And now back to your regularly-scheduled programming …
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Feb 08, 2009 
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So … this was a slow week?
Usually the week before spring training begins is for non-roster invitees, minor-league contracts and buying sunscreen. Not so much this time around, though I have to say it certainly made my time here that much more interesting.
The best part, though, is the readers. I very much enjoyed the conversations and debates we had, and now I have a much more intimate understanding of what kind of a community exists here. It’s something special – you all share a passion for something and have found a great way to share it. I was glad to help guide the discussion for a little while.
I also appreciated all your emails. I’ve done my best to keep up with most of them throughout the week, and will try to get to the rest as soon as possible (though, like Pete just did, I’m going on hiatus for seven days starting tonight).
To those who said they enjoyed my postings: Thanks very much. But I’m just a relief pitcher. You guys have a terrific leader in Pete and he’s someone who is, literally, a pioneer with this stuff. He’s the best in the business, no doubt.
I hope all of you will continue to read my columns in The Journal News (you can always find my stuff at www.lohud.com/borden) as well as check in with the FACEOFF blog that I do with Rick Carpiniello (faceoff.lohudblogs.com). I’ll do my best to let you know when we’re debating something Yankees or baseball related, but give us a click in the mornings anyway. Since it’s clear most of you don’t mind stating your opinion, you’ll fit right in.
Thanks again for sticking around with me this week. We had thousands of comments on a couple dozen posts, despite the fact that the first side sessions of the spring are still a few days away. That’s pretty amazing. It’s also just further proof that the greatest part of this gig is you.
We enjoyed reading your opinions sir!
Thank you for reporting the news and sharing your insight!
Sam you were an absolute pleasure to have as our blog leader. I look forward to having you back as much as possible. Thanks for treating us like adults and showing that you valued our opinions. You cannot imagine how that helped communication flow!
Definitely let us know when you have FACEOFFS. You are right that we are not afraid to share our opinions!
Be well.
Well said Sam! I’ve enjoyed your posts this week. Keep up the good work with the columns and the faceoff blog.
Sam,
Thanks for keeping us in the game.
Thanks for the coverage Sam. Unfortunately it was during a Yankees time of crisis.
Thank you so much for everything, Sam! We really appreciate your thoughtful and very informative posts! Good luck to you!
Sam,
Thanks for filling in at the head of the table.
It was a great week of feasting.
We hope that Pete will ask you to fill in when he takes his “breaks” and that you will agree.
Pete usually has some “Greetings from Gate ___” threads. It’d be great if you could take over until he lands and can blog safely again. No pressure or anything.
Thanks again for the great work.
Thank you so much sam. You did very well. I bet you didnt think the week was going to be THIS interesting or expect thousands of readers and comments. Yes, we are passionate which sometimes results in it getting ugly in here but most of the time, keeps it interesting and fun. Hope you had fun as well.
Sam-
You da man!
sam, great job this week filling in this week. i’ll definitely check out your columns more.
Best wishes, Same.
btw, you are battling wits with an unarmed man in Carpiniello.
Awesome job this week, Sam. I really enjoyed your posts.
Said it more than once but I’ll say it again, thanks for blogging this week. It was a pleasure reading you (is that an appropriate way of putting it? lol). I will more likely than not be checking your column on the iPhone in the mornings.
Changing speeds I think you’re right when you say Pete has something different here. I check out a bunch of other Yankee blogs but nothing sticks like this place does. I haven’t been here as long as some other folks but I’ve been posting about 2 years now. Hopefully this year I can make the Scranton trip! Maybe some folks would want to make a closer trip to Richmond County park on Staten Island? (Working in NY this summer. Can’t wait to see who comes through the BK DA’s office!)
very nice sam,thanks.
Great job this week Sam.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR EVERYONE, WHAT IF HE IS INNOCENT?
Sam,
I haven’t commented on any of your posts but I just wanted to say that you really did a great job. I’ll be sure to start reading your blog.
