Repeating History

If there is one thing left that baseball has going for it, then that one thing would surely be history. The NBA's past is violent and archaic compared to today's game. The NFL barely resembles the league it used to be, even as late as the 1980s. But baseball, by and large, is the same game now as it was in 1997 or 1897. Except, you know, that it isn't.

For some reason, Major League Baseball, its fans and sports writers as a whole, like to pretend that the Steroid Era didn't change anything; that with "The Year of the Pitcher" and the decline of Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire, the whole black period is behind us. As if somehow we can just slice that piece of baseball's history off like a tumor, and hope that it didn't spread to the rest of the body.

Which is why, I presume, there is outrage when you entertain the idea that Jose Bautista could be on steroids. It's unfair, they say. Just because he is having a career year doesn't mean he should be lumped into a group of cheaters in the 1990s.

But career years aren't usually defined by hitting 250% more home runs than your previous season high, which was 4 years ago, and it's only August. This stands out like a sore thumb. As did McGwire, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa stood out when they started murdering baseballs and breaking decade old records like it was old hat. Nobody stood up then to ask any questions. It's unfair, they said.

I'm not even suggesting that Bautista is using. But shouldn't we at least be asking the question? The reason the Steroid Era was allowed to thrive was because nobody would point out the obvious. I thought the lesson learned was to point out statistical anomalies so that this would never happen again.

Of course, you can't just flat out test the guy because he's smashing the ball. But we should look to next year. If he trends back towards his career average, then chalk it up to a fluke. But if he approaches 40 home runs again, and then again? Time to investigate.

Yes, it is unfair, but the Steroid Era is to blame. The game simply is not the same. Not yet, anyway. And until every sign and stench from that period is washed away, current players will have to suffer the consequences of their predecessors. Either that, or we turn a blind eye and repeat the tainted history that led us here.

Knowing baseball people, pretending like the game is fine is the likeliest of scenarios. They just better pray, and pray hard, that Jose Bautista is clean.

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The Harm of Progress

Baseball is a nineteenth-century pastoral game

Football is a twentieth-century technological struggle

-George Carlin

I have forever been an advocate of instant replay. Not just in football, but in all sports. When a Ray Allen jump shot is changed from a two-pointer to a three-pointer minutes after it goes through the hoop, I'm glad they got it right. Replay has completely changed the NFL, so much so that teams hire guys whose only job is to watch every play from the booth to decide whether or not the coach should throw the red flag.

So, like most of the sports world, I too have been clamoring for baseball to adopt more replays. And now after the Armando Galarraga/Jim Joyce fiasco, the voices are louder than ever in favor of not just home runs being reviewed, but safe calls, fair and foul balls, etc. Last October, I even proposed a way for balls and strikes to be called from a booth.

I think I was wrong. When it comes to discussing the idea of progression, whether it's social, political or in the realm of sports, it is very easy to become hypocritical or lose sight of what really matters. I consider myself a very progressive person. I am pro-drugs, pro-gay, anti-war, etc. In other words, I am young. But while I value evolution, I also understand that sometimes, the unfair, old-school ways are sometimes the best ways to garner results.

For example, I hold a philosophy that is unpopular with about 99% of the people I know. I believe that the Feminist Movement of the 1950s and 60s hurt America. Let me explain.

Do I believe that women should be seen as equal to men? Absolutely. Do I believe women can and should hold the same jobs as men and be paid the same? Of course. But that doesn't necessarily mean that a coed working society breeds the best kind of people. You look at children today, and they are being raised by housekeepers, babysitters and daycare centers, not their parents. This is because both parents work. There isn't any time to actually raise their kids. And don't tell me both parents work because they have to financially. While true, that is a product of a flooded job market that is a result from twice as many people working than there used to be.

With that being said, I don't think we should strip women, or men for that matter, the right to work. It's simply not fair. But fair doesn't always lead to a desirable outcome. You see, a woman's role in early America was to raise the children, keep the house in order, cook the food, etc. Are those not needs anymore? That job is nearly extinct, yet the demand for those services is still as high as what it once was. So we are left without those services, which is crippling.

Women needed to be granted the right to earn their keep, but the Feminist Movement convinced everyone that a women should want to work, and that being a homemaker wasn't important. This is why are kids grow up in households without the sensitive, loving parent at home, and the dominant, disciplinary figure out in the work force. The cat's out of the bag, there is no turning back now.

So what does this have to do with instant replay? The cry for more replays in baseball is the MLB's Feminist Movement. Does it promote fairness? Yes. Is it an act of progression that future generations might laugh at because we didn't have it sooner? Yes. But will it turn out to hurt the game? Probably.

We simply do not have to be progressive about everything. It's okay if some things stay arcane and unfair, all in the name of preserving what works. The dichotomy between housewife mom and worker dad worked. Whether or not it was the right thing to do, you can not argue the results. And while instant replay may be the right thing to do with baseball, we also can not argue that the way the game has been played for ever a century has worked.

