Baseball

[dps]

Keep him out as a manager if you want (he was a shitty manager anyway), but there's no reason to keep him out as a player.

Actually I think it sort of helps his legacy as a player to be kept out.  Everybody remembers Shoeless Joe Jackson...but how many people out there can name a Hall of Famer from the 1919 season besides Babe Ruth?

Missed this earlier.  Just off the top of my head:  Ray Schalk, Eddie Collins, Walter Johnson, Pete Alexander, Ty Cobb

[jimmy olsen]

This kid's got a monster swing, and at 244 lbs, you do not want to be blocking the plate on him.  I expect Adam Dunn numbers with him in years to come.

Struggles to hit .250?

[CountDeMoney]

the gigantes traded for allstar 2b from Pirates, syt need more info on the guy.

Jack Wilson?  He's awesome.  Great deal for the Gs.

[katmai]

the gigantes traded for allstar 2b from Pirates, syt need more info on the guy.

Jack Wilson?  He's awesome.  Great deal for the Gs.

Nah Wilson was traded to mariners, Freddy Sanchez is 2b's name, he as 2006 batting champ apparently
They Giants are trying to add some bats to the excellent pitching staff as they picked up a first baseman from Indians yesterday too.

[CountDeMoney]

Ah, OK, got my Pirates from the Annual Pittsburgh Fire Sale mixed up.
Freddy Sanchez ain't no fucking slouch, man.  An excellent player.  Great D, smacks the ball around very well, hits for average, still speedy at 31.

Once again, the Pirates show why the Orioles management is only the 2nd worst in the majors.

[jimmy olsen]

Red Sox win!

But Ortiz is outed to be a cheat like Manny. 

[jimmy olsen]

Canseco says he knows of a Hall of Famer who juiced. Since he's been right about almost everything I wonder who it is?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32225617/ns/sports-baseball/

[sbr]

Canseco says he knows of a Hall of Famer who juiced. Since he's been right about almost everything I wonder who it is?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32225617/ns/sports-baseball/

The only recent one that would make any sense would be Ricky Henderson, that is 100% speculation though. 

I will assume that the one's put in by the Vet. Committee aren't juicers.


2009
Rickey henderson
Jim Rice

2008
Gossage

2007
Cal Ripken
Tony Gwynn

2006
Bruce Sutter

2005
Wade Boggs
Ryne Sandberg

2004
Paul Moliter
Dennis Eckersly

Not sure it is very reasonable to go back much further than that.

The only ones I could even consider are Rickey and Cal Ripken, but I can't really consider Cal so forget him.

[The Minsky Moment]

Missed this earlier.  Just off the top of my head:  Ray Schalk, Eddie Collins, Walter Johnson, Pete Alexander, Ty Cobb

Also without checking - Hornsby and Speaker. 

Plenty o' big names at the time.

[The Minsky Moment]

Not sure it is very reasonable to go back much further than that.

Kirby Puckett ???? 

[MadBurgerMaker]

Canseco says he knows of a Hall of Famer who juiced. Since he's been right about almost everything I wonder who it is?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/32225617/ns/sports-baseball/

The only recent one that would make any sense would be Ricky Henderson, that is 100% speculation though. 

I will assume that the one's put in by the Vet. Committee aren't juicers.


2009
Rickey henderson
Jim Rice

2008
Gossage

2007
Cal Ripken
Tony Gwynn

2006
Bruce Sutter

2005
Wade Boggs
Ryne Sandberg

2004
Paul Moliter
Dennis Eckersly

Not sure it is very reasonable to go back much further than that.

The only ones I could even consider are Rickey and Cal Ripken, but I can't really consider Cal so forget him.

Eckersley, Gossage, Henderson, and Canseco all played for the A's at the same time. 

Edit:  McGwire was on that '92 team too.  Wiki says Jason Giambi was drafted and signed that year too (minor league though). 

[The Minsky Moment]

Bill James on steroids and Cooperstown:

http://www.actapublications.com/images/small/PressReleases/Cooperstownandthe'Roids_F2.pdf

[Caliga]

I had a great time at the Bats game last night, even though they lost to the Mud Hens 8-6.  The Bats had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and the game ended on a fly out to right field. 