Scott F
Nick and Randy,
Do you guys really think with arods name on a list for 2003 roid users that he would be better off not on the yankees now? I cant imagine our team will suffer this year because arod is on it. hE WONT hit 250 and the distraction is not more than the yanks have had in the past – they tend to play well even with huge distractions around them for the most part. This is NY and there is ALWAYS something in the news afterall. I cant imagine that our lineup would be better if we signed someone like Joe crede when arod opted out. And if you remember, there were VERY few capable free agent third baseman and we had no in house options. Im still glad we have the best player on our team for the next nine years, roid user or not. Eventually, all of this will be behind us, all these media and some fans will realize they drastically over-reacted this week and we will win the world series in part because arod is in pinstripes. I am betting it iwll be this year too. The yanks will thrive under adversity and a microscopic lens.
This is assumingi arod only did roids in texas and not here btw.
thanks sam for actually respecting all views of the posters here instead of the regular host.
Dave,
will you be glad if he cycles off whatever he is using now and hits 250 with 15 homers the next nine years?
it was fun reading your food related post
Thanks Sam.
You still owe us a dinner post someday from our day of feasting but I’ll let it slide because and order of pancakes for the table is genius.
good job all around
but geez what drama
I’m afraid this generation will be remembered as the one “before we got the really good drugs”
With such huge amounts of money to be made the drugs will be more effective and better hidden.
I live in the third world and man,how are you gonna keep the kids down once they got a shot at $20 million a year?
I went to a local professional baseball game today. Entrance was $2.50 for the best seats. The place was packed. Beers cost $1.50 but you could bring a cooler if you wanted.
Was more fun than staying home reading this blog ( which in most time consumes hours of my day)
can’t wait till they play ball
celerino – the test is from 2003. You cant think logically and assume this one test means he has been on some drug for 6 straight years. I mean that is just not rational thinking without any proof. And read my next post – I SAID assuming that he has not done roids in NY. And even then, assuming that he is not currently on the stuff. I know they make very undetectable drugs and have read the Dr X article but that takes place today – iS IT realistic to assume that arod has been so careful and the drugs have been so good the last six years that arod has not been caught once since 2003?
I dont think that is at all likely considering he has been tested many times since this year. It is just VERY risky if nothing else and i DONT think arod could afford to take such risks as the best player in the game in this new generation of constant testing and overwhelming scrutiny. I can not and will not reasonably believe that arod was on something up until last year until I find verifiable proof that this is true. The contrary argument cannot be made at this point in that it is impossible to assume he has been on something up until 2009. This is NOT the guilty until proven innocent game – this is somebody’s life and he just happens to be the best player on the team that we root for and love. Lets give him the benefit of the doubt for once.
Dale D,
Just one question. WHERE ARE YOU?
Sam,
Thanks for doing such a great job filling in.
Just keep it clean going forward. We don’t want to read about you in 5 years how you were juiced up on cough syrup.
you did a really stand up job- thanks for keeping us informed!
Thanks Sam. I hope you earned combat pay this last week. enjoy next week.
I love you, Sam Borden.
Just got back from a quick vacation and have been keeping up as best I could.
I was stunned whan I heard the news and my first thought was who else were among the 104 that were about to be named? I was even more stunned to learn Selena Roberts and her fed rat/accomplices outed only A Rod. Every newspaper I read was full of articles of so much self righteous indignation condeming A Rod that it was no wonder so much ice had melted off the roof of my house. There was no lack of hot air coming from the media (Sam included). If only they had spent as much breath condemning of the perps who leaked information that was sealed by court order the rest of the ice would have melted too. Of course balanced reporting is as rare as a 50 degree day in February. After all, they’ve got themselves a real opportunity here to profit.
For what it’s worth (nothing)my conclusions are thus: Babe Ruth holds the all time career home run record and Roger Maris holds the single season reacord. A Rod and the rest of the cheats “accomplishments” should be viewed as forever tainted.
In the last couple of weeks we’ve found that players can’t trust their manager, can’t trust some of their teamates, cant trust the union, cant trust the feds and can’t trust anyone who makes a living with a pen in their hand.
If I were a Yankee player, I’d agree to talk to the media about on field matters only. Ask me about strategy, plays in the field, anything you want as long as it’s about baseball. But the first question asked about personal or legal matters, I’d tell that writer to take his pen and stick it where the sun will never see it.
Goodnight!
