Thoughts on most recent Clemens Denial

Roger Clemens officially denied any and all alegations involving his use of performance enhancing drugs. He did it by releasing a video he filmed on the internet, using Youtube as his outlet. I could tell you all exactly what he said but I stopped paying attention after the first few seconds. The moment I saw it I thought: “He’s guilty.”

It’s not that he said anything incriminating (not that I know since I didn’t really pay attention). It’s just how calm he seemed. I guess it’s just that much easier when you’re just staring at a camera, and not really have to look anyone in the face, to lie. Think about it: First he issues a statement through his agents denying the allegations. Then he releases this video and says something about how angry he is about the whole debacle. He sure didn’t look angry to me. He also avoided contact with anyone.

If a man can’t look straight into your eyes while he’s telling you he’s innocent, then he is, at the very least, hiding something. It’s a cop-out, all of it is. And sure, he’s going to do a tell all interview but he’s not going to answer anything he doesn’t want to answer or give any answers that haven’t been rehearsed over and over again. It’s just a shame.

Purely on numbers alone, Clemens should be in the Hall of Fame. “Cheaters” have a history there, most notably Gaylord Perry. But at least he didn’t lie to anyone. He even wrote a book about how the spitball made his career. Roger Clemens lied to us. And for that, above everything else, is why he should be condemned.

Why Omar Minaya’s “agressiveness” isn’t necessarily a good thing

I wonder if anyone remembers the arrival of Omar Minaya and how it was going to lead to big things. Then the Mets got Beltran and Pedro. Which was great. Then he got Carlos Delgado and Paul LoDuca. There were other trades made at but I think it was those two moves that turned me off.

I hated those moves. And I began to wonder: When did “agressive” moves become synonomous with “good”? The fact is it never did. I truly believe Delgado could have been had for less. The Marlins had backloaded the contract and they were going to move him one way or another because they were never going to pay him close to 20 million a year so he probably could have been had for less. Lo Duca was overpaid for. And there it is. Omar Minaya is never afraid to overpay. Actually, it’s what he always does. Even the Nady deal; how in the hell is Nady the return for Mike Cameron?! Oh. He also made some terrible trades. Let’s not forget the Bannister trade or the one that brought us Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins and gave the other team a closer or two. Ah. How about that Milledge trade? Right.

All those moves are the reason the Mets have become the mediocre team they are now. Yes. Mediocre. Even if the Mets get a frontline starter, they’re only just postponing the inevitable 3-5 dark years in which they again become the Mets I’ve known and loved. Losers, in case you didn’t catch that.  Omar Minaya has singlehandedly destroyed the Mets and there’s nothing he can do unless he rebuilds. He’s a mediocre GM on a team with title aspirations and he’s now made it impossible to reach that goal because he’s stripped the farm system and the big league team has too many holes. I suggest Mets fans enjoy what they can get this season and maybe the first at CitiField because the years after that are going to be dark times. Thanks to Omar Minaya and his “agressive” trading.

When Did Baseball Players Become Politicians?

I am getting tired of the Andy Petite’s and Mark McGwire’s of the world, mincing words, not answering direct questions, and acting as if they were running for President or trying to not get impeached.  You would think they would have learned from the “I did not inhale” line or the “it depends on what your definition of “is” is” spiel.

We all had our suspicions about McGwire and Sammy “Suddenly I Don’t Understand English So Well” Sosa, but their politician-like performances in front of Congress sealed the deal in the court of public opinion.  And now we have Andy Pettite giving us this line about only using steroids for two days in an effort to heal, just so he could get back out on the field to help his team win. 

I may buy the part about wanting to get back on the field to help his team win, but for only 2 days—who are you trying to fool with that load of s**t.  Pettite had some great quotes: “if what I did was an error in judgement,” and “I accept responsibility for those two days.”  Like any good politician, he is trying everything to avoid responsibility.

To all of the rest of you guys who have been linked with steroids, or will be linked in the future, remember the all or nothing principle—either you did or you didn’t.  We don’t want to hear your rehearsed excuses and fake apologies.  We want to hear you either flat out deny it, or admit to it in its entirety. 