Baseball is outdated, but that's what we love about it, isn't it? It's slow and simple, like how life used to be. There's a reason why it's called the national pastime. I don't think it's in the MLB's best interest to try to out-advance the NFL. That's a losing battle. I think that I now understand what purists are talking about when they praise the "human element" of baseball. It's a game that is unfair and foolish but ultimately fun. That's how life not only used to be, but will always be. I say we embrace it.

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Serving 8-10

Royals fans put up with a lot of shit. Really, you have to give them credit for going to Kauffman Stadium year after year, subjecting themselves to the pains of loving a horrible team. Unlike a lot of fan bases, Royals fans are very informed of their minor league affiliates, mostly because that's the only place they can find some optimism. They understand the realities of a small-market baseball team and why it is that their beloved team sucks.

However, they are now pass the point of frustration. Nobody wants to wait anymore. Can you blame them?

It's not just that the Royals haven't been to the postseason since they won the World Series in 1985, or that they've only had one winning season since 1994. It's not that the team isn't winning, it's that they are embarrassing themselves while losing.

From the front office, you have bad signings, failure to build up the minors and failure to keep the studs that you have (Damon, Dye, Beltran). On the field, the players routinely drop infield fly balls, seemingly have no idea how to run the bases or work the counts, and think OBP is a type of doctor. After twenty-plus years of enduring this type of pathetic ball play, it's no wonder why Royals fans are fed up.

And then you add this: GM Dayton Moore has publicly announced that it will take 8-10 years (from 2007, when he was hired) to build this team into any kind of contender. Well, the fans aren't liking that. Not. One. Bit.

I understand them, I really do. But the fact is that Moore is right. When you have an organization that is as depleted as the Royals were, it takes a lot of work to get them rolling again, especially when they're owned by David Glass, who extends slashing prices from one of his many Wal-Mart stores all the way to the Royals' payroll. You can't just cash out on veteran free agents for a one year run - two years at the MOST - and then be bankrupt for the next decade. You have to build from the ground up. And that takes time.

What makes it hard for Royals fans to swallow can be summed up in two words: Zack Greinke. Here you have a bona fide Ace, a top-5 pitcher and Cy Young winner, a guy you can build around. Unfortunately, the Royals aren't in any position to build a contender right now. Don't blame Dayton Moore, blame the prior administration.

Really, it's just bad luck. What this team needs is to freeze Greinke, à la Austin Powers, so we can thaw him out when he's really needed. There's no use for a Cy Young winner right now. As much as it pains me to say it, the Royals need to trade him. Get some young, can't miss talent, and just stockpile as much as you can. The plan is for everyone to come up at the same time. It's what Tampa Bay did, and right now they are the best team in baseball.

I know the fans deserve a winning team right now, but it is just not happening. We have to trust that Moore knows what he's doing. Yes, it's like being proposed to right after you got out of a relationship where you were beaten severely for twenty years. I never said it would be easy. There's still a few really tough years to endure. But if the Royals' fan base pressures this team into making stupid, win-now decisions, then they deserve all the losing that they are getting.

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Divorcing the Royals

I am in a very bad relationship. She beats me, hurts me, leaves me emotionally scarred almost every single night. Sometimes it can ruin my whole day just thinking about her. And yet, I keep coming home. I endure. My friends and family tell me to leave, that I deserve better. But I can't.

She, of course, is the Kansas City Royals. We've been together for 24 years now. Sadly, the last time she was even somewhat of a decent person was the year before we met. I do love her, but the pain has increasingly become much higher than the pleasure. I'm thinking of divorcing the Royals.

It's the most dreadful thing a sports fan can think about. There is no turning back once you let go of a sports team, because if you return when things start going well, then you become the worst kind of fan there is. It's permanent. No remarriages.

But enough is enough. It's one thing not to spend money. A lot of teams have small payrolls. Actually, there are ten teams that spent less this year than Kansas City did. One of those teams, Tampa Bay, might be the best team in baseball, and made a World Series appearance two years ago. It's not about the money, honey.

It's about the lack of caring. When you trot out the likes of Kyle Farnsworth and Bruce Chen to ruin the careers of Zack Greinke and Luke Hochevar, then there is a problem. When you lead the league in batting average, but come in dead last in team ERA, then you are wasting talent. Joe Posnanski tweeted the other day that since August of 2008, Greinke has had an ERA of 2.11, and in those games, the Royals are 22-24. This is unacceptable.

It seems that every decision this organization makes is the wrong one. The youth never pans out, the veterans are already washed up. I can get over the fact that we couldn't keep Jermaine Dye, Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon; we're a small market team, it happens. But when you do have those guys and let them waste away and get bitter because you're unable to surround them with anything resembling a major league ball club? That is when it gets hard to swallow.

