incredible and truly unbelievable coincidence is that Torre never suspected that anyone was using roids on any of his teams, even though 8 members of his 2000 World Series Yankee team were named in the Mitchell Report.
In numerous appearances promoting his book that he "co-wrote" with Tom Verducci, The Yankee Years, Torre claimed he didn't know that any of his Yankee players were roiding out of their minds. However, David Cone, in Torre's book said that most players knew that some players were using PED's, especially the ones working with trainer Brian McNamee. That's an odd discrepancy and one a reader would like addressed, but it never happened.
Further making Torre's naiveté on this issue the more puzzling is the fact that he was a former player. He earned the MVP award at the age of 30 and then saw his statistics take a sharp decline. How could some of the players he manged get better as they aged (Ramirez and Roger Clemens) while he did not? His career stats are below:
In numerous appearances promoting his book that he "co-wrote" with Tom Verducci, The Yankee Years, Torre claimed he didn't know that any of his Yankee players were roiding out of their minds. However, David Cone, in Torre's book said that most players knew that some players were using PED's, especially the ones working with trainer Brian McNamee. That's an odd discrepancy and one a reader would like addressed, but it never happened.
Further making Torre's naiveté on this issue the more puzzling is the fact that he was a former player. He earned the MVP award at the age of 30 and then saw his statistics take a sharp decline. How could some of the players he manged get better as they aged (Ramirez and Roger Clemens) while he did not? His career stats are below:
In his latest roid episode, in a Sports Illustrated article Torre said, "There's a human being (Ramirez) there I'm concerned about." Are you kidding me? Torre concerned about a human being? Where was the concern for his players who were roiding out of their minds back in the day? How about taking a stand and telling his players to stop using? Reminding his players that PED's are harmful to your bodies long term.
The reason Torre never asked questions or took a stand looking out for the "human beings" in his clubhouse is because he likes baseball. He likes managing. He wants to continue making millions of dollars (reportedly his deal with the Dodgers was $13 million for three years). If he were to question his players, make them stop using PED's, his team would lose games, potentially costing Joe Torre his job and millions of dollars.
A baseball man through and through...a roll model for the kids, that's a different question.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Manny Ramírez Fallout
Yesterday it was announced that Manny Ramírez failed a drug test and was suspended 50 games by MLB. How this information trickled out was truly amazing.
It was first reported that he was suspended for violating the drug policy, but it wasn't a steroid. Ramírez issued a statement where he placed the blame on his doctor where he prescribed a medication that was banned per the drug policy. Several hours later, it was revealed to be a sexual enhancement medication. Only later, the drug was revealed to be a woman's fertility medication, human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG. The details of the drug were provided anonymously to The Boston Globe, yet there seems to be no controversy regarding the Globe's use of anonymous sources in this case opposite the backlash Selena Roberts received in her latest book.
Per The Boston Globe, Ramírez failed a drug test twice before MLB took action. One would think that any failed test would result in an immediate 50 game suspension. Since he failed two tests, shouldn't that count as two failed tests and be suspended for 100 games? Was he contacted after the first failed test? There are many questions after reading this article.
The fallout isn't confined the West Coast. Boston, Ramírez's former team, has remained quiet on the latest developments. It's interesting to look at some statistics of Ramírez and Boston teammate David Ortiz to see how their performance has progressed over the years.
Below are Manny Ramírez's career statistics through last year. Interesting to note is the number of AB's per HR. Once he was traded to the Dodgers last year and playing for a contract, he averaged a HR every 11.0 AB's, his best pace ever, at the age of 36. The only other time he averaged a HR less than every 12 AB's was in 1999 and 2000 when he was 27 - 28 with the Clevland Indians. His power numbers surged in 1998; the same year that McGwire and Sosa were chasing the home run record. Could doping suspicions be one reason why not many teams were seriously considering offering Ramirez a contract?
Here are David Ortiz's career statistics. Looking at the same metric, number of AB's per HR, it is evident that his power only really emerged once he joined forces with Manny Ramirez in Boston in 2003. Prior to joining the Red Sox, he never hit more than 20 HR's and his best average number of AB's per HR was 16.8. After joining Manny and the Red Sox, Big Pappi became Big Pappi in 2006 when he hit 54 HR's and averaged a HR every 10.3 AB's that season. After the 2005 season, he signed an extension with the team. His production has started to diminish from that 2006 season.
It was first reported that he was suspended for violating the drug policy, but it wasn't a steroid. Ramírez issued a statement where he placed the blame on his doctor where he prescribed a medication that was banned per the drug policy. Several hours later, it was revealed to be a sexual enhancement medication. Only later, the drug was revealed to be a woman's fertility medication, human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG. The details of the drug were provided anonymously to The Boston Globe, yet there seems to be no controversy regarding the Globe's use of anonymous sources in this case opposite the backlash Selena Roberts received in her latest book.
HCG is a drug that roid heads sometimes ingest to regulate their natural testosterone levels after coming off a roid cycle. This was not a positive development for Manny Ramírez. Making matters worse, Ramírez rather than owning the transgression and explaining himself went into hiding leaving manager Joe Torre to address the media. Torre is familiar with this type of press conference since he had a similar one in New York with Jason Giambi.
Per The Boston Globe, Ramírez failed a drug test twice before MLB took action. One would think that any failed test would result in an immediate 50 game suspension. Since he failed two tests, shouldn't that count as two failed tests and be suspended for 100 games? Was he contacted after the first failed test? There are many questions after reading this article.
