Quick AFL check (with final stats)
Three Orioles farmhands are starting today for the Phoenix Desert Dogs in their AFL game against Mesa.
Right fielder Matt Angle, batting leadoff again, is 0-for-3. First baseman Brandon Snyder is 1-for-3 with a run scored. Third baseman Josh Bell is 0-for-3 with a run scored.
Bell was hitting .600 after his first week, but his average has dipped to .419. Pretty hard to maintain that pace.
Update: Bell finished 1-for-4 with two runs scored in Phoenix's 9-5 win. Snyder was 1-for-4 with a run scored. Angle was 0-for-4. Catcher Nevin Ashley, a Tampa Bay farmhand, hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning.
So Mark McGwire is the new hitting coach in St. Louis. Do you think the subject of you-know-what will come up around the batting cage?
It's OK, Mark. Just tell 'em you're not here to talk about the past.
McGwire didn't attend the news conference to announce his hiring, but the Cardinals brass insisted it wasn't trying to protect him from steriod questions. There's still plenty of time for those anyway. Spring training is filled with slow days.
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Roch--Two questions:
Any chance my Skins win tonight? I'm thinking 1 in a million. -- So you're saying there's a chance?!?!
Post-Baltimore Colts and Pre-Ravens, did you root for the Redskins? I know you couldn't have been that scorned by the NFL to not care about it at all, especially as a sports journalist.
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I picked them, +7. I'm at least expecting a close game. I never was much of a Skins fan, but not because I had a strong hatred for them or anything. I just despised the way we were forced to watch their games every week in the Baltimore market, often missing out on better matchups. - Roch
What does McGwire know about hitting baseballs while [b]not[/b] on the juice?
=0)
McGwire I bet has something to offer as a hitting coach but the distraction that he brings negates that offering. He really hurt himself with the drug association. I bet he refuses to talk to reporters. In his new role I can't imagine he is obligated to talk to the press about anything. In the end I bet it is a move to improve his hall of fame chances.
Nothing personal Roch, but who gives a rats butt about McGwire and steroids. Baseball and fans in general have given a pass to everyone so far (- Bonds) so why not him. It's a non freaking story. If the local media wants to talk about performance enhancements, talk about the power bat and the quality starter that MacPhail has once again promised us. That'll be a helluva enhancement for this anemic club.
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So you don't want me to write anything until the club fills those needs? - Roch
There's an excellent story on the McGwire hiring on Fox Sports. http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10272630
Maybe I'm in the minority but I'm happy that he's back in baseball.
Do I believe he used steriods? Yes.
Am I smart enough to understand that he was NOT breaking baseball's rules while he did it? Yes, I am.
Just like the RAMPANT amphetamine use by many Hall of Famers in the 50's and 60's (including at least one Oriole) Big Mac used any advantage that he could. If anyone thinks that his ability to hit was ONLY because he was taking suppliments and HGH, you don't know much about baseball.
This is a good man and a very good baseball man and I think that any sport that allows someone like Ty Cobb in its Hall of Fame can find a spot for Mark McGwire.
I was in St Louis a few years ago and we were driving on Interstate 70, a portion of which had been renamed Mark McGwire Highway. Much to my surprise, as soon as we came up the renamed portion of the highway, the lanes became exponentially larger. Go figure.
It must have been 92 or 93 when I saw McQuire come to town w/ the A's. Now he was tall, but not massive like the end of his career, and he hit a POPUP to left and it just kept going up and up and up and finally landed in the 2nd row in LF.
It was one of the damnest things I've seen watching baseball.
Mussina couldn't believe it. He thought he had him out, and he just stood there w/ his hands on his hips shaking his head.
Does that answer your question?
No.
Will he make a good coach? I doubt it.
Seems to me that when a player gets to the majors his ego is too inflated to really take much advice from others.
Maybe they'll look up to McQuire and listen...worth the try.
I'll try to tone down my previous Snyder comment:
I believe in earnest that due to the log jam at first base and Andrew's desire for a "big bat", Snyder may not receive an opportunity here in Baltimore.
Except for a late season callup when ( not if) the Oriole are 35 games out of first place, Snyder has little chance of making the 25 man roster.
Wigginton and Scott are not going anywhere in 2010.
In addition, since "wins and losses will matter more next year", handing Trembley another rookie starter would surely seal his fate.