The scouts are never right, and somehow, through regime changes and everything, still this team seems incapable of understanding how to put a decent team on the field. Bad luck is one thing. Not every high draft pick will be a Hall of Famer. But to ignore stats, ignore history and ignore the windows of opportunity when they appear is just offensive to me. Why the hell should I support a team who at worst doesn't care about winning, and at best is completely ignorant and helpless?

I'm not breaking up with you yet, Royals, but I'm definitely taking some time away. Perhaps see some other people (don't worry, not your sister, the Cardinals. I hate that bitch). When I come back next Spring, you have better changed your ways. I simply cannot take any more of this. I don't want to, but I will divorce your ass. And if I'm lucky, I'm taking the kids, Zack and Billy, with me.

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2010 MLB Predictions (American League)

Predictions, like most sports analysis, are a win/win situation. If you get things wrong, nobody remembers. However, if you somehow strike gold and guess right, you can brag about it all year long. Now how could I pass an opportunity like that up? So here are my 2010 MLB predictions.

AL EAST

Winner: Boston Red Sox

I'm quite aware that the Yankees won the World Series last year. I am also privy to the fact that Steinbrenner & Sons spend more than anybody in baseball. But none of that matters. You know what matters? Pitching matters.

The Yankees had a team ERA of 4.26 (12th in the majors) in 2009. But their "ace" (more on the quotes later) didn't even have a win in the World Series. Oh, and that Hall of Fame closer? He's 40 years old. Scooby Doo is 40 years old. Think about it.

Anyways, here's the big "if": can C.C. Sabathia keep a sub 3.50 ERA again? He's only done it twice with the same team (Cleveland) and that was in the AL Central, where he won't be facing the offenses he will see day to day in the AL East. If he struggles just a little, the ground lost is enough to give the Sox the crown.

Seriously, what was the Red Sox's downfall in 2009? Offense. But look at the numbers. They were 3rd in the majors in runs scored, 2nd in OPS, 2nd in slugging, 6th in batting average, 3rd in RBIs and 4th in home runs. They were also in the top half of every pitching statistical category except for batting average, but every AL East team was in the top half in the batting category. So the question you gotta ask yourself is, was that Boston's fault or the result of good hitting?

I say it's a result of just a good division. If the addition of John Lackey and a healthy Dice-K/Beckett combo teams up with Cy Young dark horse John Lester and best 5th-man in the league Clay Buchholz ends up anchoring this team? Turn the lights out in New York.

AL CENTRAL

Winner: Minnesota Twins

Baseball Prospectus has the Twins winning this division at a forgettable 81-81 record. And you know what? I kind of agree. Though I do think the White Sox could be a sleeper here.

What killed Chicago is both their batting average and OPS. But don't think that key addition Juan Pierre (who's career BA and OPS gains ground in Chicago, especially against the 13th, 23rd, 26th and 29th worst ERAs in the majors) won't make a difference. If Jake Peavy can regain the San Diego form he once had (sub 3.00 ERA in 4 of 6 seasons), beware.

But that's a lot of "ifs". I like the sure bet. I like experience and a trustworthy program. I like the Twins.

AL WEST

Winner: Texas Rangers

The West isn't quite the best, as far as high level baseball. But as an arms race? To quote Sarah Palin, "You betcha!" To give you some perspective, Baseball Prospectus has my last place team, the Oakland Athletics, tied for first. Ugh.

Here's my take, in short: the Angels lost too much, the A's don't have quite enough, the Rangers have enough and the Mariners are said to have enough. You got that?

I understand the Seattle fixation. They were 6th in the majors in ERA last year and added Cliff Lee. But they were also next to last in batting average in the majors (they had .352 Ichiro Suzuki, mind you), finished last in the AL in runs and 26th in the majors in OPS. And did I mention that Milton Bradley is involved?

Give me the Rangers. Offense? Check. Pitching? Always getting better. Fielding? 5th lowest error total in 2009. Weak division? You got it.

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The Good, The Badass, & The Ugly

There are two circumstances where sports crosses over into life. The first is when a tragedy occurs. Think of George W. Bush's first pitch after 9/11, the first game Virginia Tech played after the massacre, etc. The second is when the troubles the rest of us have reaches our beloved superstars. Not in a Mike Vick/Plaxico Burress sort of way either. I mean, how many of us have murdered dogs or shot ourselves in a night club?

The Good

San Francisco Giants ace pitcher Tim Lincecum. The Cy Young winner who resembles Mitch Kramer from Dazed and Confused was charged with possession of 3.3 grams of marijuana after being pulled over for speeding. No doubt he was driving to his dealer's house to reload.

The Badass

Raiders coach Tom Cable, who we have recently learned not only beats up on assistant coaches, but smacks around women as well. The National Organization for Women thinks Cable should be suspended. Which seems funny, because the cumulative man--err--woman hours that organization has spent watching football is somewhere around 0.0-0.02.

