MLB 2013

[Ron Thorne]

Speaking of A-Rod, I found this interesting online page.

The 10 Strangest Alex Rodriguez Stories All Of Time

For instance:

He did an odd high-fashion photoshoot for Details magazine.
And it produced this photo where he kisses himself in a mirror.



Source: Details



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/weird-al ... z2ZztmP5h5

[Blue Train]

Not sure if it's legal...but the doctor Mr. April went to for a second opinion on his quad said on the radio that he didn't see anything wrong with it.

Allegedly Mr. April isn't interested in negotiating a suspension like Braun. He's going down fighting to the end. From the Yankees point of view...they're better off if his suspension starts next year. It get's them under the $189 million luxury tax.

[Blue Train]

Okay, on how it was legal for his doctor to disclose the information. It's part of Mr. April's all in bet.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_ ... ng-slugger

[A. Kingstone]

I don't know if it's worse losing when you're supposed to lose or losing when you're supposed to win. Jays are getting clobbered.

[steve(thelil)]

Okay, on how it was legal for his doctor to disclose the information. It's part of Mr. April's all in bet.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_ ... ng-slugger

Not sure, but it was possibly legal. He was not Alex's treating physician. He was retained by the team for the purposes of consulting with them. So if he didn't sign a confidentiality agreement, he may have been legally allowed to disclose.

Not sure this is a parallel, but when a doctor examines a patient for an insurance company it is understood that he can testify about the findings and opinions. In other words NOT all medical exams are confidential. I believe that it depends largely on 1) whether there is a doctor/patient relationship and, if not, 2) what the parties have agreed to.

[Ron Thorne]

I just finished watching the Hall of Fame induction ceremony from Cooperstown, and one inductee really stood out to me as a former catcher, James "Deacon" White. Among other notables, the fact that he was a bare-handed catcher really caught my attention.



19th-century star Deacon White takes unlikely spotlight in Cooperstown

Who was Deacon White?

On Sunday, White will be the only former player inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2013.





Yes, that's right.

The only player going into Cooperstown was a barehanded catcher who was born during the Polk administration, died in 1939 and played his last major league game 123 years ago. And oh yeah, he learned to play baseball in 1865 from a Union soldier just back from the Civil War.

How did the Hall find itself in this head-scratching situation?

Well, for one thing, the Baseball Writers Association of America failed to elect any players for the first time since 1996. Men with historic numbers like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were denied entry because of their PED associations. Other qualified candidates, such as Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell, were not voted in because ... uhh, who knows?

At the same time, 2013 happened to be a year in which only candidates who made their greatest contributions to the game from 1876 to 1946 could be elected via the non-BBWAA route (generally known as the Veterans' Committee, though that's not the official name anymore). So unlike last year, when relatively recent player Ron Santo was selected, this year was destined to be about honoring the long forgotten.

As a result, White will have the spotlight to himself in a way no 19th-century player has in recent decades. Bid McPhee, for instance, was inducted in 2000; McPhee played between 1882 and 1899. So were Dave Winfield and Tony Perez; McPhee was not the main attraction in Cooperstown that Sunday afternoon in late July.

Full Story<

[Blue Train]

Albert Pujols is most likely gone for the rest of the season. That contract looks worse with every passing year....and it's only the 2nd year.



Don't even get me started on the Josh Hamilton deal.

[Mr. Met]

Is A-Fraud gone?


MLB prepared to ban A-Rod for life, suspend eight others
Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports 8:32 p.m. EDT July 31, 2013

(Photo: Jeff Blake, USA TODAY Sports)

Commissioner Bud Selig is prepared to levy a lifetime suspension on New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, while suspending about eight others before the weekend, two people with knowledge of the negotiations told USA TODAY Sports.

The people were unauthorized to speak publicly because no announcement is expected until Thursday or Friday.

"I hope he does it,'' former Commissioner Fay Vincent told USA TODAY Sports. "It's right for baseball. The harder he comes down, the better it is for baseball.''

