2012 MLB Season

[mattwswfc]

David Ortiz hit his 400th home run today in Oakland.

I could probably hit 400 if I was on steroids too

[pmoehrin]

David Ortiz hit his 400th home run today in Oakland.

I could probably hit 400 if I was on steroids too

Out of all of them that may have been my favorite PED story.

Not because I hate the Red Sox or have anything against David Ortiz. I don't. The only reason I liked it was because it got ESPN and the likes to finally shut up about how terrible it was guys like Manny and Arod was using which at that point was almost a weekly story. Push comes to shove guys like Peter Gammons will give everyone else a free pass before throwing his boy under the bus with them. Another reason why I think the media have been so hypocritical in the way they've handled the whole PED usage story.

[Funky Bunky]

David Ortiz hit his 400th home run today in Oakland.

I could probably hit 400 if I was on steroids too

I know you're kidding, but I still absolutely hate it when people say that. Steroids do nothing but help you maximize your workouts. Steroids allow you to workout more, and workout harder. You still need to bust your ass in the gym for the steroids to have any effect.... and then you still have to be a good baseball player. I'm not in any way in favor of steroids, as they are dangerous and they will seriously you up eventually, but I still get annoyed when people say things like that... there are too many people who think steroids will automatically make you stronger.

/rant

[Kramerica Industries]

And speaking of steroids, tonight's Yankees/Red Sox game just reminds me how glad I am these two barely played in the 1st half of the season, but will play a ton (16 times) between tonight and the end of the season.

This will be the usual, four hour game. Screw that. These games are just bad.

[rroy0824]

The Tigers are finally .500!... Didn't think I'd be saying that in July...

[HedleyLamarr]

A couple of stats I find pretty cool:

1. Through Friday's games, there's only three American League teams currently under .500 (Royals, Twins, Mariners). I assume the AL dominated Interleague play this year.

2. In games played in Boston, the Yankees and Red Sox have an even 459-459 record. (However, in New York, the Yankees are up about 200 wins.)

[infrared41]

David Ortiz hit his 400th home run today in Oakland.

I could probably hit 400 if I was on steroids too

Steroids do nothing but help you maximize your workouts. Steroids allow you to workout more, and workout harder. You still need to bust your ass in the gym for the steroids to have any effect.... and then you still have to be a good baseball player. there are too many people who think steroids will automatically make you stronger.

/rant

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

[pmoehrin]

David Ortiz hit his 400th home run today in Oakland.

I could probably hit 400 if I was on steroids too

Steroids do nothing but help you maximize your workouts. Steroids allow you to workout more, and workout harder. You still need to bust your ass in the gym for the steroids to have any effect.... and then you still have to be a good baseball player. there are too many people who think steroids will automatically make you stronger.

/rant

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

My view has always been it takes you to that next level.

It can make a career minor leaguer into a borderline major leaguer, a borderline major leaguer into a role player, a role player in a starter, a starter into an All-Star, an All-Star into a HOFer, a HOFer into one of the all-time greats, and one of the all-time greats into Barry Bonds.

[Maz]

Deadspin posted gifs of all the MLB umpires strikeout "move." I've always found this fascinating.

Can anyone explain where that originated from and what it means? Is it significant?

edit: found this via google, not sure if it's true:

IIRC (and my baseball history is a bit weak) the hand signals for safe and out (and strikes) developed in the early part of the 1900s. At that time there was a deaf ball player playing in the major leagues so the umpires started to use hand signals for him to let him know their rulings (I can't recall his name but I think his nickname was Dummy). So during his playing days the umpires used the hand signals (crossing the out stretched arms in front of the body and then spreading them apart to signal ?safe? and making a fist with the thumb extended and then throwing the fist over your shoulder (like throwing something over your shoulder) for an out (or strike). By the time ?Dummy? retired another deaf ball player started his career, so the umpires continued the signals until they became a tradition.

Fast forward to the 1960s and I believe the first umpire to change from the thumb over the shoulder for an out was Ron Luciania (sp?) who started to call outs by punching the air downward with his fist. I believe this evolved into the punch and then pulling back that many umpires use today. Of course all umpires develop their own style of hand signals and their balls and strikes vocal calls. Some are quite varied but the most popular today is what you called ?pulling the chain?.

That's really interesting. When an ump gets really into his signal right after a big strikeout has always been one of my favorite moments in baseball.

[YessSir32]

1. Through Friday's games, there's only three American League teams currently under .500 (Royals, Twins, Mariners). I assume the AL dominated Interleague play this year.

Hehehe, Tigers are .500!

[TheOldRoman]

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

Absolutely. I have mentioned it before, but I recommend everybody read "Game of Shadows." It was a great book and it detailed how steroids impact people. They make you feel better, give you more energy, make your vision better. They don't take someone untalented and make them a major league star, but they do a lot more than just make someone hit a ball farther.

[pmoehrin]

When was the last time Pirates/Giants was the marquee National League matchup?

PNC looks pretty packed as well which is nice to see.

[rroy0824]

Hehehe, Tigers are .500!

I'm so happy they play in the Central and are still in it. To be .500 and only 4.5 games out is lucky. They look like they're starting to start winning a little more and thats good. Just to get to 90 wins though is going to be tough. To win of the 48 of the 78 games left is going to take a good run. We'll see, hopefully they make the playoffs and then can try to make a run at it.

[YessSir32]

Hehehe, Tigers are .500!

