2012 MLB Season

[NEW.ERA]

Josh Hamilton and Eminem have something in common.

Yup.

[AlMagz]

Josh Hamilton and Eminem have something in common.

Yup.

Im gonna say it now. I think losing CJ Wilson is a huge part of this. Hamilton at least had someone to be sober with.

[BigBubba]

Well, they'll be testing for HGH this year, putting to rest all of Bautista's skeptics. Because, you know, 16 tests wasn't enough (albeit not for HGH).

[pmoehrin]

Well, they'll be testing for HGH this year, putting to rest all of Bautista's skeptics. Because, you know, 16 tests wasn't enough (albeit not for HGH).

Not when zero occur during the regular season. I'll take one or two random regular season test over 50 offseason tests. I would say the union would sooner go on strike then agree to something like that though.

[NEW.ERA]

Josh Hamilton and Eminem have something in common.

Yup.

Im gonna say it now. I think losing CJ Wilson is a huge part of this. Hamilton at least had someone to be sober with.

I agree, but were the Rangers doing enough?

[dfwabel]

Do not blame the team. Place blame, if anywhere on Hamilton. Both the Reds and Rangers gave him an "accountability partner" but he decided to take another job on MLB with MIL. The Rangers then signed his father in law for this season who later had to resign.

Fact is that teams have sequestered him for so long the onus on his sobriety was placed on others rather than him.

[Jigga]

What exactly were/are the Rangers supposed to do?

[BigBubba]

Well, they'll be testing for HGH this year, putting to rest all of Bautista's skeptics. Because, you know, 16 tests wasn't enough (albeit not for HGH).

Not when zero occur during the regular season. I'll take one or two random regular season test over 50 offseason tests. I would say the union would sooner go on strike then agree to something like that though.

Ummm...no. Every player has 2 mandatory tests during the season.

[pmoehrin]

Well, they'll be testing for HGH this year, putting to rest all of Bautista's skeptics. Because, you know, 16 tests wasn't enough (albeit not for HGH).

Not when zero occur during the regular season. I'll take one or two random regular season test over 50 offseason tests. I would say the union would sooner go on strike then agree to something like that though.

Ummm...no. Every player has 2 mandatory tests during the season.

Where are you getting that from, because I can cite a bunch of articles from not that long ago saying there will be no in season testing for HGH in the majors and can't find one that says there will be. Washington Post did a whole write up on how there won't be any in season testing two months ago.

[tadasimha]

That said, be ready for the Reds to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders and running away with the NL Central. Reds v. Tigers in the 2012 series would be a great series!

Umm... You forgetting about the defending World Champions being in the Central?

Who, the team who, despite an amazing run at the end of the season, still needed the Braves to tank, the Brewers to commit fielding error after fielding error and the Rangers to choke?

Whose best pitcher is coming off Tommy John, which takes a full season of pitching to get back to 100%, whose other top two pitchers pitched heavy innings and will feel the effects in 2012 (Carpenter and Garcia), all of whose major offensive threats are injury prone (Freese, Berkman, Beltran and Holliday)?

No, I'm not forgetting them - I'm just dismissing them.

The Reds upgraded their rotation with Latos, who didn't have a great win/loss record but who also pitched on a team with no offense. The Reds offense is incredibly potent. They brought in an almost unhittable 8th inning guy in Marshell and the best closer on the market in Madsen.

It might be a three team race for a while, but the Cards won't get another playoff spot gifted to them again and the Brewers are going to miss Fielders bat even if Braun doesn't get suspended.

[McCall]

That said, be ready for the Reds to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders and running away with the NL Central. Reds v. Tigers in the 2012 series would be a great series!

Umm... You forgetting about the defending World Champions being in the Central?

Who, the team who, despite an amazing run at the end of the season, still needed the Braves to tank, the Brewers to commit fielding error after fielding error and the Rangers to choke?

Whose best pitcher is coming off Tommy John, which takes a full season of pitching to get back to 100%, whose other top two pitchers pitched heavy innings and will feel the effects in 2012 (Carpenter and Garcia), all of whose major offensive threats are injury prone (Freese, Berkman, Beltran and Holliday)?

No, I'm not forgetting them - I'm just dismissing them.

The Reds upgraded their rotation with Latos, who didn't have a great win/loss record but who also pitched on a team with no offense. The Reds offense is incredibly potent. They brought in an almost unhittable 8th inning guy in Marshell and the best closer on the market in Madsen.

It might be a three team race for a while, but the Cards won't get another playoff spot gifted to them again and the Brewers are going to miss Fielders bat even if Braun doesn't get suspended.

You delusional little man. The Cardinals had a three-week slump team in August. Only reason it looked worse was because the Brewers were near unbeatable during this time. By the end of August, the Cards ended their slump and the Brewers went into one of their own. Unfortunately, they were so far ahead that it didn't hurt them too much. For the last part of the year and and in the playoffs the Brewers basically played .500 ball. Btw, the Reds were nowhere to be found.

It'll be the Cards and Reds battling for the Central, but as of now I give the edge to the Cards. They did better to replace what they lost than the Reds did to improve.

[Brendan]

Josh Hamilton and Eminem have something in common.

Yup.

Im gonna say it now. I think losing CJ Wilson is a huge part of this. Hamilton at least had someone to be sober with.

I think the death of that fan probably had some role in it.

[dfwabel]

Hamilton and his addictions are deeper than either the loss of wilson, the death of the fan or Johnny Narron going to MIL. Today, John Daniels said Even if Narron was still under contract he would not have been on town as his off-season home is in NC.

Hamilton's wife was not by his side this afternoon.