The Ugly

Andre Agassi. According to his new book, Agassi smoked meth, tanked games, took speed at an early age, never liked Brooke Shields and was a pyromaniac. Or as it's known in tennis circles, "Pulling a McEnroe".


The reason I bring these three up is because they have done what sports commissioners and sports writers spend a lifetime trying to hide: athletes are exactly the same as us.

Granted, Tom Cable is not an athlete nor a superstar. But he has come to embody everything that the Oakland Raiders used to stand for: blue collar football thuggery. I say "used to" because the reality of sports in the 21st century has led us to believe this kind of behavior doesn't exist anymore. Like it or not, the Raiders conduct themselves like athletes of yesteryear, which everyone seems to agree was a better time for sports. They do not hide their shortcomings. Everyone who puts on the black and silver is an extension of Al Davis. And while that rarely translates to wins, it does translate into truth.

Lincecum and Agassi's stories are a little different. They are superstars. And while Agassi's life may be lazily construed as a warning against forcing children into professional athletics, I see it more as another story of another American person. No, we haven't all had the same problems, but we know somebody who does. I know a guy who used to do meth, a guy who for some reason did not love a beautiful woman, and a guy who thought he should abuse matches like Beavis (OK, that last one was me). Agassi is all of us, just wrapped into one.

The same goes with Lincecum. He smokes weed. We all have. If you haven't, then I have no idea why you would read anything on this website.

We've learned that Troy Aikman almost crushed his brain into mush because of his pride, Brett Favre is selfish, Pete Rose wanted to win too much, Isiah Thomas has a little bit of homophobia, and so on. In the 60s, 70s and 80s, being like everyone else and having flaws was the reason athletes became heroes. Mickey Mantle drank like your father. Hell, even JFK lusted like you do. It was alright, because there was no illusion.

Make no mistake, this is a good thing. We need it. It's why Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa are pariahs but Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte are champions; the latter pair apologized. They admitted their flaws, which we can identify with. I say the more pot possessions, wife beatings and meth smoking the better. It's healthy to become comfortably numb to demons of reality. It's what makes the accomplishments of those who have risen above them that much more heroic.

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The Two Books of Alex Rodriguez

If there is one big secret amongst writers, this is it: we don't like to work. We wanted to be writers so we didn't have to get a real job. So naturally, your common sports writer will take the easiest road possible, not the one less traveled. We claim our predictions before research, trying to find stats that backup our words. We write books before the ending is clear.

This is basically what Alex Rodriguez's public career has become. If you were to write his biography now, it would be summed up like this: great regular season, horrible postseason. Writers who feel they are clever would say the "A" in A-Rod stands for April.

But the 2009 postseason has changed things. Rodriguez has been Jeter-esque in his clutchness. He has carried the Yankees to the World Series. And this does not sit well with the sports media.

You see, these lazy sports writers have already written the book. It's a very nice strategy. Usually, what you see is what you get, and there is no need to imagine that things might change. But things have changed for A-Rod. He is no longer the wannabe Derek Jeter who can't perform in the clutch. He has rewritten his career. He has caused change.

Writers hate this.

Believe me, every non-Yankees fan will want the Phillies to win, not just because they loathe the Bronx Bombers, either. They also want A-Rod to fail, to fulfill the destiny they themselves have already written about. Because if Rodriguez were to carry the Yanks to the title, maybe even win World Series MVP, they would have to admit to being wrong. The book of A-Rod would have to be rewritten. That does not set well with writers.

To quote Mark Twain: "The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say". Most writers have already finished what has not really begun. Let's wait and see, shall we? Perhaps A-Rod can write the another book, or at least another chapter. It will probably be more interesting than what you read in the papers.

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Big Brother, Where Art Thou?

Game Two between the Twins and Yankees had fantastic drama. A-Rod gets the monkey off his back and ties the game in the ninth. Mark Teixeira hits the game-winner in the bottom of the 11th. Baseball should be loving this, right? Unfortunately, at the top of the 11th, Joe Mauer's double that was called foul left a big black mark on the series. As have some questionable calls at first, and the strike zones which seem to have no consistency at all. The game is too big for this, too much money and passion is involved. Things needs to change.

Convincing the good ol' boys of baseball to install instant replay for home runs was like trying to convince Glenn Beck that Obama doesn't sneak out of the White House at night to eat children. Met with way too much resistance, Bud Selig and the gang made it seem nearly impossible that any other type of replay could be used. Yes, we all want it, but if getting the home run calls took that much effort, what will we have to do to get instant replay for foul balls and safe calls?

Two arguments go into the mindset of keeping the game where it is. One is that instant replay slows down the game. Well, here's a secret: people that think baseball is too slow do not watch baseball. When is the last time you heard someone say, "I love the Mets, but if these games start going an extra ten minutes longer, I'm out"? So let's put that to rest, it is a non-issue.

