Major League Baseball is on a winning streak...at least, in the courts. While the popularity of the sport has crested, MLB can point to the fact that the courts have ruled that the government did not have the right to grab the steroid data MLB collected in 2004. It's the fourth time the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on the issue during six years of litigation.
Why MLB did not destroy the data in anonymous testing is still not known, but apparently the 104 players who tested positive will not be found out...at least for now. The data siezed will now be turned back to the lab unless an appeal is made to the U.S. Supreme Court. The latest rulings of that court would likely leave the government losing again.
The data was going to further the government's investigation into doping in the sport. Apparently all non investigative parties involved do not want to learn more about doping in sports. It's a great message to send to the public.
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLB. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Karma at the All-Star Game
This year's All-Star Game was actually exciting and watchable...a rare combination indeed. What I found most telling was how it ended with Miguel Tejada making the last out for the National League.
When Tejada first came to the plate, he crushed a fly ball that actually elicited an emotional response from Joe Buck, but alas, the power was not there and the ball landed in the outfielder's glove.
Miguel Tejada earlier this year was sentenced to one year of probation for misleading Congressional investigators during the 2005 steroid investigation. Tejada was also mentioned in the Mitchell Report being linked to two purchases of PEDs. When he came to his last at bat, Buck mentioned his AL MVP award in 2002 and was the MVP of the 2005 All-Star Game, yet failed to mention his ties with PEDs or his recent sentencing.
I thought it was another strikeout on the part of MLB to award a player with "All-Star" recognition who lied to investigators and has been linked to PEDs. Neither of the two biggest stars to be linked to PEDs this year, Alex Rodriguez or Manny Ramirez, were selected by their respective managers to be a reserve on the team like Tejada.
Perhaps Tejada not coming through in the clutch and Buck failing to address the elephant in the room, still illustrates that baseball does not have the foresight to make smart business decisions to promote their game. Karma is real.
When Tejada first came to the plate, he crushed a fly ball that actually elicited an emotional response from Joe Buck, but alas, the power was not there and the ball landed in the outfielder's glove.
Miguel Tejada earlier this year was sentenced to one year of probation for misleading Congressional investigators during the 2005 steroid investigation. Tejada was also mentioned in the Mitchell Report being linked to two purchases of PEDs. When he came to his last at bat, Buck mentioned his AL MVP award in 2002 and was the MVP of the 2005 All-Star Game, yet failed to mention his ties with PEDs or his recent sentencing.
I thought it was another strikeout on the part of MLB to award a player with "All-Star" recognition who lied to investigators and has been linked to PEDs. Neither of the two biggest stars to be linked to PEDs this year, Alex Rodriguez or Manny Ramirez, were selected by their respective managers to be a reserve on the team like Tejada.
Perhaps Tejada not coming through in the clutch and Buck failing to address the elephant in the room, still illustrates that baseball does not have the foresight to make smart business decisions to promote their game. Karma is real.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Timing of the Donald Fehr announcement
It was announced yesterday that the head of the baseball players' association, Donald Fehr, will be stepping down from the post no later than the end of March. His legacy and what that announcement means to the role of PEDs in baseball has already started to be debated.
The timing of the announcement is suspect. Normally, an announcement would take place at the end of the season. The next collective bargaining agreement is in 2011 so there will be plenty of time for his successor, Michael Weiner, to get acclimated with the process.
Most speculation about the timing of his resignation has to do with last week's leak of Sammy Sosa's positive test in 2003 to the survey test results. Those results were to be anonymous. However, all 104 positive test results from the 2003 survey tests were seized by the government. The union, under Fehr's leadership failed it's membership by not destroying the results. Is it possible more names will leaked? Will there be pressure for the other 102 names to be released rather than have a small trickle of information every couple of months?
The reason why the results were not destroyed was Fehr was trying to protect his membership. If he was able to find false positives amongst the 104, he could possibly lower the number of positive results to below the 5% threshold. Under the agreement reached between the union and baseball, if more than 5% tested positive in 2003, mandatory testing would be implemented with penalties for positives. Looking back, this all seems relatively straightforward and common sense, but the union argued that drug testing violated a player's right to privacy.
It's too early to tell if Fehr's resignation had anything to do with the recent Sosa leak, but it would immensely clear up the air if they were able to state for certain that the union has any knowledge where the leak is coming from. Time will tell.
The timing of the announcement is suspect. Normally, an announcement would take place at the end of the season. The next collective bargaining agreement is in 2011 so there will be plenty of time for his successor, Michael Weiner, to get acclimated with the process.
Most speculation about the timing of his resignation has to do with last week's leak of Sammy Sosa's positive test in 2003 to the survey test results. Those results were to be anonymous. However, all 104 positive test results from the 2003 survey tests were seized by the government. The union, under Fehr's leadership failed it's membership by not destroying the results. Is it possible more names will leaked? Will there be pressure for the other 102 names to be released rather than have a small trickle of information every couple of months?
The reason why the results were not destroyed was Fehr was trying to protect his membership. If he was able to find false positives amongst the 104, he could possibly lower the number of positive results to below the 5% threshold. Under the agreement reached between the union and baseball, if more than 5% tested positive in 2003, mandatory testing would be implemented with penalties for positives. Looking back, this all seems relatively straightforward and common sense, but the union argued that drug testing violated a player's right to privacy.
It's too early to tell if Fehr's resignation had anything to do with the recent Sosa leak, but it would immensely clear up the air if they were able to state for certain that the union has any knowledge where the leak is coming from. Time will tell.
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.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
The Next Radomski?
Late last month, a central Florida man was arrested with thousands of steroid pills and other PED's in his home. Upon his arrest, he was eager to speak to the police.
Richard Thomas said he sold PED's to professional football, hockey and baseball players before he was arrested last month. He specifically mentioned the teams Washington Capitals of the NHL and the Washington Nationals of MLB. Authorities do not have any information to verify these claims.
Thomas said, "You name the sport, and I've sold steroids to athletes who play it."
