2009 MLB Season Thread

[TFoA]

Griffey was and still is clean. His career is too "normal" for it to be otherwise (I sure hope I'm not eating those words in the future. )

While I'm rather pessimistic over most players and steroids, I have to agree. No one on steroids would be injured nearly has much as Griffey was in Cincinnati.

Which is why Chipper Jones is excused too. Lord knows that man can't stay healthy for a full season EVER.

(Still wouldn't be surprised to see him on a list though.)'

With that said, I see the Cubs got the short end of the Pittsburgh Pirates firesale.

[Jigga]

ESPN is reporting that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz both tested positive for PED's in 2003.

Time to vacate all the Red Sox wins from that date

I'd be all for that once the Yankees are forced to do the same.

Doesn't surprise me that a Beantowner would say that.

Here's something I'm surprised no Beantowner--or anyone, for that matter--has mentioned thus far...now watch this one very closely:

The New York Times reported that two Boston Red Sox players tested positive for PED's in 2003.

Conspiracy theorists and Beantowners...have fun with that one.

Not as much of a conspiracy as one would think though. The New York Times owns a nice little piece of New England Sports Ventures, which owns the Red Sox, Fenway Park and NESN. Althought they are VERY actively trying to unload that.

[BrySmalls]

Canesco claims a HOF is on the list too.

Seriously, just release the :censored:ing list already.

[rams80]

Canesco claims a HOF is on the list too.

Seriously, just release the :censored:ing list already.

If it's one of the people from the 2003 survey, by process of elimination Ricky has some explaining to do.

[Cujo]

Canesco claims a HOF is on the list too.

If I had to guess on who the HOFer is, it'd have to be Rickey Henderson. I mean he only played with the Bash Bros* for ever and ever.

Can we just go ahead and name Canseco commissioner of baseball? The guy has been right about every user he has named in the past, just as accurate and with bigger names than the Mitchell Report. Plus, it seems like he cares more about keeping the sport clean than Bud ever has.

[The_Admiral]

That may or may not be true.

Bold

[JayJaxon]

The thing about Canseco is that he cares more about Canseco than baseball. He has been right about everything so far, but look where the media goes as soon as another name is named. He loves the attention he is getting from all this. He doesn't want baseball to be clean. He just doesn't want to be forgotten.

[The_Admiral]

Here's something I'm surprised no Beantowner--or anyone, for that matter--has mentioned thus far...now watch this one very closely:

The New York Times reported that two Boston Red Sox players tested positive for PED's in 2003.

The New York Times owns part of the Red Sox. Are you implying they're trying to get Ortiz out of town?

While suggesting that Jose Canseco should be the commissioner is laughably hyperbolic, I don't think it's entirely fair to say that he's doing this entirely out of vanity and self-interest. Largely, yes, but I would have to think that his financial/physical/historical ruination at the hand of steroids would put him in the anti-steroid camp.

[infrared41]

I don't know why this took so long to occur to me but it just did. I have a chronic medical condition that requires a variety of treatments. Earlier this spring part of that treatment involved being on a cycle of steroids for a month. I might be one of the few people in here who can actually speak to the question of whether of not steroids do in fact enhance performance. The answer is a resounding yes.

Unfortunately my ball playing days ended years ago. I can't say for certain that the steroids would have helped anything although based on every other aspect of my experience with steroids I'd have to say they would have. What I can tell you is that while I was on steroids there was a very noticeable difference in how much energy and strength I had. I was able to easily perform physical tasks that prior to the steroids would have been very difficult and quite painful. I felt great every day for 30 straight days. All I know is that my physical condition on the steroids was far superior to what it was (and is now) without them.

The point I suppose is that, unless 100% of the players in the steroid era were juicing, there were players who, based on my experience with the drugs, had a clear competitive advantage over those who were clean. We can spin it however we'd like but from my perspective the era is irreversibly tainted. If these guys were on even the mild stuff I was on then it has to be.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

[DEAD!]

