All Things Bubba

Uh, boy. Quite the bombshell exploded today.

Some interesting points from the long article....

- There seems to be a connection to Florida, particularly the University of Miami Hurricanes baseball program.

- Most of the names revealed are not a surprise. Many have already been busted.

- Melky is still a bonehead. Bosch was upset with him for getting caught...and for not paying. Bosch rails against Cabrera, writing that "in helping him, I put my business and all my doctors at risk by fabricating patient charts and phony prescriptions." He adds that the slugger should "man-up" and pay $9,000 he owes, adding, "I am on the 'line' here!!"

- A-Rod is the biggest name implicated. He is an admitted 'roider, but claims he hasn't used PEDs since 2003. It appears this is not true. The Biogenesis records on him start in 2009 and continue through 2012.

The Yankees are reportedly desperately looking for a way to void A-Rod's contract, though few think they'll find one. But I wonder if this is the end for A-Rod, one way or another. Can he really come back from another hip surgery, without PEDs, at age 38?

Ugh. The Yankees were idiots to take A-Rod back after he opted out of his contract in 2007.

The article suggests the Biogenesis scandal means the MLB testing program has been "futile," but I disagree. Most of the MLB players implicated were in fact caught. I'd say that means it's working.

As for whether baseball should continue to crack down on PED use...yeah, I think they should. Baseball players are often very young, and if PEDs were allowed, they'd be under tremendous pressure to juice. Because there's so much competition, they feel they have to have every edge, and because they don't want to let their teammates down. Think of how Lance Armstrong pressured the young riders on his team to juice.

Someone at Red Reporter pointed out that if baseball gets a reputation for being dangerous - if players start dying young, like pro wrestlers, or get testosterone-fueled cancers like Lance Armstrong, say - parents are going to be reluctant to let their kids play baseball. Look at what happened with boxing. Back in the days of Frazier and Ali, everyone knew who the heavyweight champion of the world was. Now, the average American probably hasn't a clue. Boxing has faded that much, and a big reason is its perceived danger. For the good of the sport, baseball needs to keep on top of the PED thing.

Labels: steroids

There's a fascinating story about steroids by Tom Verducci in SI. It articulates very well the problem I have with 'roids. It's not the damage steroids can do to a player's health, the bad example set for kids, or the superstars with their "tarnished" records that bother me. Rather, it's all the guys who played the game clean, who lost out to the cheaters.

Ninety percent of all drafted players never spend one day in the big leagues. Steroid users made the odds even worse for clean players.

Thirty-three players appeared in at least one game for the 1994 Fort Myers Miracle. Only six of them reached the majors long enough to earn $500,000 in their careers. Half of those players are known PED users: Naulty, outfielder Matt Lawton (who tested positive in 2005) and pitcher Dan Serafini (who flunked a test in '07).

The article explains how the juicing worked. Players would do it in the off-season, and show up in spring training much bigger or faster than they'd been the previous year. Nobody asked any questions, and making a good impression in spring training was key. That could get you on the roster. Players who did not impress during spring training would be released. You might lose some of your new bulk as the season went on, but nobody thought that was suspicious.

The article also puts paid to the idea that "everyone" was cheating. A lot of players were, but many, many were not, and were shocked and angry when they found out a teammate was.

"I was pretty upset," Roberts says. "Gosh, it's hard enough trying to make it in this profession. You want to make it on your own abilities and work ethic, and all of a sudden, when you think it's an even playing field, you've got somebody cheating. I was very upset, knowing my chance to get to the big leagues was cut short. I was jealous, hurt, frustrated, angry ... all that stuff.

"I guess I should have been suspicious. How can a guy go from 85 miles an hour to 95 in three or four years? As I look back on it, it's so clear and obvious that I can't believe I was that naive and incredibly stupid. All the signs were there."

Labels: steroids

Well, Yankee fandom is in an uproar over the SI report that A-Rod tested positive for steroids. Some fans feel betrayed that their hero is a cheater. Some never liked A-Rod, and this just confirms their opinion of them. Some think the reporter, Selena Roberts, is just out to get A-Rod.

Me, I'm not surprised. There have been allegations of juicing against A-rod before. Canseco may be a sleazeball, but given his track record, I believe him, at least when the subject is 'roids. He said A-Rod was a juicer, so I'm not exactly shocked by this article.

I’m also not surprised that A-Rod was warned. If you read the Mitchell Report, it’s pretty clear that everyone was complicit: the league, the teams, the players’ union. Players were routinely warned of upcoming testing, even though they weren't supposed to be.