And celerino,
If the drugs make that HUGE of an effect, you can be sure that arod will continue to buy whatever undetectable drugs he has been buying and use them. jUST BECAUSE he was caught in 2009 for actions in 2003 doesnt mean he will automatically quit if he has not been detected a single time. Either way, we as fans are in the clear regarding his future performance I would venture to say.
So you fill in for Pete for a week, and nothing really big happens…except ARod gets implicated in the steroids mess.
Oops.
Great job with a very difficult topic, and thanks for keeping us informed and active during Pete’s vacation.
You were a great substitute teacher Sam.
Don’t be a stranger here. You have alot of great insights.
Thanks for putting up with us Sam. Good job.
It’s been a pleasure Sam. I used to read you over at The Daily News and missed your intelligence and wit when you left for Florida. It’s nice to have you back in NY and glad you joined us here. Don’t be a stranger.
Back to a topic we discussed a few days ago prior to this disappointing and sad fiasco….
I went out for brunch this morning and had the opportunity to re-think my rankings of my favorite breakfast foods. My rankings now are:
1) Belgian Waffles w/ Strawberries
2) Omelet (w/ Bacon, Sausage, Cheese, Black Olives)
3) Biscuits and Gravy
4) French Toast
5) Pancakes
great job Sam. You started out with a bang on your first blog day and kept up the pace all week.
I figured you’d lose your energy, but you never did.
I don’t know how you did it – but if questioned by the feds – just say you did it naturally – with pancakes and syrup.
Drive,
I agree with most of what you said. But what if arod used roids for one season? What if there is no proof to the contrary outside of 03? Do his accomplishments still mean nothing? It is ridiculous to say they mean nothing if he is winning mvp award after mvp award all through his own talents.
Thank you so much Sam it was a pleasure. You were the best substitute teacher I ever had ha aa
I know one Yankee who should be happy about this mess.
Derek Jeter
Now he won’t have to “answer the same questions year after year”
Pete, ask Derek if he likes his new questions.
dave: do I think what? Probably not. I think the Yankees will be better off if Arod plays at a very high level. I hope that happens.
sam u have done a heck of a job
These are the numbers from A-Rod’s first season with more than 200 AB’s(1996):
.358 AVG, 36 HR, 123 RBI
Here are his numbers from last year:
.302 AVG, 35 HR, 103 RBI
Now for all those who think he would be hitting 15 HR’s today if he “stopped” taking the juice(when there is no evidence he ever took PED’s except for that alleged test in 2003). Think again the numbers above should speak for themselves unless you are one of those people who now think A-Rod was juicing from the start his numbers (from the mid 90′s) are even better than they were last year. Wouldn’t your argument indicate that his numbers would be better now that he is “A-Roid”?
Sam,
Great job, sincerely.
The bittom line is that the Yankees need A-rod. I highly doubt he’s going to drop off the face of the earth and become a .260/20 guy. His stats will be there and hopefully the Yankees will be too.
Just skimming this afternoons comments. Ouch! Feisty few hours since I last hit F5.
Someone asked who had access to the 2003 results. According to the following article, lots of people whose salaries are paid by tax dollars. And just to round out the article, Curt Schilling weighed in and Sean Casey called the Bonds and Clemens cases witch hunts.
http://www.google.com/hostedne.....gD967O84G0
Thanks for managing to think of some things to write about during another uneventful week in Yankeeland.
Oh, and I read somewhere (MLBTR?) today that Abreu might be forced to take a 1-2 year deal worth 3(!) million per season. Poor guy.
Drive 4-5
While I agree with your impression of all of the hot air rising from the sporting press, I disagree with you and everyone else about the steroid “taint.”
We are looking through rose colored glasses at the past, aren’t we?
Given the inane “logic” concerning steroids, why should we accept any record prior to 1946, since black players weren’t allowed in the league until then?
Human sex steroids were discovered in the 1950′s, and used as performance enhancers since then–by everyone. Hank Aaron? Nolan Ryan? Many, many others? You bet. They just won’t tell you the truth.
PEDs such as steroids were not illegal in MLB until 2004. You do something AFTER the rules change, you should get screwed. Do something before the rules change, the records stand. None of this “but they WERE banned before 2003″ stuff that Pete and others are using to justify their false sense of outrage. No they weren’t — reporters, do some reporting for a change on this topic, and give the public the real facts. Keep giving us opinion, and we may just go to the internet and get the facts ourselves, and put you out of business. Oh wait a minute–isn’t that happening now?