I don't know why this took so long to occur to me but it just did. I have a chronic medical condition that requires a variety of treatments. Earlier this spring part of that treatment involved being on a cycle of steroids for a month. I might be one of the few people in here who can actually speak to the question of whether of not steroids do in fact enhance performance. The answer is a resounding yes.

Unfortunately my ball playing days ended years ago. I can't say for certain that the steroids would have helped anything although based on every other aspect of my experience with steroids I'd have to say they would have. What I can tell you is that while I was on steroids there was a very noticeable difference in how much energy and strength I had. I was able to easily perform physical tasks that prior to the steroids would have been very difficult and quite painful. I felt great every day for 30 straight days. All I know is that my physical condition on the steroids was far superior to what it was (and is now) without them.

The point I suppose is that, unless 100% of the players in the steroid era were juicing, there were players who, based on my experience with the drugs, had a clear competitive advantage over those who were clean. We can spin it however we'd like but from my perspective the era is irreversibly tainted. If these guys were on even the mild stuff I was on then it has to be.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

... were you able to throw a 98mph fastball while you were on steroids?

[NJTank]

Canesco claims a HOF is on the list too.

If I had to guess on who the HOFer is, it'd have to be Rickey Henderson. I mean he only played with the Bash Bros* for ever and ever.

Can we just go ahead and name Canseco commissioner of baseball? The guy has been right about every user he has named in the past, just as accurate and with bigger names than the Mitchell Report. Plus, it seems like he cares more about keeping the sport clean than Bud ever has.

And is the only Hall of Famer who was active in 2003.

[NJTank]

Razor Shines unintentionally funny ad

http://www.3rdbasecoachoflife.com/?sssdmh=...p;or=pxtras.159

I typed Are you the worst coach in baseball and he answered yes

[BrySmalls]

Razor Shines unintentionally funny ad

http://www.3rdbasecoachoflife.com/?sssdmh=...p;or=pxtras.159

I typed Are you the worst coach in baseball and he answered yes

Funny, I asked if he was a Mets fan for life and he said "No".

[infrared41]

I don't know why this took so long to occur to me but it just did. I have a chronic medical condition that requires a variety of treatments. Earlier this spring part of that treatment involved being on a cycle of steroids for a month. I might be one of the few people in here who can actually speak to the question of whether of not steroids do in fact enhance performance. The answer is a resounding yes.

Unfortunately my ball playing days ended years ago. I can't say for certain that the steroids would have helped anything although based on every other aspect of my experience with steroids I'd have to say they would have. What I can tell you is that while I was on steroids there was a very noticeable difference in how much energy and strength I had. I was able to easily perform physical tasks that prior to the steroids would have been very difficult and quite painful. I felt great every day for 30 straight days. All I know is that my physical condition on the steroids was far superior to what it was (and is now) without them.

The point I suppose is that, unless 100% of the players in the steroid era were juicing, there were players who, based on my experience with the drugs, had a clear competitive advantage over those who were clean. We can spin it however we'd like but from my perspective the era is irreversibly tainted. If these guys were on even the mild stuff I was on then it has to be.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

... were you able to throw a 98mph fastball while you were on steroids?

No but my fastball would have been 5-7 mph faster. I bet I could have easily hit 70 on the gun.

[STL FANATIC]

Canseco never said a HOFer was on the list. Rickey is as good a guess as anybody, but don't be so sure it's not Cal Ripken or someone else.

I'm sure Canseco is right that a HOFer used steroids. But I'd say it's only probable that he actually knows he's right.

Remember, as accurate as Canseco has been, it's more or less impossible for him to ever be proven WRONG. Proving him right a few times isn't the same thing as proving him 100% accurate.

[HedleyLamarr]

I don't know why this took so long to occur to me but it just did. I have a chronic medical condition that requires a variety of treatments. Earlier this spring part of that treatment involved being on a cycle of steroids for a month. I might be one of the few people in here who can actually speak to the question of whether of not steroids do in fact enhance performance. The answer is a resounding yes.