Therefore, the front office should consider including Snyder in a trade package for a proven starting pitcher. He obviously has a limited future here in Birdland and would be attractive to another team.
Whether or not Andrew can put together such a trade package remains to be seen. But one thing is clear; Snyder is more valuable to the Orioles as a trade chip than as a future asset on this team.
Schoolman said:
"... not because I had a strong hatred for them or anything. I just despised the way we were forced to watch their games every week in the Baltimore market, often missing out on better matchups. - Roch aka Schoolman
I think you hit that one out of the park. I too cursed most Sundays because -- and I am guessing here -- NFL territorial rights required that the Redskins be jammed down our throats. Hate the policy, not the team.
ofhan said:
" ... Am I smart enough to understand that he was NOT breaking baseball's rules while he did it? Yes, I am.
Just like the RAMPANT amphetamine use by many Hall of Famers in the 50's and 60's (including at least one Oriole) ... ."
ofhan,
What is the significance of your "nom de blog?"
Steroids were illegal for society as a whole; therefore, there was no reason to give anyone a pass because MLB did not specifically forbid the use of steroids. Do you disagree?
Which Oriole used greenies, and can it be confirmed on line. I don't disbelieve you, but I do believe in :"Trust but Verify."
A Fan with delusions of Grandeur said:
Baseball and fans in general have given a pass to everyone so far (- Bonds) so why not him. It's a non freaking story.
AFWDOG,
Your statement has bothered me for years; I especially can hear the voice of Michael Wilbon questioning the extent to which the public cared/cares about steroids.
What bothers me is that steroids bother me. Second, the media -- from their bully pulpits, by posing the question -- have been, in my opinion, leading public opinion, not divining it; changing attitudes with skepticism before many younger fans -- the ESPN generation -- had a chance to figure it out on their own.
"ofahn said: Am I smart enough to understand that he was NOT breaking baseball's rules while he did it? Yes, I am."
Pretty sure that if it's against federal law, then baseball doesn't need a rule against it. MLB rules don't say that you can't hide landmines in the basepaths to blow up opposing runners, either, but no one's trying to do it. Anabolics became Schedule 3 controlled substances in 1990, well before McGwire and Sosa "saved baseball" with them.
My question would be, why would you hire a guy who averaged 138 K's per 162 games as your hitting coach?!
ofahn:
Baseball's rules, what about society's rules? I think thats more important. Steroids are illegal, McGwire knew that when he let Canseco inject them into him (you know where). The guy is a creep & a fraud who is hopelessly trying to protect a BS image. He better get used to answering questions about roids b/c he's going to get a heavy dose come spring training (pun intended)
McGwire is a good friend of Matt Holliday. Maybe the Cardinals are naive enough to believe that a player with Scott Boras as his agent will sign for less on a team with his friend as a hitting coach.
Scott- thanks for the good comment and the laugh!
"Pretty sure that if it's against federal law, then baseball doesn't need a rule against it. MLB rules don't say that you can't hide landmines in the basepaths to blow up opposing runners, either, but no one's trying to do it."
Btw, I always assumed a Fan with Delusions of Grandeur was Nestor. Not so? Anyway, both seem to be taking annoying and uncalled for shots at Roch lately. Trust me, I am no Orioles apologist but I think it is ludicrous to think that he plays the company line without reserve. I think 1570 has served a valuable role in creating an alternative voice over the last decade within a market that is far too closed- but, yes, they are "delusional" at times.
Roch, Can you use your powerful influence with MASN to get them to broadcast (live or on delay is OK) some of the Phoenix games? That way we could see Angle, Snyder, Bell and the rest of those guys for ourselves!
Joe in the Dena said:
What does McGwire know about hitting baseballs while [b]not[/b] on the juice?
Joe,
I didn't understand what HTML tags were for the longest time; when I found out what they were, it took me a while to figure out how to make them do my bidding. Now, I can make those tags do tricks. Maybe you just slipped up in the post above. If not, here's the deal:
BOLD: Beginning of word, phrase, etc., you place "b" between Sign Above Comma and Sign Above Period/Dot; at the end, it's "/b" between SAC and SAP/D.
ITALICS: Beginning = "em" between SAC and SAP/D; end = "/em" between SAC and SAP/D.
Those are my only tricks so far. The wedge-shaped signs will not appear because the blog program does recognize them except as part of an HTML tag, which is translated accordingly.