What's interesting about these allegations involving the Capitals is that the team passed three rounds of drug tests during the past two seasons. Either the drug dealer Thomas is lying or the drug testing program in the NHL needs a major overhaul. Should be interesting to see how this development plays out.
Just when one thinks the issue of PED's in professional sports hits a lull, a major story breaks alleging teams from multiple professional leagues. Now, it's a matter of time to see who is lying: arrested drug dealer or members of the alleged teams.
Richard Thomas said he sold PED's to professional football, hockey and baseball players before he was arrested last month. He specifically mentioned the teams Washington Capitals of the NHL and the Washington Nationals of MLB. Authorities do not have any information to verify these claims.
Thomas said, "You name the sport, and I've sold steroids to athletes who play it."
What's interesting about these allegations involving the Capitals is that the team passed three rounds of drug tests during the past two seasons. Either the drug dealer Thomas is lying or the drug testing program in the NHL needs a major overhaul. Should be interesting to see how this development plays out.
Just when one thinks the issue of PED's in professional sports hits a lull, a major story breaks alleging teams from multiple professional leagues. Now, it's a matter of time to see who is lying: arrested drug dealer or members of the alleged teams.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Heyman's Vote on Roiders
Jon Heyman, Hall of Fame (HOF) voter and columnist for SI.com, recently wrote how he would vote for the HOF for several current and former MLB'ers suspected of roiding up and cheating the game.
In his article, he stresses how difficult voting for the HOF is. Do voters simply go by the statistics of a player or by the impact that player had on the team? If one was to go by statistics alone, how does one judge the current crop of players who played during the steroid era? Heyman writes, "These calls won't only be about numbers. There are value judgments to be made about cheating, and possibly about how much the cheating helped particular players."
Heyman admits that some voters will simply eliminate all the cheaters from their ballots while others will take it on a case by case basis. He is the first writer that I have encountered to admit his own culpability in being slow to uncover the widespread use of PED's in baseball. A majority of writers need to own this. It's part of the inherent conflict of interest in being a sportswriter. You need to be "friendly" and close to the players and organizations and do not violate that trust by exposing the sport you cover or writing about it in a negative light. Heyman hypothesizes that some writers might feel tempted to block a majority of these players from the HOF since the writers were slow to cover the truth about their PED use. Voting them into the HOF would be continuing the trend of looking the other way, wink-wink, and implicitly endorsing cheating by using these substances.
Now to analyze Heyman's ballot:
In his article, he stresses how difficult voting for the HOF is. Do voters simply go by the statistics of a player or by the impact that player had on the team? If one was to go by statistics alone, how does one judge the current crop of players who played during the steroid era? Heyman writes, "These calls won't only be about numbers. There are value judgments to be made about cheating, and possibly about how much the cheating helped particular players."
Heyman admits that some voters will simply eliminate all the cheaters from their ballots while others will take it on a case by case basis. He is the first writer that I have encountered to admit his own culpability in being slow to uncover the widespread use of PED's in baseball. A majority of writers need to own this. It's part of the inherent conflict of interest in being a sportswriter. You need to be "friendly" and close to the players and organizations and do not violate that trust by exposing the sport you cover or writing about it in a negative light. Heyman hypothesizes that some writers might feel tempted to block a majority of these players from the HOF since the writers were slow to cover the truth about their PED use. Voting them into the HOF would be continuing the trend of looking the other way, wink-wink, and implicitly endorsing cheating by using these substances.
Now to analyze Heyman's ballot:
- Mark McGwire: Didn't vote for him because of suspected PED use led to HOF numbers.
- Barry Bonds: Yes, he believes he was a HOF'er before he took any PED's.
- Roger Clemens: Yes, like Bonds, he was a HOF'er before he roided up.
- Sammy Sosa: No, productivity and expanded size suggest PED use.
- Rafael Palmeiro: No, failed drug test (Stanozolol) after protesting innocence before Congress.
- Gary Sheffield: No, ties to BALCO and admitting to intentionally throwing balls away hurt.
- Mike Piazza: Yes, numbers wise he's there, but increasing suspicions raise some doubts, but Heyman needs more proof.
- Ivan Rodriguez: Yes, never been caught even though he shrunk dramatically.
- A-Rod: Yes, Heyman needs more proof of add'l doping even though admitted to PED use.
- Manny Ramirez: Yes, he was great since the start and never got "big"
Interesting takes on these players by Heyman. In some instances he needs more proof (Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez and A-Rod) while others his visual proof was enough (Sammy Sosa). Yet, visual proof of a shrinking Ivan Rodriguez was not enough for him to pass on voting him in the HOF. Of the three players (Palmerio, Ramirez and A-Rod) that failed a drug test in MLB testing, he has two going to the Hall of Fame (any coincidence that both are current players, possibly his reasoning is self-motivated by generating goodwill down the road when he needs a story).
Unfortunately, the rules for election to the HOF do not specify "character" attributes. Aren't you supposed to be rewarded for doing the right thing and not cheating? Is that the proper message you want displayed in Cooperstown?
It's up to the baseball writers to decide.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Potential All Star Error
MLB appears headed to make a colossal error in judgment. The NL All Star ballot standings were released earlier this week and Manny Ramirez is fourth. The possibility of Manny Ramirez starting the All Star Game is deplorable.
Only in Major League Baseball can a player serving a 50 game suspension for using a banned substance and missing more than half of the regular season games before the All Star Game be rewarded and deemed an All-Star. The starters are voted by the fans, so it appears that the fans do not care if the athletes roid out of their minds. What an excellent message to convey to all the Little Leaguers out there.
What an awful, misguided message and one only MLB could pull off with such aplomb. Here's a simple solution: if a player is caught using a banned substance, he cannot participate in All Star related activities for the next twelve months. Again, use of banned substances should not be rewarded at all. Sending these current mixed messages to the public will shift the onus to parents having to explain why a superstar has to use banned substances in the first place and then why his league considers that type of behavior All Star caliber.