Unfortunately my ball playing days ended years ago. I can't say for certain that the steroids would have helped anything although based on every other aspect of my experience with steroids I'd have to say they would have. What I can tell you is that while I was on steroids there was a very noticeable difference in how much energy and strength I had. I was able to easily perform physical tasks that prior to the steroids would have been very difficult and quite painful. I felt great every day for 30 straight days. All I know is that my physical condition on the steroids was far superior to what it was (and is now) without them.

The point I suppose is that, unless 100% of the players in the steroid era were juicing, there were players who, based on my experience with the drugs, had a clear competitive advantage over those who were clean. We can spin it however we'd like but from my perspective the era is irreversibly tainted. If these guys were on even the mild stuff I was on then it has to be.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

Not to get too personal, but how athletic/in-shape were you prior to this spring? Steroids may have had a hand in increase physical stature, but part of the performance may be mentally-driven.

However, I simply do not believe steroids played much of a factor in enhancing stats as people seem to believe. The only stat in baseball that seems to get questioned/targeted in the steroids issue is homeruns. How come base-stealing hasn't increased? How come pitchers aren't throwing 105+ mph fastballs? Wouldn't muscle mass make players more prime to stealing bases and throwing faster fastballs?

There are more factors that have led to the increase in homeruns the past 20 years:

-Smaller, offense-oriented ballparks being built

-Diluted pitching staffs due to expansion

-No restrictions on protective padding for batters

-Players today simply being in better athletic shape/taking better care of their body

-Tighter-wound balls

-Batters no longer fearing to strike out

Today's ballparks are being built smaller. Houston went from the expansive AstroDome to tiny Minute Maid Park. Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia went from large multi-purpose stadia to smaller baseball-only parks. Arizona and Colorado play in ballparks at high altitudes, causing flyballs to travel farther. Detroit shortened the dimensions of Comerica Park because not enough homeruns were being hit. New Yankee Stadium is proving to be a homerun oasis.

Pitching still hasn't fully recovered from the two rounds of expansion in the 90's. Adding 44-50 MLB-ready pitchers in six seasons is an impossible task. Pitchers that should have been in AAA rosters were facing established MLB batters....advantage goes to the batters. Matt Williams was ahead of Roger Maris' pace for single-season HR's in 1994, and Tony Gwynn was batting over .390 in mid-August, until the strike wiped out the rest of the season. And of course, McGwire and Sosa broke Maris' mark in the expansion season of 1998.

Look at the amount of padding batters get to wear, especially players such as Craig Biggio and Barry Bonds. With so much elbow and leg padding, batters now have no fear or reason to not get off the plate when a pitcher throws an inside pitch. Instead of players getting brushed back and not swinging, batters now can turn on the inside pitch. You never saw Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth wear a ton of armor when batting.

Take note of how fit today's players are, in comparison to players in the 80's. Players are keeping their bodies in shape year-round, and as a result, are extending the length of their careers. You rarely see the body shapes of a Kirby Puckett or a Terry Pendleton these days. Even relief pitchers are in better shape these days than before. It can be argued that today's ballplayers in too fine of shape, as the common occurances of pulled hamstrings and strained shoulders in today's game didn't happen as often before.

Finally, gone are the days of choking up on the bat with two strikes. The ballplayers of old would be ashamed to strike out. Nowadays, you have batters swinging with all their might, regardless of the count, because there's simply no shame or embarassment by striking out.

[Breakwood]

In my experience steroids never affected me. I used to take them on and off during high school to help with my asthma. I never noticed a difference except for being able to breathe alot easier.

[Sport]

In my experience steroids never affected me. I used to take them on and off during high school to help with my asthma. I never noticed a difference except for being able to breathe alot easier.

I don't really know anything about what you took, but I have to assume that the steroids you took for your asthma aren't the same ones that Ken Caminiti was using.

[BBTV]

I don't know why this took so long to occur to me but it just did. I have a chronic medical condition that requires a variety of treatments. Earlier this spring part of that treatment involved being on a cycle of steroids for a month. I might be one of the few people in here who can actually speak to the question of whether of not steroids do in fact enhance performance. The answer is a resounding yes.

