"It's my fault. I'm responsible for this."
So what am I supposed to do with all these A-Fraud T-shirts?
I was sure they'd be a big seller a few days ago.
Just as I suspected, the New York tabloids are going easy on Alex Rodriguez this morning.
Headline from the Post: "A-Roid Finally Tells Ugly Truth. Liar. Cheat.
See, all is forgiven.
I'm the father of a teenage girl who couldn't care less about Alex Rodriguez. I'm not even sure she's heard of him. But I wonder if any parents of young baseball fans reading this blog have had "the talk."
Unfortunately, that phrase no longer applies to a subject that's less uncomfortable, like sex.
Have you addressed the steroid issue and the tainted heroes whose posters hang on your kids' bedroom walls?
I immediately tore down my Alex Sanchez poster the minute I heard about his failed test four years ago.
At the risk of being slammed again after praising Jay Gibbons 14 months ago for his admission of guilt - one loser called me a jock-sniffing turd while blogging from his parents' basement and trying to work up the nerve to kiss a girl - I'll give Rodriguez credit for finally coming clean.
Of course, he's only doing it because he got caught. Duh! But he could have made the situation much worse by insisting that it wasn't true (I mean, how many times can you lie to Katie Couric?), by threatening lawsuits, by implying that a teammate set him up, by claiming that he didn't speak English, by wagging his finger at congress (or Katie Couric).
Sometimes, it's best to throw yourself on the sword, in much the same fashion as Michael Phelps, who easily could have insisted that the bong was empty - only to have more photos surface of him blowing out smoke as if he had just elected a pope.
Rodriguez didn't need performance-enhancing drugs. He was the best player in baseball at an age when the rest of us are trying not to run over orange cones while parallel parking at the DMV. It was a stupid decision. It always is, no matter the circumstances, but especially when you're so good that you can go 3-for-4 while swinging a wet towel at home plate and an owner who now is demanding an apology is crazy enough to pay you $252 million.
We can only hope that A-Rod is finally telling the truth when he says that he stopped using PEDs in 2003. That his numbers are clean, and will remain so during his next nine seasons as a Yankee. That further leaks are plugged and we can finally move forward instead of being forced to look back again, cringe and wonder what the heck happened to our sport.
Otherwise, I suggest that you tape those posters to your kids' bedroom walls. Thumb tacks leave holes.
 |
Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Well said sir, it's really a shame that now before we let the kids look up to a great player we need to bust out the calipers and test for body fat percentage as we read over the results of a blood test. I think arod played it right. It just took him 3 opportunities to do so, and now he has a fantastic chance to be a bridge to a new era. As much as I can't stand the guy, he is the best player in baseball, he is fluent in Spanish, and relativly young enough to really teach the youth about this horrible plague. My advise to Alex is get in contact with Cal. They were friends and with Cal's resources arod could do a lot of good for his image as well as the game
Roch...
Thanks for your info, day in and day out. I know it's your job, but you also seem to have fun and it shows. Please keep up the great work...
I'm not trying to defend ARod but time will tell about his legacy. The PED issue will always be part of his story but how he handles himself in the future will be the true barometer of how history views him and his place in history (re: HOF). At one point in their careers Juan Marichal (think bat to Roseboro head), Fergie Jenkins, Orlando Cepeda (think wacky tobacky), to just name a few, were considered bad guys. Time has healed their reps and hopefully that will happen with ARod, too. I say hopefully because, roids aside, he has been one of the greats of our, or any other generation. For all those who want to jump to a conclusion to this story...time will tell. Relax and enjoy the show...
Very good take on the situation Roch,unlike Schmuch who seems devastated by this ARoid thing.All is forgiven with Schmuck even though we have no idea if Rod actually stopped taking PED's after 2003. He admitted up to the point it could be proven. He also flatly lied on 60 minutes.I'll admit I don't like the guy to begin with because he's noting but an arrogant hot dog,the same reason I never cared for Pete Rose.I was never a fan of Tejada either and was glad to finally see him leave.Conversley,I've never understood all the hate towards Gibby. At least him and BRob have some humility and shame about their involvement in this.
This all collides with a huge cultural clash going on in this country today with a relative few of us trying to hang on to a decent standard of behavior of athletes and people in office.