Bonds, ARod, McGuire, etc — all should get into the HOF, with records intact, if they didn’t do anything after 2003. Take it away from them, then you have to take everything away prior to 1946.
Novitsky et al–where were you all when Bernie Madoff was screwing people out of $50 billion? Grandstanding over a stupid and ridiculous issue such as PEDs in baseball, that’s where. Doesn’t that just give you a warm and fuzzy feeling about the priorities of our government? Especially when they are giving themselves another $1 trillion to spend?
A few other issues.
I guess Henry Waxman is an exercise physiologist. What exactly are the “health risks” of PEDs? Give me some peer reviewed medical literature, not a picture of Lyle Alzado, please. The only thing I can say about this is that it is proof positive that we need better science education in our schools.
I guess the Reynolds reporter is a federal judge, since she can violate the 4th amendment in her estimation of “the public’s right to know.” Hey, she did it in the Duke “rape” case and didn’t get bad career fallout, so why not do it again here?
I guess the BBWA has already made their decision about ARod in the HOF, without any other facts than a report from a reporter who should wear a scarlet “D” around her neck for her role in one of the biggest press fiascos of the last 50 years. All the more reason for MLB to take the HOF vote away from them.
I have a question:
104 players tested positive for steroids in 2003.
Barry Bonds was not one of them.
MLB said that all the samples would be destroyed after the test.
Because of the government investigation that fall, the samples were not destroyed.
The government has since retested Bond’s sample and found that it did contain steroids that were undetectable in 2003.
I am left to assume that many, if not all, of the samples still exist.
If this is true, are we to assume that the government will retest all the samples?
And if they do, it is very likely that the number of 104 players will increase by 40% – 100%.
Will those names then be released?
The pleasure was all ours. This blog was about 1000x more tolerable with you at the helm than with Pete. I’m not looking forward to his smug, powder sugar-covered return.
Sam, Just wanted to add my two cents and say thank you as well. You’re a terrific writer and you had some great posts. Very much enjoyed reading what you had to say. Not a bad week to “fill in” either, huh?
Best
By the way, I think Joe Torre is trying to capitalize on these latest sordid revelations:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9.....265463346/
By the way, I think Joe Torre is trying to capitalize on these latest sordid revelations:
http://tinyurl.com/az24d5
That’s a good point. Will the Government re-test all of the samples from 2003? Probably. Should they? Why not. A-rod was found out and exposed as a cheater (allegedly). Why not expose everybody who ever cheated. It’s only fair.
This will help keep newspapers alive for a month or two longer, since sanctimonious blowhards can wax about how baseball is such a disgrace and how A-Rod should be run out of town and things of that nature. Oh and of course you can’t rip the journalists because they couldn’t write stories back in the early 2000s about how there was speculation that guys were juicing, because after all they need facts to report! They can’t use anonymous sources and access supposedly confidential information for their stories, after all, so how could anyone report on steroids back when it was all over MLB clubhouses?
But of course, now that there’s all this proof and cold-hard fact, we can commence the shame-on-you’s and finger-wagging from the baseball writers of America. They can devour the gods they created for the past 15 years or so by branding any that qualify with the Scarlet Letter of steroids. And the paying public gets to enjoy hours upon hours and days upon days of headlines and coverage telling them that the players they were supposed to enjoy watching are really terrible and have accomplished things unnaturally.
“Why not expose everybody who ever cheated.”
Because 1 wrong does not make 103 rights.
It’s not fair 1 result leaked but players were given privacy assurances and the other 103 people are still entitled to that if it’s possible.
Andrew- I agree 100%. This is truly going to keep newspapers afloat until ST. Cue the Lupica/Gammons A-Rod lashings.
Come back anytime sam
How many think Jeter is 100% Clean? Just asking for an honest opinion
Al from Bk-
you got a point, Gammons has been strangely silent.
Jeter is obviously juiced up, just look at his receding hair line.
Al from Bk-
you got a point, Gammons has been strangely silent.
—————————
He might not know yet.
