Quick Review of Joe’s Book

Hopefully, we got all the steroid hoopla out of the way because I really hate talking about it.  Well, at least until Selena Roberts’ book comes out in mid-April.

A few nights ago I finished TheYankee Years by Joe Torre.  The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that this book really wasn’t that bad.  Sure Torre broke the unwritten code of exposing some clubhouse secrets, but there was nothing groundbreaking in there.  There were chapters specifically written on ARod, Jeter, and Bernie.  I do think that ARod got the raw end of the deal in the book and some of Torre’s comments were unwarranted, but ARod has bigger things to worry about right now.

About half of the book, if not more is comprised of quotes, mainly by Torre.  Mussina and the Yankees bullpen catcher Mike Borzello also were quoted quite often in the book.  For a bullpen catcher, he sure had a lot to say.  He made a lot of comments that should be taken the wrong way.

If you don’t want to relive the Yankees collapse to the Red Sox on multiple occasions, then please do not read this book.  I was tempted on more than one occasion to skip some chapters.  But the only way to get over some of those games is to just get it over with.  Also, a large part of the book placed empasis on the Red Sox rise and the Yankees fall.  It talks about how Epstein had approached his new philosphy and how he and the owners had turned everything around.  Not exactly what I wanted to hear either.  Cashman was a late bloomer in this statistical philosophy but has now fully embraced it.  A decision that Torre did not agree with all the time.  Torre stated that Cashman and him had a falling out and definitely painted Cashman in a negative light.  I can’t wait until Cashman reads the book.

I really enjoyed the clubhouse stories and the dugout chatter, not necessarily tidbits that should have remained in the clubhouse.  Ex: David Cone being the clubhouse leader and fooling around with Steinbrenner and Billy Crystal’s video.  It seemed like Tom Verducci repeated himself a lot in the book.  I felt like I read the same content multiple times.  All in all it was informative, specifically about certain games.  It was interesting to hear Torre’s strategy and thoughts during the games that are etched in our memory forever.

Torre definitely worried about job security, especially while working for Steinbrenner.  This fact was driven in my head to the point where I wished he was fired.  A lot of Torre’s quotes and comments had a lot of inner meaning to them if that made any sense.  I actually had to re-read some of his comments to actually understand what he was talking about.  As a mentor and a teacher, that is expected of him.

If you do decide to get the book for a specific reason, get it because Pavano is absolutely ripped.

ARod Sketchy Part Deux

Yesterday, ARod addressed the media and shed some light on other details of his steroid use.  Many writers and bloggers don’t know whether this helped him or hurt him.  For some reason I am kind of indifferent.  I think it still takes a lot of guts to do something like that and have to answer all sorts of accusations.    However, I believe he wasn’t telling the whole truth and it was evident in some of his responses.  If ARod just get everything off his chest, he might have been better off.  He has now had two chances to come completely clean with the American people.  At the same time, any response he gave, whether we wanted to hear it or not, would have have criticized.  That’s the downside of being honest.

ARod was clearing dancing around questions throughout the Q &  A segment of the conference.  He said he was young and stupid on several occasions, even during his initial admittance.  Cashman thought otherwise and I tend to agree with him.  Cashman said that he was sure stupid, that was a fact.  But young had nothing to do with it.  At that point in his career he had been a 6-7 year veteran.  I am pretty sure he knew exactly what he was doing and the consequences of it at that time of course.  ARod repeatedly said he was 24-25 years old at the time.  Well, actually he was 26-28 during his Texas years.  Either he wanted us to believe that he was a lot younger than he was or he was taking the same substances while with the Mariners.  Either way, he lied to us.  Then he goes on to say that if he went to college, things would have been different.  College has nothing to do with the fact that you are stupid.  Using a Michael Kay Show reference: Michael Vick went to college and look where he ended up.  ARod is trying to make excuses yet again; it doesn’t make it right.

ARod admitted that he received the steroids from his cousin in the Dominican Republic.  These substances were legal  over the counter drugs in the DR.  If ARod knew that this was legal at the time, why would he get it from the DR?  Why would he not tell a single soul of his actions?  He was asked something along these lines by a member of the media and ARod couldn’t answer it.  It’s actually a rather simple answer.

It’s still going to get a lot worse I believe before it get any better.  Selena Roberts’ book has yet to come out.  I think the media should have asked him, “Do you have anything you want to come clean about that you think or know is in Roberts’ book?  That would have been a great one.

It’s nice to see that so many teammates of his showed up to support him.  When he thanked him initially, he almost started to cry.  If this was an act, we might never know.  But I will give him the benefit of the doubt.  This experience must have been emotionally draining and even ARod is a fragile person.  No different than you or I. (Michael Kay was once told by ARod that he can cry on cue – via The Michael Kay Show)

If I can think of anything else I want to add from the conference, I will update this post.  In the meantime, games are just around the corner…can’t wait.