Now Roch,hop your butt on that plane and give us an early report on field conditions and locker room space down in Ft. Lauderdale!
You pretty much hit the nail on the head Roch....would be nice to just turn our attention to the O's and all the good progress they are making....and hopeful good season to come...this A Roid thing and anyone and everyone it effects from 8-80 just gets real old...no one ever likes to report good things...would be for sure different if every media outlet just reported nothing at all but good news in every subject from A-Z for a few weeks and see what the reaction to that is....smiling happy news for all....
Obama was asked last night about the Alex Rodriguez situation. Yes, at his first prime time press conference on the topic of the economic stimulus bill, he was asked about steroids. Our priorities are awesome.
Anyway, this is what he had to say:
"I think it's depressing news on top of what has been a flurry of depressing items when it comes to Major League Baseball...It tarnishes an entire era, to some degree."
Well said, Roch!
Roch,
There are reports that the O's signed Ryohei Tanaka on a minor league deal.
Can you confirm? Deny?
Also, any thoughts on this guy? Could he vie for the 5th spot in the rotation or is he potentially in the spot starter/long reliever mold?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure Zrebiec wouldn't have written it if not true. He's not invited to spring training. I wouldn't throw him into the rotation or bullpen mix. The Orioles signed Uehara, and now they're showing off! (kidding) - Roch
Roch- did you seriously just compare the Cardinals' election process of the Pope to Michael Phelps exhaling marijuana smoke? That may earn you a couple years in purgatory but I applaud your ability to think outside the box!
Unrelated to religion or drug-use, I think we have to assume that the Orioles and probably the Rays knew that Bradford had an injury or potential injury that would allow him to finish out the year. The Rays rented an effective reliever for several million. All in all, it was an okay deal for both sides- which is what deals should be. I was initially very surprised that we couldn't get one mid-level prospect but it makes more sense now. At least that is the scenario that seems to fit best in my mind.
Roch...I know you don't have a choice because this is the biggest headline in the calm before the storm that will be whittling down the O's pitching staff- but here's one vote for a steroid-free blog. Who cares at this point?
MLB and the Players Union fostered the steroid era and then tried to throw a few guys under the bus to create the perception that steroid use was the exception, not the rule. The writers and even us, the fans, aren't that dumb.
Let's focus on what's still great about this game...and leave the 'roid talk to those that don't know enough about baseball to fill up the space otherwise.
I have some difficulty believing that A-Rod quit using PED in 2003. If he felt the pressure to perform at a high level in Texas, what about New York? I believe that more players afraid of getting caught or maybe better masking methods have decreased the users in the majors. Note that the use in the minors is much greater. I wish there was some way for professional athletes to tell kids not to try these at home or in school. Then if they wanted to screw up their health and die younger for the big checks, let them it's entertainment.
My biggest issue is the records during the 'roid period. There is so many records in question for so many players, that they should suspend records for that period PERIOD. Maybe there will be two sets of records, one for the 'roid period and one for all time. It really is terrible that the all time greats of trhe game have to have their acheivements down graded, because of the period 1998-2005 was tainted with performance enhancing drugs.
Will we forgive A-Rod? Yep, we should just not give the recognition that the greats have earned. Same with Bonds, McGuire, etc.
Rock, I agree 100%. The ONLY reason A-rod was "sorry" was because he got caught. He's not sorry he used them, he's sorry he was caught using them. Its the same with every other player. They are only sorry until they get caught.
But we are a nation of forgiving, and people do make mistakes, and do things that they wish they hadn't. But to give him a free pass because he said he was sorry might not be the best option. A-rod apologizing is better than what Bonds and Clemens are doing........but he wouldn't have said sorry if he didn't get caught.
Hey Roch: I cannot imagine A-Rod's reception in stadium after stadium at the start of the season. There is not a word that can describe what he is going to see and here.
Like the others before me, let's focus on the Orioles. There will be some very competitive situations this year in spring training. Cannot wait for you to get there and start reporting.
Let's go back to talking Orioles baseball. Whatever's been said about A-Rod has been said and said and said again. Another Yankee drama. NEXT.
What's up with Ty Wigginton?
That's a great perspective, especially from a jock sniffing turd.
I'd write more, but my Spidey sense is tingling. I have to get to Comic Con '09.