P.S. I just fell in love with The Playmaker's partner on "Dancing With The Stars." I saw her introduced; if Schoolman gets this up in time, give your eyes a treat - guaranteed as if it was one of Bob's picks.
First, thank you for your opinions. While I disagree with some, they were well consider and, I believe, sincere.
Were steroids illegal? Yes; however, so were amphetamines and I don't think anyone wants to strip Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Bob Gibson, FRANK ROBINSON, and pile of other players from the 50s and 60s of their HOF membership because they used and illegal performance enhancing drug.
I wish I could give you each book or article I got those names from but I couldn't find it on my work computer. It must be at home. I compiled that list during the congressional hearings because I was appalled at the hypocrisy of singling out THIS SPECIFIC generation of cheaters and claiming they were somehow worse than the last group of cheaters.
Jim Bouton (I believe "Ball Four" was were I got a lot of these names) claimed that Whitey Ford had Yogi Berra scuff the ball on his SHARPENED leg protector buckle so that he could get an extra three or four inches on his curveball. Whitey's response was pretty much "Yeh, so what"?
HOFer Gaylord Perry was an explosion waiting to happen he had so many petroleum based products secreted on his body. He bragged about it in a book WHILE HE WAS STILL PLAYING.
The 51 Giants were stealing signs and won the pennant.
The 79 BALTIMORE ORIOLES had three coffee pots in their clubhouse:
Decaf
Regular
High test
Guess which one had the "greenies" in it? Do you honestly believe that Eddie Murray never had a cup of the high test? Do I honestly believe that Brooksie NEVER popped a greenie at the end of a tough road trip? No. Would I ever ask him? No, because I don't think it diminishes what he has accomplished on the playing field.
CHEATING IS WRONG but it has always been part of this game, and when the players get caught they accept their punishment as part of the game and put it behind them. The powers that were in baseball KNEW what was going on and turned a blind eye because it was in their interest to do so. That was wrong. They should have fought to change the rules and made everyone play on a level field.
Before you demonize the players who broke the (unwritten baseball) rules, ask yourself this: if you cheated on a test or paper in high school or college, should you be required to give back the diploma? If so, there would be a heck of a lot of recycled paper moving around tomorrow.
McGwire will have to answer the steroid question at some point. He might as well just have a news conference sometime before spring training to get it out of the way. I think McGwire could be a good hitting coach. He has the endorsement of a couple current Cardinals, and he was a very patient hitter, so he can teach plate discipline (something the Orioles' hitters need to learn).
Re: Chapman - I don't like the idea of spending $40-60m on a guy who might turn out to be nothing. The Sawx spent over $50m just to talk to Dice K, which is crazy. He hasn't done badly, but he hasn't been worth what they paid for him. If we're going to spend a lot of money on a pitcher, I'd rather it be one with a track record in MLB, not in Cuba.
Roch
Great event @ Meyerhoff tonight for Brooks tonight. Seemed like a pretty large crowd. Brooks truly is a class act, and that seemed to be the recurring theme from the folks that spoke. It was great to see Earl on stage with Jim Palmer who kind of co-mc'd w scott garceau, and Paul Blair looks like he could still play! Garceau read a great tribute to Brooks by Mike Schmidt..
Roch, thanks for the AFL updates. You are doing a great job, even in your current state. It is a tough time for some of us fans here (I am a Terp fan and Redskin fan) and the end of the baseball season was equally rough but hope springs eternal. I think the O's youth are a sign of hope and it looks like with Bell and Snyder we may have a position player or two coming up to go with our young pitching. I am also hoping for a starting pitcher and at least one big for next year.
Roch, With or without "you-know-what," Mark McGuire was one of the greatest sluggers the game has ever seen. It's a shame he used PEDs, because he could have broken Maris' record anyway. He had such natural power that the enhancement maybe caused what would have been 370 ft. homers travel 410 ft or 460 ft blasts to go 510 ft.
Yes, some of his occasional shorter shots would have been caught on the warning track (such as the surprisingly anti-climactic low liner that barely cleared the fence for the record-breaker), but he would still would have hit his share of legitimate, jaw-dropping tape measure homers--just not as many.