Congratulations MLB, you've done it once again.
Only in Major League Baseball can a player serving a 50 game suspension for using a banned substance and missing more than half of the regular season games before the All Star Game be rewarded and deemed an All-Star. The starters are voted by the fans, so it appears that the fans do not care if the athletes roid out of their minds. What an excellent message to convey to all the Little Leaguers out there.
What an awful, misguided message and one only MLB could pull off with such aplomb. Here's a simple solution: if a player is caught using a banned substance, he cannot participate in All Star related activities for the next twelve months. Again, use of banned substances should not be rewarded at all. Sending these current mixed messages to the public will shift the onus to parents having to explain why a superstar has to use banned substances in the first place and then why his league considers that type of behavior All Star caliber.
Congratulations MLB, you've done it once again.
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.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
More A-Rod Roid Allegations
According to The New York Daily News, Selena Roberts’ upcoming book, A-Rod, will add to the speculation surrounding Alex Rodriguez and his suspected use of PED’s. Besides being characterized as a needy personality and having his ego stroked constantly, characterizations that were confirmed in Joe Torre’s book, The Yankee Years, Roberts reports that A-Rod was using back in high school and with the Yankees. Previously, A-Rod has admitted to using PED’s, but only prior to joining the Yankees.The high school allegation comes from a former teammate. The teammate also said that the coach knew A-Rod was using. The coach denied the allegation. So much for the “baseball code:” what happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. This former teammate might have an ax to grind or might simply be jealous…or he could be telling the truth. We’ll need to wait until the book comes out to form an objective opinion on the validity of this information.
The Yankee allegation is a bombshell since his pr people determined that it’s best to make it appear that his NY legacy and tenure has been clean when he apologized in February. Allegedly, that is not the case. The Yankee information, like the high school allegation, also comes from unnamed sources. Two unnamed teammates based their opinions based on visual side effects. The report does not say what those side effects were. Also according to the report, another unnamed major leaguer says he saw A-Rod and former Yankee pitcher Kevin Brown with HGH back in 2004.
Now I’m intrigued; anyone suffering from back acne will now accused of using PED’s. Previously, reporters didn’t ask athletes what might have caused that skin condition or other visual side effects. Now, there might be a legitimate reason to start and be objective rather than be the athlete’s friend.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
MLB Opening Day Analysis: 2009 vs. 2002
Many of the old school baseball honks, still in denial of the widespread use of PED’s earlier this decade, would like to see some of this analysis.
Opening day home runs were up 18% in 2009 compared to 2002 while the number of strikeouts decreased 4%. The baseball establishment would likely point to this HR data as evidence that the players were not roiding out of their minds back in ’02. I beg to differ. The 15 games that made up opening day 2009 consisted of 40 home runs compared to 34 in 2002. The game with the most HR’s in ’09 was the Colorado v. Arizona game with 8 while in ‘02, the game with the most home runs was Minnesota and Kansas City with 5. Interesting to note that 47% of all opening games played in ’02 had at least three home runs hit compared with 40% in ’09. A contributing factor to increased home runs is the 7 new ballparks since 2002. The trend in new ballparks has been smaller, hitter-friendly parks where fans can see more home runs.
The baseball establishment would not like to see the decline in strikeouts. In 2002, there were 202 strikeouts in the 15 opening day games. In 2009, that total decreased to 193. In ’02, there were two games that had 20 strikeouts; in ’09, the highest strikeout total was 17. The lowest K total in ’09 was 6 compared to 9 in ’02. This data would lead one to conclude that PED’s benefited pitchers more than hitters.
While analyzing home run data is difficult because of the changes to stadiums, analyzing opening day strikeout totals can shed some light on what was going on back in the day. Opening day pits each team’s ace against each other and its power vs. power. From the pitcher’s perspective, they lost some power from ’02 to ’09.
Opening day home runs were up 18% in 2009 compared to 2002 while the number of strikeouts decreased 4%. The baseball establishment would likely point to this HR data as evidence that the players were not roiding out of their minds back in ’02. I beg to differ. The 15 games that made up opening day 2009 consisted of 40 home runs compared to 34 in 2002. The game with the most HR’s in ’09 was the Colorado v. Arizona game with 8 while in ‘02, the game with the most home runs was Minnesota and Kansas City with 5. Interesting to note that 47% of all opening games played in ’02 had at least three home runs hit compared with 40% in ’09. A contributing factor to increased home runs is the 7 new ballparks since 2002. The trend in new ballparks has been smaller, hitter-friendly parks where fans can see more home runs.
The baseball establishment would not like to see the decline in strikeouts. In 2002, there were 202 strikeouts in the 15 opening day games. In 2009, that total decreased to 193. In ’02, there were two games that had 20 strikeouts; in ’09, the highest strikeout total was 17. The lowest K total in ’09 was 6 compared to 9 in ’02. This data would lead one to conclude that PED’s benefited pitchers more than hitters.
While analyzing home run data is difficult because of the changes to stadiums, analyzing opening day strikeout totals can shed some light on what was going on back in the day. Opening day pits each team’s ace against each other and its power vs. power. From the pitcher’s perspective, they lost some power from ’02 to ’09.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Bling Training Winding Down
This weekend marks the end of spring training and the start of the regular season for MLB. At the beginning of spring training, Doug Glanville provided excellent insight into what spring training is like from a player’s perspective in a piece for The New York Times.
As he recounts how the amenities and the stadiums improve with each step up the major league food chain, Glanville also tells of a similar phenomenon occurring off the field as well. Glanville writes, “What you covet as you advance is determined in part by the people ahead of you.” This jealousy or insatiable appetite of coveting what the people ahead of you have could explain the “whatever means necessary” approach some ballplayers took earlier this decade to land those fat contracts and give them the financial resources to acquire those goods.