Roch, what's the scoop on Tanaka from Japan ?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Never heard of him until Zrebiec wrote about him in The Sun. Doubt he's worth getting too excited about, but still an interested note. - Roch
Wow, I guess I'm just a petty and vindictive person, but I hate A-rod's guts and I'm glad he got caught! I hope he never hits more than 7 home runs again and Madonna dumps him for Paul Giamatti--or even the corpse of Bart Giamatti. I'd be ecstatic if the whole Yankee team tested positive.
I hope Sabathia eats his own leg out of hunger, A.J. Burnett's elbow goes "ping!" and Teixiera hits .211 and gets one of those psychological problems where he can't throw the ball correctly (a la Chuck Knoblauch).
I hope the new Yankee stadium develops a chronic mold problem, and that the YES network gets shut down by the FCC. I hope MLB puts an asterix next to A-rod's HRs, Roger Maris's HRs, and even Babe Ruth's HRs.
I hope Jeffery Maier gets dysentery and that Wade Boggs gets bucked off of that horse (retroactive wish, I know).
I have a whole separate list for what I hope happens to the Red Sox.
Frankly I don't mind when guys get busted for steroids and I have no desire to see us "move forward" or anything. Shame these people, humiliate these people, test them every single day. If you make over 100k playing a sport, you can whiz in a cup once a day. Throw out the players who test positive. Build a separate Hall of Shame that displays and humiliates the great cheats. Take Bud Selig's ridiculous salary and give it to a scientist who can test all these knucklehead athletes.
Put Bud on urine specimen collection and clean-up duty.
I'm just glad you typed "A-Roid." Of course, it was a quote, so it only semi-counts. I challenge you to use the term A-Roid 3 times before the end of the month!
The only thing ARod is sorry about is that the information was leaked and he had no real choice but to comment. Otherwise, he never says a word.
Roch, this is off of the A-Rod subject, but here's a link to an interesting little blurb in the Fredericksburg, VA paper today about one of the O's farm hands and some legal proceedings.
http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2009/022009/02102009/444981
This is the shame of baseball and to a large degree of myself.
See I grew up in an era when this was not an issue (late 60's and early 70's), at least not to my knowledge, and as a kid I had no PS3, multi HBO's and was often sent to the corner grocery, at night, with a list of things my Mom needed. I lived and died Orioles and Colts, and with no disrespect to Cal, there were no bigger figures in Baltimore history then Brooks and Johnny. People you could meet at common places and would sign autographs for free. Guys who could walk in public and shake your hand and have short conversations with. I also held very high reguard for a man named Hank Aaron, who I stayed up late one night to watch him hit a breaking ball off Al Downey over the left center field fence to break the Babes record.
Part of me wants this modern day atheletes to have faults as I do not want my heroes to be overshadowed. Bonds may have doped up but would I really care as much if he had hit only 650 HR's? The answer is no.
Fact is we are obsessed with the mega stars and will forgive the guys who are not breaking records because my generation values those records deeply. Brian Roberts and Jay Gibbons will be forgiven because the were better than average players, but Bonds, Clemens, ARod..... well these guys are making more money in a year for playing a game I loved then I will see in a lifetime, and they are shattering records of those I adored, and damn them for doing it.
Roch,
You imply that he came clean only because he got "outed". Didn't he say that he was guilt ridden about his usage and felt relief to bear his soul? Or that it was selective memory thathe couldn't remember what he took? How can you be cynical to think that he wouldn't have said the same thing even w/o the leak?
Yeah, right. What a piece of work he is. The real 64 dollar question is about the other 103. Do you out them too, given that it was a closed study, to clear everyone else in MLB, or just wait for the leaks to surface more names gradually and prolong this never-ending story?
Roch,
I just disagree. He's NOT telling the truth and he hasn't come clean. That whole interview seemed soooo staged, like Boras was a puppeteer, pulling the strings and telling A-Rod exactly what to say. Really, he didn't know what he took? Really, he didn't know where he got it?
If he was being "truthful" and "coming clean", he would have actually answered those questions honestly. And don't tell me he couldn't do that for legal reasons. He could have said, "I can't answer that for legal reasons," or "I got the steroids from a 'doctor,' but I won't reveal his name" or "I got them from Mexico."