Unfortunately my ball playing days ended years ago. I can't say for certain that the steroids would have helped anything although based on every other aspect of my experience with steroids I'd have to say they would have. What I can tell you is that while I was on steroids there was a very noticeable difference in how much energy and strength I had. I was able to easily perform physical tasks that prior to the steroids would have been very difficult and quite painful. I felt great every day for 30 straight days. All I know is that my physical condition on the steroids was far superior to what it was (and is now) without them.

The point I suppose is that, unless 100% of the players in the steroid era were juicing, there were players who, based on my experience with the drugs, had a clear competitive advantage over those who were clean. We can spin it however we'd like but from my perspective the era is irreversibly tainted. If these guys were on even the mild stuff I was on then it has to be.

Just thought I'd throw that in.

Not to get too personal, but how athletic/in-shape were you prior to this spring? Steroids may have had a hand in increase physical stature, but part of the performance may be mentally-driven.

However, I simply do not believe steroids played much of a factor in enhancing stats as people seem to believe. The only stat in baseball that seems to get questioned/targeted in the steroids issue is homeruns. How come base-stealing hasn't increased? How come pitchers aren't throwing 105+ mph fastballs? Wouldn't muscle mass make players more prime to stealing bases and throwing faster fastballs?

There are more factors that have led to the increase in homeruns the past 20 years:

-Smaller, offense-oriented ballparks being built

-Diluted pitching staffs due to expansion

-No restrictions on protective padding for batters

-Players today simply being in better athletic shape/taking better care of their body

-Tighter-wound balls

-Batters no longer fearing to strike out

Today's ballparks are being built smaller. Houston went from the expansive AstroDome to tiny Minute Maid Park. Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia went from large multi-purpose stadia to smaller baseball-only parks. Arizona and Colorado play in ballparks at high altitudes, causing flyballs to travel farther. Detroit shortened the dimensions of Comerica Park because not enough homeruns were being hit. New Yankee Stadium is proving to be a homerun oasis.

Pitching still hasn't fully recovered from the two rounds of expansion in the 90's. Adding 44-50 MLB-ready pitchers in six seasons is an impossible task. Pitchers that should have been in AAA rosters were facing established MLB batters....advantage goes to the batters. Matt Williams was ahead of Roger Maris' pace for single-season HR's in 1994, and Tony Gwynn was batting over .390 in mid-August, until the strike wiped out the rest of the season. And of course, McGwire and Sosa broke Maris' mark in the expansion season of 1998.

Look at the amount of padding batters get to wear, especially players such as Craig Biggio and Barry Bonds. With so much elbow and leg padding, batters now have no fear or reason to not get off the plate when a pitcher throws an inside pitch. Instead of players getting brushed back and not swinging, batters now can turn on the inside pitch. You never saw Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth wear a ton of armor when batting.

Take note of how fit today's players are, in comparison to players in the 80's. Players are keeping their bodies in shape year-round, and as a result, are extending the length of their careers. You rarely see the body shapes of a Kirby Puckett or a Terry Pendleton these days. Even relief pitchers are in better shape these days than before. It can be argued that today's ballplayers in too fine of shape, as the common occurances of pulled hamstrings and strained shoulders in today's game didn't happen as often before.

Finally, gone are the days of choking up on the bat with two strikes. The ballplayers of old would be ashamed to strike out. Nowadays, you have batters swinging with all their might, regardless of the count, because there's simply no shame or embarassment by striking out.

Well as far as the base stealing is concerned, there's no need to steal when your offense is predicated on the home run. Stealing into scoring position, getting bunted along to third, and then singled home just doesn't need to happen when you just play for the 3-run homer. I'd contend that steals very well could have increased had there been a need.

A lot of your other points are valid though.

[NJTank]

Canseco never said a HOFer was on the list. Rickey is as good a guess as anybody, but don't be so sure it's not Cal Ripken or someone else.

I'm sure Canseco is right that a HOFer used steroids. But I'd say it's only probable that he actually knows he's right.

Remember, as accurate as Canseco has been, it's more or less impossible for him to ever be proven WRONG. Proving him right a few times isn't the same thing as proving him 100% accurate.

If Ripken is a revealed to use Steroids it would devastate the game, he symbolized integrity and reliability and citizenship