Glanville does not speculate that this desire to acquire goods and be equal in the minds of one’s peers would lead some to make less than ideal moral decisions. Greed is the overriding factor that led many athletes to cut corners and not rely on their natural abilities alone. There could be other factors at play, but greed is the driver influencing these decisions.
As he recounts how the amenities and the stadiums improve with each step up the major league food chain, Glanville also tells of a similar phenomenon occurring off the field as well. Glanville writes, “What you covet as you advance is determined in part by the people ahead of you.” This jealousy or insatiable appetite of coveting what the people ahead of you have could explain the “whatever means necessary” approach some ballplayers took earlier this decade to land those fat contracts and give them the financial resources to acquire those goods.
Glanville does not speculate that this desire to acquire goods and be equal in the minds of one’s peers would lead some to make less than ideal moral decisions. Greed is the overriding factor that led many athletes to cut corners and not rely on their natural abilities alone. There could be other factors at play, but greed is the driver influencing these decisions.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Selig Still in Denial about Role in Roid Era
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig still does not get it.
Speaking to the media last week in Arizona, he defended his role in the roid era that will ultimately define his tenure rather than implementing a wild card, inter league play and other clever marketing ideas to keep the turnstiles spinning after the 1994 work stoppage.
"It's been an interesting experience for me in the respect that we've cleaned the game up. I'm proud of where we are.''
Speaking to the media last week in Arizona, he defended his role in the roid era that will ultimately define his tenure rather than implementing a wild card, inter league play and other clever marketing ideas to keep the turnstiles spinning after the 1994 work stoppage.
"It's been an interesting experience for me in the respect that we've cleaned the game up. I'm proud of where we are.''
Selig said, if there's work still to be done, it's in being able to test for human growth hormone. He said, "there's not a test, regardless of what people say. If there's a test we'll use it. I can't wait to sit down and tell you that we now have a test for HGH.''
Selig's frustrated with this topic, however. "If I sound frustrated it's because you get into revisionism 15-20 years later and it's the wrong set of facts you're revising,'' Selig said. "My frustration is we started (steroid education) in 1998. Where were we sleeping?''
You were sleeping from 1991 until drug testing was put in place. Steroids have been banned in baseball at the MLB level since 1991 when Fay Vincent added them to baseball's then drug policy. After the 1994 strike and the public outrage that ensued, MLB needed something to get the fans back on their side and into the ballpark. The first year was Cal Ripken hitting the streak and then it was the gradual assault on the home run record that generated the buzz. How could the Commissioner, a former owner, put the halt on a booming business, falling records and an insatiable appetite following his game? The Commissioner could have done the right thing if he had a moral compass, questioned what was going on (he prides himself on being a baseball historian), but instead he chose the path of least resistance and the game has suffered as a result. Bud Selig is not the only one to blame; the MLBPA fought drug testing every step of the way as Selig is found of reminding people. Clean players also did not speak up.
Other areas that show Selig doesn't get it: he states he's cleaned up the game, but then admits there's no test for HGH. Bud, it can't be both ways! The job of cleaning up the game is not finished nor will it ever be: the cheaters will always be out in front of the testers. Cleaning up the sport is not a task like cleaning your car; the latter can be accomplished, the former needs to be constantly monitored and can never be deemed "finished" because someone will always be looking for an advantage. Other than those points, you should be very proud of your accomplishments on this issue.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Current HGH Test Has Caught No One
For the past eight years, the current blood test for HGH has caught a whopping zero people using the banned substance...that's correct, zero positives. Either no one is using the product or the test is ineffective in it's current state. I'll go with the latter.
In an article in the NYT, over 8,500 athletes have been tested for HGH since 2000 yet not one has tested positive. Osquel Barroso, the senior manager of science for the World Anti-Doping Agency, believed that out of competition testing would lead to positives. The current test will only come up positive if the user has used HGH about 30 hours after it is taken, a serious limitation on the effectiveness of the current test. "Barroso also said that another reason more athletes had not tested positive was that the threshold for a positive test was fairly high. When drug tests are first implemented, the level of detection is often high to avoid false positives, then lowered after thousands of tests have been conducted." The anti doping experts have said that athletes receive the most benefit from HGH when they use it several times a week while training.
Per the course, the MLB baseball union is feigning ignorance. Gene Orza, the general counsel for the players union said, “We are not going to jump to that conclusion that there is a test today. At best, the science is murky today and there are people invested in the test’s development.” Not jumping to the conclusion that there is a test today...a test that is administered at the Olympics?I've heard that rational thinking from the MLBPA before...we do not have a drug problem, etc. It's time to stop the "deny, deny, deny" game and be proactive. You might actually turn some fans back on to the sport.
In an article in the NYT, over 8,500 athletes have been tested for HGH since 2000 yet not one has tested positive. Osquel Barroso, the senior manager of science for the World Anti-Doping Agency, believed that out of competition testing would lead to positives. The current test will only come up positive if the user has used HGH about 30 hours after it is taken, a serious limitation on the effectiveness of the current test. "Barroso also said that another reason more athletes had not tested positive was that the threshold for a positive test was fairly high. When drug tests are first implemented, the level of detection is often high to avoid false positives, then lowered after thousands of tests have been conducted." The anti doping experts have said that athletes receive the most benefit from HGH when they use it several times a week while training.
Per the course, the MLB baseball union is feigning ignorance. Gene Orza, the general counsel for the players union said, “We are not going to jump to that conclusion that there is a test today. At best, the science is murky today and there are people invested in the test’s development.” Not jumping to the conclusion that there is a test today...a test that is administered at the Olympics?I've heard that rational thinking from the MLBPA before...we do not have a drug problem, etc. It's time to stop the "deny, deny, deny" game and be proactive. You might actually turn some fans back on to the sport.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Jamaicans Receive PED's through Mail
While not answering my last post, how did Jamaica become the sprint capital of the world, apparently, PED's helped fuel some track athletes' performance. While not the big sprinters from the Beijing Games, two members of the Jamaican track team, hurdlers Delloreen London and Adrian Findlay received PED's through the mail. The information discovered only pertains to the receipt and not confirmed actual use of PED's. Yet, when MLB discovered similar information, they took disciplinary action on the player receiving the PED's even though there was no positive test.
