Baseball Anyone? For Better or Worse. :)

[tampa24]

Hey Everyone,

For those of you who are baseball fans there is plenty to talk about nowadays. At the beginning of the season my Tampa Bay Rays started off well and then went into mediocrity. The New York Yankees were doing their usual top notch job. We wondered if the Red Sox would be able to pull themselves together after a dismal season last year. What a difference a few months make. The Red Sox have roared back. The Rays are doing fantastic. And the Yankees... WTH?!


The MLB announced today that Alexander Rodriquez is suspended for 211 games. Through to the end of the 2014 season. All this because he has been caught (Again!) using steroids. The news that this punishment was likely to happen has been out there for many days. But now it's here. A-Rod will appeal it of course and try to get as much money out of his remaining contract as possible. The appeal process and final settlement should be interesting to follow. For the Yankees though, all of this awful off-field publicity is not helping them at all. Especially so, when they really want and need to be focusing all of their attention and resources improving their image on the field.

Opinions? Comments?

 

[mikeyank]

Hi Tampa,

I doubt if you will get much response here, as I've given up on posting sports related items on this board, as even when it involves a gay athlete coming out, there doesn't seem to be much interest among the current crop of forumites.

But yes, I am constantly amazed at how good your Tampa Bay Rays are year after year, in a small market, with small attendance figures and a low payroll. I give your owner and general manager and manager Joe Madden all the credit in the world for consistently being so good with such limited resources.

As far as the Yankees go, it was a miracle that they remained so hot early despite the major crushing injuries to many of the stars including Jeter, Rodriguez, Teixeira, Granderson, and then even Youkalis, but now the shit has hit the fan and they are floundering, and may be out of contention for even the wild card soon.

The whole A-Rod suspension is a whole 'nother story, complicated on many levels, but I do support his appeal of the suspension as all the other suspensions handed out were for 50 games each, and they gave him 211. He is certainly entitled to the collectively bargained hearing before an arbiter. Of course I am not condoning him or the others who used illegal drugs, but it is all part of sports in 2013.

 

[tampa24]

...I do support his appeal of the suspension as all the other suspensions handed out were for 50 games each, and they gave him 211.

One thing I think you're not taking into account here Mikey is that this is A-Rod's second offense. Where the other ones are supposedly first offenders. Or in other words, A-Rod was caught once before. This is the first time these guys have been officially caught. Even so, we don't know how long any of them have been offending with P.E.D.'s. Has A-Rod ever been clean at all in the last 10 years? I agree that a 211 game suspension for a 38 y/o guy is pretty harsh compared to 50. But following your logic that his punishment should fall within the same boundaries as the other 12 guys...A-Rod should get at least a 100. To give A-Rod only a 50 game suspension would be a joke.

 

[mikeyank]

One thing I think you're not taking into account here Mikey is that this is A-Rod's second offense. Where the other ones are supposedly first offenders. Or in other words, A-Rod was caught once before. This is the first time these guys have been officially caught. Even so, we don't know how long any of them have been offending with P.E.D.'s. Has A-Rod ever been clean at all in the last 10 years? I agree that a 211 game suspension for a 38 y/o guy is pretty harsh compared to 50. But following your logic that his punishment should fall within the same boundaries as the other 12 guys...A-Rod should get at least a 100. To give A-Rod only a 50 game suspension would be a joke.

But again Tampa, while it seems very likely that Rodriguez is guilty, when the Players Association, (the union) collectively bargained with Major League Baseball for the current basic agreement on a drug policy, it was determined that a second offence would be for 100 games, (not 211), and players were given the right to appeal, and continue playing during the appeal process, so as distasteful as he may be to most fans, he is still within his rights to appeal and to play.

 

[brandojohn]

I generally don't reply to these things, but I feel I need to weigh in here. The 211 games covers the remainder of this season and all of next season. There is some evidence that A-Rod was a distributer of banned substances, it is his second offense, and he has attempted to obstruct the process. For those additional reasons, he was given a full season suspension on top of his 50 games. Further, if it was a full suspension it would be 50 + 162 (full season) which would be 212 games.

Unfortunately I have to use discretion here and can't say what I do for a living to know this info,action, but there it is nevertheless. Take I or leave it. The chemistry of performance enhancement drugs is fascinating and extremely complex, which is why none of them ever tested positive. At the same time, it is hard to find a pro guy who has a 100% clean record. While they may have never consumed a banned substance, most have used at least something in some form to get themselves where they are today.