And Roch, I don't understand how you can write "we can only hope that A-Rod is finally telling the truth when he says that he stopped using PEDs in 2003." He hasn't told the truth yet. Are we really supposed to believe him that he stopped using in 2003? Really, why would he stop? He said on the Couric interview that he never used roids b/c his performance was never threatened on the baseball field. Um, obviously it was.
And he lied b/c he wasn't being 'honest w/ himself.' C'mon. Really?
Last point, we all know that while steroids were not banned in baseball, that they were illegal according to U.S. law, right?
Sorry, I just do not believe he quit in 2003. The guy has shamelessly lied before and will shamelessly lie again. Isn't he the guy being pegged as a fraud by teammates or by previous a manager? A-Rod is all about A-Rod. The only thing he did was review history, see that it does not help anything by attempting to deny and then performed brilliant damage control. It is sad because he easily could have a sparkling career without the steroid taint.
Did a-rod say why he stopped using steroids?? I didn't hear gammons ask him that question. Considering he was unaware of his positive test, it would seem logical that he would continue taking them given the success he had in Texas. Your thoughts?
Hey Roch, slightly off topic but just read this on Schmuck's blog....unless i'm missing an obvious joke and/or over looking something, have you heard anything about the japanese pitcher Schmuck and Zrebiec mentioned, Ryohei Tanaka. Could this possible be a bad Major League II joke and I should expect the Birds to sign slugger Pedro Cerrano to bat clean-up and veteran Roger Dorn to back up Mora?
Thanks!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zrebiec wrote an item that ran in The Sun's digest today. That's the guy's name, apparently. - Roch
Come on Roch.
Come clean, hardly? He hardly answered anything, and the answers he did give were tailored to give him ready defenses. You don't have to watch that new TV show to be able to tell how often he was lying.
What is it with a lot of people in sports media? They, not you, get led around like sheep by these guys. A-Rod lies about something like taking steroids (Oh, right, he never admitted to that -- instead he gave some nonsensical line about how he took banned substances but then talked about how, back then, you could take stuff from GNC that would give you a positive test now) and then gets caught and admits to something but keeps the admission as narrow as possible, and everyone starts writing about how he "came clean." If he lied because of this awful burden (which I don't understand since he said that he really believed that he had not taken anything banned when he talked to Couric -- and only found out that he tested positive when the SI reporter confronted him -- so, it seems that he really only had this burden since last Saturday), why would he not lie now when everything he has ever worked for is on the line?
From what I keep reading in the media is that it doesn't really matter if you break the rules as long as you give some sort of confession and apologize. Then you are NOT held to the same standards as the people who denying it. I have to admit I DON'T understand that logic. According to what I read in the media ARod can still go to the HOF because he broke the rules and under duress owned up to at least part of it. While Bond can't be inducted because he refuses to confess. With this logic if one commits a crime if the criminal confesses they avoid jail BUT if they deny it they go to jail even if it's not proven.
Do I have it right?
From David Letterman Last Night:
Top Ten Messages Left on Alex Rodriguez's Answering Machine
"Hey, it's Mark McGwire. Want to get together this week and not talk about the past?"
"Joe Torre here -- thanks for helping book sales"
"Could you find a steroid that keeps you from choking in the playoffs?"
"Are you worried this will taint all the championships you didn't win?"
"It's Bernie Madoff. Nice try but I'm still the most hated man in New York"
"Michael Phelps here. Got any snacks?"
"This is Sammy Sosa. Just pretend you don't speak English"
"Michael Phelps again. Did I call you or did you call me?"
"Hey, it's Rod Blagojevich -- I'll say you're innocent, if you say I am"
"It's Madonna. You got a phone number for Jeter?"
Roch,
Was there a rule against using PEDs in MLB from 2001-2003?
I know for a long time that MLB didn't even have a rule in place forbidding the use of PEDs, but I'm not sure when they implemented the rule. I know they eventually did, but when? My question is if they didn't have a rule then how can he be called a cheater?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's a popular argument in A-Rod's favor, though I'm pretty sure that stuff is illegal. That's another issue. - Roch
Who cares about A-rod on the day we lost Braden Looper. He was the last shot at adding any pitcher to our rotation who pitched a full season in MLB last year. We added no pitcher who pitched a full season in MLB. Thats horrible.