The second case is to protect the "human element" of the game. As if it's somewhat charming to have umpires who blow calls like Lindsey Lohan blows lines. Give me a break. Does anyone outside of the game actually care about this? I propose something different, something radical.

How about every call is booth reviewed? Every ball, every strike, every close call. If TBS can install a strike zone during its telecast, why can't the MLB? It's easy: someone upstairs watches the pitch using the boxed strike zone, hits a button that signals a remote to the home plate umpire (like where the little box used to keep track of balls and strikes would be), and then the ump signals ball or strike. There would be a one second delay for every call, which would be virtually undetectable. Hell, you could do it right now without telling anybody and not one fan could tell the difference.

With fair or foul calls, and calls at the bases, let the umps do their thing. There is ample time in between the call and the next pitch for someone in the booth the review it. If the call is wrong, they can just buzz the umpire. It would add what, one minute to each game? So be it. You know what makes games long? Managers coming out to bitch about bad calls. You think Lou Piniella would come out and argue with the ump if he wasn't the one who made the decision? There would be nobody to yell at. Nothing would be disputable.

Somebody tell me how this would not work. I'm curious. The game would change, yes, but times have changed. Baseball is no longer a past time, it is a billion dollar business. It's time to get things right.

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Royals. I'm Not Lovin' It.

In Kansas City, as the Royals' season winds down (as it has been since May), the talk around town is how the franchise needs success not to hold onto current fans, but to insure that the younger generations grow up in baseball culture. I was born a few months after the Royals won the World Series - I have never seen good hometown baseball, and neither has anyone of my generation. I'm still a fan, as I was born into it, but many people my age just don't care. It's why every season in every sport matters so much. You need to be constantly hooking the younger fans.

It's why McDonald's advertises. Those commercials aren't for you and me, we know where to go for a burger, they're there so every kid in America will know McDonald's. You don't pay billions in advertising dollars unless it has an effect.

If the Yankees are the McDonald's of the baseball world, then the Royals are Jack in the Box. George Brett retired in 1993, the same year JINB had their E. coli epidemic. I was seven years old at the time. Since then, there has been no reason to care about the Royals, and JINB has been known for nothing other than killing people. However, in the past few years, the restaurant chain has made a comeback, equipped with a new mascot and a new look. And it's working.

Americans under twenty don't know about the E. coli breakout, they only know the fake Jack in the Box CEO with the Barry Bonds-sized head they see on television. The chain could have done the same thing in 1994, but more than likely it wouldn't have worked. The time was ripe for change, as it is now with the Royals. They too need a face lift, but of course, replacing Slugger and spending money on ads won't do the trick. Slugger has a big enough head as it is anyways.

But they are running out of time. The reason JITB has able to resurface was because not only did the young audience not remember the controversy, but they did remember the brand. They've always been around, so it wasn't a new name. The only difference was the appearance of success. If the Royals strike now, they can keep the younger fans who at least remember George Brett, or even Mike Sweeney. But if they wait, they will only be left with a future of kids who don't trust the organization and don't expect anything but failure. And those kids will not become fans.

2010 might be the most important season of the Royals franchise. Fail now, and future success may not even matter. At the very least, they can become the Hardees of the MLB; not very good for you, but addicting and it keeps you coming back for more. And at this point, I'm fine with that.

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Sports Isn't Reality

I hate reality television. It is a commercialized, over-produced lie wrapped in a nice, advertised bow of truth. The Bachelor isn't really looking for love. Survivor contestants probably check their Facebook off camera. But the illusion of reality sells, and what drives the market is a world that is much better - and simpler- than real life. Only, in reality shows, when the real world rears its ugly Putin-like head, better T.V. is had. Like when Tila Tequila gets an STD.

Sports is the ultimate reality show. It's the first reality show. That's why we love it; sports is human emotion + skill - editing. Sports is raw - but not really. The world of sports is as fake as American Idol votes, and Jonathan Papelpon is a prime example.

When the Red Sox closer blurted out that he is open to join the rival Yankees when his contract is up, it sent shock waves around Red Sox Nation. How could he possibly speak such blasphemy?

Because sports is a business. Papelbon doesn't care about Boston lore and he has no loyalties. Pitching is what he does for a living, not to carry on a hatred between two cities. He loves what he does and he's good at it, isn't that enough?

Remember, the Red Sox are the same team that let Babe Ruth, Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens don pinstripes. And they are crying "traitor"?

Truth is, this is how nearly all professional athletes think. They don't care about your personal war. But they usually play the game. In the normal world of professional sports, Papelbon wouldn't let it be known that his colors run North until the moment he signed with New York. This keeps his integrity in Boston intact, and leaving us with the notion that our prejudices matter.