Pity he got wrapped up in that, because he had all the natural talent in the world. Nevertheless, if all he took was some over-the-counter stuff you can buy at any GNC, I think the controversy is way overblown. While we're on the subject, Roch, you pump iron and I'm guessing you use some supplements, such as protein drinks, creatine, legal test boosters, NO maximizers (I really like Gasparai's PlasmaJet), HGH releasers (I recommend Secretagogue-One or Secretagogue Gold), etc.
My question is concerning what you think of the use of such supplements in bodybuilding competition. From everything I've seen and read, there's virtually no one in the sport who isn't taking something. Okay, anabolic steroids are bad news, everyone knows that, but there are so many good, safe "enhancers" out there that are perfectly legal and I can't see why baseball should be any different than bodybuilding in that regard.
MLB, the Players' Union and Congress in order to protect against an unhealthy evil have punished a whole line of products that are harmless and, in some cases even nutritionally beneficial, on top of helping athletes reach their highest potential.
Look at it this way. You have two hitters, one eats steaks nearly every day, while the other is a strict vegetarian. The former is stronger than the latter, even though they both have similar workout habits and are roughly the same height and build. If one applies the "logic" that's being used by the anti-PED people, shouldn't the steak guy be suspended because he has a diet that gives him an unfair advantage over the guy who prefers to be a "grazer" over a "hunter."
I think that analogy holds up if it's remembered that I'm talking about 100% legal performance enhancers. They are available to any player, just the way the steak is available to all.
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Guess we'd have to determine which supplements are "legal" and which aren't. How do we define "performance enhancing?" If I'm taking something that's improving my workouts, which is making me stronger, is that enhancing my performance? Where do we draw the line? Ah, more questions than answers. - Roch
Brummie.....so what do you want to see us do with Snyder? Are you implying Andrew is going to sign a big bat?????
Brummie,
This is one of those times that I agree with you. Snyder would be more valuable as part of a trade package, but I believe that because I am not convinced that Snyder is all that good. I believe Aubrey is actually better and could be alot like Mark Grace with just a little less power. Aubrey could hit .300 with 40 doubles and 15 hrs. Lets get the big power hitter at 3rd base. I also believe that Reimold will hit 25 to 30 homeruns a year given a full year. Jones will also hit more homeruns. If the pitching improves like it seems it should, the offense will be better.
Anything baseball related I have time to read so thanks for the McGuire update.
The thing that bugs me though is that he was wrong for the roids and now he's being rewarded for it and some more deserving hitting coach is still waiting for his turn.
It's just bad for baseball and I still have that image in my head of Mark giving that big hug to his son. Some hero dad he is.
You wanna be a real dad Mark, be a good example.
To Karl of Delaware:
I doubt MASN will broadcast the AFL games. I contacted them last year and asked about showing more Spring Training games and was told that they will concentrate on the regular season games and not worry about the others. So much for a comprehensive regional sports network. I wonder if the YES network shows Yankees ST games.....
A good friend once explained to me that the best golf instructors are not always, and are hardly ever, the best golfers. They just know the physics of it, how to break down a swing, and how to get the individual they are working with to make improvements. (Any golf instructor would most likely tell me to save my money and take a walk in a park.) It seems Big Mac, though sporting a not impressive career BA and Ks, has been useful to those he has tutored privately. Why not give him a shot?
As for the steroids, he should be asked about it. And it's his right to ignore them. Just like LaRussa will be scrutinized for his past glug-glug, beep-beep (though I wouldn't want to be the one to ask him abou it.) In a slightly different vein than above, addicts, if truly recovered, can be very effective counselors. One thing, however, that I would think would be IMPERITIVE on Big Mac in coaching hitters would be to emphasize, not just ignore, that shortcuts are never worth it. To me it would be the greatest disservice to them, and would further secure his perceived loss of integrity, if he did not do this with his charges.
roch you're a good man, lots of donkeys on this site! see you in sarasota!
blancione said:
Roch the redskins have played 6 teams so far against teams with losing records and have look terible in fumbling there way so far. But tonight they are playing on monday night and playing a divison rival. I am telling you that they will win out right so take the money line and sleep like a baby.
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I took them and was having serious second thoughts, but now I'll stick with them. Thanks. – Roch
Schoolman,
Last night, as Battling Bob suggested, did you flip over onto your tummy, stick your butt in the air, and plant your face in your mattress and sleep like a baby?