Also, please don't let A-Roid distract from our duty to boo Mark Tex in the opening series.
No one is at least annoyed that the O's would not try to get Looper to like the AL with a 2 yr deal for ohhh say $6-7M total? Is that so much for a good SP these days??? Or $6M for a yr even? Come on... the Brewers outbid the O's now too?
Think ARoid's less in touch & more of a liar than Clemens? Which one is more loathesome? Tough call for me...
I'd like to see StrayRod come clean on strippergate too. Might as well do a clean sweep. The guy could be finally honest & clean for the first time in YEARS! All that $$, all that fame, but I wouldn't trade places with him, he must be a tortured soul.
Jake the press asked Obama about ARoid bec/ they had run out of softballs to toss up there to him.
Journalism is dead. The pursuit of truth by objective writers is in the past. I have a hard time listening and watching Roch, Scott, Anita and other so called "reporters" go on and on about steriods. It was obviously out in the open. Hell,I met Amos Otis of KC Royals in 70's in old Pimlico Hotel Restaurant. Asked him how he went from 12 to 27 homers or so. He said its the magic of cork. To me, just a bystander. Our national journalists are in the Presidents camp hook,line and sinker regardless of the truth. And local sports guys don't dare upset their neighborhood locker room.
Disappointed in you all and find your surprise in "discovering the truth" as laughable.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure players would be just as forthcoming to the media as they are to bystanders in a bar, especially about cork in the 70s. Having suspicions and writing stories without hard evidence that will get you sued are two different things. And who said we're all shocked by the transgressions of guys like A-Rod? Certainly not me. - Roch
Roch, I hope that one day you and your peers will also admit to the public of your wrongdoings so that you maybe judged along with ARod and all of the others who have chosen to PED's. The writers who have covered this era is just as guilty in my opinion as the players are.
As media members it is your responsibility to be the "eyes and ears" of the public, reporting from a privileged vantage point. The members of the media that were around the players of this so called "Steriod Era" witnessed the drastic changes in the athletes and the game first hand and chose not to report on it. You and your colleagues are around these players and the game for more hours than I or the average fan can probably understand. But not until it was too late did some of you decide to report on this "plague" that has almost ruined our favorite sport.
I cannot believe that the thought did not come across your mind at least once during the miraculous season of 1996 when Brady Anderson who averaged a career 19 home runs hit 50 from the lead off position. I actually know it did. In high school during the 90's I specifically remember hearing friends and teammates talk about wanting to use steroids as a way to get noticed by scouts to one day hopefully play in the big leagues. I know that I heard it and there is no way as a witness to the sport on the highest level that you did not also see, hear, or suspect that this issue of players using PED's was a growing problem.
I can also understand the athlete's in a way. They were trying to prolong careers or stand out from their peers. There was money to be made. If they took it to hit more home runs, hey as we so often say "Chicks dig the long ball." Some chose to use PED's as a way to provide faster way toward recover during the long, arduous baseball season. While they were cheating the game and the fans I can understand in a way with what they were trying to do. I see why they continued or chose to seek new ways to cheat the system. We came to admire these players for their accomplishments and it would have been hard for them to just give that up when we expected so much. I can see today why they find it hard to admit to the public. It is a difficult thing to do admit when one is wrong, specifically when it involves money and social status. What I cannot forgive is what drove the legions of baseball reporters to ignore what they saw?
You stood not to gain financially. Besides maybe a promotion from beat writer to columnist based on the relationships you built with players whose lies and deceit you chose to ignore. Reporting on what you saw as media members would have been the honorable thing to do which I had assumed fell in line with media's journalistic standard, that you chose only to use when beneficial. In 2000, Rod Smith of the LA Times reported on steroid use in baseball. Why was it until 2004 that this became an issue that members of the baseball media finally decided to cover?
Some of my friends have tried to explain to me that it was "clubhouse etiquette" that prevented the media from reporting players who were cheating. In a way I understand that but to me it does not completely excuse the actions of the baseball media. They should report on anything that involves in game. Especially anything that could damage that game like this has. I thought you and your peers were responsible for protecting the integrity of the game not hiding the truth to protect yourselves. When the writers who elect the future Hall of Famers leave their ballots blank in protest of this Steriod Era, I find that sickening. They should leave them blank because they helped to create this problem and why should they be bestowed the ability to immortalize our heroes while simultaneously criticizing them.