[BigBubba]

Well, they'll be testing for HGH this year, putting to rest all of Bautista's skeptics. Because, you know, 16 tests wasn't enough (albeit not for HGH).

Not when zero occur during the regular season. I'll take one or two random regular season test over 50 offseason tests. I would say the union would sooner go on strike then agree to something like that though.

Ummm...no. Every player has 2 mandatory tests during the season.

Where are you getting that from, because I can cite a bunch of articles from not that long ago saying there will be no in season testing for HGH in the majors and can't find one that says there will be. Washington Post did a whole write up on how there won't be any in season testing two months ago.

http://mlb.sbnation....labor-agreement

All players will be subject to hGH testing at any point in the season if there is "reasonable cause".

http://aol.sportingn...es-i-was-tested

Under MLB rules, each man on a 40-man roster is randomly tested once in spring training and once during the regular season. There can be at least two more random tests during the regular season...

[pmoehrin]

Well, they'll be testing for HGH this year, putting to rest all of Bautista's skeptics. Because, you know, 16 tests wasn't enough (albeit not for HGH).

Not when zero occur during the regular season. I'll take one or two random regular season test over 50 offseason tests. I would say the union would sooner go on strike then agree to something like that though.

Ummm...no. Every player has 2 mandatory tests during the season.

Where are you getting that from, because I can cite a bunch of articles from not that long ago saying there will be no in season testing for HGH in the majors and can't find one that says there will be. Washington Post did a whole write up on how there won't be any in season testing two months ago.

http://mlb.sbnation....labor-agreement

All players will be subject to hGH testing at any point in the season if there is "reasonable cause".

http://aol.sportingn...es-i-was-tested

Under MLB rules, each man on a 40-man roster is randomly tested once in spring training and once during the regular season. There can be at least two more random tests during the regular season...

The PED in season testing doesn't cover HGH testing. HGH testing is separate.

As far as "reasonable cause" I have no idea what that refers to. My guess is that if you failed a previous test or found a paper trail that somebody was potentially using.

[BigBubba]

***DEBATING OVER MLB SUBSTANCE TESTING***

The PED in season testing doesn't cover HGH testing. HGH testing is separate.

As far as "reasonable cause" I have no idea what that refers to. My guess is that if you failed a previous test or found a paper trail that somebody was potentially using.

Of course the PED testing doesn't cover HGH. But in the first link, it said that HGH testing will happen in 2012. An out of the blue explosion like him would probably be a "reasonable cause" to test him in the eyes of MLB. Once he passes the HGH test (yes, "once", not "if"), that'll shut up all his critics, since their biggest point seems to be that he hasn't been tested for HGH yet.

[pmoehrin]

***DEBATING OVER MLB SUBSTANCE TESTING***

The PED in season testing doesn't cover HGH testing. HGH testing is separate.

As far as "reasonable cause" I have no idea what that refers to. My guess is that if you failed a previous test or found a paper trail that somebody was potentially using.

Of course the PED testing doesn't cover HGH. But in the first link, it said that HGH testing will happen in 2012. An out of the blue explosion like him would probably be a "reasonable cause" to test him in the eyes of MLB. Once he passes the HGH test (yes, "once", not "if"), that'll shut up all his critics, since their biggest point seems to be that he hasn't been tested for HGH yet.

Well if the definition of reasonable cause hasn't been established then it could mean almost anything. Is a statistical outburst cause for reasonable cause? Well what's a statistical outburst exactly? Where do you draw the line on what is and what isn't? I don't think you could successfully argue in front of an arbitrator or a court that a numbers outburst on its on is enough for reasonable suspicion no matter how big or small it might be.

The only two things I could think of that would warrant reasonable suspicion are a previous failed drug test or some kind of evidence or direct testimony from a reliable source that a player may be using HGH. Anything else would be shot down almost immediately by the union.

This is the one real knock I have against the players union right now. At this point they have nobody to blame but themselves if there is a constant cloud of suspicion around certain players. Its their own doing and they have the power to clear it up at any time.

[BigBubba]

***DEBATING OVER MLB SUBSTANCE TESTING***

The PED in season testing doesn't cover HGH testing. HGH testing is separate.

As far as "reasonable cause" I have no idea what that refers to. My guess is that if you failed a previous test or found a paper trail that somebody was potentially using.

Of course the PED testing doesn't cover HGH. But in the first link, it said that HGH testing will happen in 2012. An out of the blue explosion like him would probably be a "reasonable cause" to test him in the eyes of MLB. Once he passes the HGH test (yes, "once", not "if"), that'll shut up all his critics, since their biggest point seems to be that he hasn't been tested for HGH yet.

Well if the definition of reasonable cause hasn't been established then it could mean almost anything. Is a statistical outburst cause for reasonable cause? Well what's a statistical outburst exactly? Where do you draw the line on what is and what isn't? I don't think you could successfully argue in front of an arbitrator or a court that a numbers outburst on its on is enough for reasonable suspicion no matter how big or small it might be.

Hitting 100 home runs in 2 years after being a career bench player before would most likely qualify.

Well, if it was enough to warrant 16 PED tests over 2 years, something tells me it warrants at least one HGH test.

[AlMagz]

Its not Bautista's fault. It the era he plays in. Everyone just suspects that if you hit a lot of HRs that you must be juicing or taking HGH. Of course some red flags pop up when you hit 100 homers in 2 years when your career high previous was 16. PEDs dont help you hit a baseball, a little further sure, but its not everything. With Braun getting caught it shows no "superstar" is safe. Bautista just needs to man up, pee in the cup, and play baseball. If youre not cheating then so what

[Breakwood]

Bautista just needs to man up, pee in the cup, and play baseball. If youre not cheating then so what

He did. SIXTEEN F'ing times!