Rodriguez, according to his attorney, David Cornwell, will appeal any suspension, regardless of the severity. The other players are expected to receive 50-game bans, and most are considering accepting the discipline without appealing, according to one of the people.

As many as 20 players were originally linked to Biogenesis, a Miami clinic that allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs, but some players could not be disciplined for lack of evidence.

Besides Rodriguez, All-Stars Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers and Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers are facing possible suspensions, along with shortstop Everth Cabrera of the San Diego Padres.

Rob Manfred, MLB executive vice president of labor relations, informed the Major League Players Association officials on Tuesday of their findings and suspensions. The players and their representatives will decide whether they will file an appeal or accept the penalties, which would all but end their regular season with barely 50 games remaining.

Rodriguez, who used performance-enhancing drugs from 2010-2012, according to Biogenesis documents originally released by the Miami New Times, has never been punished for doping. Players who violate the drug policy are subject to a 50-game suspension.

Milwaukee Brewers outfield Ryan Braun was suspended last week for 65 games for what MLB called violations of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and Joint Drug Agreement.

New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, as part of the Charleston RiverDogs, appears in a rehab game against the Rome Braves at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Jeff Blake, USA TODAY Sports Fullscreen

In banning Rodriguez for life Selig could invoke Article XII (B) of the CBA, which states:

"Players may be disciplined for just cause for conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of baseball, including, but not limited to, engaging in conduct in violation of federal, state or local law.''

MLB will contend that, in addition to lying about performance-enhancing drug use, Rodriguez lied to MLB officials while attempting to sabotage their investigation, according to one of the people.

When asked if MLB is planning to impose a lifetime ban on Rodriguez, union executive director Michael Weiner said in an email: "I can neither confirm nor deny.''

An appeal would be heard by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz and would likely not occur until September. Should MLB suspend Rodriguez under the CBA, he would be ineligible to play until Horowitz's decision.

The most recent example of Article XII (B) being used came when Selig suspended Atlanta Braves closer John Rocker in 2000 for 28 days and fined him $20,000 for inflammatory comments made to Sports Illustrated. The sentence was reduced to 14 days by arbitrator Shyam Das.

"I think that given the Collective Bargaining Agreement," Vincent said, "he has room to use the best-interest clause in the CBA if there are criminal acts. And I think the courts are very protective of commissioners using the best-interest clause."

Rodriguez, 38, has been sidelined all season as he recovers from hip surgery in January. He is scheduled to play in a rehab game Friday in Trenton, N.J. If he stays healthy, he hopes to join his teammates perhaps Tuesday in Chicago.

He remains adamant that he is innocent of the drug charges, insisting that he has not used performance-enhancing drugs since 2003 when he was with the Texas Rangers.

"I have never failed a test, paid people, or done the things they're accusing me of," Rodriguez told USA TODAY Sports in a July interview. "Nobody is hiding anything. It's weird."


My least favorite chump since Bonds and Clemens.

But then again, MLB looked the other way when McGwire and Sosa hit a bazillion home runs and ended the anger towards the players' strike about five years prior.

[Mike Schwartz]

With the trade of Bud Norris to the Orioles, the Astros' 2013 team payroll has now dropped from an already MLB low of $16M to $13M. For the ENTIRE team!

If I remember correctly, the owner of the team was paid handsomely in some sort of compensation agreement [ 40 MIL?] for the change to move the team to the American League.

My son in law is from Houston and a life_long Astros fan.....poor guy

I just looked up the MLB minimum player salary which this year is $490,000, so if ALL Astros were paid the absolute minimum on the 25 player roster would come to $12,250,000

[Jimmy Cantiello]

The Mets are constantly improving and are going to have the best second half in major league history!

LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS!

Not for nothing but I think Mr. Met needs a proper avatar. Don't you think?

[Mr. Met]

The Mets are constantly improving and are going to have the best second half in major league history!

LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS! LET'S GO METS!

Not for nothing but I think Mr. Met needs a proper avatar. Don't you think?

So it has been written, so it shall be done.

And Scott, the Mets are the greatest team in the history of the galaxy.

[bluenoter]

It was brought to my attention that this might be a good time for me to start following my team again.

