I’ll make this one short and sweet: Steroid and PED users are disgraced. It appears that most, if not all, of the users will never be inducted into the Hall of Fame. So, how much was it worth to those players? Was it worth throwing your reputations away? What is your integrity worth? Well now, let’s see: (more…)
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis, Hall of Fame | Tagged: Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Hall of Fame, PEDs, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Steroids | 1 Comment »
What kind of baseball world do we live in today? Aaron Sele, Steve Finley, and Julio Franco all received Hall of Fame votes. Franco actually received 6 votes. Six “sports” writers gave Franco a Hall of Fame vote. But the true disservice of this year’s HOF vote was seeing Mike Piazza not receiving the 75% of votes needed to gain entry into the Hall of Fame (Craig Biggio also has a case).
Numbers don’t lie. If we compare Piazza’s stats against Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, and Gary Carter‘s, Piazza should have been a slam dunk for the HOF. Piazza has the least amount of at-bats, yet led the other three players in homeruns. He trailed only Johnny Bench in RBI, but he had 700 fewer at-bats than Bench. (more…)
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis, Hall of Fame | Tagged: Aaron Sele, Barry Bonds, Carlton Fisk, Craig Biggio, Gary Carter, Hall of Fame, Johnny Bench, Julio Franco, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, New York Mets, Rafael Palmeiro, Steve Finley | 2 Comments »
The baseball offseason is a busy time. Really, no further introduction is needed for the notes from this past week.
***The hyperbole machine has been revved up to a fevered pitch now that the 2013 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has gone out and people have started debating the merits of various candidates. I will surely go into who I would vote for at a later time, but for now can offer up these thoughts: (more…)
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: Boston Red Sox, Free Agents, Hall of Fame, Josh Hamilton, Kevin Youkilis, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Noah Syndergaard, R.A. Dickey, Ryan Dempster, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Trades, Travis d'Arnaud | 1 Comment »
On July 26, 1977, Jack Morris took the hill for the very first time at Comiskey Park against the Chicago White Sox. The 22-year-old Morris pitched four innings of relief and gave up two hits and two earned runs while striking out three in his major league debut.
Little did the people of the windy city know, that day, they were witnessing the birth of a career that would compile the most wins by a pitcher in the 1980′s, become one of the best big game pitchers in baseball history, win four World Series titles, and lead the Tigers’ staff for 14 years. (more…)
Filed under: Hall of Fame | Tagged: Detroit Tigers, Hall of Fame, Jack Morris, Minnesota Twins, PEDs, Steroids, Toronto Blue Jays | 2 Comments »
I have always been under the belief that steroids and testosterone, while helping a player return earlier from injury, did little to aid in hitting a ball further and more frequently. I used to believe that if you hit a ball squarely on the barrel of a bat, that the ball would travel over the fence regardless of whether or not steroids were being used. After all, I’ve played baseball for much of my life. I had never used steroids or testosterone gels, and I would hit a ball 350 feet with consistency (in my younger days).
As I enter my fifties, I was recently diagnosed with herniated discs and sciatica. It has been a painful experience. And while I no longer play baseball, I have taken up golf over the past few years. Golfing has been difficult with herniated discs. When I first went to the doctor, and tests were done, it was discovered that aside from my disc issues, I also had low testosterone levels. That would explain feeling tired and sluggish. The doctor prescribed steroids for one week to ease the back pain, and a well-known testosterone gel to help with my low testosterone levels. That same week I played golf because my back was feeling better as a result of the steroids and gel. What happened that week was eye-opening. (more…)
Filed under: Hall of Fame | Tagged: Hall of Fame, PEDs, Steroids | 1 Comment »
Thurman Munson died too early. On August 1st, 1979 Munson was killed while flying his own private plane. He was 32. However, at the time of his death, Munson was considered one of the best catchers in the game. How did his stock drop so much that he is barely mentioned at HOF voting time? (more…)
Filed under: Hall of Fame | Tagged: Gold Glove Award, Hall of Fame, MVP, New York Yankees, Rookie of the Year, Thurman Munson | 1 Comment »
*** To say I loved the Red Sox signing catcher David Ross to a two year, $6.2 million free agent would be an understatement. He brings the kind of leadership, experience and defensive presence the Sox have lacked behind the plate for years. Although he won’t be a full-time starter he could play a significant role in changing the culture of managing the pitching staff and calling games.
*** The free-spending ways of the Los Angeles Dodgers seems to know no bounds. It was confirmed last week that they successfully bid $25.7 million for the chance to negotiate a contract with Korean left-handed pitcher Ryu Hyun-Jin. (more…)
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: Andrew McCutchen, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, David Ross, Free Agents, Hall of Fame, Hot Stove, Josh Hamilton, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mark McGwire, Mike Matheny, PEDs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Robin Ventura, Ryu Hyun-Jin, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Trades, Walt Weiss, Yasmani Granal | Leave a Comment »
With two scoreless outings with the independent league Sugar Land Skeeters under his belted paunch, 50 year old Roger Clemens is poised to attempt a comeback to the majors with the Houston Astros, either this year or next. Already possessing 354 career wins, Clemens has had one of the most successful, albeit controversial, careers of any pitcher in baseball history. However, since throwing his last major league pitch in 2007 his legacy has been eviscerated. It remains to be seen why fans should embrace his potential return, since it is clear that it is more about the fans being taken advantage of than it is a heartwarming baseball story. (more…)
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: Hall of Fame, Houston Astros, Koby Clemens, Roger Clemens, Sugar Land Skeeters, The Rocket | 2 Comments »
Last week, Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers, was a regular fixture on ESPN SportsCenter, becoming the only major league player other than Joe DiMaggio to have a three home run game and hit for the cycle in the same week. Despite being a consistently good player for nearly 15 years, it’s been rare for Beltre to get this sort of attention without it involving a mischievous teammate rubbing his head. When looking at his entire body of work, it’s clear that Beltre is one of the most under-appreciated players in baseball and is moving closer and closer to being a legitimate Hall of Fame candidate. (more…)
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis, Hall of Fame | Tagged: Adrian Beltre, Barry Bonds, Brooks Robinson, Buddy Bell, Evan Longoria, Hall of Fame, Joe Dimaggio, Mike Schmidt, Rafael Palmeiro, Ron Santo, Texas Rangers | 1 Comment »
I have always been a fan of players who possess both the skill of speed and power. As a kid I was a big Jose Canseco fan who was the first player member of the 40/40 club. I was also a big fan of Eric Davis and Ron Gant, both members of the 30/30 club with Davis narrowly missing out on being the sole member of the 40/50 club in 1987.
As a fantasy league fanatic my love for players with the ability to hit for power and steal bases has never faded, it has only increased. One of my all-time favorite players happens to be a player who possess the rare combination of power and speed that is about to land him in a club that only seven other players have ever entered: The 300/300 Club. (more…)
Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: 30/30 Club, 300/300 Club, 40/40 Club, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Barry Bonds, Baseball Cards, Ben Davis, Ben Grieve, Bobby Abreu, Bobby Bonds, Carlos Beltran, Craig Biggio, Eric Davis, Hall of Fame, Hideo Nomo, Mike Cameron, Nomar Garciaparra, Paul Konerko, Reggie Sanders, Rickey Henderson, Ron Gant, Ryne Sandberg, Steve Finley, Todd Helton, Willie Mays | Leave a Comment »
Junius Worth
David Kerr
Charlie Nehl
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Andrew Martin
Jonathan C. Mitchell
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Daniel Marino
Michael Schwartze
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Spencer Schneier
William J. Tasker