Pete Abe is apparently away this weekend, but Sam Borden is covering the story at LoHud. He says that Selena Roberts is an excellent and deeply respected journalist, known for doing accurate and thorough work. He criticizes A-Rod for not warning the Yankees this was coming. (He knew, since Ms. Roberts gave him a chance to tell his side of it.) He points out that A-Rod flat-out denied using steroids, more than once. He says A-Rod should fess up, like Pettitte, not try to cover up, like Clemens. And he thinks this will not be good for the Yankees. A-Rod has always been easily distracted by this kind of off-the-field drama, and this is probably bigger than any of the other controversies that have swirled around. Unlike she-male strippers, "Slapgate," sleepovers with Jeter, fooling around with Madonna, etc., this affects the core of his baseball identity.

The denizens of Bronx Banter predict that A-Rod will "handle the situation in the worst possible way imaginable, because he always does," and refer to him as the "human PR disaster." I know what they mean.

I am really wishing the Yanks hadn't re-signed him. He's a great player, but I'm just so tired of the never-ending A-Rod circus.

Labels: steroids

There was a report in the news today that Andy Pettitte's deposition supports McNamee and contradicts Clemens. If true, things aren't looking good for the Rocket.

Mike Celizic thinks Clemens has no clue what he's getting into. That he's lived in the insulated world of the superstar athlete so long that he doesn't understand the rules normal people live by, let alone that they apply to him, too, this time.

And John Rocker crawled out from under a rock somewhere, and admitted that he failed a drug test...and said that MLB encouraged him and other players, including A-Rod, to juice.

Rocker said that doctors from management and the players’ association, following a spring training talk with the Texas Rangers about steroids and other topics, pulled himself, A-Rod, Rafael Palmeiro and Ivan Rodriguez aside. Rocker was with the Rangers in 2002.

“Looks guys, if you take one kind of steroid, you don’t triple stack them and take them 10 months out of the year like Lyle Alzado did,” Rocker said the doctors told them. “If you do it responsibly, it’s not going to hurt you.”

Rocker's a scuzzball, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's telling the truth. One thing that comes through from the Mitchell Report is that MLB, the players' union, and the teams were complicit in the juicing.

As for A-Rod...well, Canseco has hinted twice now that A-Rod is a juicer. Canseco is an obnoxious attention-seeker, but he's been vindicated in just about everything he's said about 'roids.

Labels: steroids

The money quote:

There is a widespread misconception that the use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances, such as human growth hormone, was not prohibited in Major League Baseball before the inclusion of the joint drug program in the 2002 Basic Agreement. In fact, as early as 1991 baseball's drug policy expressly prohibited the use of "all illegal drugs and controlled substances, including steroids or prescription drugs for which the individual ... does not have a prescription." Even before then, however, the use of any prescription drug without a valid prescription was prohibited in baseball, and even earlier under federal law. In 1971, baseball's drug policy required compliance with federal, state, and local drug laws and directed baseball's athletic trainers that anabolic steroids should only be provided to players under a physician's guidance.

It's clear that the players knew all along that what they were doing was wrong. It's also clear that the teams and the union were in on it. They, too, knew it was wrong. And rather than discourage it, they helped the players cheat.

For example, they warned the players when they would be tested. Not so surprising that Bonds never had a positive steroid test once you know that, huh?

Clemens had a disappointing year his first season with the Yanks. The worst ERA of his career, IIRC. Then the Yankees hired McNamee, the strength coach from his former team, the Jays. He was supposedly the Yankees' strength coach, but everyone knew he was really Clemens' personal trainer. And lo, the Rocket started winning Cy Youngs again.

Some other random observations...

The report is not based on mere hearsay. While it did rely heavily on a couple of witnesses, they were grilled thoroughly to make sure their stories were consistent with what they told the FBI, and their allegations were backed up by canceled checks, delivery records, etc. And they knew that if they were found to be lying, they'd get the book thrown at them. Many of the players, when confronted with the allegations, admitted it.

One reason the report is so heavily reliant on a couple of witnesses is that they had limited access to other material. Mitchell had no subpoena power. Players didn't have to talk to him unless they wanted to, and most of them didn't want to. (The Feds presumably have a lot more evidence, including all the Balco stuff.)

That means "the list" is far from complete. There are probably a ton of players who juiced and aren't in the report. (In fact, we know there are. Matt Lawton, for example.)

Sigh. Asterisks all around, I say. It just seems grossly unfair to the "clean" players. Even the cynical Canseco admits that there are some of those. Like Jeter.