More rants: ARod admitted that he had been injected by his nameless cousin two times a month for years.  That’s a lot of injections without asking any questions of what’s exactly going into your body.

ARod also stated that he used other amphetamines while a member of the Mariners.  Those drugs have been since taken off the GNC shelves and MLB have banned that particular substance.  I am surprise not a lot of people are making a big deal out of that.

Also, ARod said he really didn’t know the benefit of taken the banned steroid.  He thought it probably gave him an energy boost but that was it.  THEN WHY TAKE IT IF YOU DON”T KNOW THE BENEFITS OR DRAWBACKS.  Isn’t that one of the first things that people do when they receive their medications…read the label and find out the side effects.  But no questions were asked.  He sure knew to take it twice a month for three years.

ARod Calls SRob

According to Yahoo Sports, Alex Rodriguez has apologized to SI’s Selena Roberts for his comments during Monday’s interview with Peter Gammons.

What he apologized for has yet to come out, but I would imagine that she didn’t break in his house and didn’t get picked up by the police.  She probably did stalk him though.  Those types of reporters are borderline stalkers.

Anyway, I’m sure this looks great for his credibility…again.  What else did he lie about last Monday?  I’m sure we will hear exactly what this phone call was for after ARod’s news conference this Tuesday.  I guess he feels that apologizing is the way to go now.  If only he can apologize to his wife now (ok, that was uncalled for).  He must be on the 8-step program.  He sure acted in good spirits at the University of Miami this week, making many jokes at his own expense.

Put Me On That Diet

Via MLB Trade Rumors, Roto Authority’s Spring Training Cliches has been assembled.  Lets take a look at the Yankees:

• Brian Bruney – lost 16 lbs.
• Robinson Cano -  lost 5 lbs.
• Phil Hughes – added 10 lbs.
• Nick Swisher – lost 16 Ibs.

What does this mean for everyone?  A whole lot of nothing if they can’t perform on a regular basis.  But it’s good to see that these players have dedicated themselves during the offseason.  Bruney and Swisher definitely needed to lose weight.  I think Cano is due to take off another 5 pounds as well.  As for Hughes, it’s nice to see he added some weight and apparently its muscle too.  Usually losing weight is a good thing for all players (especially position players), as they are more mobile.  Pitchers, it’s a different story with them.  It really depends on the type of person.

Close Race

Vegas projected team wins came out yesterday.  River Ave. Blues played the over/under game; this seems fun, let’s give it a try.

Over – Mets, Phils, Marlins, Nats, Rays, Orioles, Cubs, Cards, Reds, Indians, Twins, Tigers, Dodgers, Dbacks, Giants,   Rockies, A’s, Rangers

Under- Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Brewers, Astros, Padres

Push (or no freakin’ clue)- Braves, Pirates, White Sox, Royals, Angels, Mariners

Well, I guess I’m half-glass full kind of guy.  The one thing I noticed is that the AL West, AL East (given), NL East, and NL West races are going to be decided the last week of the regular season.  Spring Training hasn’t even started yet.  One step at a time I guess.

Update: I can’t insert the Vegas Win Chart, so click on the Vegas link above to view it.  Sorry, technical difficulties.

Selig Thinks about Suspending ARod

In today’s blog post by Kat O’Brien from Newsday, she points out that Commissioner Bud Selig might suspend ARod after all.  ARod technically didn’t break any rules because the banned substances that he took in 2003 were not illegal.  This would be foolish of Selig do to as many legal battles can come as a result of this, and rightfully so.  These ‘guinea pig’ tests were supposed to be anonymous and MLB baseball screwed up by not destroying the samples and allowing such secretive information to be leaked.  I don’t care even if Congress told him to keep the samples.  Besides, Selig, the Union, owners, and management turned a blind eye to the growing problem of steroids to begin with.

The game of baseball was at its height and nobody wanted to ruin that, especially Selig.  The more money MLB made, the more money he made (2008 salary: $18.35 million).  The more home runs, the more butts in the seats and the more eyes on the tube.  I actually heard this on the radio and it made a heck of a lot of sense.  The players who put MLB back on the map and shouldered the load themselves are now the ones being blacklisted from the game.  McGwire, Bonds, and Clemens were the ones that made baseball what it is today after the strike of ‘94.  Sure they brought it upon themselves, but they have to be given credit for MLB’s success.

So for Selig to even mention a possible suspension is just ludacris.  He should look at himself in mirror and think about all of his mistakes.  He’s the man behind it all.  Take responsibility for your own actions like ARod had done earlier in the week.  It was the right thing to do.