According to SI.com, London received two shipments of Somatropin (HGH) and one shipment of Triest (Estrogen) at a Texas address that traces to her along with a matching birth date. The only conflicting information: gender. The document lists the person's gender as male. In Beijing, London was .01 seconds behind the bronze winner in the 100 meter hurdles (which saw American Lolo Jones trip on the second to last hurdle). London was unavailable for comment, but her husband, Lincoln, "confirmed she ordered the drugs in June 2006 after consulting a physician over the phone about vaginal hemorrhaging she was experiencing. He said the shipment arrived when she was away at competition and that she never opened the package. He added that the 2007 package arrived unsolicited and also was never opened." The prescriptions written for London were obtained through the Anti-Aging Group, a network of clinics that advertise HGH and testosterone treatments on its website. The prescribing physician was Victor Shabanah who advertises himself as a "hormone therapist."
Going to a "hormone therapist" for a vaginal hemorrhaging problem...not too many others would have gone that same route. Speaking of the alleged health issue at hand, are we supposed to assume that the vaginal hemorrhaging just cleared up by itself without using what was recommended by the physician? Why even go with the prescription by mail route? A busy world class athlete couldn't cruise down to her local CVS? A mysterious package arrives unsolicited a year later and one can clearly recall that it was "unopened." How many packages does the average resident receive in a year? Regardless of the number, it's human nature to open the package, even if we don't know what's in it, who sent it, etc. We just go wild receiving and opening packages - it brings out the kid in all of us. To be adamant that one remembers specific packages from more than two years ago and that they remained unopened does not pass the sniff test. Nice try Lincoln and Delloreen.
Moving on to Adrian Findlay, an alternate in the 400m hurdles, in November 2006, he received a shipment of Testosterone Aqueous (Testosterone) and Oxandrolone (an oral steroid) to a North Carolina address that traces to him along with matching birth date. Unlike London, Findlay came out swinging in his denial. He said, "I've been running stable all my life. Trust me, I don't use steroids. I guarantee you it wasn't mine and I didn't order it. I have a theory how this was sent."
According to the article, Findlay's prescription was obtained through the South Beach Rejuvenation clinic by physician Daniel J. Hauser. This clinic ensnared MLB'er Jay Gibbons in December and he was suspended by MLB for violating their drug policy.
I would like to believe Findlay, but in his denial, I have a couple questions. Would I know if an athlete is running "unstable"? If you don't use steroids, why did you allegedly order an oral steroid and testosterone? Please provide payment records so you can validate that you indeed did not pay for the drugs. If you have a theory, by all means, share it now or are you waiting until this controversy dies down?
This issue will probably get worse for the Jamaican track athletes before it gets better.
According to SI.com, London received two shipments of Somatropin (HGH) and one shipment of Triest (Estrogen) at a Texas address that traces to her along with a matching birth date. The only conflicting information: gender. The document lists the person's gender as male. In Beijing, London was .01 seconds behind the bronze winner in the 100 meter hurdles (which saw American Lolo Jones trip on the second to last hurdle). London was unavailable for comment, but her husband, Lincoln, "confirmed she ordered the drugs in June 2006 after consulting a physician over the phone about vaginal hemorrhaging she was experiencing. He said the shipment arrived when she was away at competition and that she never opened the package. He added that the 2007 package arrived unsolicited and also was never opened." The prescriptions written for London were obtained through the Anti-Aging Group, a network of clinics that advertise HGH and testosterone treatments on its website. The prescribing physician was Victor Shabanah who advertises himself as a "hormone therapist."
Going to a "hormone therapist" for a vaginal hemorrhaging problem...not too many others would have gone that same route. Speaking of the alleged health issue at hand, are we supposed to assume that the vaginal hemorrhaging just cleared up by itself without using what was recommended by the physician? Why even go with the prescription by mail route? A busy world class athlete couldn't cruise down to her local CVS? A mysterious package arrives unsolicited a year later and one can clearly recall that it was "unopened." How many packages does the average resident receive in a year? Regardless of the number, it's human nature to open the package, even if we don't know what's in it, who sent it, etc. We just go wild receiving and opening packages - it brings out the kid in all of us. To be adamant that one remembers specific packages from more than two years ago and that they remained unopened does not pass the sniff test. Nice try Lincoln and Delloreen.
Moving on to Adrian Findlay, an alternate in the 400m hurdles, in November 2006, he received a shipment of Testosterone Aqueous (Testosterone) and Oxandrolone (an oral steroid) to a North Carolina address that traces to him along with matching birth date. Unlike London, Findlay came out swinging in his denial. He said, "I've been running stable all my life. Trust me, I don't use steroids. I guarantee you it wasn't mine and I didn't order it. I have a theory how this was sent."
According to the article, Findlay's prescription was obtained through the South Beach Rejuvenation clinic by physician Daniel J. Hauser. This clinic ensnared MLB'er Jay Gibbons in December and he was suspended by MLB for violating their drug policy.
I would like to believe Findlay, but in his denial, I have a couple questions. Would I know if an athlete is running "unstable"? If you don't use steroids, why did you allegedly order an oral steroid and testosterone? Please provide payment records so you can validate that you indeed did not pay for the drugs. If you have a theory, by all means, share it now or are you waiting until this controversy dies down?
This issue will probably get worse for the Jamaican track athletes before it gets better.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Problem with MLB
Over the 4th of July weekend, MLB unveiled Stars & Stripes caps for all 30 MLB teams as part of a "Welcome Back Veterans" program created by New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon. Though the Stars & Stripes program is not relevant to the Toronto Blue Jays, fortunately for Blue Jay fan, they were not left out of the program (their cap had the Canadian flag).