Has my life-long hate affair with baseball: come to an end?

[Ed Anger]

I had a great time at the Bats game last night, even though they lost to the Mud Hens 8-6.  The Bats had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and the game ended on a fly out to right field. 

Has my life-long hate affair with baseball: come to an end?

Remember, you don't have to deal with Red Sox fans anymore. Sports enjoyment increases the further away from New England sports teams.

[Ed Anger]

But Ortiz is outed to be a cheat like Manny. 

Michael Schur (aka Ken Tremendous) is smarter and funnier than I'll ever be. That's why I was floored yesterday to see him post this on Twitter:

    I can't believe that I'm surprised about David Ortiz doing steroids. But I'm surprised that David Ortiz did steroids.

You'd think every baseball fan on Earth right now would be more or less numb to the idea of a player being outed as a roider. Ah, but once again, we find that Red Sox fans believe they and their team poop sunshine and live on some sort of magical, negro-free cloud in the heavens. Oh sure, they expect a team like the FACKIN' YANKEES to have roiders. But not the precious Red Sox! They're different! Special! They'd never violate the bond they have their legendary fans, who have been known to keep entire city grids powered simply with the strength of their hearts!

You listen to me, you fucking retards. You're just another bunch of asshole fans rooting for another asshole team. And the fact that you think you're somehow above all that is what makes you utterly insufferable. I hope it turns out the Jason Varitek took HGH in 2004 and once killed a child in a drunken lawnmowing accident.

Lest you think I'm exaggerating about the self-importance of Red Sox fans (I can't believe I had to hear about this on my Blackberry in the sky!), there's this delightfully insane article in the Globe today about just how DEVASTATED they are by this. Look at that chick in the Globe's photo. She's gonna cry! What a loser. Here's the headline:

For legions of fans, a magic spell is broken

NO! NO! The enchantment has worn off! Quick, find all the juniper berries and hearts of cedar you can find. We shall produce a spell that will bring back our precious innocence!

The news struck like a thunderclap

MY WHOLD FACKIN' WARLD JUST GAWT RAWKED!

a bolt that shook fans to the core and bruised their fondest memories.

Oh, no! My precious memories! They've been sullied! Unclean! Unclean! Shouting FACK THE YANKEES will never be as sweet as it once was!

David Ortiz, the legendary Red Sox slugger adored by legions of fans, had reportedly used performance-enhancing drugs, a cruel revelation that left countless fans adrift and disillusioned.

"Now I don't believe in NOTHIN'! I'm going to law school!"

The scourge that has hung over the game for years, sullying many of the game's brightest stars, from Barry Bonds to Roger Clemens, had now claimed one of Boston's own.

No! Not here! I NEVER IMAGINED IT COULD HAPPEN HERE, EVEN THOUGH MANNY ALREADY TESTED POSITIVE!

He was a hero to a lot of us, and now it feels diluted, somehow,'' said Chris Healy, 48, of Norwich, Vt., pausing as he walked to the park with his two sons. "It just doesn't feel good."

Seriously, man. You're 48 years old. Take a look at this card of Ortiz with the Twins. Do you really think he got that big merely by eating arepas?

Others were disappointed, even crushed, but put up a brave face, saying they always suspected something was amiss. Even if they wouldn't let themselves believe it.

"The kid in you wants you to hope it's not true,'' Kevin Murray, a 35-year-old from Millbury, said between bites of an Italian sausage outside the park. "Even if you knew it all along."

Well, then the kid in you is wicked... you know...

"They just aren't as golden anymore,'' said Meghan Stipkovich, 31, heading to Fenway Park yesterday afternoon with her husband and 1-year-old daughter. "It's disheartening. We put them on such a pedestal, and it's tough to hear. Just very sad.''

You get the idea. All through the article are testimonials from fans who suspected Ortiz was a juicer (because Boston fans are so perceptive, you see), but refused to believe it because they're all innocent little fawns at heart. I promise you the Simmons article on this next week will include this stand-alone paragraph:

"But not Papi. Papi was different."

He's not. He's just another ballplayer trying to get ahead. And Red Sox Nation is just another group of shitheads wearing pink hats. Keep crying those delicious tears, gang.