Tex Talks

Mark Teixiera was at Georgia Tech today making a hefty donation to the baseball program according to Peter Abraham’s Yankees Lohud Blog.  He also commented on Alex Rodriguez and his own situation.  Take a look:

“I’ve been around long enough to not really be shocked by anything,” he said. “This is a sport that’s had some troubles, there’s no doubt. I’m not going to judge anybody. I’ve never touched steroids or any of those kinds of things — it’s something I feel very strongly about — but at the same time I’ve made mistakes, I’m not perfect, no one’s perfect.”

For those of you who seem to live in a world of their own, Tex was a member of the 2003 Texas Rangers.  Hmmm, what does his quote all mean?  He adamantly denied ever partaking in the use of illegal substances.  Could he be lying like many other ballplayers?  He had to have seen or known about what was going on in the clubhouse at the time.  Afterall, it was the ‘culture’ at that time.  Tex does seem to be a standup person and that is evident by such actions today and his dedication to his craft.

What I am worried about is the last sentence in his quote, “I’m not perfect, no one’s perfect.”  I don’t know about you, but that certainly sounds like a have-ass apology of some sort to me.  What is he refering to?  What mistakes has he made?  Picked off at first base, not hustling, striking out three times in a game, errant throw, ball through the legs…what it is!  Please specify Mark because it is only going to get much worse from here on out.  I’m sure he will be asked that question when he arrives in Tampa.  Welcome to the media frenzy that is New York.  Hope you can handle it.

What ARod Really Meant

What a day yesterday, huh?  ARod finally came clean about taking performance enhancement drugs in 2003, as a member of the Texas Rangers.  First off, this was very courageous and smart of Alex to do so.  He could have easily denied all allegations and nothing could have happened to him, other than the public scrutiny for the rest of his career.  Those tests were supposed to be anonymous and I doubt those samples can be used as evidence against ARod.  After watching the success Pettitte by opening up and telling the truth, ARod clearly mirrored him, which was the right call.

But I have a few problems with some of the information ARod supplied us.  He said that at the time it was the culture to try different supplements to help you in the game of baseball.  Also, these supplements weren’t legal or illegal at that time.  As far as he was concerned, he wasn’t doing anything wrong…at that time.  In other words, he didn’t know he was taking steroids.  So what the heck is he apologizing for if he unknowingly used a banned substance that he thought was fine?  Why admit to taking steroids if he never knowingly did?  Simply say, at that time I took some substances that may have contained steroids that are illegal in today’s game.   He knew exactly what he was doing, when he was doing it, and why he was doing it.  And that’s the reason he apologized on national television…to gain an edge.  Also, ARod is the type of person that keeps accurate track of what goes in his body at all times.  He had to of known what substances he was taking.

ARod specifically went on to stick up for himself by saying he has been clean since the 2004 season (his first with the Yankees).  He said that it is evident by his weight.  He has only gained 25 pounds since he was a rookie in Seattle.  That steroid that was unknowingly put in your body, was to stay lean, so you don’t end up looking like your on steroids.

ARod also claims that he starting using in 2001 because there was enormous pressure on him to live up to his mega million dollar contract.  Ok, I believe him to an extent.  But in order to get that contract in the first place, he may have been using while a member of the Mariners.  The good news is that he has been clean since 2005 when baseball started random drug testing.  He claims he has been tested 8-10 times since testing began and they all have come back clean.  Could he have been using HGH?  I don’t believe there is a an accurate test for that steroid.

The important thing is that ARod took complete responsibility for his actions.  It sure had to hurt his big ego though to do so.  Sure he will booed in NY again and other places, that will not change.  But rather he can now focus on the game of baseball and hopefully bring a championship to NY.

I wonder what his confession will do to Mark Teixiera and Scott Boras.  Tex was a teammate of his on the 2003 Rangers ball club.  If it was the culture around baseball, could Tex have taken banned supplements too?  He will get his first dose of the media come spring training time.  I can’t wait to find out his response.

Now that all the organizations know that a Boras client has lied and cheated their way just to get paid, what will this do to Boras’ image and his future clients?  I was talking about this with another person today.  This is what i thought:

I just think that many teams will not want to go through what the Yankees and the Rangers have gone through.  Simply put, teams will not reward players for what they have done during the pre-steroid testing days.  If this ARod test was supposed to be anonymous, can you imagine what else can be leaked and by whom?  It’s a free for all now.  Organizations will be wary of spending mega dollars because of what could possibly come out.  It could hurt the organization, the team, and the player alike.  And now Boras is linked to ARod’s steroid use in an indirect way whether he likes it or not.  ARod is the first Boras client to “actually” say that he used PED’s.  The Yankees sure wouldn’t be scared anymore.

We’ll have to wait and see.  He’ll spin it around somehow, right?

Again it’s a shame to see this happen to such an important figure in the game of baseball.  The funny thing is that he didn’t even need to do it.  He was still the most talented player on the field.  At least things will be easier for him in the long run.  Should he make the Hall of Fame?  I won’t even try to tackle that one now.

