baseball

[Mal Brossard]

I seriously think one of the big names is Jason Giambi, and the other might be Albert Pujols.  Other allegations for the top two (and others) include the aforementioned Bonds and Clemens, Scott Rolen, A-Rod, Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones, Kenny Rogers, Hank Blalock, Miguel Tejada, Sammy Sosa, Gustavo Chacin, Ivan Rodriguez, Phil Nevin, Brian Giles, Morgan Ensberg, Bobby Abreu, Jim Thome, Gregg Zaun, Mike Piazza, and a number of others.

[gilld1]

Randy Johnson might  be another.  He was awesome last year and iffy this season.  Fastball is slower.

[Dr. Blutarsky]

The whole Palmiero thing is hilarious, apparently he wasn`t aware he was on steroids.

Its gonna really hurt the game as a whole, MLB needs to get their shit together on the steroid issue. If it is proved a player is on steroids, lifetime ban from baseball and no chance at the Hall of Fame.  Pete Rose did less to get banned.

[Rob]

It really breaks my hear to hear about this stuff.  But I think the only way MLB is gonna get rid of steroids is if they catch the big names that are/were doing them and make it known to the public.

[D]

Randy Johnson wasnt much of a pitcher and then he burst on the scene like a bomb and started killing.

Its possible although I think he has just gotten old, I mean if a 30-35 year old guy gets old overnight u can suspect

but Randy Johnson is what 41 years old? I mean its possible to lose it when u get that age.

Look at Roger Clemens though how dominant he is

In 95 Boston thought his career was over and look what happened

i believe Clemens used Roids.

[gilld1]

Yes, you keep hearing about all the suspected sluggers but the pitchers were keeping pace too.  I realize age might be a factor with Johnson but his fastball and slider last year were awesome but htis year it lacks that zip.  I also like how all the announcers talk of the players like Sosa and Ivan Rodriguez's new off season "conditioning" that had them lose some weight.  At least Giambi owned up to it, the rest are cowards with no balls, literally!

[Rob]

Yeah, the Phillies are alone in first in the wildcard race!!! 

[D]

Yeah, the Phillies are alone in first in the wildcard race!!!?

What a race the wildcard is gonna be

U got Philly, Houston,Washington and Florida just barely out, and the Mets are 3 out.

with over 40 to play its anyone's wildcard

I think Houston or Florida have the best shot

Houston has the weakest schedule, only 12 games against winning record opponents, and they got that big 3 pitching staff

Florida also have an amazing staff and a nice offense once they get healthy.

Id love to see the Mets get in there but with Cameron out and their bullpen inconsistent, I dont think they will make it.

[Mal Brossard]

Rumors and reports are flying in Houston, Philadelphia, and New York.  It's being reported that Roger Clemens and Johnny Damon both have tested positive for banned substances.  Of course, it's no coincidence that Michael Kay, the Yankees announcer, is one of the big ones pushing the Damon rumor.

More can be found here: http://www.juiceenewsdaily.com/0605/sports/positive.html

Damon denies it: http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=98750

As does the Boston Globe: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/scorecard/08/19/truth.rumors.mlb/index.html


It'll be interesting to see how this all pans out.  I have my doubts on Damon, but wouldn't be surprised at all if Clemens did.

[Rob]

Clemens doesn't surprise me too much.  Damon does however.  Of course I wouldn't put too much stock in anything Michael Kay says.  That guy's a moron.

[gilld1]

We need to tyhink about how far back the steroids usage goes and impacts the records.  I hate to say it but it taints the whole game for the last 20+ years.  What was legit?  Was Nolan Ryan on roids?  Dave Winfeild?  Mike Schmidt?  Who knows who we can believe?  Thank God for college Basketball!!

[Rob]

I don't think steroids go back that far.  Firstly players didn't start getting noticeably bigger until the early 90's.  And the huge homer numbers didn't start up until the mid-90's.  In fact when the 90's started homer numbers were kinda down.  It was a bit of a dead-ball era.  I think the early 90's was the start of the steroid era.