I don’t know a great deal about odds and betting -- I admit it and Bob has confirmed it -- but I do know a little about football … to take Washington, “straight up” was a miserably bad prediction.
I will give Bob props for his perceptive pronouncement that “tonight they are playing on monday night.” Too bad, Bob couldn’t get odds on which day the Monday Night Game is played.
Blancione: Not always right, but never in doubt.
Brummie - Ryan Howard had to bide his time in the minors while Jim Thome blocked his path to first base. Good thing for the Phillies that they didn't trade Howard because it was "clear" he had no future in Philadelphia What's the rush to trade a young player like Snyder, and what sort of "proven" pitcher do you think the O's could get for a guy who struggled to hit AAA pitching?
Linda,
The YES network does carry spring training games as well as my 9 station in NY. I live in Connecticut. I hate the Yankees!! The NESN also airs some of the Red Sox spring training games too. I guess that is the benefit of living between my worst enemies.
ofahn said:
CHEATING IS WRONG but it has always been part of this game, and when the players get caught they accept their punishment as part of the game and put it behind them. The powers that were in baseball KNEW what was going on and turned a blind eye because it was in their interest to do so. That was wrong. They should have fought to change the rules and made everyone play on a level field.
I say:
Good point that baseball KNEW what was going on. I believe Selig & some of the owners should be brought up on charges for harboring a workplace w/ a heavy drug culture. I’m sure there is a ton of evidence to suggest the owners knew what was going on. That will never happen b/c the owners are country club members w/ the congressmen. Selig has failed the game & the fans. He is the worst baseball commish of all time. I think we can all agree MLB is a joke between steroids, the NYY vs the world payroll issue, failure to develop the game in urban areas and the absurd schedule running into November. There are scads of other things. Baseball has gone from our national past time to a laughing stock all on his watch.
It’ll be interesting to see how the McGwire thing plays out. Personally, I think there will be a flurry of activity trying to ask him questions at the outset and it’ll die out fairly quickly. There will just be more interesting stories to cover, particularly if there are any other current players such as A-Rod who are revealed to be former positive testers. Also, I think the Cardinals appear to be a fairly professional outfit with La Russa at the helm (even with his DUI arrest a few years back). I think he, his long-time coach Dave Duncan, and even Albert Pujols to some extent will be successful in keeping this stuff in check. Now, will McGwire actually be a good hitting coach? I have no clue.
Roch, Your wrote in your response to my comments: "Guess we'd have to determine which supplements are 'legal' and which aren't." I was talking about supplements that are indisputably legal, such as those sold at GNC and other stores. Legal, but performance enhancing or at least marketed to be such.
For example, MuscleTech sells a product called Anator P70 and here are some of the ways they hype it:
* Triggers rapid and dramatic muscle growth by immediately activating muscle gene expression
* Delivers anabolic signals to muscle cells for shocking increases in size and strength
* Genetic limitations are a thing of the past
Most of the ingredients seem to be amino acids, pretty much what you'd expect and perfectly legal, but the claims of the product would seem technically to place it on MLB's banned substances list, because anything used to help muscle growth is forbidden.
http://www.muscletech.com/products/anatorp70/faq_suppfacts.shtml
Since these ingredients clearly aren't illegal, I'm trying to figure what sets them apart from those on the black list and the only thing I can think of is that perhaps the banned substances have a direct effect on muscle mass, whereas those not listed work more remotely to reach the desired goal; in other words, there are intermediate steps in the process with the legal supplements, but not so with the banned ones. (For example, something like testosterone is on the banned list, but not test boosters as far as I can tell.) Does that make sense?
Here's MLB's list of taboos, by the way, for anyone wondering what's on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_drug_policy#Drugs_of_abuse
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Good stuff. Thanks. I'm guessing that list continues to grow as more enhancers surface. - Roch
Can someone point me toward this supposed "logjam" at first base?
Scott........not a first baseman.
Wigginton....not an everyday first baseman.
Aubrey.......probably not an MLB first baseman.
And don't even get me started on "move Reimold to first base" et al., ad nauseum. That only leaves Snyder, who is not only several years younger than the rest but can serve as 3rd catcher as well. Unless they're planning to make some monster trade for a killer 1B, I don't think Snyder's going anywhere.
ofahn,
I appreciate your thoughtful response, however there are no federal laws against scuffing baseballs or stealing signs. As for clubs condoning amphetemine use, I'll have to take your word for it. You can debate the merits of looking the other way for one group while prosecuting (persecuting?) another, but the bottom line is that "He did it and no one said anything" is not a valid legal defense.