Well, they don't. This is the true reality of sports. We've only contrived a true dream scenario, which is no different than The Hills for teenagers. I love the drama of athletics, but let's not pretend that our heroes care about the same quarrels as we do. Any Sox fan would quickly change sides for a few million bucks, and Papelbon isn't any worse of a person for doing the same.

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Fixing Baseball

Baseball is again down in the dumps, thanks to the "news" that Sammy Sosa roided it up. So here are a few ideas that could fix America's Pastime.

1. The league with the best interleague record gets home field advantage for the World Series.

Enough with the All-Star game being the deciding factor. It's an exhibition game, which is supposed to be fun, not matter. Who wants to see two players on sub-.500 teams square off when it doesn't even matter to them? Yes, the winning and losing pitchers last year were from the Rays and Phillies - the two World Series teams - but how often does that happen? The only reason this rule is in place is because Bud Selig made an awful decision by calling the game a tie in 2002.

If we pick the league with the best interleague record, that will give us a much fairer outcome. That way, home field advantage (which is huge) will go to the best league, rewarding the team who had the toughest road to the Series, and the All Star game can go back to being fun.

2. Age restrictions

The biggest problem with baseball, in my opinion, is that nobody knows where these guys come from. College baseball is virtually non-existent, and no way are we going to follow every high school kid, international player or A/AA/AAA prospect. So here's a thought: you have to be two years removed from high school to be drafted/signed by a MLB club. It's what the NFL does, and it works. This rule will force players to attend college for at least two years, which will expose prospects to the national stage, which in turn will gets fans interested in the college game, which then leads to interest in the minor leagues.

With all the young talent being relocated to the NCAA, it will expand the talent pool and make it, for once, watchable. We will be acclimated with the college environment, making the MLB draft on par with the NFL/NBA drafts. Also, getting Central American players out of societies where PEDs are served with breakfast won't hurt either.

3. Get tough on steroids - for real this time

First strike: one year suspension. Second strike: three year suspension. Third strike: you're out.

If that doesn't force players to think twice before dropping their drawers for a performance boost, I don't know what will. But in order to do this, baseball has to be prepared. First off, the MLB must make a list of all known substances which might come up positive under a PED test. Go to a GNC and mark down everything. Make it known, make it clear, and there will be no mistake about what is or is not acceptable.

4. The World Baseball Classic should be played directly after the World Series.

Here's why it's bad to play the WBC in March: it's March! What do you think we're watching? Most casual fans don't get into baseball until June/July, let alone during college basketball season. Play it right after the Series, and you'll get fans right when their taste for baseball is the most palatable. This also helps us to get familiar with international players. Hey, if we watch the World Cup because of the rabid nationalism, we sure as hell will watch the baseball equivalent.

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Raul Ibanez, Steroids and the Media

It is now time to comment on the infamous Raul Ibanez story. If you're not in the know, here's the short version: a blogger for Midwest Sports Fans wrote an article which happened to include a " what if?" about Ibanez's great start to 2009, and if it's possible that steroids could be the culprit. Well, after the post got some internet love, Philadelphia Inquirer journalist John Gonzales made the news national in his column, berated original poster "JRod" for insinuating that Ibanez is a cheater. Which, it should be stated, he did not.

If you don't automatically think of PEDs when someone comes out of nowhere and starts hitting the ball in a Bonds-ian manner, then you haven't been paying attention over the last decade. We thought Alex Rodriguez would be the Golden Boy who cleared Bonds' record. Uh-oh. Well, at least there are pure hitters like Manny Ramirez who don't need to cheat. Oops. OK, but we know that the pitchers these juicers are hitting are doing it the right way. Wrong again.

As in JRod's original story, I want to remind everybody that steroid allegations are not personal attacks on anybody, but the harsh reality of baseball. And while it was read for what is was worth through the tubes, when Gonzales "legitimatized" the story by reporting it in the Inquirer, he conveniently cherry picked a few quotes to make it look like JRod was accusing Ibanez of cheating.

This is what the media does. Mass media hounds bloggers like myself for wanting to be the story instead of reporting it, and condemning us for not researching the facts or not having the "inside information" unlike scholars like themselves. It's tired. Truth is, the hoopla didn't start until Gonzales made it front page news and - gasp! - made himself a part of the story instead of - gulp! - not giving us the real facts. Oh, mainstream journalism at its finest.

Please, read the original article. Don't let media heads like The Inquirer spin stories to get you riled up. I won't ever get a gig at a major newspaper because I don't have the credentials, mainly because I dropped out of journalism school. And why? Because after the first day I could tell that the plan was to mold me into the type of writer like Gonzalez, and I rather work my forty hours and do this in my off time than become that type of scum. The Inquirer's profile of Gonzalez claims that the writer was a wannabe politician who got creamed in a bid for Congress. Wow, I wonder where he learned his spin...