It is a pretty sad state of affairs when the likes of Ken Caminiti, Jose Canseco, and Jason Giambi are looking like stand-up guys. 

Look Out For The Diamondbacks

Is the National League getting stronger?  The Astros and the Diamondbacks are making moves, while the Yankees and the Red Sox are getting bogged down in talks as the Twins attempt to screw one of them.  Meanwhile, Billy Bean is getting rid of another talented pitcher for a slew of prospects.

The Diamond Backs have been busy in the past week, trading away their inconsistent closer for some cheaper talent, and then making the big splash by landing Dan Haren.  With Haren and recent Cy Young winner Brandon Webb, they now have a lethal 1-2 punch, and history has shown how far that can get you in the playoffs. 

Not too mention, if old man Johnson can stay healthy and youngster Micah Owings can continue to improve, the Diamondbacks are going to be one tough team to deal with.  They have good young hitters, and they now have one of the best staffs in the NL.  Even if they don’t win the World Series, or the NL, at least they are going out and adding talent and making moves.

It is hard to argue with much of what Billy Bean has done, but I am not so sure about this one.  Bean does this type of trade every couple of years and the A’s are always competitive and they are always efficient with their payroll.  The problem is they have no World Series appearance or rings.  It is a nice story that they can compete every year with the Yanks, the Red Sox, and the Angels, but they have to start holding on to some of their proven players if they want a chance at a championship.

I am glad to see some of the National League teams, other than the Mets, go after some of these bigger name players like Tejada (though he is possibly past his steroid prime) and Haren.  I grew up being more of a National League fan and would like to see the talent even out.

Memo to Baseball: Dump Selig

Today, the Mitchell Report was released, putting firm in our face the baseball’s blight: rampant use of performance enhancing drugs. Major League Baseball has been making progress towards eliminating the use of steroids, amphetimines and HGH, but the report is a reminder to me of baseball’s biggest problem: a lack of leadership.

I’ve been following sports since 1977 (the famous “Bronx Is Burning” season). Discussion of steroid use has been going on almost that long. That Major League Baseball is just beginning to address cheating in this form is a travesty. Commissioner Bud Selig must be held responsible.

As far as I’m concerned, Selig has been nothing but an owner’s shill. Thanks largely to his “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil” approach to stewarding the game, we have a sport littered with cheats. I have no illusions that the game has ever been perfect, after all, the games has given us its share of amphetimine popping, cocaine sniffing party hounds- but the fact we find ourselves here today to the surprise of no one but Selig, is evidence of his shoddy leadership.

You may recall that Major League Baseball got stuck with this clown after league owners dumped Fay Vincent. While the game has seen innovations such as interleague play, Selig has by and large been a failure. We’ve had season-ending work stoppages, an all-star games ending in a tie, and an absence of positive change. Baseball has surrendered its standing as America’s pastime to the NFL, and the once regional sport of NASCAR has passed baseball as a favored spectator sport. Perhaps due to it’s slow-paced nature, this was inevitable. By the same token, there’s been no need to take it lying down- which is just what Selig has been doing.

If I sound angry- it’s because I am. I love this game, but I am stuck with a “cream and clear” home run king (Barry Bonds), and a flame throwing, drug injecting, pitching legend (Roger Clemens). For the next few seasons, I’ll be A-Rod’s biggest fan to smash Bonds’ record, and I can only hope some immortal hurler will help us forget the Rocket.

Will dumping Bud Selig cure all of baseball’s ills? No.

However- it would be a good place to start.

The Mitchell Report

We have all been waiting for this.  We all knew it was going to be messy, and now that it is upon us and it is messy, it seems messier than it should.  As a fan of baseball, but not a fan of the Yankees or anyone who has ever played for them, I respected the Jeters, the A-Rods, and the Roger Clemens and though I like it every year when the Yankees lose in the playoffs I don’t like it when the Yankees are a target.

