Dec 13, 2007 

STEROIDPALOOZA: A's Jack Cust Named


Paul Bunyan didn't use steroids, but Jack Cust does.

Make that seven current or former Athletics named in the Mitchell Report.

A's designated hitter, Jack Cust, was named in connection to former Baltimore outfielder Larry Bigbie. According to the report, Cust told Bigbie he already a steroid supplier.
At the beginning of the 2003 season, Cust and Larry Bigbie were both playing for Baltimore’s class AAA affiliate in Ottawa. Bigbie’s locker was next to Cust’s. Cust eventually asked Bigbie if he had ever tried steroids. Bigbie acknowledged he had, and Cust said that he, too, had tried steroids. Cust told Bigbie that he had a source who could procure anything he
wanted, but Bigbie informed him he already had a friend who could supply him.
I suppose if Billy Beane wanted Barry Bonds as his DH in 2008, he now knows he already had a user at the position.

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11:30 AM | |

 

STEROIDPALOOZA: ESPN Names Tejada

CAN HOUSTON VOID THE BLOCKBUSTER TEJADA TRADE?

ESPN's Jeremy Schaap, Mitchell Report in tow, quickly perused the documents and briefly named the recently traded Astros' shortstop Miguel Tejada as a steroid user.

In the appendix, according to Schaap, checks written by Tejada are pictured.

The story here is whether the Houston Astros knew that Tejada would be named before consummating yesterday's blockbuster trade?

Did they ask him? Did Baltimore know before trading Tejada?

If Houston knew, they certainly didn't get a discount in the six-player trade.

In this brave new world of baseball, could Houston void the trade on the same basis when a team trades a player whose injuries were not disclosed  before the transaction?

On the local front, the naming of Tejada now includes six players with ties to the Oakland Athletics: Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire, Randy Velarde, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi and three American League Most Valuable Players.

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11:05 AM | |

 

STEROIDPALOOZA: Clemens & Pettitte Fingered

CLEMENS NAMED BY LFR IN 2006; PETTITTE IS A RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITE

Once likely Hall of Famer Roger Clemens and his scripture-spouting rotation-mate, Andy Pettitte will be named in the Mitchell Report.

Clemens' inclusion in the soon-to-be infamous report on steroids in Major League Baseball comes as no surprise to readers of Tailgater.

His alleged steroid use has been mentioned as far back as 2006 and specifically in this post from Feb. 6, 2007 which posed the question of whether Clemens' annual ritual of ditching spring training was due to March testing of the drugs.
When has there ever been an athlete in any sport that has been enabled to be held hostage by Clemens? The media doesn't pose this question because their in awe of his persona. They've also failed to ask Clemens whether the last half of his career might be an abberation in the era of steriods.
Nobody listened until today.

What follows could be a template for many of the players named in the Mitchell Report today. Clemens' clear down years in the early 90s followed by a conspicous rise in play.
If Barry Bonds and others are queried for miraculous comebacks late in the careers when others have historically begun the physically breakdown why hasn't Clemens be fingered? After faltering for three years in Boston his career seemed done when he was traded to Toronto in 1997. Suddenly, he was fit and throwing as hard as ever. He won the Cy Young that year and has been the same type of pitcher well into his 40s. Clemens' return the top of baseball follows the same steep trajectory as Bonds's.
If you use this template, it begs to speculate whether Cincinnati outfielder, Ken Griffey, Jr. is named in this report.

PETTITTE PRAISES THE LORD FOR STEROIDS
If the word hypocrite comes to mind regarding Andy Pettitte's being named in the Mitchell Report, it does in my mind, also.

Pettitte, who possesses a low-key manner personality, but also liked to tell you how his pious Christian lifestyle is better than yours. 

When it comes to using illicit drugs, apparently "What Would Jesus Do?" never came to Pettitte's mind.


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10:42 AM | |

Nov 6, 2007 

Say It Ain't So, Matty; Three Stars Leaked In Drug Probe

'ROID RAGER GUILLEN AND SOFT-SPOKEN WILLIAMS NAMED IN DRUG MESS

Steroid crusaders finally have someone of consequence to stomp on thanks to the journalistic superheroes at the San Francisco Chronicle and their ubiquitous unnamed sources.

C'mon, Neifi Perez is not going to satiate us.

Jose Guillen, Matt Williams and Ismael Valdez, now join Cleveland's Paul Byrd in a Federal sting of a Florida anti-aging clinic.

Despite unnamed sources, Guillen's surprise release by the Seattle Mariners should have alerted many that something was in the air. In September, the Mariners seemed happy with his production and aimed to bring him back for 2008. After hitting .290 with 22 homers and 99 RBIs, there would be little reason not to resign Guillen, unless the team was alerted of his impending steroid charge.

In hindsight, Guillen seemed to exhibit many characteristics of a player using performance-enhancing drugs. While with Pittsburgh, he was a hot shot prospect with a rocket for a right arm. His star quickly faded and he moved on to Tampa Bay, Arizona and Cincinnati.

According to the Chronicle report, he began using performance-enhancing drugs in 2002, incidentally, that was also his breakout season when he batted .311/31/86.