Him and Pedroia probably went and spent the weekend at a bed and breakfast on the Cape. They needed a little quality time together before ST starts.
Gammons has been on a Jameson’s bender since Sat morning.
He put a 100$ in the juke box and put “Dirty Water” on replay. He’s singing along only he’s changed the lyrics to Dirty ARod.
Sam -
Thanks for a great week. I will continue to look forward to reading your work. It’s always well-written.
I especially liked your masterful segues this week, and our day of food. And I can’t wait to try pancakes for the table.
“Al from Bk-
you got a point, Gammons has been strangely silent.
—————————————-
He might not know yet.
Him and Pedroia probably went and spent the weekend at a bed and breakfast on the Cape. They needed a little quality time together before ST starts.”
I dunno why but I lol’d. Thanks for the comic relief Bob
Great job, Sam. Enjoy your week off! Will you be in Tampa for Spring Training?
Just saw on the news that Sox fans are already selling “A-Roid” t-shirts on the internet.
Yes, players were given privacy assurances by both the MLB and the MLBPA that if they cheated they would not be exposed-Alex isn’t a victim here and neither are the other 103 people who failed. They had a controlled substance in their systems. They did break the law. I understand and sympathize with the players privacy, but as a consumer of the sport, I feel that baseball may have defrauded us consumers.
That being said, once the FEDS get involved all bets are off. You can be certain that Jeff Novitzky is going to retest the samples to see if they test positive for both the “cream” and the “clear”.
I also would not be surprised if the 104 “victims” get called before a grand jury to explain themselves.
“Just saw on the news that Sox fans are already selling “A-Roid” t-shirts on the internet.”
Let them waste their money. Once Big Papi is exposed they’ll be using the ARoid shirts to check their oil.
So Pete is going to be through with his furlough and perhaps post something at 12:00 a.m. EST, right? Am I the only one hoping it will be a no-holds-barred double-barrel post for the ages?
Al from BK and Dave,
Since there was no testing, I assume anyone that failed a test – A-Rod, Palmeiro etc, was juicing as soon as they could. Possibly their entire careers. Because if A-Rod didn’t need the juice, then why bother doing it? Why risk it all? why risk ending up with a mess like this today?
And since nothign happened in 2003 when he failed he moved on to HGH and the next thing, whatever it is.
sorry to be so negative but how can he get the benefit of the doubt? You think Palmeiro just started juicing on 05?
unless this SI report is proven false, I dont give A-Rod any credit for anything. and innocent before proven guilty – that applies to court of law not court of public opinion. He is not being prosecuted. Lying to Katie Couric is not what Clemens did.
Just saw on the news that Sox fans are already selling “A-Roid” t-shirts on the internet.
—————-
Of course they are.
It really is sad. But for the Union not letting him restructure his deal, he would be a Red Sox right now. What would their reaction be if that were the case?
It’s even sadder that ANY baseball fan would take even the slightest bit of joy in this happening. No matter what team you root for you have to realize how bad this is for the game as a whole. No one who loves the game would be joking about this.
Just goes to show what I’ve always said about the majority of Red Sox fans. They aren’t baseball fans. All they care about is that their sports teams winning makes them feel less inferior.
Sam,
thanks for holding down the fort. I imagine you thought you’d practically be on autopilot this week… but you kept up with all of the news and didn’t miss a beat.
I’m sure it’s cheaper to make an ARoid shirt than to buy one of these:
http://tinyurl.com/5lcay4
Nick — I was hoping for a steel cage ladder post myself. Maybe a heavyweight ear-biting pay-per-view-post. In all seriousness I think his take on the subject has been boiling up since the story broke lol how could he not let it loose upon the interwebs?
“innocent before proven guilty – that applies to court of law not court of public opinion”
problem is, the court of public opinion has a ton of braindead judges.
haha Nick, where do you find this stuff?
“It’s even sadder that ANY baseball fan would take even the slightest bit of joy in this happening. No matter what team you root for you have to realize how bad this is for the game as a whole. No one who loves the game would be joking about this.”
I agree with this 100%. I will not be happy if Ortiz or anyone in Boston is outed because I dont care about Boston.
“problem is, the court of public opinion has a ton of braindead judges.”