The Mitchell Report came out at 2 P.M. today and the biggest name is not Bonds, it is Clemens.  Roger Clemens takes up nearly 9 pages in the report and is the biggest name, along with teammate Andy Pettite.  Over 80 players were named in the report and it was a list of all-stars, many of which are no longer in baseball.  Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, Jason Giambi, Greg Zaun, Rick Ankiel, Gary Matthews Jr., Paul LoDuca, Troy Glaus, and the list could go on and on.  There are guys like David Justice, Chuck Knoblauch, Mo Vaughn, and (not surprisingly) Lenny Dykstra.

Those of us who have been following baseball for the past 20 years have known the existence of steroids, and I for one have never been happy about it.  I love baseball.  It was the first sport I fell in love with, and I will not stop loving it; however, this is disturbing. I have to say I have stopped trying to figure out who has been juicing.  I would have never guessed Palmeiro, yet Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, and especially Sosa I would have bet the farm on. 

I am glad that the problem is beginning to be addressed, but I do agree with a previous post on this site.  If the problem is not addressed at the highest levels of baseball then the whole thing is a crock.  I have some good feelings about Bud Selig and I have bad feelings about Selig, but when he says he had no idea, he is full of sh**.  But when he says he needs help with the problem, he is speaking the truth.  Selig hid this issue while it was doing his administration some good, but he is still the commissioner and so now we should give him some help until we can kick him the hell out.

‘Stros Trade for Tejada

So the deal is finally done, the O’s have traded Miguel Tejada to the Astros for what seems like an entire softball team.  In the deal they get Luke Scott, Matt Albers, Troy Patton and Dennis Sarfate.  Hmmm, now I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, what a great deal for the Orioles, they got like 1-2-3-4-5 players!”  Well, not so much.

They may have received 5 players but they haven’t really received anyone of any significance.  You see, the Astros have an extremely poor prospect base, as ranked by both Baseball America (22nd) and Baseball Prospectus (28th).  So, it’s not as if the Orioles are picking up any blue-chip prospects.  Also, I know I’d much rather take my chances with a young stud – who could turn into a dud (haha! Stud, dud!? never mind) – than 5 guys who’ll never be anything more than guys who’ll fill out the 24^th and 25^th spot on a team’s roster.  And really, that’s all these guys are.  The most notable player in the deal is Scott and he’s a solid 4^th OF’r at best.

On the other hand, we have the Astros.  They clearly had a need for an upgrade at SS and Tejada will do a nice job of upgrading the slick-fielding, yet punch-and-judy hitting, Adam Everett.  Being that the NL is wide open, this isn’t a bad pickup on their part.  They won’t miss any of the players they’re giving up.

So, I guess I have to tip my hat to the Astros when it comes to this deal.  Though O’s on the other hand, give up a pretty darn good player, and won’t get much in return.  I would have much rater seen them get one or two younger players who could grow-up to be important cogs to the next good
Baltimore team.

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On another note, as you read the Mitchell report tomorrow, make sure you look for any mention of the front-offices in all of this.  Because, if this report just focuses on the players, it’s a total farce.  Everyone (players, management, owners, commissioner) was in on this and everyone should share in the blame.  If the report just mentions players, then it’s a complete waste of time.

Need Pitching? Let the Buyer Beware

After watching the events of the week, there’s no doubt in my mind that Johan Santana is the most wanted man since Matthew Mc Conaughy (My wife says. I’m no authority here). Even teams with good rotations can use a little bit more, evidence of his can be found when you look at the stupid huge contracts inked by Gil Meche and A.J. Burnett in recent winters. It makes me wonder if salivating GMs ever learn.

Don’t get me wrong, Santana is one of the best. The fact he’s left-handed makes him all the more marketable. My problem is knowing the precarious state of any starting pitcher’s arm. In the case of relievers, well, I think of them as the major League equivalent of an NFL place kicker. A stud can lose his mojo faster than you can say “Eric Gagne,” making me squeamish about overspending on a starter. But I digress.