And Ken Griffey, Jr. Supposedly, he and Bonds discussed PEDs. Bonds decided to use them, Griffey decided not to. And their careers diverged from there.

Worst of all...I can't help wondering if the secret of the Yankees' late-'90s dynasty is now revealed.

We've been trying so hard to replicate that success. Everyone has a theory. We need more homegrown players. We need more team guys, less superstars. We need better pitching, or more contact hitters, or better defense.

Maybe the real secret is "the cream" and "the clear." :-P

Labels: steroids

I was starting to think Bonds had gotten away with it, but...

Baseball player Barry Bonds indicted on perjury, obstruction charges

SAN FRANCISCO - The home run king wasn't home free after all.

Barry Bonds was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could go to prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.

It seems to have surprised everyone:

Then came the indictment - four counts of perjury, one of obstruction of justice; a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison - and Bonds' lawyers seemed caught off guard.

..."I'm surprised," said one of his lawyers, John Burris, "but there's been an effort to get Barry for a long time. I'm curious what evidence they have now they didn't have before."

AP put the full indictment online. (PDF)

CNN brought their legal expert on to talk about it. (No doubt pulling him off the OJ case.) He seemed to think there was a very good chance Bonds would be convicted. And if he is, he has to do 2-3 years jail time, due to federal sentencing guidelines.

According to the indictment, Bonds has tested positive for "anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances." The only question is whether he knew what he was taking. He said he didn't; most people find that ludicrous. But still, the government has to prove it. The fact that it's gotten this far suggests they think they can. The CNN talking head speculated that it might mean Bonds' trainer/supplier has finally flipped, and will give testimony against him.

The trainer, Greg Anderson, has been in prison for almost a year for refusing to testify. He was released today. Not sure if it's because he finally caved, or if they released him because they no longer need his testimony.

Labels: steroids

The blogosphere is abuzz with the news that the feel-good story of the year, Rick Ankiel, used HGH. Some are saying this tarnishes him irrevocably. But most aren't getting too excited. For once, I think Celizic is right: fans just don't care.

I wonder if HGH even helped him. He sure didn't play very well when he was using it. And some studies show HGH doesn't improve performance.

The jury's still out on the effects of HGH, but some research has found that it can speed healing, and it is sometimes prescribed for this purpose. I could see that being a big advantage for a pro ball player, where injuries are always an issue. But again, it's not clear how helpful HGH is in this regard, or if it's even helpful at all. (It didn't seem to help Ankiel, who was plagued by injuries.)

This article, by an athlete/journalist who took steroids and HGH for eight months just to write about it, has some interesting stuff about effects...and side effects. Some he would take, if he could afford it, some he would not, because of the nasty side effects.

HGH was something he would take if he could afford it. He said the reason he liked it was that it improved his eyesight dramatically. He didn't need glasses when he took HGH.

If that's true (I don't think it's ever been formally studied), that could be a huge advantage for a batter. But at the time, Ankiel was a pitcher.

I guess I'm in the camp that doesn't see this as a big deal. Yes, he cheated, but the cheating didn't help him any. The major problem I have with cheating is that it hurts those who don't cheat. But if the cheating doesn't actually give you an advantage, no one is hurt.

In other juicing news, we now know why Bats catcher Ryan Jorgensen wasn't called up. The Reds said he was passed over because he had a "personal commitment." That sounded really weird to me. I couldn't imagine a personal commitment that would keep a minor leaguer from a callup to the bigs.

Today, it was announced that Jorgensen has been suspended for 50 games. For juicing. They didn't say exactly what drugs were involved, but probably steroids, since HGH is not tested for or detectable.

That's too bad. Jorgensen had a great cup of coffee earlier in the season, hitting clutch home runs and even a grand slam. Now his baseball future is in doubt. The Reds may not want him back when the suspension is over.

Labels: steroids

A local paper, the Albany Times-Union, printed a big steroids exposé today. A year-long New York state and federal investigation has busted a huge steroids ring, and their customer list included some famous names. Among them: Gary Matthews, Jr., Jose Canseco, Jason Grimsley, Evander Holyfield, and the Pittsburgh Steelers team doctor.

Then there's this article, about how Barry Bonds has grown in recent years. You wouldn't ordinarily expect a man in his thirties to be outgrowing his shoes and hats.

"The changes in his foot and head size," says the book, "were of special interest: medical experts said overuse of human growth hormone could cause an adult's extremities to begin growing, aping the symptoms of the glandular disorder acromegaly."