I hope that one day your and your peers will admit fault alongside the players who have helped to damage the image of baseball. I will continue to read your reports because I find for the most part you to be entertaining and informative. But most of all I still enjoy and love the access to you provide to the Orioles.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's one thing to have suspicions, it's quite another to start writing stories accusing guys of being juiced. Though we all love a good lawsuit once in a while, there's no way any credible journalist would do something like that, which is why it's taken this long for stories to break, and only after having the proper evidence. And I'll say it again, if Brady was on steroids, why did he only hit 50 home runs in one season? Why not every season? - Roch
Just tossing my two cents in on the A-Roid thing.
I was listening to Mike & Mike on my way to work this morning and I'm pretty sure that Peter Gammons said that A-Roid spent at least part of the night before the interview trying to find out what the results of the tests he took up to 2005 were from the union. Did anyone else hear that or was my being half awake causing me to hear things?
If that's the case and I'm not making it up than that would indicate to me that he was still using after 2003. Otherwise, why would he care so much?
Has there been any more interest from the FO regarding Yadel Marti? Could he be a low risk, high reward option?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Haven't heard of any interest. - Roch
How can Alex be called a cheater when he did nothing to break the rules? If there is no speed limit how can you receive a ticket? Most importantly, the names were to Never be linked to the test. Only the test results themselves were to be evaluated. AGAIN, hitting a baseball is the absolute hardest thing to do in pro sports, not to mention fielding. No matter what an individual takes, it will not swing a bat or take a clean grounder for the player. I could care less what he took. He explained himself and should not be asked again. He is the best player I have ever seen and needs to focus on another MVP year. I can't wait to see his excitement after he/team wins the World Series
Roch, you know I support & defend you, but come buddy, Brady not using? He may not have done it for years, but he went from a slap the ball to the opposite field/singles hitter to a hitter with power hitter all at once. Remember when he first arrived? They begged him to learn to bunt & to stop hitting fly balls for outs. He insisted on trying to pull the ball. He was as close as an order of sushi from playing in Japan. Then all of a sudden.... I know he is/was a fitness freak, I say all the more reason to suspect he rationalized it & did it. I'll bet he even thought HIS way of doing whatever he did or took was safer & less obvious too.
miguel tejada is charged with lying to prosecuters about steroids. who says macphail isnt a good GM????? he dumped that load of crap tejada a WEEK before the mitchell report comes out and now hes in danger of going to jail! macphail should be given a medal for unloading that cancer when he did. im sure the houston FO would love to go back and time and undo that deal! wow...
Here's how A-Rod can regain some respectibility and give himself a chance to make the Hall of Fame. Start doing public service announcements on the negative effects of PEDs on both television and radio. Continue to be the voice against them for the rest of your career and beyond. Become the figurehead among active players on a MLB and MLBPA sanctioned committee formed to police the sport with the goal of catching all future cheaters.
Slowly over time, he may restore some credibility. Champion the cause over the long haul A-Rod and you may make a difference. This is far from over. Your fans, as well as fans of the game, are not prepared to be betrayed yet again.
Et tu Tejada, et tu?
I want to know why no one is holding Senator George Mitchell accountable for his obvious omission of A-Rod in the Mitchell Report.
It's a little obvious that this was a huge mistake.
Mr. Yankee
Or is that you Hank?? LOL
So...would you consider barry Bonds a cheat?? How about Mark McGuire...Sammy Sosa?? Hmmmmm...I have the feeling you would or have done just that.
Now granted Baseball had no policy against steroid use back when A-Rod used , but come on...they were against the law!! They were and are illegal in the U.S. and to the best of my knowledge the state of Texas is still in the the U.S. and was back in 2000-2003.
He took them for 3 years... it was no experiment...he knew what he was doing and how it helped him become a better baseball player through chemistry. He went on National TV and told the world he NEVER took steroids so that proves he is a liar... so why wouldn't also think he was also a cheater.
I personally believe that every player that have taken or are taking steroids to enhance their performance are and should be classified as cheaters. They have cheated the public, the world of baseball and they've cheated themselves.