The fallout isn't confined the West Coast. Boston, Ramírez's former team, has remained quiet on the latest developments. It's interesting to look at some statistics of Ramírez and Boston teammate David Ortiz to see how their performance has progressed over the years.
Below are Manny Ramírez's career statistics through last year. Interesting to note is the number of AB's per HR. Once he was traded to the Dodgers last year and playing for a contract, he averaged a HR every 11.0 AB's, his best pace ever, at the age of 36. The only other time he averaged a HR less than every 12 AB's was in 1999 and 2000 when he was 27 - 28 with the Clevland Indians. His power numbers surged in 1998; the same year that McGwire and Sosa were chasing the home run record. Could doping suspicions be one reason why not many teams were seriously considering offering Ramirez a contract?
Here are David Ortiz's career statistics. Looking at the same metric, number of AB's per HR, it is evident that his power only really emerged once he joined forces with Manny Ramirez in Boston in 2003. Prior to joining the Red Sox, he never hit more than 20 HR's and his best average number of AB's per HR was 16.8. After joining Manny and the Red Sox, Big Pappi became Big Pappi in 2006 when he hit 54 HR's and averaged a HR every 10.3 AB's that season. After the 2005 season, he signed an extension with the team. His production has started to diminish from that 2006 season.
Manny being Manny has left bodies in his wake as others are left to answer questions for how we find ourselves in this position. The vague answers will not satisfy anybody.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A-Rod is Truly A-Fraud...Allegedly
Apparently, Jose Canseco was right again. This time, it was Alex Rodriquez and using PED's.
According to SI.com, Rodriquez tested positive for 'roids (primobolan aka methenolone and testosterone) in 2003 when the tests were supposedly anonymous and there were no penalties for a positive test. MLB issued a statement in response to the SI story stating that it could not comment on the accuracy of the report since it was an anonymous test, but did raise the concern of union officials tipping off players of upcoming tests back in 2004.
During the survey testing in 2003, 104 samples were positive. For reasons not yet known, the samples were not destroyed to ensure confidentiality. In 2004, all 104 samples were seized by the government relating to the BALCO investigation.
Initially the government requested just the 10 samples relating to the players who testified during the BALCO investigation including Barry Bonds; the players union refused and the government secured search warrants for the 10 samples and then gathered the samples for all positive tests from two different labs.
A-Rod can't catch a break. The tests were anonymous and should never have been made public. A serious breach of trust, but at the same time, if A-Rod was using, he lied when he appeared on "60 Minutes" and said he never used PED's and didn't need to. He needs to admit to his mistake and move on.
The timing is horrendous for Alex since it's a week after being called "A-Fraud" by his former manager, Joe Torre, in his new book, "The Yankee Years", co-written by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci. Now A-Rod has to maneuver through both firestorms as spring training approaches. Were the players calling him A-Fraud because they knew or suspected he was on PED's? Is there a Sports Illustrated conspiracy against A-Rod? Let the suspicion begin.
Barry Bonds perjury trial begins March 2nd. When evidence was unsealed earlier this week, Bonds was tied to four positive tests among other damning pieces of evidence. Roger Clemens' DNA has been linked to the syringes provided by former trainer Brian McNamee. Joe Torre has now had an epiphany by seeing the Clemens 2000 World Series bat throwing incident at Mike Piazza in a new light, speculating that the incident could have been roid rage. In his book, "The Yankee Years", Torre does not openly suspect any players of using PED's.
And now A-Rod...Down goes another mythic hero.
According to SI.com, Rodriquez tested positive for 'roids (primobolan aka methenolone and testosterone) in 2003 when the tests were supposedly anonymous and there were no penalties for a positive test. MLB issued a statement in response to the SI story stating that it could not comment on the accuracy of the report since it was an anonymous test, but did raise the concern of union officials tipping off players of upcoming tests back in 2004.
During the survey testing in 2003, 104 samples were positive. For reasons not yet known, the samples were not destroyed to ensure confidentiality. In 2004, all 104 samples were seized by the government relating to the BALCO investigation.
Initially the government requested just the 10 samples relating to the players who testified during the BALCO investigation including Barry Bonds; the players union refused and the government secured search warrants for the 10 samples and then gathered the samples for all positive tests from two different labs.
A-Rod can't catch a break. The tests were anonymous and should never have been made public. A serious breach of trust, but at the same time, if A-Rod was using, he lied when he appeared on "60 Minutes" and said he never used PED's and didn't need to. He needs to admit to his mistake and move on.
The timing is horrendous for Alex since it's a week after being called "A-Fraud" by his former manager, Joe Torre, in his new book, "The Yankee Years", co-written by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci. Now A-Rod has to maneuver through both firestorms as spring training approaches. Were the players calling him A-Fraud because they knew or suspected he was on PED's? Is there a Sports Illustrated conspiracy against A-Rod? Let the suspicion begin.
Barry Bonds perjury trial begins March 2nd. When evidence was unsealed earlier this week, Bonds was tied to four positive tests among other damning pieces of evidence. Roger Clemens' DNA has been linked to the syringes provided by former trainer Brian McNamee. Joe Torre has now had an epiphany by seeing the Clemens 2000 World Series bat throwing incident at Mike Piazza in a new light, speculating that the incident could have been roid rage. In his book, "The Yankee Years", Torre does not openly suspect any players of using PED's.
And now A-Rod...Down goes another mythic hero.
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