Everything MLB: News, Highlights, And Just Plain Chit Chat

[2SeamHeat]

That is exactly the scenario I had heard, and why I've suggested we get a fruit basket for Henry/Lucchino. Sveum wanted Boston and if he had been offered the job he would have taken that.

Valentine proved with the Mets that he's not a MLB manager. There, he would call out his players publicly through the press. He would lash out at fans regularly. He made some of the most mind-boggling moves in terms of long-term benchings. This is only the stuff we saw. The stories of how he treated players behind the scenes and in the clubhouse are reminiscent of Bobby Knight's legendary mistreatment of players. His inning and a half long railing on Castro during the ESPN broadcast last year pointed all of that out once again. These are also reasons he was run out of Japan, after being run out of the MLB.

He's a decent enough strategist manager, and he could typically run a pitching staff alright. As a coach, he's horrendous. As a personnel manager, he'd be fired from a McDonald's position as lead burger-flipper within 6 weeks.

 

[dabynsky]

Apparently Melky Cabrera has tested positive for PEDs and has been suspended for 50 games. If true, that is a huge blow to the SFG.

 

[dabynsky]

Giants beat writer is confirming that Melky Cabrera has been suspended for 50 games.

 

[Uman85]

That would explain his hot start to the year. :lol:

 

[dabynsky]

The talk seems to be that the results were before the ASG and that this was in appeals til now. That would be very interesting timing in a lot of ways since Melky helped the NL win the ASG and the Giants basically could make a trade for Hunter Pence with a lot more leverage with this coming out now (similar to the news Feliz was getting TJS came after the Dempster trade).

 

[whitesoxman77]

The talk seems to be that the results were before the ASG and that this was in appeals til now. That would be very interesting timing in a lot of ways since Melky helped the NL win the ASG and the Giants basically could make a trade for Hunter Pence with a lot more leverage with this coming out now (similar to the news Feliz was getting TJS came after the Dempster trade).

This is such a big blow to baseball, fans will question every achievement, every increase in production, there will never be a golden era of baseball again if this shit continues

 

[2SeamHeat]

This is such a big blow to baseball, fans will question every achievement, every increase in production, there will never be a golden era of baseball again if this shit continues

We're already seeing a big adjustment. Offense is down, at least in terms of what we saw with HR just a few years ago. We're also seeing fewer guys now test positive than we did just 2-3 years ago. Also, I predicted we'd see a lot of joint and muscle injuries that would not have been issues 30 years ago... which is a sign of the body weakening after the juice effects that are known with deteriorating tendons and ligaments. Viola, look a the number of elbow, shoulder, back, knee, Achilles injuries we've seen since 2004. Look at all the guys who used to throw mid 90s in 2005, that began throwing 91-92 by 2008-2009... and have frequent arm issues (despite being workhorses prior to testing coming about).

I think the steroid era is over, but you're still going to catch guys. The NFL steroid era ended in the late 80s, but you still catch guys every year. Guys from the 90s and early 2000s will always come under scrutiny (McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Pudge, Clemens, etc.) without ever having fundamental, solid evidence of their possibly usage... while others that did indeed test positive (Palmeiro, Ramirez) will eternally have a cloud over their career.

 

[whitesoxman77]

We're already seeing a big adjustment. Offense is down, at least in terms of what we saw with HR just a few years ago. We're also seeing fewer guys now test positive than we did just 2-3 years ago. Also, I predicted we'd see a lot of joint and muscle injuries that would not have been issues 30 years ago... which is a sign of the body weakening after the juice effects that are known with deteriorating tendons and ligaments. Viola, look a the number of elbow, shoulder, back, knee, Achilles injuries we've seen since 2004. Look at all the guys who used to throw mid 90s in 2005, that began throwing 91-92 by 2008-2009... and have frequent arm issues (despite being workhorses prior to testing coming about).

I think the steroid era is over, but you're still going to catch guys. The NFL steroid era ended in the late 80s, but you still catch guys every year. Guys from the 90s and early 2000s will always come under scrutiny (McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Pudge, Clemens, etc.) without ever having fundamental, solid evidence of their possibly usage... while others that did indeed test positive (Palmeiro, Ramirez) will eternally have a cloud over their career.