Your aurgument about swinging a bat and taking a clean grounder is relatively true... these players do have special skills but the drugs they are abusing are called performance enhancing drugs...they will enhance the skills you already have.
a few years ago my then 8 year old had a poster with miggy, raffy, javy and gibby..... turns out that was the all-star enhancement edition. who knew
To Nic...I agree, why get a pass because you tell the truth AFTER you get caught.
To Mr. Yankee...WOW, I hardly know where to begin. Steroids HAVE been against the rules since the early '90s. He DID break the rules. I'll admit that the Union prevented these tests from taking place (another story entirely), but if you are speeding, you are speeding, whether a policeman is there to ticket you or not...but he's a YANKEE so it's OK. GEEZ!
To Brian...No one who has seen Looper pitch is 'annoyed' that the O's didn't make an attmpt to sign him. He's just not that good.
Lesse:
My mom? Doesn't have a basement.
Me? Called Roch a jock sniffing turd from an apartment in Northern Virginia.
Me again? Often kissed by my wife.
Me yet again? Still blogging a bit.
Roch's jokes? Still lame, still tired. This marks at least the four-hundred-thousandth use of the "blogger living in mom's basement who can't kiss a girl."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Opening Day is April 6. Please stop by the front of the press box and introduce yourself. In the meantime, thanks for reading. As always. - Roch
Adam Jones, George Sherrill,Kam Mickolio, Chris Tillman, and Tony Butler. Miquel in 2008 - 13HR, 66RBI, .313 OBP WOW!
And remember
Luke Scott, Troy Patton, Matt Albers, Dennis Sarfate, and Mike Costnzo for Eric in 2008 - 6wins, 4 losses WOW again!
to twa...got your trades backwards, but I get your point.
Roch,
If any parent has had to have "the talk" with thier child because of the Alex Rodriguez situation - or because of any other ATHLETE - then they have, IMHO, already failed as a parent.
Lastbestanrgyman:
Clearly, you are a man of principle. You utterly despise all that Roch stands for, and you continue to frequent his blog just in case that changes. Keep fighting the good fight.
Okay so were really supposed to believe he took PEDs because he felt pressured in Texas, but all of a sudden when he was traded to new york, he felt no pressure at all? I call BS. Dont know the whole truth because hes nothing but a cheat and liar but BS on the excuse he is trying to pull. He was given guarenteed money in Texas of all places but no pressure as a Yankee? BS! Hank Aaron is the home run king not Bonds and not A Rod.
Why would you trust anything A-Rod says ?..... If some drug is out now that can be hidden would you trust him when he tells you he's clean ?.......I think not.......And Roch, how could he possibly insist it wasn't true ?....If you did something wrong & were caught on film you could say it wasn't true as well.......if you want to look like a fool.....Of course he had to admit it. He get's no credit from me for that. He also will never get my vote for the HoF. Why isn't pete Rose in ? At least his stats are legit !
Lets not forget the time A-Hole slapped the ball out of the first baseman's hand that one game and the other game where he ran from second to third yelling in the ear of that third baseman. Its not just the steroids but any way he can find to cheat. Pathetic.
Put Bud Selig and Donald Fehr on that list with A rod for ruining the game. They should file criminal charges against Selig and Fehr for being the jerks who covered all this crap up. The players union is too much like a mafia.
Mr. Yankee -
Uh let's see the Yanks have won how many titles with A-Roid? Oh that's right Mr. April is the next coming of Mr. October. Sure dream on! As far as greatest players, A-Roid couldn't carry Willie Mays jock strap!!! The guy lied through his teeth, offers a rehearsed apology, and all is well in Yankeeland. Can't wait till the wheels fall off the latest version of the dynasty. And if the Nation slips, even better, don't have to listen to ESPN's love fest for those 2 every night!
I am glad our team is being built around pitching and defense, not freaks from Dr Frankenstein's laboratory! They'll be a well-coached scrappy, heads up bunch that will be fun to watch. Our team is ahead of the curve for the post steroid era...Paul R, you are RIGHT ON about Bud Selig....Josh,illegal drugs are about the only subject that your 'Messiah' Obama actually has had experience. I saw pictures of his 'personal research' while at University a la Michael Phelps!