I'm so happy they play in the Central and are still in it. To be .500 and only 4.5 games out is lucky. They look like they're starting to start winning a little more and thats good. Just to get to 90 wins though is going to be tough. To win of the 48 of the 78 games left is going to take a good run. We'll see, hopefully they make the playoffs and then can try to make a run at it.

Hey, look what the Cardinals did last season.

[rroy0824]

Hehehe, Tigers are .500!

I'm so happy they play in the Central and are still in it. To be .500 and only 4.5 games out is lucky. They look like they're starting to start winning a little more and thats good. Just to get to 90 wins though is going to be tough. To win of the 48 of the 78 games left is going to take a good run. We'll see, hopefully they make the playoffs and then can try to make a run at it.

Hey, look what the Cardinals did last season.

I'm not saying it won't happen. I still think they will win the Central. Like I said, they are looking like they are improving. Prince's power looks to be coming back a little and that will make a big difference. I still think they need to get someone at second or a pitcher maybe. Also, ditch Raburn... but that's another topic.

[pmoehrin]

I think if the Tigers are to be taken seriously they need to make a move for a glove. Dead last in double plays and a -53 total run zone above average. By far the worst in the American League.

Placido Polanco comes to mind as somebody they could potentially get. Don't really care who they get, but if they don't make a move for an infielder they will not be playing in October.

[infrared41]

David Ortiz hit his 400th home run today in Oakland.

I could probably hit 400 if I was on steroids too

Steroids do nothing but help you maximize your workouts. Steroids allow you to workout more, and workout harder. You still need to bust your ass in the gym for the steroids to have any effect.... and then you still have to be a good baseball player. there are too many people who think steroids will automatically make you stronger.

/rant

I used to think the same thing...until I actually took steroids. I was on prescription steroids a few years ago. Long story short, I felt like Superman. The steroids produced such a noticeable difference in me that that there's simply no way I'll ever believe they don't greatly enhance athletic performance. Yeah, you still need to be a baseball player but steroids can be the difference between a career in the minors or a career in the majors. They can be the difference between 15 HRS and 35 HRS. Don't kid yourself, steroids can make a huge difference in performance.

My view has always been it takes you to that next level.

It can make a career minor leaguer into a borderline major leaguer, a borderline major leaguer into a role player, a role player in a starter, a starter into an All-Star, an All-Star into a HOFer, a HOFer into one of the all-time greats, and one of the all-time greats into Barry Bonds.

Exactly. SI did a story a few weeks back on steroids ("ten years later" or something.) One of the people they interviewed was a former pitcher who came right out and said that without the steroids, he would have never made it to the bigs. He said he realized that fact while he was still in A ball. He was the perfect example of a "career minor leaguer turning into borderline major leaguer."

It's amazing to me that people still think the effect steroids had on the game is negligible at best. Do they not notice the difference in stats after testing was instituted?

Also, on Bonds; the real shame is that he was a lock for the HOF before he started juicing. Had he stayed clean, there's no doubt in my mind he would have gone down in history as one of the best, if not the best, players of all-time. Now he's basically a punchline. I think he should still make the HOF based on his pre-juicing career alone, but I don't get to make that call. It will be interesting to see how it's handled when he becomes eligible.

[rroy0824]

I think if the Tigers are to be taken seriously they need to make a move for a glove. Dead last in double plays and a -53 total run zone above average. By far the worst in the American League.

Placido Polanco comes to mind as somebody they could potentially get. Don't really care who they get, but if they don't make a move for an infielder they will not be playing in October.

I don't completely disagree. Cabrera is what he is. He fields whats to him, but has a hard time making plays. Prince is terrible at first, but if he hits 30 or so homeruns, you can deal with it. Jhonny Peralta is solid at short, may not make a ton of big plays, but gets the job done. He just needs to hit around .270-.280 and I could live with it. Is it great? No, but it will do. They need a full time player at second. Honestly, Ramon Santiago plays good infield, but doesn't hit well enough to be there. Raburn just sucks all around and should be in Toledo, where he still would hit about .200. Get a solid player at second and I think they are okay.

[YessSir32]

I think if the Tigers are to be taken seriously they need to make a move for a glove. Dead last in double plays and a -53 total run zone above average. By far the worst in the American League.

Placido Polanco comes to mind as somebody they could potentially get. Don't really care who they get, but if they don't make a move for an infielder they will not be playing in October.

Well they recently inquired on Darwin Barney with the Cubs and some Cub scouts have been at Detroit's AA games. A possible Garza and Barney package in the making?

[pmoehrin]

I think if the Tigers are to be taken seriously they need to make a move for a glove. Dead last in double plays and a -53 total run zone above average. By far the worst in the American League.

Placido Polanco comes to mind as somebody they could potentially get. Don't really care who they get, but if they don't make a move for an infielder they will not be playing in October.

I don't completely disagree. Cabrera is what he is. He fields whats to him, but has a hard time making plays. Prince is terrible at first, but if he hits 30 or so homeruns, you can deal with it. Jhonny Peralta is solid at short, may not make a ton of big plays, but gets the job done. He just needs to hit around .270-.280 and I could live with it. Is it great? No, but it will do. They need a full time player at second. Honestly, Ramon Santiago plays good infield, but doesn't hit well enough to be there. Raburn just sucks all around and should be in Toledo, where he still would hit about .200. Get a solid player at second and I think they are okay.

Well I've been suggesting moving Cabrera back to first and having Prince since they made the signing.

To have that as your corner infield I feel is insane and I think you see the results. Their defense is without question the biggest liability on that team and I don't think they have either the pitching or the hitting to overcome that. Both are good but neither is great.