According to the AP, Wilpon hopes to raise $100 million. MLB will donate a portion of the cap sales (retailing at $34.99 each) to the program. The majority of the revenue not going to the vets will go to MLB, Mr. Wilpon himself and the other MLB owners. This is another classic example of MLB trying to do the "right" thing, but once again, coming up short. MLB's recent stances regarding uniforms, PED's and "staged moments" indicate that there needs to be a change at the top, specifically Bud Selig.
Regarding uni's, in March 2007 MLB instructed Craig Biggio to remove a cancer pin he had worn on his hat during spring training games for the previous 20 years. Biggio was the national spokesman for the Sunshine Kids foundation. Baseball card photos are usually taken during spring training and during his involvement with the cancer stricken kids, he knew how important it was for them to see the pin on his baseball card. However, baseball didn't give a damn about kids with cancer. MLB sent a fax to the Astros advising management for him to remove the pin. The umpires working the next spring training game were advised that he was not allowed to take the field with the pin.
MLB didn't support Biggio's charitable work for cancer and forced him to remove a pin during meaningless exhibition games. One year later, MLB is dictating to all players that they need to wear a Stars & Stripes cap and appear as if they support the veterans whether they personally do or not. Most educated fans see this for what is: a publicity stunt and another way for MLB to milk the fans of their money by making them purchase yet another "special" cap. Using recent history as a guide, MLB does not support children with cancer, but whole heartily supports the veterans. A bit of a hypocritical stance for MLB, but that's how they roll under current leadership.
If only MLB was as vigilant with PED's as they were with uniform violations, perhaps MLB will not be questioned by Congress every six months. It is nice to know that their response time was about the same for uniform and PED violations: 20 years after the initial violation! After 20 years of wearing the pin, MLB decides to "crack down" which is approximately the same amount of time it took for a steroid testing program to be implemented after the drugs first started appearing in the sport. Excellent work, MLB - way to be enforcing uniform violations rather than players using illegal drugs - that's keeping your eye on the ball.
The reason why MLB was not out in front on both issues comes down to the same issue: money. When Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire brought baseball back from the brink, ownership and the Commissioner were not at all going to ruin a good thing. Attendance, ratings and interest were all up. That was not the time to "do the right thing" and set the right example for the kids who looked up to these juiced up ballers. Going as far to incorporate benefits of the Roid Era into marketing campaigns ("Chicks Dig the Long Ball") is proof that the people in the home office knew what was selling and they were going to ride it to the bank.
Uniforms too were changing about every three years for every non historical team (Devil Rays to Rays, different logos, etc.). MLB and ownership trying to squeeze every last dollar out of the public by constantly parading new merchandise for the fans. A fan of the New York Yankees is not going to buy a new Yankee lid each year, but a fan of the Brewers might buy the new uniform lid, retro lid and/or the Sunday home lid to mix it up with his old lid. Ownership will say that they have to change uniforms every 3 to 5 years in order to compete with the traditional powers because of the economic inequalities. Merchandise revenue is just another source of revenue that would allow a small market team to compete with a traditional, big market club.
The other issue with this Stars & Stripes event is it has the same feel as other "staged events" recently held by MLB. Usually these events occur at historical moments such as Barry Bonds passing Hank Aaron or at the All-Star Game, where an icon from the sport will be brought out and the current stars of today will race out to slap five with the "old school" player. This took place at the 1999 All-Star Game when Ted Williams rode out of center field on a golf cart and was then greeted by the current all stars at the pitcher's mound. The fans appreciate the spontaneous historical moments, like when Aaron passed Ruth and the two fans ran out on the field to congratulate him. These forced celebrations have the sincerity and feel of a forced smile at a disgruntled family reunion. Stop banging us over the head and making the public feel like they are witnessing something "special" or "historic". They (and time) will make that determination.
Personally I haven't seen too many people rolling in their team's Stars & Stripes lid so I think Mr. Wilpon will have to revise his goal of $100 million downward. Either that or hope fans have buyers remorse when MLB busts out the S&S lids on Sep. 11th.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Horse Industry One Length in Front of Congress
Learning from other professional leagues being embarrassed by Congress, most notably MLB, the Thoroughbred Safety Committee (TSC) took the step of recommending that steroids and toe grabs be banned and new rules be implemented regarding the use of whips in horse racing before today's Congressional subcommittee hearing on the sport.
The proposals were endorsed by various parties - breeders, veterinarians and the operators of the largest tracks - a first in that various parties have come together to formalize a plan for cleaning up the sport. In addition the TSC will present recommendations on the use of illegal drugs and therapeutic medications as well as improving drug testing. The TSC will also propose toughing the penalties for rule violations including lifetime bans for major infractions.
Once steroids are banned in all 38 states where racing occurs, the U.S. will then be on equal footing with how the rest of the racing world deals with steroids. The toe grab recommendation will reduce the number of deaths at the track. Toe grabs and other devices worn on the front shoes of the horses have been found to put undue stress on the legs of the horses.
Today's hearing entitled, "Breeding, Drugs and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Racing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse," may ultimately consider a the creation of a central body to govern horse racing, similar to the British model. Some statistics released in conjunction with the hearing are troubling. Of the approximately 15,000 licensed horse trainers in the U.S., 9% have been cited for medication violations including performance enhancement. Unfortunately the one trainer who was expected to shed the most light at the hearing, controversial Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow, will not testify, due to illness.
Dutrow has been ill since the Belmont, but did submit his written comments to Congress. He claims to have let Congress know in advance, but Brin Frazier, a spokeswoman for the subcommittee, was unaware of this development and stated that the committee members expected him to testify today.
Rick, aren't you a little bit past the age of playing the "sick card" to get out of an uncomfortable situation? Just over a week ago, you were talking tough, like the good old days before the Belmont about looking forward to testifying, but you would need to have your vet present.
To ensure the sport cleans up its act, the subcommittees ranking minority member, Representative Ed Whitfield, Republican of Kentucky, has decided to hit it where it hurts: their wallet. By threatening to reopen the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978, which allowed simulcast wagering and provides the basis for online betting allows wagering to take place across state lines. This betting accounted for 90% of last year's $15 billion wagered.