You can start with all the braindeads that are mad at Sports Illustrated instead of the guy that stuck the needle in his arse because he needed to make 30 million a year instead of 10 million a year.
here are the liks to the dumb shirts people are gonna wear
http://www.zazzle.com/a_roid_a.....0957052025
http://www.wackyplanet.com/aroid-t-shirt.html
http://www.zazzle.com/a+roid+t.....te_created
here are the liks to the dumb shirts people are gonna wear
http://www.zazzle.com/a_roid_a.....0957052025
http://www.wackyplanet.com/aroid-t-shirt.html
http://www.zazzle.com/a+roid+t.....te_created
Nick, maybe Pete has a “He Was a Crook” in him?
http://www.theatlantic.com/unb...../crook.htm
Actually there’s about 8 sites selling the shirts. Jeez people sure are quick to make a buck.
Boston Dave: I googled to find that image, but I remembered the story about the 19-0 t-shirts from last year. They always ship the ‘winning’ shirts for the losing team to 3rd world countries.
Great job Sam. Thanks!
Sanchez- You can’t assume one “alleged” failed test out of hundreds means that A-Rod’s career is a fabrication. You sir are getting caught in this panic and making silly generalizations. He has not even admitted to it yet and I still don’t trust “anonymous” sources. These sources are likely inside connections that Roberts had within the gov’t that illegally gave this woman the results. If he did in fact use steroids I will be upset but to throw out his career and accomplishments for one pretty suspect failed test. That is too much of a jump for me, as long as A-Rod is a Yankee I will support him. I am taking note of who is trashing A-Rod now so when this blows over in a few weeks and A-Rod s hitting homers in June I can see if you think the Yankees wins should count in the standings!
Great job Sam holding down the fort. Enjoyed the childhood references, too.
“Just goes to show what I’ve always said about the majority of Red Sox fans. They aren’t baseball fans. All they care about is that their sports teams winning makes them feel less inferior”
Bob, I think you are making a sweeping generalization.
Of course there are some Sox fans that only care about the Sox and are not genuine baseball fans. But don’t you think there would be a percentage of Yankee fans that would have the same reaction if it was discovered that Ortiz juiced in 2004 when they won the World Series?
There are Sox fans that are jerks just like there are Yankee fans that are jerks. Conversely there are knowledgeable well versed Sox fans and similar Yankee fans.
Would you stick a needle in your “Arse” for $275 million, my guess is 99.9% of us would say yes
ray (sox fan)
February 8th, 2009 at 10:32 pm
There are Sox fans that are jerks just like ***there are Yankee fans that are jerks***
Hey…Hey…Watch it, Buddy, you’re hitting awful close to home, there.
Hey GB.
What is the saying about if the shoe fits?
Just kidding!
I still think this paragraph by Rob Neyer summed this whole thing up the best so far:
“I hope Alex Rodriguez didn’t cheat. If we do find out that he cheated, I will wish that he hadn’t. But whatever happens, I’m not going to change my opinion that he’s a great baseball player. Like many of the greatest players, he’ll do whatever it takes to be the best player he can be. For a stretch of five or 10 years — and yes, perhaps even today still — being the best player could have meant cheating. Maybe the cheaters were wrong; that’s the direction in which I lean, probably because I’ve got a streak of the moralist in me. But I will not sit idly while great athletes looking for an edge — not all that different from the many generations before them — are demonized by the high priests of baseball opinion. I will not.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn.....=neyer_rob
Celerino,
Making the GIANT LEAP from arod did roids in 2003 to arod has done something his entire career up until 2009 is a huge one to make without any proof whatsoever. You shouldnt assume he has done something his entire career until proven otherwise, you should believe he was only doing stuff before he came to the yankees until proven otherwise. There is no way of knowing that he has done roids for the last ten years or so but until proof presents itself I cannot just ASSUME that he has. As far as I know, it was the one year or maybe every year up until 2003 but as you said, why would he continue to take the risk at that point? He clearly has the talent as roids does NOT make you the best player in the sport so why continue doing it? In 2003, he had a lot less to lose mainly because there was no testing, everyone was doing it and it wasnt even technically against the rules of the game at the time. Doing so now, is a whole other ball game. I will be devastated if I find out he has done roids his whole career but I am not ignorant enough to believe that without having even the slightest bit of proof to support it.