Scott,
Sorry but your wrong about one thing, Andro was legal when Mr. McGwire took it. At the time, it was legal in MLB too, so scuffing baseballs and stealing signs were illegal when Andro was legal. So there is a valid legal defense. Check out my post in Roch's next post. I put in it when Andro became illegal and against the rules. It wasn't when McGwire took it though.
RichD,
You are assuming that all McGwire ever took was Andro, then? I don't necessarily buy that, but okay. Anabolics were put on Schedule 3 with the Anabolic Steroid Control act of 1990, well before the 2004 legislation you cited.
Perhaps I need to re-phrase my post to ofahn: "Other people did illegal stuff too" is not a valid defense. If you think it is, try it the next time you're in court for speeding.
Andro is all that McGwire took. It was reported and even said by McGwire himself. And Andro as I put in that post was not illegal till 04. It was a dietary Suppliment. So when you say "other people did illegal stuff, is not true with the times. Read it. Its there in black and white, Andro was not considered and anabolic steroid till 04. You can't even argue this point. Its not opinion, Its fact!!
Scott,
Here it is if you need to read it again. Beside a Pharma sales rep. I also have a degree in Exercise Science with an Athletic Trainers Certification. I remember this very well, something we studied back in the last 70's and early 80's in college.
On March 12, 2004, the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004 was introduced into the United States Senate. It amended the Controlled Substance Act to place both anabolic steroids and prohormones on a list of controlled substances, making possession of the banned substances a federal crime. The law took effect on January 20, 2005. Surprisingly, andro was legally defined as an anabolic steroid, even though there is scant evidence that androstenedione itself is anabolic in nature.
On April 11, 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of Andro, citing that the drug poses significant health risks commonly associated with steroids.
Rich,
Besides holding a PhD and being a Professor of Criminology, I also work for the Maine Office of Adult Mental health. You say you believe McGwire. I don't. Let's agree to disagree on that one. The Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 2004 amended the Anabolic Steroids Control Act of 1990, which placed Anabolic Steroids on Schedule 3.
I don't think we need to do this anymore.
Scott,
Glad you have an education, but you don't read very well. In 1990 it was the Controlled Substance act not the Anabolic Steriods control Act. The Anabolic Steriods act was not added as an amendment till 2004. Look it up, because I just copied and pasted it. As I said, its fact. Your just getting your acts mixed up.
Oh and if you work for the Maine office of Adult Mental Health, please check and see if your missing 2 patients, they have been on this blog for over 8 months.
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990
The Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 added anabolic steroids to the federal schedule of controlled substances, thereby criminalizing their non-medical use by those seeking muscle growth for athletic or cosmetic enhancement. It places steroids in the same legal class as barbiturates, ketamine and LSD precursors. Those caught illegally possessing anabolic steroids even for purely personal use face arrest and prosecution. Under the Control Act, it is unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess an anabolic steroid unless it was obtained directly, or pursuant to a valid prescription or order, from a practitioner, while acting in the course of his professional practice (or except as otherwise authorized). A first offense simple possession conviction is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to one year and/or a minimum fine of $1,000. Simple possession by a person with a previous conviction for certain offenses, including any drug or narcotic crimes, must get imprisonment of at least 15 days and up to two years, and a minimum fine of $2,500, and individuals with two or more such previous convictions face imprisonment of not less than 90 days but not more than three years, and a minimum fine of $5,000. Distributing anabolic steroids, or possessing them with intent to distribute, is a federal felony. An individual who distributes or dispenses steroids, or possesses with intent to distribute or dispense, is punishable by up to five years in prison (with at least two additional years of supervised release) and/or a $250,000 fine ($1,000,000 if the defendant is other than an individual). Penalties are higher for repeat offenders.
by Rick Collins JD
(Modified from the version originally published in the New York State Bar Association Criminal Justice Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2, Summer 2001)
Rick Collins' book, Legal Muscle, sets the new "gold standard" for sports drug reference manuals. It is the ultimate resource, covering all aspects of non-medical anabolic steroid use under American law. It's essential reading for natural and "juiced" athletes alike, and for coaches, sports trainers, physicians, journalists and anyone in the criminal justice system.
http://www.mesomorphosis.com/articles/collins/wrong-prescription.htm
Rich D and Scott,
I believe that McGwire used steroids that were illegal; however, that does not change my feeling that he should not be demonized for doing it. What I think is being missed here is that he, apparently, made the decision to do what others (including pitchers) were doing to level the playing field. If you want to eviscerate anyone over that mess, take a loonngg look at Selig and the owners.
