2013 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[tim_m]

And i'm glad. It needs to happen. They need to get this shit out of sports period.

[tim_m]

According to the story on ESPN Nelson Cruz, Gio Gonzalez and Melky Cabrera are also on the list.

[Falcon]

And i'm glad. It needs to happen. They need to get this shit out of sports period.

A lot of players on teams we care about are going to be implicated, this is just another tip to another iceberg.

Can you imagine if "real" testing with "real" penalties ever was put in place in the NFL?

3/4 of the league would get busted.

[tim_m]

And i'm glad. It needs to happen. They need to get this shit out of sports period.

A lot of players on teams we care about are going to be implicated, this is just another tip to another iceberg.

Can you imagine if "real" testing with "real" penalties ever was put in place in the NFL?

3/4 of the league would get busted.

Yep, i don't understand why other leagues aren't following Baseball's lead. In football i think it would be extremely beneficial. Do you realize how many injuries would be avoided if they really got tough on these players who are getting outrageously fast and big.

[Falcon]

And i'm glad. It needs to happen. They need to get this shit out of sports period.

A lot of players on teams we care about are going to be implicated, this is just another tip to another iceberg.

Can you imagine if "real" testing with "real" penalties ever was put in place in the NFL?

3/4 of the league would get busted.

Yep, i don't understand why other leagues aren't following Baseball's lead. In football i think it would be extremely beneficial. Do you realize how many injuries would be avoided if they really got tough on these players who are getting outrageously fast and big.

NFL football is the absolute dirtiest league on the planet - it's look away and count the $$.

Just as the "Chicks dig the long ball" culture of baseball, "Chicks dig the big hits" in football.

Deterent?

1 positive test - 1 year.

2nd positive test - lifetime ban.

[tim_m]

And i'm glad. It needs to happen. They need to get this shit out of sports period.

A lot of players on teams we care about are going to be implicated, this is just another tip to another iceberg.

Can you imagine if "real" testing with "real" penalties ever was put in place in the NFL?

3/4 of the league would get busted.

Yep, i don't understand why other leagues aren't following Baseball's lead. In football i think it would be extremely beneficial. Do you realize how many injuries would be avoided if they really got tough on these players who are getting outrageously fast and big.

NFL football is the absolute dirtiest league on the planet - it's look away and count the $$.

Just as the "Chicks dig the long ball" culture of baseball, "Chicks dig the big hits" in football.

Deterent?

1 positive test - 1 year.

2nd positive test - lifetime ban.

That about sums it up. As long as everyone is getting filthy rich its ok if everyone is using something in the NFL.

That would certainly help. I'm sure there would still be some that would try it though. Look at Baseball the third time is a lifetime ban but you're still seeing players who have been caught twice. Losing a whole year for first offense and their career for the second i think would go a long way in deterring this.

[Falcon]

That about sums it up. As long as everyone is getting filthy rich its ok if everyone is using something in the NFL.

That would certainly help. I'm sure there would still be some that would try it though. Look at Baseball the third time is a lifetime ban but you're still seeing players who have been caught twice. Losing a whole year for first offense and their career for the second i think would go a long way in deterring this.

I think it would help but someone's always going to try and get ahead of the game then when the game catches up - find a loophole in the process.

Ryan Braun had enough testosterone in his body to lap the field in the Tour 'de France and got away with it.

He won't be the last.

[AxlsMainMan]

Buster Olney is speculating that the Yanks will cut ties with Rodriguez.

[faldor]

Buster Olney is speculating that the Yanks will cut ties with Rodriguez.

They're trying their hardest to have his contract voided, but I don't think they're going to be too successful in that venture.  There was a pretty good chance he wasn't going to give them too much bang for the enormous bucks he's owed, but now that looks like a certainty.

[Falcon]

Buster Olney is speculating that the Yanks will cut ties with Rodriguez.

The "Olney" way that's going to happen is if they cut him and eat $114 million.

The contract void or recouping $$ from his insured contract are both highly unlikely scenarios.

[Falcon]

On a better subject..

MLB Network is running there annual Top 50 Prospects Special right now, good stuff.

[Falcon]

And the Top 100:

http://www.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/watch/y2013/

[tim_m]

Buster Olney is speculating that the Yanks will cut ties with Rodriguez.

They're trying their hardest to have his contract voided, but I don't think they're going to be too successful in that venture.  There was a pretty good chance he wasn't going to give them too much bang for the enormous bucks he's owed, but now that looks like a certainty.

Agreed, i don't see a snowball's chance in hell they find a way out of it.

[pilferk]

Buster Olney is speculating that the Yanks will cut ties with Rodriguez.

The "Olney" way that's going to happen is if they cut him and eat $114 million.

The contract void or recouping $$ from his insured contract are both highly unlikely scenarios.

