Baseball 2014

[sbr]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/09/12/chris-davis-suspended-25-games-for-amphetamine-use/

Chris Davis Suspended 25 Games for Amphetamine Use

Major League Baseball announced on Friday that Davis has been suspended 25 games for the use of amphetamines. The ban is effective immediately and will include the O's final 17 games of the regular season. It also includes the playoffs, so Davis would be ineligible to play the first eight playoff games should the Orioles, who lead the AL East by 10 games, advance that far.

Davis responded to the suspension news with a statement. He claimed that he had an exemption for Adderall in 2013, but that it was not renewed this year.

"I apologize to my teammates, coaches, the Orioles organization and especially the fans," Davis said. "I made a mistake by taking Adderall. I had permission to use it in the past, but do not have a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) this year. I accept my punishment and will begin serving my suspension immediately."
It's debatable just how much the Orioles will miss Davis, because he's been having a miserable 2014 season. His slash line rests at .196/.300/.404 with just 26 homers and 72 RBI.

Compare that to 2013, when Davis staged a shocking breakout season. The slugger hit a league-leading 53 homers and 138 RBI for the Orioles, leading many to question his sudden outbreak of power. Davis sat at his podium at the All-Star Game in New York and insisted to the skeptics that he was clean.

(Given that he had an exemption for Adderall then, he may have technically been right).

While Davis' breakout season in 2013 led many people to loudly speculate about steroids, amphetamines don't fall under baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy. Thus the 25-game suspension instead of the 50 games a first-time PED user would warrant.

Exemptions for Adderall are somewhat common in baseball and have raised eyebrows since the rate of baseball players claiming ADHD outpaces the rate of the condition among general public.

While the Orioles have been able to get to this point despite losing Manny Machado and Matt Wieters during the season, heading to the playoffs without those two AND Davis complicates manners further. The earliest Davis could come back would be Game Four of the ALCS and that assumes their first-round series goes the entire five games.

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[sbr]

BTW, did anyone else see Giancarlo Stanton take the fastball to the mouth last night.  Ugly.

[Valmy]

I have to say not the drug I figured he would be busted for.  Ok so now they are down Machado and Davis...no sweat right?

Magic Number is:

[CountDeMoney]

He's hitting .196.  He obviously needs more.

[Barrister]

Man the Royals are really taking this down to the wire.  Only half a game up on the Tigers.

And when I look at the schedule, they end the season with a three game home stand against Detroit.

[derspiess]

Man the Royals are really taking this down to the wire.  Only half a game up on the Tigers.

And when I look at the schedule, they end the season with a three game home stand against Detroit.

Reminds me of the AL Central race in 2005.  They had to battle off the Twins and Indians toward the end of the season to win the divsion.  I went to one of the Indians games in Chicago a couple weeks before the season ended and it was very much a playoff atmosphere. 

[CountDeMoney]

BTW, did anyone else see Giancarlo Stanton take the fastball to the mouth last night.  Ugly.

Yeah, they said multiple fractures.  I'd say so.

[Valmy]

And we are down to:

[CountDeMoney]

Little birdies are singing;  Chris Davis may have played his last game as an Oriole.

[CountDeMoney]

Ok so now they are down Machado and Davis...no sweat right?

You forgot Matt Wieters. too.

[Valmy]

We going to the playoff Hon!



Never thought I would see this day again 

[Barrister]

Royals are now a game and a half back of Detroit.  They're a game up on Seattle for a wildcard spot, but man, a one-game win or go home wild card game makes me nervous...

That home stand against Detroit looks more critical than ever.

[derspiess]

Nationals also clinched last night.  Nats-O's World Series?

I stayed up to watch the Cards lose in the 12th

[The Minsky Moment]

I have to say not the drug I figured he would be busted for. 

It reveals a lack of basic common sense in the MLB drug policy, no surprise there.  Adderall?  Who cares?  Not to mention just about every legendary player from the 50s/60s/70s used similar or worse.

[CountDeMoney]

I may just be moved to believe now.