 

[mikeyank]

The chemistry of performance enhancement drugs is fascinating and extremely complex, which is why none of them ever tested positive. At the same time, it is hard to find a pro guy who has a 100% clean record. While they may have never consumed a banned substance, most have used at least something in some form to get themselves where they are today.

You are obviously very knowledgeable about this situation, and I agree 100% that it is hard to find a professional athlete who has not consumed something to give themselves an edge. Ball players for years consumed massive amounts of amphetamines, which we learned about years ago in Jim Bouton's ground breaking book, "Ball Four". Amphetamines are now banned this year, but used to be put out by the trainers in big bowels like candy or the pre-game buffet.

And the spit ball has been illegal forever, but pitchers like Gaylord Perry won a ton of games using the illegal pitch, as did legendary Yankee southpaw Whitey Ford who scuffed the ball with the help of catcher Elston Howard. And players have been accused of and caught "corking" their bats as well. So doing something banned by baseball to get an edge is nothing new, and not at all uncommon through the history of the game.

 

[tampa24]

The 211 games covers the remainder of this season and all of next season. There is some evidence that A-Rod was a distributer of banned substances, it is his second offense, and he has attempted to obstruct the process. For those additional reasons, he was given a full season suspension on top of his 50 games. Further, if it was a full suspension it would be 50 + 162 (full season) which would be 212 games.

It's nice to see you posting John!

I think that's what A-Rod is hoping that people will either be unaware of or overlook as he wages a battle in the court of public opinion. The way you state it here makes it clear that the number of 211 was not arrived at arbitrarily as just some personal vendetta against A-Rod. Those in MLB have spoken in vague terms about his attempts to "hinder and obstruct" the investigation. That could mean anything from lying under questioning, trying to bribe people off, witness intimidation perhaps... Any number of things. Then you throw in the extra charge that he was actually helping to distribute some of the banned substances. Much like what Lance Armstrong has been accused of...

Whatever it is that we don't know about the investigation, it's quite obvious that those in the know in MLB consider A-Rod's behavior and actions in particular to be especially egregious and outrageous. They sent a clear message that they feel his career in professional baseball should be over. After all, a 40 y/o A-Rod coming back to play baseball (without PED's) in 2015, is not likely to be able to play at the MLB level.

 

[mikeyank]

A-Rod update and congrats to Tampa

A-Rod was permitted to return to the Yankees to finish out the season, and the appeal hearing began yesterday in New York. We shall see how the arbiter rules, but the final judgment may be months away.

And on the subject of baseball, congratulations to Tampa24 and his Rays for winning the play in game last night against Texas for the right to play in the one game wild card game against Cleveland on Wednesday night. If my Yankees aren't in it, I will always root for an American League East team, and we have both Boston and Tampa Bay in the post season.

 

[joninliverton]

Baseball has never really interested me, neither did it's British counterpart Rounders which we did at school. I am very interested in American Football though and, as I've said on many occasions, used to vacate to Vegas around late September and catch the beginning of the season.

 

[tampa24]

Thanks Mikey!

I don't know how far we'll go in the post-season. But it does feel very good to see my team even make it into the post-season at all. I'm sorry about your Yankees this year.

 

[mikeyank]

Congratulations to the Rays

The Rays won their one game play in with Texas, and last night shut out Cleveland in the wild card game, and tomorrow begin the ALDS against Boston. I am amazed how each year Tampa Bay with a small budget consistently wins. The only sad part is that the fan base in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area has not supported such an over achieving team, as they were once again last in the American League attendance, but I am rooting for Tampa to upset my hated rival, Boston Red Sox.

And I think that their rookie center fielder Wil Myers is such a little hottie.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wil...8oHABw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1097&bih=536&dpr=1

 

[tampa24]

Thanks for the support Mikey. lol

I'm amazed the Rays have done so well this year. You always hope for it with any favorite team. But to see them make it to the post-season is still quite a thrill. It is unfortunate that the attendance at the games is still so weak. I'm hoping that if or when they move the team out of St. Petersburg and over to Tampa that the attendance will pick up considerably.

The Rays have one of the smallest payrolls of any team in the league and yet they still mange to compete with or outperform their much wealthier and longer established rivals. I'm very proud of them.

As for Wil Meyers, he is indeed quite the hottie. And talented too! After Evan Longoria, he's my next favorite.