Holy crap.

Labels: steroids

Are the Yankees secretly working on a huge, blockbuster trade? Maybe. There's a guy who posts occasionally at the YES message boards. He claims he has a friend who's a scout for the Yankees. Is that true? I dunno. YES recently installed new message board software, so nobody has a very long history there (even though they've had their message board and most of their regular posters for years).

Anyway, tonight this person said said his scout friend told him the Yanks are working on a monster trade. If it goes through (big if), it will be the second biggest trade in MLB history. As many as five teams are involved (Yankees, Rangers, Angels, Braves, White Sox). Two Yankees who have no-trades may be traded. (Presumably Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez.) When the dust settles, the Yankees will have a new lefty reliever (not necessarily Gonzalez), a new third baseman, a new first baseman, and maybe a new, almost-ready catching prospect.

Quite a shakeup, if it actually happens.

And in other news...100 MLB players tested positive for steroids in 2003:

A federal appeals court revealed today that more than 100 major league baseball players tested positive for steroids in 2003, and ruled that the government could use their tests in its investigation of illegal drug distribution to athletes.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco also said federal investigators had obtained Major league Baseball's 2003 testing samples and results for 10 players linked to the investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO, and that eight of them had tested positive for steroids.

Oy. That spattering sound you heard was the spit hitting the fan...

Labels: steroids, Trade rumors

Major League Baseball continues to be haunted by an old ghost: allegations of steroid abuse. A story from today's Los Angeles Times broke last night, setting the sports world abuzz:

Clemens Is Named in Drug Affidavit

Someone who had access to the original, non-blacked out affidavit showed it to a Los Angeles Times reporter. The players named by Jason Grimsley as steroid users are:

Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Miguel Tejada
Brian Roberts
Jay Gibbons

Perhaps most unnerving was the allegation that (former) Yankees trainer Brian McNamee was the guy who was recommending steroids to the players and hooking them up with suppliers. Sheesh.

I can't say I'm shocked about Clemens and Pettitte. Steroid rumors have surrounded Clemens for a long time. He's a power pitcher who has kept his power at an age when most are retired or have switched to softer throwing styles. Then there was the bat-throwing incident - 'roid rage?

And Pettitte and Clemens are so close, training together, etc. If one is using steroids, you kind of expect that the other is, too. I remember when Pettitte's fastball jumped from the upper 80s to the lower 90s. Better mechanics was credited at the time; now, I can't help but wonder if the cause was chemical, rather than mechanical.

Tejada is not a surprise, either. He's another one who's been followed by steroid rumors for awhile now.

Never gave much thought to Gibbons. But Brian Roberts...my first reaction was surprise. Then I thought again, and wasn't really surprised. Clearly, last year was a fluke. He had been hitting 4 or 5 homers a year, then suddenly, he hit 18 - in a season that was prematurely cut short by a close encounter with Bubba Crosby at 1B.

From the LA Times article:

Roberts, listed at 5-9, 175, hit 18 home runs in 561 at-bats last season, matching his combined total through the previous six years in the major and minor leagues.

Put that way, you realize just how unusual that fluke season of his was. Just natural maturation, or better hitting through chemistry?

The knock on Bubba has always been his small size. When he was a draft prospect, scouts fretted that he was too short. They worried that his small frame couldn't carry a lot of muscle. Even Mattingly said a little guy like Bubba is never going to hit a lot of home runs. (Does size really matter that much? Hank Aaron was a skinny little guy. Why do today's big hitters all look like Big Papi?)

Brian Roberts is even smaller than Bubba: 5'-9", 175 lbs. vs. 5'-11", 190 lbs. We tend to link steroids with the big bruisers. The sluggers, like Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi. But steroids must be even more tempting for the little guys. The guys who need an edge, just to stay in the majors.

I'm reminded of something Lawrence Taylor said, when asked about his cocaine use. He said when you look across the line and see guys high on coke, half out of their minds and foaming at the mouth...you don't want to face them unless you're in the same condition.

Okay, it's not quite the same situation in baseball. Still...if other players are using steroids, there must a lot of pressure to use them yourself. The competition is so intense.

So far as I know, Bubba has never used anything illegal. He did get picked for random drug testing last year, along with several other Yankees. I assume he came up clean; the only Yankee who got publically busted last year was Matt Lawton.

And I begrudge Lawton every one of the 50 at-bats he got as a Yankee. It plecks me off that Bubba was benched for a cheater like Lawton. (A cheater who hit .125, no less.)

Labels: steroids