Whitfield's goals include more transparency, more information regarding the use of drugs and concern for the animals safety. By placing the simulcast money on the line, he hopes to force some minimum standards regarding these concerns.
As I see it, the issue is the lack of a central governing body that oversees all 38 racing jurisdictions. If I was a breeder, it would be a herculean task to manage what shots I could give my horse if I wanted to race him in 4 different states. Simplify the process, level the playing field and then everyone plays by the same rules. Sure there will always be others looking for an edge, but at least the sport will be taking a step in the right direction.
Rick, there is such thing as video conferencing. If they did that, I wonder if you would have pulled a Sammy Sosa and conveniently forget how to speak English. At least Sammy showed up when called to testify!
The proposals were endorsed by various parties - breeders, veterinarians and the operators of the largest tracks - a first in that various parties have come together to formalize a plan for cleaning up the sport. In addition the TSC will present recommendations on the use of illegal drugs and therapeutic medications as well as improving drug testing. The TSC will also propose toughing the penalties for rule violations including lifetime bans for major infractions.
Once steroids are banned in all 38 states where racing occurs, the U.S. will then be on equal footing with how the rest of the racing world deals with steroids. The toe grab recommendation will reduce the number of deaths at the track. Toe grabs and other devices worn on the front shoes of the horses have been found to put undue stress on the legs of the horses.
Today's hearing entitled, "Breeding, Drugs and Breakdowns: The State of Thoroughbred Racing and the Welfare of the Thoroughbred Racehorse," may ultimately consider a the creation of a central body to govern horse racing, similar to the British model. Some statistics released in conjunction with the hearing are troubling. Of the approximately 15,000 licensed horse trainers in the U.S., 9% have been cited for medication violations including performance enhancement. Unfortunately the one trainer who was expected to shed the most light at the hearing, controversial Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow, will not testify, due to illness.
Dutrow has been ill since the Belmont, but did submit his written comments to Congress. He claims to have let Congress know in advance, but Brin Frazier, a spokeswoman for the subcommittee, was unaware of this development and stated that the committee members expected him to testify today.
Rick, aren't you a little bit past the age of playing the "sick card" to get out of an uncomfortable situation? Just over a week ago, you were talking tough, like the good old days before the Belmont about looking forward to testifying, but you would need to have your vet present.
To ensure the sport cleans up its act, the subcommittees ranking minority member, Representative Ed Whitfield, Republican of Kentucky, has decided to hit it where it hurts: their wallet. By threatening to reopen the Interstate Horse Racing Act of 1978, which allowed simulcast wagering and provides the basis for online betting allows wagering to take place across state lines. This betting accounted for 90% of last year's $15 billion wagered.
Whitfield's goals include more transparency, more information regarding the use of drugs and concern for the animals safety. By placing the simulcast money on the line, he hopes to force some minimum standards regarding these concerns.
As I see it, the issue is the lack of a central governing body that oversees all 38 racing jurisdictions. If I was a breeder, it would be a herculean task to manage what shots I could give my horse if I wanted to race him in 4 different states. Simplify the process, level the playing field and then everyone plays by the same rules. Sure there will always be others looking for an edge, but at least the sport will be taking a step in the right direction.
Rick, there is such thing as video conferencing. If they did that, I wonder if you would have pulled a Sammy Sosa and conveniently forget how to speak English. At least Sammy showed up when called to testify!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
13% of Sports Coverage Roid Related
Today, May 22, 2008, the NYT devoted 13% of their Sports articles to steroid related topics.
Most professional sports leagues always state that there is not a problem in their league; the cheaters are in the other sports. Today, two leagues, the NFL and MLB were linked with some of their athletes allegedly using PED's while track & field was further being disgraced by new developments in the Trevor Graham trial.
When will roids in sports be taken seriously? Does half the articles in the Sports section need to be about PED's before the general public even raises an eyebrow? Do we need articles implicating every sport: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA. The reason why PED's are so rampant is because they work; athlete's wouldn't use them otherwise.
The NFL article referenced a steroid dealer, David Jacobs, who provided documentary evidence to NFL officials that implicated several players with the use of PED's. Jacobs has said he provided two players with roids and HGH and that these players would then supply others. Previously, the NYT reported that prosecutors reliing on information provided by Jacobs, investigated Matt Lehr, a lineman for the New Orleans Saints, and suspectied that he was distributing PED's.
MLB's coverage was an update on the Roger Clemens perjury investigation. Federal agents interviewed Kelly Blair, the owner of 1-on-1 Elite Personal Fitness in Pasadena, TX. The agents inquired whether Blair ever provided PED's to Clemens and his relationship with other players. Blair said he has never met Clemens. The feds have been focusing their investigation in the Houston area looking to link Clemens with PED's after 2001.
The Trevor Graham case is unfolding like a hot new HBO drama; you can't wait to get to the next episode. I'll recap the events at court from Wednesday through the end of the week later, but Wednesday's teaser had Trevor Graham, the coach accused of lying to federal agents speaking his mind. On a recorded conversations after December 2005: referring to the investigators: "I told them nothing, nothing." Another conversation has Graham tell the confessed drug dealer turned cooperating witness, Angel Guillermo Heredia, "it would be stupid, stupid" for Heredia to talk about their activity.
Trevor, in the future, you might want to avoid repeating the most incriminating word of the audiotapes. Telling the authorities "nothing" implies you were hiding something; saying it would be "stupid" to talk about their activity implies that you were involved in illegal activity which you could not discuss freely. This does not look good for you, TG.
Today is epic: three articles, three different sports which if the public is paying attention illustrates how pervasive PED's are in all sports. Instead most readers probably skipped these articles and went straight to the Yankee box score to see who hit a HGH aided HR. This message is not being skipped by the youth.