If I’m a big league GM, here’s how I approach it. Yes, it’s easy for me to say, as I’ve never seen the inside of a major league front office. If I were, here’s what I’d do: develop my pitching via the farm system, and pay what’s needed to keep my arms in town. It will cost over time, BUT in the early years, I have a bargain. OR like Billy Beane, I just let my pricey starters run (or trade at the appropriate time), and replace them with promising arms fresh off the farm. I’d then use the free agent money to get bats- guys who from a wear and tear basis, age more gracefully.

The point I’m making is that for every Josh Beckett, you get a Denny Neagle. For every Mike Mussina in his prime, you get a Chan Ho Park. Free agent pitching, or trading for a free agent to be is a WAY serious gamble. If I’m the Mets, I’d really have to question whether or not I really got my money’s worth for Pedro Martinez. How many rings do they have in the Martinez era? Gee, it’s quiet out there.

I suppose you can’t avoid it. At the same time, I’d really do my homework before throwing lots of money at guys who do something their bodies weren’t meant to do for a living.

Arm trouble is a fact of life. I just don’t want it to be MY arm trouble.

Florida Marlins: What Are They Doing?

They came into the league in the 1990’s as an expansion team and put together a 1997 World Series champion.  They did it with older talent such as Gary Sheffield, Kevin Brown, Moises Alou, Bobby Bonilla, and the crazy man Darren Daulton.  They did it with younger talent, such as Charles Johnson (whatever happened to him), Livan Hernandez (yes, he was once young), and Edgar Renteria.

This is a franchise that has won two World Series in the last 10 years.  That puts them up there with the Red Sox and the Yankees.  So why is this franchise acting as if they are the second coming of the Kansas City Royals?  Instead of signing their top talent, they trade it away for more prospects.

The fact they traded away the talent I believe separate them from the small market cellar dwellers such as the Royals and the Pirates.  The Marlins did not wait until Cabrera and Willis were free agents and let them go for nothing; or worse yet trade them mid-season to the Yankees as a part of a sign and trade deal.  They actually got something for their talent.

Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller are big league ready studs and could contribute for the Marlins next season.  I don’t know much about the other prospects, but I do know this: Dontrelle Willis is overrated.  Look at his numbers the past three seasons, and while you are doing such remember he has been pitching in the National League.  Cabrera is a stud, pure and simple, but there are some concerns.  He is not showing many signs of keeping himself in shape.  If you are going to hold onto a player as talented as Cabrera, you are going to have to pay him a lot of dough over many years.  What he has shown so far cause the worry that in three or four years his weight may turn him into an overpaid has-been.

I am trying to give the Marlins the benefit of the doubt in this case.  I am hoping they are still fighting to win a third World Series instead of fighting to keep that bottom line from turning red.

Dodgers Jonesing For Power

Dodgers fans can look forward to a little more excitement in Chavez Ravine with the signing of former Atlanta Braves stud Andruw Jones. The 30-year-old center fielder penned a two-year deal worth $18.1 million annually to join up with Joe Torre.

The deal provides the Dodgers the offensive firepower they’ve been missing. That Jeff Kent set the power standard with 20 taters in 2007 tells you all you need to know about the need for juice in L.A. Though he’s not the greyhound he once was, Jones nonetheless provides defensive excellence in center field, plus a better arm than incumbent Juan Pierre. Pierre will reportedly compete with Andre Ethier for the starting left field job, or Ethier could end up sharing time with fellow youngster Matt Kemp.

It’s a win-win. Jones gets to play for a contender in a major media market (endorsement possibilities) and he’s re-united with friend and former Braves teammate Rafeal Furcal. The Dodgers get a defensive stalwart in the middle of their outfield, and a player who can change the game with one swing of the bat.

The signing also gives the Dodgers operating room to deepen their pitching staff. Though any team hates to part with promising young players, Jones’ arrival frees GM Nick Coletti to use Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier or even James Loney- all solid young hitters- to address a rotation that although it has bright spots, could sorely use some depth.

Rumors are circulating that the Dodgers are interested in veteran third baseman Scott Rolen, who’s fallen out of favor in St. Louis. To that possibility, I warn Mr. Coletti, “Back away from the table, and nobody gets hurt.”

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