[Rob]

Ah, I always love to see the Yankees lose.  Its also gonna be nice to see a postseason that won't revolve totally around the Red Sox and Yankees.  I think people have forgotten there are 28 other teams in MLB.  I was starting to get pretty tired of only two teams get all the attention.

[Mal Brossard]

If there's any team I hate almost as much as the Yankees it's the goddamn Cardinals, the Yankees of the NL.

Haven't given a shit about them since Ozzie Smith retired (Ripken, Smith, and Puckett were the last players who played because they loved the game).

Fuck 'em.

And fuck the White Sox and their nearly-choking asses too.

I said it back in late September, and I'll say it again-- there are maybe 3 teams out of the 8 who actually deserve to be in the playoffs.  And only two of them are left, and by next week, it'll be just one.

[Rob]

Who didn't deserve to be in the playoffs that made it this year except the Padres?  The White Sox had th best record in the AL this year.  Why wouldn't they deserve to be in the World Series?

[Mal Brossard]

Yankees, Red Sox, and White Sox are the three big ones I'm talking about when I mention teams who shouldn't be there.

White Sox had a 15 game lead in the Central and nearly managed to choke it all away and miss the playoffs.  If the Indians don't go

The Yankees had a shitty first half and should have been gone by July.  They won't do much next year.

Red Sox managed to blow it out their ass just enough to let the Yankees back in to win the division.

Angels are a team that deserved to be there, and deserve to still be playing, but of course the umpires had to ruin that for them.

Cardinals deserve to be there, but I hope like hell that they're gone by midnight.

Padres-- taking advantage of a weak division.  Part of me wants to say it's not their fault the rest of the division sucks, but alas, they weren't that great either.

Braves-- they're always there.  They deserve it.  Then they get KO'ed quickly.  They deserve that too.

I'm glad the Astros got in over the Phillies (as I duck the projectiles thrown by the Philly natives of the board).  Hopefully, they'll keep the streak of Wild Card World Series Winners alive.

[Rob]

How could the teams with the 3 best records in the AL not deserve to get in?  You don't make any sense.  By the way the White Sox are in the World Series now, after beating the deserving Angels in 5 games.  What does that tell you about who deserves to be where they are?  I'd say after the ALCS the White Sox are a little more deserving than the Angels.

[Kujo]

Haven't given a shit about them since Ozzie Smith retired (Ripken, Smith, and Puckett were the last players who played because they loved the game).

I agree that most of them now play for the pay check, but there is a player down here in Miami that I think could be placed in the company of the examples that you gave. Dontrell Willis. I go to quite a few games and I have never seen this guy without a smile on his face or laughing around at the park. I've also attended some card signings that he's been at and he always takes the time to talk with the fans and take pictures with anyone who asks. Its a shame that he is buried down here. If he was in a bigger market he would be one of the biggest stars in the game, and the hands down winner of the Cy Young.
BTW I'm a Mets fan down here, so I'm not a homer talking up the home team player

[Rob]

There are still lots of guys who play for the love of the game.  Of course you got some that are in it for more monetary reasons, but just watch guys like David Eckstein, Jimmy Rollins, Tori Hunter...guys like that.  Those dudes go all out.  Every team has guys that give it all they got, its just that the Sheffields and Bondses of the world tend to overshadow them.

[D]

For the last time Chicago didnt almost choke.


Cleveland won something like 38 out of 47 games.

Chicago still played over 500 baseball, its just Cleveland played some of the greatest baseball of all time.


look at it like this

if Chicago played 600 ball and went 30 and 17, Cleveland still wouldve gained 8 games.


Chicago are the real deal.


Houston have a more experienced pitching staff, I think Clemens and Pettite have won a 4 titles or so each and countless Cy Youngs.

It will be a great WS cause both teams are very even.