Here’s a (non-comprehensive) list of guys whose huge offensive numbers began declining in 2004, the same time baseball started testing for steroids. No conclusions are drawn, but it is interesting to think about: Sammy Sosa Brett Boone Rafael Palmeiro Jeff Bagwell Jim Thome Javy Lopez Preston Wilson Frank Thomas Jason Giambi Garrett Anderson
The steroid era has made me a hypocrite, I think. Or maybe I am just as confused as everyone else. Last week, the day the latest Barry Bonds story broke, ESPN.com had a poll that asked the following question: Which players from the era of steroids deserve a spot in Cooperstown? Here’s how I voted… Read More »
I’m reading Peter Gammons’ blog right now, and he has the following anecdote about Jim Leyland: Leyland approached Brandon Inge to discuss his AL-high 23 errors at third base last year. “See that guy?” Leyland asked, pointing to infield coach Rafael Belliard. “He made 10 errors in five years. You’d better listen to him.” Well,… Read More »
In the past week, the Cubs’ Jerry Hairston Jr. and the Pirates’ Sean Casey have been hit in the head with pitches. Both times, whoever writes headlines for ESPN.com used the term “beaned in the head.” Maybe it is a silly pet peeve, but here it is: “beaned in the head” is like saying “3… Read More »
According to Peter Gammons (who heard it from the owner of a National League team), baseball has plans to contract four teams. To be honest, when someone asks me how many Major League teams there are, my first instinct is still to say 26, so I wouldn’t be at all upset about going back to… Read More »
I was reading Buster Olney’s baseball blog this morning (ESPN.com Insider account required), and he printed some emails from readers who were responding to Olney’s idea of having a sort of Lifetime Achievement Award in the Hall of Fame to honor people like Buck O’Neil and Minnie Minoso, who didn’t quite have the stats to… Read More »
Earlier this offseason, the Nationals acquired Brian Lawrence from the San Diego Padres in a trade. A couple days ago, it was discovered that Lawrence has a potentially career-ending arm injury. As Jim Bowden and Frank Robinson disagree over whether the Nats should have done an MRI as part of the pre-trade physical, I think… Read More »
Jim Rice is angry that he’s not in the Hall of Fame. [The Boston Globe requires a free login, but if you don’t want to sign up, go to www.bugmenot.com to get a login.] The more he talks, the more I hope he never makes it.
So the Yankees signed Scott Erickson to a minor league contract, with General Manager Brian Cashman referring to him as an “insurance policy.” Apparently Cashman wants to battle the Astros and Jeff Bagwell for the title of Worst Insurance Policy Ever. The article mentions that Joe Torre, Ron Guidry, and Joe Kerrigan watched Erickson throw… Read More »
I respect Ozzie Guillen for what he accomplished with the White Sox last year. That doesn’t stop me from thinking he is a jackhole. No, I don’t really care that he didn’t go to the White House with the rest of the White Sox, even though I have my suspicions that it was a lot… Read More »