I'm finding conflicting definitions of "fair-weather fan." I've never switched my allegiance to a team other than the Pirates---never! Rather, I've ignored MLB for decades.

I have a bit of catching up to do. I don't know the current personnel or the newest stadium. I see that my Pirates T-shirt was manufactured in 1991. It doesn't have a logo, but in my mind's eye, the Pirates logo will always look like this:



So how bad is being that variety of fair-weather fan?

[Blue Train]

:oops: It was brought to my attention that this might be a good time for me to start following my team again.

I'm finding conflicting definitions of "fair-weather fan." I've never switched my allegiance to a team other than the Pirates---never! Rather, I've ignored MLB for decades.

I have a bit of catching up to do. I don't know the current personnel or the newest stadium. I see that my Pirates T-shirt was manufactured in 1991. It doesn't have a logo, but in my mind's eye, the Pirates logo will always look like this:


So how bad is being that variety of fair-weather fan?

Translation:

Holy Shit, the Pirates are in 1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?^Infinity Symbol Where is my Willie Stargell shirt?! Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Francisco Liriano?????


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_hIIfm2OI4

P.S. One of Pops' cousins....his favorite player of all time is Roberto Clemente.

[Ron Thorne]

I really enjoyed watching a slugfest earlier today between the Mariners and Blue Jays, ending in a 9-7 win for Seattle. It was a fun game.

Now, what should be another entertaining one ... the Cardinals at home against the Dodgers. An announcer made a humorous comment just before the start of the game, referencing Yasiel Puig. To paraphrase, he said "we don't know what he'll do, but he'll do something that they'll be talking about tomorrow!" What a wonderful talent, and timely injection of passion for the Dodgers—baseball in general.

[Blue Train]

What a wonderful talent, and timely injection of passion for the Dodgers—baseball in general.

Yet, it seems like with Bryce Harper there is a lot of anti-Puig feelings/comments that I don't get from fans/players/reporters.

[Ron Thorne]

What a wonderful talent, and timely injection of passion for the Dodgers—baseball in general.

Yet, it seems like with Bryce Harper there is a lot of anti-Puig feelings/comments that I don't get from fans/players/reporters.

Sorry, BT, but I don't understand your point here.

Please rephrase it.

Thanks.

[steve(thelil)]

Sorry, BT, but I don't understand your point here.

Please rephrase it.

Thanks.

Sounds like sacrilege to me.

[Blue Train]

Sorry, BT, but I don't understand your point here.

Please rephrase it.

Thanks.

I mean all the negativity from the "purist" on how both of them play and behave....especially with Puig. Seems all the seem to do is find things to comment about with him.

Take for example this from the Cardinals game.

http://www.voxxi.com/tale-two-dodgers-y ... -gonzalez/

[Mr. Met]

I would like to go on record. A-Rod is a chump.

[moldyfigg]

Puig sparked the Dodgers when he came. He created more excitement than any player I can remember. He should be ROY.

But the two guys, besides the pitchers, who made them winners were Adrian Gonzales and Hanley Ramirez.

I can see a dynasty coming with all that Guggenheim bread.

[steve(thelil)]

Puig sparked the Dodgers when he came. He created more excitement than any player I can remember. He should be ROY.

But the two guys, besides the pitchers, who made them winners were Adrian Gonzales and Hanley Ramirez.

I can see a dynasty coming with all that Guggenheim bread.

"Teams can not thrive by bread alone."

-Brian Cashman

[A. Kingstone]

Great pitchers duel in Oakland yesterday.

The Moneyball style almost bit the A's when Reddick popped out on a bunt attempt with none out and 2 on in the 5th.

[bluenoter]

Pittsburgh Pirates
Lead series against Cardinals 2-1
Game 4 @ PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
today, 3:07 PM (ET) on TBS

With today's game, they can win the best-of-5 NL Central Division Series---

[moldyfigg]

Some of us will be spending a lot of hours in front of the old HD today.

[A. Kingstone]

When I saw there were 4 games today I nearly came down with a bad cold.