A-Ruined

Is baseball not sacred anymore?  I hate talking about the same things time and time again.  Steroids has to top that list.  The one thing that I keep thinking about is the poor kids that look up to these ballplayers.  When I was growing up I did not really have a role model or a sports hero and maybe that was for the better.  That’s what my family was for.  If I am a parent, am I supposed to tell my kids not to look up to one of the best ballplayers of all time because he cheated?  I think that question is a lot harder to answer than a lot of people realize.

Baseball was supposed to be on the rebound after the 1994 strike and yet it seems like with the record number of fans passing through the gates and the record amount of merchandise coming off the shelves, baseball has taken a step back.  At least ethically.

Now ARod has been out of the country contemplating his next move.  Does he come clean or not?  I doubt four separate sources would all have given incorrect information regarding ARod’s test results.  I briefly went over this in my last post, but I think he should at least be held accountable for his actions and he should know this.  People will forgive and forget, it’s human nature.  But it’s also human nature to lie and to not associate with people who lie.  Pettitte was better off.  Giambi was better off (even though he never said what he did).  Bonds and Clemens names are forever tainted.  ARod is now the new sexy name and all the attention will be on him from here on out.

What do the Yankees do?  They can’t recoup any of their money because there is no steroid stipulation in ARod’s contract.  They have to back ARod in whatever path he chooses.  Simple as that.  They can’t win as a team if they are divided.  Does ARod deserve his mega-contract.  He never did in the first place, nobody does.  But the Yanks might be kicking themselves for this one.  They need to hold a press conference and they need to do it this week.  The public needs to hear something.  The longer we wait, the worse off ARod and the Yankees are.  In this time, fans and writers will form their own unchangeable opinions on ARod.

MLB is in some hot water for not destroying the test results.  There could be some legal action taken by ARod because his image has been tarnished.  Someone went out of their way to find if ARod was included on this list of 104 steroid users.  The samples are codes were in different states and they would have to be matched up in order to determine who this sample was from.  Ultimately, this never should have been a problem as no one was supposed to know the identity of any of the 104 players.  I do think someone went the extra mile to make life extremely difficult for ARod.  Should the rest of the names be released?  I am actually torn on this issue, but I would imagine if MLB did, some legal action will be considered.  These other 103 players must be shaking in their spikes.  Nothing is kept secret in this baseball society with Torre and now to a more egregious extent, MLB.  Players can’t get away with anything anymore.  There is a simple solution…don’t cheat.

The image conscious ARod is now contemplating ways to restore his image.  He should probably be focusing on his story instead.  He can’t buy, talk, or use his good looks to get out of this.  He tells us he used once, great but we don’t believe he used once.  We can probably forgive.   He tells us he never used, well he’s a big fat liar.  ARod: the pitch is coming- do you take a strike or do you swing?  But consider, there are ramifications for both.  Be careful.

ARod: No Wife, No Ring, and Now No Records

When I got out of bed this morning and turned on ESPN, it was reported that Alex Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids in 2003 when he was a member of the Texas Rangers.  At least let me gather my bearings before such news gets a hold of me.  I didn’t even have a cup of coffee first and all of a sudden this bomb drops.  Looks like Torre is in the clear…for now.

People have either thought Arod may have done steroids at one point in his career or they absolutely refused to believe it because of his hard work on and off the field and natural ability.  I was in the later until this news broke.  At that time, steroid testing was in its infant stage and Arod was used as a random guinea pig.  These tests were to determine if more than 5% of players actually tested positive.  Ultimately, there were more than 5% of these players, thus allowing for full-scale testing and MLB admitting there was a problem at hand.  These initial tests were supposed to classified and ultimately destroyed.  How did this leak out in the first place?

It has been reported that Arod did know of the positive test but did not tell anyone.  As of right now, he still hasn’t come clean and maybe he never will.  Maybe he will take the high road, a road Bonds and Clemens have infamously traveled.  MLB will never back SI’s and Selena Robert’s claim because this should not have been leaked in the first place.  MLB has to be at fault for this too.  They have to accept responsibility…but they can’t.  Maybe they have to do some behind the scenes investigating for themselves so nothing like this ever happens again.

I do believe Arod will not admit to it and it he does, he will have an asterik next to his name even if it was just one year.  And he will only admit to one year.  At least he didn’t test positive while he was a member of the Yankees.  He’s got that going for him.  This is yet another chink in the armor for Mr. Rodriguez.  This won’t go away for a long time and it will be extremely hard for the Yankees to play ball in this atmosphere.  If they win the World Series this year, maybe that will lessen the blow of all the allegations.

Who can we really trust anymore?  Simply not anyone.  At least my man Luis Sojo was clean; he’d be a utility infielder regardless if he took steroids or not.  So why bother.