Scott, while I respect your point of view you did not address the fact that HOFers of the 50s and 60s were using ILLEGAL amphetamines as a PED. If we are going to be consistent, shouldn’t hold congressional investigations of those players for the purpose of striping them of the HOF status?
For that matter, Babe Ruth had a beer, or two, or about a bjillion or so during Prohibition. He broke the law. Should we kick him out, too? At some point we need to place things into perspective.
ofahn,
I don't think an investigation 40-50 years later is even all that feasible. And, as I said before, "somebody else got away with stuff yesterday" is not a defense today. "I was going with the flow of traffic" and "Everybody speeds on that road" are not defenses that will get you out of a ticket. If baseball is going to address improprieties, it has to start somewhere and it's not feasible to say that in the interest of fairness they are therefore going to address every infraction in baseball history. I hear you on the Selig thing. Not a fan.
At the risk of sounding lame, I'm not sure that amphetemines would have affected the record books in the same way that steroids probably have. Sure, they make you more alert and give you more energy, but I'm not sure that they help turn warning-track shots into home runs. Maybe they should be talking to that Brock guy, though.
Anyway, that's my opinion. And thank you for disagreeing without making any snarky comments about my ability to read.
Scott,
I apologize for what I said about your reading, and I was wrong about the ASCA not beginning in 90, the publication I read didn't have the 90 version,but the 04 version. That being said, Andro still was legal during the 90's and was not put on the ASCA list till 04. This in a revised statement from the same person you quoted for in 1990. Here it is:
Legal Analysis of Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004
by Rick Collins JD
Collins, McDonald & Gann, P.C.
Rick Collins' book, Legal Muscle, sets the new "gold standard" for sports drug reference manuals. It is the ultimate resource, covering all aspects of non-medical anabolic steroid use under American law. It's essential reading for natural and "juiced" athletes alike, and for coaches, sports trainers, physicians, journalists and anyone in the criminal justice system.
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The new federal steroid law has been passed! On October 22, 2004, President Bush signed into law the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2004, scheduled to take effect 90 days later. The law adds 26 compounds to the existing 1990 list of steroids that are classified as Schedule III controlled substances. Possession of a single andro or other prohormone tablet, for example, will be a federal crime punishable by up to one year in jail; distributing will be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison for a first offense.
The 26 newly added compounds are androstanediol; androstanedione; androstenediol; androstenedione; bolasterone; calusterone; *1-dihydrotestosterone (a.k.a. “1-testosterone”); furazabol; 13b-ethyl-17a-hydroxygon-4-en-3-one; 4-hydroxytestosterone; 4-hydroxy-19-nortestosterone; mestanolone; 17a-methyl-3b,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane; 17a-methyl-3a,17b-dihydroxy-5a-androstane; 17a-methyl-3b,17b-dihydroxyandrost-4-ene; 17a-methyl-4-hydroxynandrolone; methyldienolone; methyltrienolone; 17a-methyl-*1-dihydrotestosterone (a.k.a. “17-a-methyl-1-testosterone”); norandrostenediol; norandrostenedione; norbolethone; norclostebol; normethandrolone; stenbolone; and tetrahydrogestrinone. Some of these substances have been marketed as dietary supplements. Others are actually old pharmaceutical steroids that were missed in the original federal law. The law permits the continued sale of DHEA as a dietary supplement.
You do very good research, and I understand your stance, but as I have said before, my wife is an Auditor and I bet half the people who say things about Bonds, McGwire and others, she can find some illegal acts from their taxes. "Those without sin, cast the first stone"
Rich,
That is very gracious of you. As for the McGwire/steroids thing, we'll continue to disagree. You see, Brummie and Jack? This is how grownups handle differences of opinion.
As for my original comment, I'm disappointed that no one has attempted to explain why you would hire a guy who averaged 138 K's per 162 games to be your hitting coach.