Not to be a dick, serious question, but what point are you trying to make? I'm saying this is killing the sport. Star players like Melky Cabrera, Manny Ramriez, Alex Rodriguez being caught using steroids kills the reputation of the game. I feel like you're just telling me the steroid era is over, which I acknowledge, but I'm saying it doesn't matter, star players can not be found using steroids.

Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion seem to be the only guys who've have had late career surges in production who seem to be doing it without PEDs. And Encarnacion I can't even be sure about because it's his first year of consistent, outstanding production.

 

[Uman85]

Not to be a dick, serious question, but what point are you trying to make? I'm saying this is killing the sport. Star players like Melky Cabrera, Manny Ramriez, Alex Rodriguez being caught using steroids kills the reputation of the game. I feel like you're just telling me the steroid era is over, which I acknowledge, but I'm saying it doesn't matter, star players can not be found using steroids.

Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion seem to be the only guys who've have had late career surges in production who seem to be doing it without PEDs. And Encarnacion I can't even be sure about because it's his first year of consistent, outstanding production.

I can't be sure about either. They both are in question IMO.

 

[2SeamHeat]

Not to be a dick, serious question, but what point are you trying to make? I'm saying this is killing the sport. Star players like Melky Cabrera, Manny Ramriez, Alex Rodriguez being caught using steroids kills the reputation of the game. I feel like you're just telling me the steroid era is over, which I acknowledge, but I'm saying it doesn't matter, star players can not be found using steroids.

Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion seem to be the only guys who've have had late career surges in production who seem to be doing it without PEDs. And Encarnacion I can't even be sure about because it's his first year of consistent, outstanding production.

The point? That you're blowing this one incident out of proportion, since it's becoming quite clear that not all of the current achievements are not being questioned as your initial point suggested. As for Bautista and Encarnacion... they've shown the potential for years... and they are not the first hitters in history to have later surges.

 

[dabynsky]

The point? That you're blowing this one incident out of proportion, since it's becoming quite clear that not all of the current achievements are not being questioned as your initial point suggested. As for Bautista and Encarnacion... they've shown the potential for years... and they are not the first hitters in history to have later surges.

I agree with your general premise, but the amount of improvement and the age that Bautista has done it is pretty unprecedented in baseball.

 

[Rice Cube]

I agree with your general premise, but the amount of improvement and the age that Bautista has done it is pretty unprecedented in baseball.

He's been tested numerous times if I'm not mistaken. His arm probably looks like a heroin addict's and he probably has a lifetime supply of Mott's apple juice to generate urine by now :lol:

 

[dabynsky]

I don't doubt that Bautista has been tested. My only point is that Bautista's late surge is pretty unique in baseball history.

 

[Rice Cube]

He ate his veggies.

 

[2SeamHeat]

I don't doubt that Bautista has been tested. My only point is that Bautista's late surge is pretty unique in baseball history.

I tend to agree, but look at what he did as a prospect for the Pirates. He showed huge power potential, but his approach at the plate didn't seem to allow that potential to come to fruition. Also, I think a good portion of the success might be Rogers Centre. It's not uncommon for a guy to have inflated numbers in that stadium than in previous home parks. Bautista gives a lot of credit to Dwayne Murphy to helping him, as does Encarnacion.

Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer that roids have tremendously hurt the sport. Heck, they came close to killing it IMO. However, as things are beginning to return to "normal" again, I don't think the steroid stuff is nearly as harmful as it used to be. I also think the successful appeal of Braun, and the fact that the MLB has helped in terms of investigations of guys like Palmeiro, McGwire, and Clemens have helped that reputation some.

 

[Uman85]

There's something special going on in Seattle.

 

[Jntg4]

King Felix 6 outs away from a perfect piece of history

 

[Jntg4]

Make that 5

 

[Jntg4]

4 away

 

[2SeamHeat]

King Felix with the Perfect game with a K.... after a 2-0 count! Struck out 5 of his last 6.