Guillen has always been known for his explosive temper. His hot head has led to defections from Oakland and Anaheim where he argued with manager Mike Scioscia in the Angels dugout. Might this have been a symptom of 'Roid Rage?

Matt Williams' inclusion in this list is quite saddening. Retired since 2003 and now a Arizona Diamondbacks announcer, the bald pate and quite determination of Williams were hallmarks of those Giants teams that featured Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell and, later, Barry Bonds.

Williams, according to the article, he was forthcoming about his use in 2002, saying it was recommended to heal a badly injured ankle.

In the coming weeks and months, this sort of answer might be common place for players with enough integrity to admit their errors in judgement because the use of steroids and performance-enhancers is really a quick way of healing the body during a long, arduous season.

Others like Barry Bonds and numerous athletes in track & field, cycling and other Olympic sports will use the tried and true, "my supplements were tainted" mantra, but even that line is nearing critical mass.

San Diego Padres outfielder, Mike Cameron, already used it last week, but added the caveat that whatever he used it wasn't steroids, but some other illegal drug.

If players like Matt Williams begin to surface as steroid offenders, stories far more shocking than Alex Rodriguez signing $350 million contracts will dominate the off season.

The question that could arise is if the majority of steroid offender revealed in the Mitchell report turn out to be retireed players, will the game really be able to resort to the Draconian measure that are truly needed to clean up the game?

Anything short of a big name star crashing to earth like a Ken Griffey, Jr. or Roger Clemens Major League Baseball will surely portray this scandal as a thing of the past and revert to business as usual.

Baseball players juicing up for inflated multi-million dollar contract would love that, but the public won't.

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11:10 AM | |

Oct 23, 2007 

The Rush To Discredit The Mitchell Report Before It's Released

ROSENTHAL QUESTIONS MITCHELL'S TIES TO RED SOX

Fox's Ken Rosenthal does a lot of presupposition in his article today questioning the impartiality of former Sen. George Mitchell and his impending steroid report.

Rosenthal is not a former player, but a highly respected sports journalist who wrote the baseball beat for The Sporting News for many years.

But, by blasting the messengers, whether it's the San Francisco Chronicle's Lance Williams and Mark Fainara-Wada or Mitchell, it begs the question of who really is impartial--the journalist entrusted with reported the facts, but questions the timing of the report or the former Senate majority leader who sits on the board of the Boston Red Sox?
If Mitchell had no prior knowledge of these allegations, then you have to wonder just how well his investigation is going. But the perception of bias might be an even bigger problem.
Why is Rosenthal leading the nascent charge to protect the players? Every former major leaguer, now talking head on ESPN already plays that role. A baseball player could be harboring Osama bin Laden in his locker and John Kruk would still make excuses for him.

Should the early race to discredit the Mitchell Report, which is due sometime after the World Series, be a harbinger to a highly explosive document? Mitchell and his surrogates were unequivocal last week when they should big names would be exposed, apparently far glitzier than the mundane Paul Byrd.

How exactly do you throw 80 mph using human growth hormone? Did he throw in the high 60s before?

Instead of being a shill for the player's association, Rosenthal should wait until the report is released before he create scenarios involving Red Sox players given preferential treatment over other teams.

Let's work on one conspiracy at time, shall we?

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10:07 AM | |

Jan 11, 2007 

Giant Problem: Get Rid Of Bonds Before He Signs Contract


McGWIRE'S HoF SNUB SHOULD BE AN OMINOUS SIGN FOR S.F.

Caveat emptor, or, let the buyer beware; is definitely a bit of Latin the San Francisco Giants' brass should have learned. As they resumed adding the fine print to Barry Bonds's shiny and completely undeserving $16 million dollar contract, the specter of his pass indiscretion again pop up.

According to the New York Post today, Bonds failed a drug test for amphetamines last year and promptly blamed the team's clubhouse favorite, outfielder Mark Sweeney.

This has to be a stark reminder and warning to Owner Peter Magowan that any further dealings with the steroid slugger is fraught with embarrassment for the franchise. Quick, drop the contract in the shredder and nobody gets hurt!

The Giants' insistence of ignorance over Bonds' 2006 drug test is likely to be true. According to the New York Times, the collective bargaining agreement states that individual clubs are left in the dark when a player fails an initial drug test for "greenies", or amphetamines that have populated Major League clubhouses since the 1960s when former Yankee Jim Bouton detailed them in his book, "Ball Four".

Other than being a veracious cheater, drug user and total curmudgeon, if Bonds failed to be forthcoming with the Giants during negotiations for his one-year contract, his actions would be completely in bad faith and cause for the Giants to rip up the contract.

At that point, Hank Aaron's home run record would be safe. Nobody would dare sign Bonds with the steroid scandal hanging over him and the perception of another form of drug abuse linked to him.

It should have been ominous week for Bonds and Giants when the equally tarnished Mark McGwire fell well short of induction into the Hall of Fame despite his 583 homers. Having #25 in leftfield is not a good idea for the Giants or baseball. It's not too late to back off.

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7:58 PM | |