Great job Sam!
Good job holding down the fort. And here you thought it’d be an easy week since spring training was still two weeks away.
David Roidtiz? Doesn’t quite flow right.
Rob Neyer, making way too much sense for most of the people weighing in on this issue. Yet his opinion will undoubtedly get drowned out, no matter how reasonable and level-headed it is.
I want to believe that Alex only took the ‘roids only in 2003. However, does the same rule apply for Rafael Palmeiro or the 103 other players who’s names have the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads?
The mouth has spoken.
http://www.nj.com/yankees/inde.....s_nam.html
Rob Neyer, making way too much sense for most of the people weighing in on this issue. Yet his opinion will undoubtedly get drowned out, no matter how reasonable and level-headed it is.
————————-
Of course. It’s easier to follow the lynch mob than it is to actually think.
Thanks again Sam. You did a great job filling in, the LoHud Yankee blog definitely did not miss a beat. Who would have thought there’d be so much to talk about on here the first couple weeks of February?
ray (sox fan)
February 8th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Hey GB.
What is the saying about if the shoe fits?
Just kidding!
————————————————————
Luckily, I’m bare footed. Don’t know about old shoe sayings. Must be something from your old colonial days and running around with Paul Revere.
Evening, Ray. How’s things with the (sox fan) family? Warm and toasty, I hope. almost had a heart attack here,today. couldn’t figure out why my A/C wasn’t woring. Forgot that I turned it off, last night.
And when is Schilling not talking…. but for once I’m actually agreeing with what he’s saying
So I’m watching the Grammy’s and thinking there is more pro Athletes doing drugs then Musicians. Man this world is upside down!
Tom-thanks for the “He was a crook” link. First time I read it.
Correction: ***working*** Forgot that I turned it off, last night.
Please make it stop.
I turn on the Grammy’s to get away from the baseball/steroid madness for a bit.
What am I subjected to? – Neil Diamond singing Sweet Caroline.
At least he’s not wearing a Red Sox cap.
Now I generally don’t like Tony Massarotti. But I suppose even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes because he did a good job in the post. Not sure if anybody else said so but he does a great job saying exactly what alot of us have been thinking. He looks at the bigger picture which is, quite large.
“According to the SI report, a total of 1,198 players were tested, meaning that 8.8 percent were caught using some form of illegal substance. Know what 8.8 percent translates into? About two players per 25-man roster, about 3.5 players per 40-man. Keep that in mind before arguing that the Red Sox took the field with a cast of altar boys.”
http://www.boston.com/sports/c.....assarotti/
Up until the random testing came in, there was no disincentive to doing roids, unless you studied the long term health consequences. That’s why it’s important to get all the names. Then people will understand the context of an individual user and whether or not it made sense for that person given the lack of consequences. Let’s be honest, too, MLB loved the big #’s of the roid era, and so did the media, as they let it go on and on. What were the dicincentives? The millions of dollars? Letting guys you knew weren’t better than you get better than you? It’s what the competion was at the time. We have to see the whole picture before we can really decide about these guys.
dt- I didn’t even know the Grammy’s were on.
I am dreading going into work tomorrow with all the garbage I will hear.
:clap: Tony Massarotti.
Right on with that statement.
Wow, I agree with Massarotti on something? That might be a first!
The flod gates are about to open, so everybody is looking to get to higher ground.
I heard that Schilling’s name is going to show up in the Heinz Report.
flood gates.
I have no idea what a flod is…
The media trying to demonize the Yankees and baseball as a product? This seems familiar to me. The media also likes to act as if the NFL s 100% clean.
“Wow, I agree with Massarotti on something?”
Actually I think he had a really good take on the Tex signing as well.
Wow, I guess I must be tired or something because my last comment was sort of incoherent. Sorry about that. Just meant to toss out something from a sports writer about the relevant topic that isn’t a hit piece.
Massarotti doesn’t need a weatherman to see which way the wind blows. He knows what’s up.
Nick it took me a minute. LMAO
Nick, catsup or ketchup?
No problem Rob, the article was interesting.
And you’re right about the big picture. It is quite large.
I’m sure Bud Selig will do something brilliant to deal with all this controversy.