Most professional sports leagues always state that there is not a problem in their league; the cheaters are in the other sports. Today, two leagues, the NFL and MLB were linked with some of their athletes allegedly using PED's while track & field was further being disgraced by new developments in the Trevor Graham trial.
When will roids in sports be taken seriously? Does half the articles in the Sports section need to be about PED's before the general public even raises an eyebrow? Do we need articles implicating every sport: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA. The reason why PED's are so rampant is because they work; athlete's wouldn't use them otherwise.
The NFL article referenced a steroid dealer, David Jacobs, who provided documentary evidence to NFL officials that implicated several players with the use of PED's. Jacobs has said he provided two players with roids and HGH and that these players would then supply others. Previously, the NYT reported that prosecutors reliing on information provided by Jacobs, investigated Matt Lehr, a lineman for the New Orleans Saints, and suspectied that he was distributing PED's.
MLB's coverage was an update on the Roger Clemens perjury investigation. Federal agents interviewed Kelly Blair, the owner of 1-on-1 Elite Personal Fitness in Pasadena, TX. The agents inquired whether Blair ever provided PED's to Clemens and his relationship with other players. Blair said he has never met Clemens. The feds have been focusing their investigation in the Houston area looking to link Clemens with PED's after 2001.
The Trevor Graham case is unfolding like a hot new HBO drama; you can't wait to get to the next episode. I'll recap the events at court from Wednesday through the end of the week later, but Wednesday's teaser had Trevor Graham, the coach accused of lying to federal agents speaking his mind. On a recorded conversations after December 2005: referring to the investigators: "I told them nothing, nothing." Another conversation has Graham tell the confessed drug dealer turned cooperating witness, Angel Guillermo Heredia, "it would be stupid, stupid" for Heredia to talk about their activity.
Trevor, in the future, you might want to avoid repeating the most incriminating word of the audiotapes. Telling the authorities "nothing" implies you were hiding something; saying it would be "stupid" to talk about their activity implies that you were involved in illegal activity which you could not discuss freely. This does not look good for you, TG.
Today is epic: three articles, three different sports which if the public is paying attention illustrates how pervasive PED's are in all sports. Instead most readers probably skipped these articles and went straight to the Yankee box score to see who hit a HGH aided HR. This message is not being skipped by the youth.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
MLB Sports Talk: Where's Barry?
This past weekend a nationally syndicated radio program came on the airwaves talking about MLB. Instead of talking about the beauty of the season: the surprising Cardinals, Rays, the tanking Yankees, or an obese Andruw Jones just to name a few topics, the host decided to lead with: where is Barry Bonds?
Along with laying out Barry's statistics and the possibility of collusion among the owners for not wanting to sign the biggest clubhouse pariah, the host also mentioned the fact that Mike Piazza was looking for work.
Barry Bonds, noted in the Mitchell Report and the subject of the book "Game of Shadows" is facing a perjury trial in California pertaining to his use of PED's. By lumping Piazza with Bonds, the host, whether intentional or not, was subtly linking Piazza to PED's. Piazza was not in the Mitchell Report and has not been linked to PED's. However, Piazza held a press conference in NY to announce not that he is a juicer, but that he's heterosexual.
Piazza was pivotal to the extent sports can heal the pain inflicted in the NY region after September 11th. In the first Met home game after the attacks, Piazza hit a home run that was reminiscent of a time when a home run meant something in a game.
Instead of focusing on the product on the field, this radio host is focusing on an unemployed player who shot himself full of products. Let's stop painting everyone with a broad brush before Julio Franco's retirement starts to get questioned.
Along with laying out Barry's statistics and the possibility of collusion among the owners for not wanting to sign the biggest clubhouse pariah, the host also mentioned the fact that Mike Piazza was looking for work.
Barry Bonds, noted in the Mitchell Report and the subject of the book "Game of Shadows" is facing a perjury trial in California pertaining to his use of PED's. By lumping Piazza with Bonds, the host, whether intentional or not, was subtly linking Piazza to PED's. Piazza was not in the Mitchell Report and has not been linked to PED's. However, Piazza held a press conference in NY to announce not that he is a juicer, but that he's heterosexual.
Piazza was pivotal to the extent sports can heal the pain inflicted in the NY region after September 11th. In the first Met home game after the attacks, Piazza hit a home run that was reminiscent of a time when a home run meant something in a game.
Instead of focusing on the product on the field, this radio host is focusing on an unemployed player who shot himself full of products. Let's stop painting everyone with a broad brush before Julio Franco's retirement starts to get questioned.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Inverse Relationship: Increasing Hat Size, Decreasing Worth
It's now official: there's an inverse relationship between ballers 'roiding out of their minds and the happy-go-lucky fans and speculators who gobbled up all of their merchandise.
In an article in the Sunday New York Times, values for memorabilia for players linked to PED's has declined. Noooo! Looks like I won't be able to retire to FL after all.
Growing up in FL, you chased Mark McGwire and all your other "heroes" looking for autographs. Collecting cards, subscribing to Becketts, charting the value of your collection, thinking one day that collection accumulating dust in the attic would be worth something. Not anymore, or like the current state of the housing market, a house is still worth something, just not as much as it was last year. Just like Bar-roid Bods rookie card is worth something, just not as much as it was pre 1998.
MLB, you did it again - ruining my plan to retire early to a nice life in the FL Keys...thanks for nothing, MLB.
In an article in the Sunday New York Times, values for memorabilia for players linked to PED's has declined. Noooo! Looks like I won't be able to retire to FL after all.
Growing up in FL, you chased Mark McGwire and all your other "heroes" looking for autographs. Collecting cards, subscribing to Becketts, charting the value of your collection, thinking one day that collection accumulating dust in the attic would be worth something. Not anymore, or like the current state of the housing market, a house is still worth something, just not as much as it was last year. Just like Bar-roid Bods rookie card is worth something, just not as much as it was pre 1998.
MLB, you did it again - ruining my plan to retire early to a nice life in the FL Keys...thanks for nothing, MLB.
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