Again, if you don't think of steroids when a 37 year old is hitting out of his mind, then you are blind or lying to yourself. It's your duty to be skeptical. Giving the benefit of the doubt is what allowed the Steroids Era to happen, and until big hitters stop testing positive, we shouldn't let up. Get used to it.

By the way, for the real reason of Ibanez's success, Joe Posnanski has the answer.

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The End of Pitch Counts?

A pitch count is an inherantly awful idea. Coming up with some arbitrary number to tell you when a pitcher should come out of a game is the offshoot of the Misinformation Age, where stats rule the land and bad impressions linger forever. No need to actually watch a pitcher, evaluate and react accordingly. We have numbers that say the best calculated move is to take him out at the 98-104 pitch mark. It's science, not baseball. And it stinks.

In my case against numbers, let me throw some out. From 1891-1999, there was at least one pitcher every season who had double-digit complete games. From 2000-2008, there was not one - NOT ONE - pitcher who recorded more than nine. For over one hundred years, pitchers pitched and managers got the hell out of the way. With the invent of the internet, stats at the whim and money and media to consider, the pressure intensified and pitchers were put on pitch counts to save their managers' careers. Greinke is on pace to throw 17 complete games this year.

Greinke is tied with Toronto's Roy Halladay with a league-leading eight wins. They also sit at top together with 75 innings pitched this year. With very few opposing views, they are the best two pitchers in the American League.

But what about wearing out their arms, you ask? Let's go back to those 2000-2008 years. Three pitchers threw nine complete games in a season a total of four times over that span. Halladay was the one who did it twice, in 2003 and 2008. He has had a 3.15 ERA since that 2003 season.

Of course, you can't just take a young pitcher and throw him out there all day long for an entire season. Unfortunately, their arms have been trained under the philosophy of less is more. That's why the end of pitch counts has to start in the minors or even earlier, so these pitchers can get used to being in those types of situations, the way Halladay has.

And this just might happen. Not only is Greinke someone all young pitchers will want to be like because of his skill, but he is a genuinely good person. He is a role model coaches and parents will want their kids to look up to. Hopefully after the 2009 season, we will be able to say that Zack Greinke not only had an incredible ERA and win total, but that he pitched as much as he wanted.

Because that's what pitching in the old millennium was all about.

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Just Manny Being Like Everyone Else

Like most people with boring, unfulfilling jobs, I find myself spending roughly 5-7% of my time at work day-dreaming about what I would do if I won the lottery. Part of this fantasy is imagining my reaction to instantly becoming a millionaire. Would I flip out and run the streets naked and laughing? Perhaps I would would break down and cry in a fit of joy. And maybe, just maybe I would show up to work the next day as drunk as Dudley Moore in 'Arthur', walk into my boss's office, and happily sing "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye" while urinating on his carpet. Yeah, I have a lot of downtime.

Which got me thinking; what would my reaction be to hear any baseball player of the past two decades tested positive to steroids. Manny Ramirez was one I thought I would drop my jaw over, but in reality, I merely shrugged and went about my day. So would anyone one name surprise me? Here's one: Greg Maddux.

Now, considering Maddux was a precision pitcher and not a rocket arm, there's somewhat like a 1% chance he used. But as Lloyd Christmas once said, so you're telling me there's a chance. And if Maddux was doped up, EVERYONE was doped up. That news would rock baseball's foundation as much as the initial steroid stories did. But Manny? Another one bites the dust, construction on the new wing of the Hall is already underway. That's what this whole bloody mess has become; a separation of stats. We can no longer compare Manny to Aaron or Clemens to Ryan. Until all of these players are retired and out of the picture, baseball will exist in a bubble and will be judged as such.

Just don't tell me that Greg Maddux was juiced. That would be worse than performing my "Na Na Hey Hey" dance with last week's Powerball numbers.

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Angels and Devils

The early 2009 MLB season has been plagued with deaths. Harry Kalas passing away swept sadness over the league and fans. Upon hearing Mark Fidrych's death, there was a collective "hmm, that's too bad, that guy was awesome". But the loudest responses were those of anger geared towards Andrew Thomas Gallo, the man who crashed into and killed Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart.

Outside of the Los Angeles area and of deep baseball circles, nobody knew who the hell Adenhart was. But the outrage over his death makes you think that he was some kind of sports icon. Don't get me wrong, the whole scene was and is tragic and unfortunate. What I can't understand is, well, why anybody cares.

What seems to get everybody hot under the collar is that Gallo was drunk behind the wheel. And drunk driving is so unforgivable that Gallo's family has had to move upon receiving death threats. All you have to do is look at some of the comments from ESPN readers.

If this Family had done a better job or raising this kid....he wouldn't have grown up to be such a screw up murdering idiot.

he's a drunk scum bag

He should be the one dead

I hope he burns for this, period.