Bud’s first act will be to force the Yankees to return all the World Championship trophies they won with A-Rod on the team.
Nick, catsup or ketchup?
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Tomato sauce.
This was like the Keystone Cops do steroid testing in 2004.
Sounds to me that all the players were tipped off just by virtue of the fact there was only 1 month left in the season to test them in.
Did A-Rod have a bad 2004 because of adjusting to NY, coming off of PEDS, either, neither, or both?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02.....f=baseball
“I heard that Schilling’s name is going to show up in the Heinz Report.”
haha, comment of the day IMO
From the prior thread:
Mel, I also think it’s a good thing Alex is playing in the WBC. Today, I even started watching some baseball on the MLB network. Yesterday, it was too painful to me………….I felt better today, more eager for ST to begin (I truly was bummed yesterday – too painful for me to even think about).
Phil, I can’t blame Kay for being bummed. There was such a good feeling around this team – a belief that this new mix of players, in addition to being talented, was the RIGHT blend to take the team into and hopefully through the playoffs.
S.A. – thanks for the link and thanks for the tip! I don’t want to miss Kay tomorrow…..
Doesn’t pass the smell test.
A lot more in the know then I realized. Hypothetically the original dime to SI could even have been dropped by one of the Lawyer’s secretaries.
I wonder if the original story was basically given as a tip to SI by a secretary type, SI in turn for reasons we can only speculate then gave the story/scoop to Selena Roberts to rehabilitate her image after the Duke Lacrosse debacle.
SI possibly also not wanting to give it to baseball beat writer Jon Heyman because of the friction he would then experience in his future dealings with the Yankees or others on the list if it should too become public with another 93 new names(-Arod and the 10 from the list already named in Balco).
Roberts then provides cover to the source claiming she was writing a book (about Arod?) and uncovered Arod’s name on the list during the investigative reporting phase. JMO but it doesn’t pass the smell test, it seems to me it (Arod’s name) would have been out there a long time ago if it was given just for the asking, had to be an inside tip to SI. The source was then granted anonymity/cover by SI where it might not have been guaranteed with a tip/leak to a newspaper like the NY Post of the NY Daily News.
I completely agree with Kay – as I’ve said before, the Yankees have to get this out in the open: one Q & A session like with Andy and that’s it. His teammates MUST, MUST support him publicly, especially Jeter. After how they defended Giambi, it would be extremely upsetting to see them not do the same for Alex.
C-rod—New York Post-July 10, 2008
One day he’ll wake up . . . and he’ll crash . . . but Cynthia will be there for him.”
She does admit to trusted friends she’ll be there for him the day he cracks up because she knows it’s going to be – the words used are – “an ugly thing.”
Who knew it would be this and not Madonna
Sorry to hear about your week off, Sam. As a relative newcomer to Gannett I thought you might be spared. I can only hope that the Yankee news during your hiatus will be more uplifting than during Pete’s.
Terrific piece by Massarotti……hit the nail on the head.
Al from BK,
I guess we have a differnce of opinion. Go ahead, put my name on your list. A-Rod is A-fraud to me. You probably cheered Giambi after his bogus apology. I can’t believe how he was cheered at the Stadium. The guy nabbed a 120 million contract because of roids. He set the Yankees back years. They could have spent that money on other players. These juiceheads jack up ticket prices as fast as they jack their bogus home runs.
People say there would have been no playoffs without a-rod in 2007. good! Not making it last year propeled the Yankees into into action! it should have happened sooner! F a-rod. I never wanted his phony act here anyway.
I guess his highness of diet coke has the night off. Bruce Beck in tonight on Mike’d up.
Feinsand(Daily News) and Lennon(Newsday) on with him
Sanchez- Its funny how only the “fans” are having this reaction before any facts have been presented. You can feel however you want, I know that A-rods teammates want him on the team and they want him to succeed. The Yankees need him to produce and the fans who choose to boo him and call him “A-fraud” better not be anywhere near the “Canyon of heroes” come November.
At a time like this we really miss the fully sentient George Steinbrenner.
Sam, thanks for your efforts. Enjoy your time off.
Sam, I think you did a wonderful job here.
Thank-you from Reno,Nv.
I will be reading your regular blog.
Great job, Sam.