There's one other way:

Convince A-rod to retire.

I think that has a snowballs chance in hell, too. But probably a better chance than voiding the contract.

I'm OK with Arods days as a Yank being done....I made peace with that at the end of last season when it looked like they were going to get him out of town via trade or whatever because of production.  They're going to have to eat a good part of his contract if he continues to play and they want him out of NYC (or, at least, off the Yanks).

Now, Arod is denying it in the strongest way possible.  Not that I believe him.....largely, I don't...but I do want to see how this plays out.  Drug dealers aren't super reliable sources, either.  Sad that I'd trust the word of the dealer any more than Arods...but I do (if only a bit more) so there you go.

[faldor]

Buster Olney is speculating that the Yanks will cut ties with Rodriguez.

The "Olney" way that's going to happen is if they cut him and eat $114 million.

The contract void or recouping $$ from his insured contract are both highly unlikely scenarios.

There's one other way:

Convince A-rod to retire.

I think that has a snowballs chance in hell, too. But probably a better chance than voiding the contract.

I'm OK with Arods days as a Yank being done....I made peace with that at the end of last season when it looked like they were going to get him out of town via trade or whatever because of production.  They're going to have to eat a good part of his contract if he continues to play and they want him out of NYC (or, at least, off the Yanks).

Now, Arod is denying it in the strongest way possible.  Not that I believe him.....largely, I don't...but I do want to see how this plays out.  Drug dealers aren't super reliable sources, either.  Sad that I'd trust the word of the dealer any more than Arods...but I do (if only a bit more) so there you go.

In A-Rod's defense.  If he WAS using HGH, or other assorted PED's the last few years, they certainly didn't work too well.  His production slipped greatly, as did his health.  Isn't that what HGH is used to prevent?  I'd use that as a defense If I was him.   

[tim_m]

Buster Olney is speculating that the Yanks will cut ties with Rodriguez.

The "Olney" way that's going to happen is if they cut him and eat $114 million.

The contract void or recouping $$ from his insured contract are both highly unlikely scenarios.

There's one other way:

Convince A-rod to retire.

I think that has a snowballs chance in hell, too. But probably a better chance than voiding the contract.

I'm OK with Arods days as a Yank being done....I made peace with that at the end of last season when it looked like they were going to get him out of town via trade or whatever because of production.  They're going to have to eat a good part of his contract if he continues to play and they want him out of NYC (or, at least, off the Yanks).

Now, Arod is denying it in the strongest way possible.  Not that I believe him.....largely, I don't...but I do want to see how this plays out.  Drug dealers aren't super reliable sources, either.  Sad that I'd trust the word of the dealer any more than Arods...but I do (if only a bit more) so there you go.

In A-Rod's defense.  If he WAS using HGH, or other assorted PED's the last few years, they certainly didn't work too well.  His production slipped greatly, as did his health.  Isn't that what HGH is used to prevent?  I'd use that as a defense If I was him.   

At the very least he needs a better dealer.

[GeorgeSteele]

And i'm glad. It needs to happen. They need to get this shit out of sports period.

A lot of players on teams we care about are going to be implicated, this is just another tip to another iceberg.

Can you imagine if "real" testing with "real" penalties ever was put in place in the NFL?

3/4 of the league would get busted.

I think it's much closer to 4/4.  If there are performance enhancing substances that the NFL does not test for, I can't imagine that anyone is abstaining for the sake of being a boy scout.  Too much pressure, too much money at stake and maybe too dangerous to put yourself out there without PED assistance to get obliterated by the steroids-fueled opponents. 

[Falcon]

And i'm glad. It needs to happen. They need to get this shit out of sports period.

A lot of players on teams we care about are going to be implicated, this is just another tip to another iceberg.

Can you imagine if "real" testing with "real" penalties ever was put in place in the NFL?

3/4 of the league would get busted.

I think it's much closer to 4/4. 

I think you're probably right George, the NFL makes the US Postal Service Cycling Team look like it raced virtually "clean"...

[pilferk]

Little bit of other Yankee news:

They've apparently signed Travis Haffner to a 1 year deal, low base salary, with max value about 2 million.  He's supposed to fill the role Ibanez was SUPPOSED to fill last year (platoon DH) before Gardner got hurt.  Can't say I'm ecstatic about that move...but, it's not terrible.

Looks like the Yanks are planning to start with Austin Romine (their top catching prospect) in AAA...which means, I guess, the plan is for Cervelli and Stewart to catch.  That's going to hurt.....Could maybe Girardi come out of retirement, instead?  Or maybe try to convince Pudge Rodriguez to come out of retirement.

[Falcon]

The Miami/ARod thing is getting uglier, here's the latest:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/02/01/alex-rodriguez-miami-clinic-performance-enhancing-drugs-mlb/1883861/