And on and on. Which is funny (though not funny ha-ha), considering this is coming from fans of a league that approved Coors Field and Busch Stadium. Where beer flows more than any other sport. You can't watch a baseball game without seeing roughly 2,000 Bud Light commercials. Many parks have beer gardens. Beer, beer, beer. Drink, drink, drink. Have a safe ride home.

Now I know, promoting drinking doesn't promote drinking and driving. I'm not saying it does. But sports is alcohol-fueled entertainment, and any crime that involves booze probably shouldn't be further demonized by sports fans of all people. Adenhart's death was horrible, and Gallo will get what's coming to him through the justice system. Just stop acting like this was a bigger tragedy than every other drunk-driving death in this country just because it hit our little world. Before that fateful night, nobody knew who Adenhart was, and it's unfortunate that his legacy will be one that is fueled by hate by the sport's own drunken fans.

Play ball.

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5 reasons why the Royals aren't this year's Rays

If there's one thing nearly every sports writer has in common, it's that they have all proclaimed the Royals to be this year's Tampa Bay Rays. Well, as a lifelong citizen of Kansas City, I can tell you that this year's Royals aren't going to sniff the success that the Rays had. It pains me to say it. But here are 5 sobering facts that point to the bottom side of .500:

1. Not even last year's Rays were last year's Rays.

The thing that made Tampa Bay's run so remarkable is that nobody saw it coming. They were picked either fourth or fifth in the AL East by just about everyone. The fact that these same people are already crowning the Royals as AL Central champs disqualifies them from being the surprise of 2009.

2. The Rays had excellent pitching.

Tampa Bay was third in the majors with a team ERA of 3.82. KC was 22nd. Add the fact that Brian Bannister and Luke Hochevar are starting this year in AAA, Kyle Farnsworth and Horacio Ramirez are key pitchers, and there's legitimate fears that neither Gil Meche, Zack Greinke or Joakim Soria will pitch as well as they did in 2008, then this year's pitching staff is shaping up to be worse than last year's.

3. Joe Maddon was the AL Manager of the Year

It takes a great skipper to turn the losing culture around. The jury is still out on Trey Hillman., though a verdict may come swiftly. One day into the 2009 season, Hillman's decision to leave right-handed Farnsworth in the game to face righty-killer Jim Thome - which turned into the game losing three-run homerun - has Kansas City up in flames already. He hasn't shown any signs of being able to successfully manage a game, not to mention he's done next to nothing in turning our young players into pros. Which brings us to...

4. The Rays' young talent was ready to play. Now.

Evan Longoria won AL Rookie of the Year. B.J. Upton is a star. David Price was the savior of the postseason. The Royals' young guns? Alex Gordon and Billy Butler have been busts thus far. Hochevar has been sent to Omaha. Only Zack Greinke has performed well, and he has the psyche of a bipolar teenager hooked on meth who has recently been dumped, so we'll see how long that lasts.

5. The 2008 Rays were the exception, not the rule.

We loved the story last year because of how strange it all was. Unlike other sports, professional baseball makes it harder for the down-and-out teams to rise to the top. Every year gives us the same old teams who throw money around like Pacman Jones, leaving the Royals of the world with only the hope of getting good prospects from mid-season trades. Good prospects who will in turn become trade bait. I don't expect a worst-to-first run to happen any time soon. And even if it does happen, all signs point away from Kauffman Stadium.

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Enough with the economy, stupid

What do Dominoes, Charles Schwab, car companies, the President and sports writers have in common? They're all using the black hole that is our economy to sell us their product. Pizza companies and brokers use it in the obvious ways, Obama uses it to sell his plans, and the sports writers of America use it as a gag to get you to read their columns. And it's getting really, really old.

Front page of ESPN on Monday promotes an article by baseball writer Jayson Stark which starts off with an 'enough is enough' cry about MLB's struggle during this recession. Finally. Except, he does exactly what everyone else is doing; using the economy as the backdrop to their otherwise weak attempt at expertise.

The basis of the article is to, I think, rate the most notable players of the game. This is done by breaking them into groups like "The All-Money Player Team", The All-Bear-Market Player Team", "The All-Most-Active-Stocks Player Team", and well, you get the idea. That's right, the best way to stop talking about the economy is to use it as an outline to your own column. Somehow, I think it misses the point.

And it's not like there is anything to actually gain from this market-laden rubbish. Writing about who the best team of all #11's would be (The All-Chapter 11 Team) or who has money-related names (The All-Moneyball-Name Team) is hardly expert analysis, and surely isn't worth the front page headline (I think there's some kind of basketball thing going on right now). It is the pinnacle of laziness.

So please, stop with the economy gimmick. Fans are already gruesomely reminded every time we open our paychecks, see ticket prices or buy a beer at the park, so stop reminding us when we're trying to enjoy life's biggest distraction, and start reminding us why the Worldwide Leader keeps your wallet stacked.

I enjoyed this 2009 MLB preview from Bleacher Report much more.

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Clemens' testimony isn't helping

Survivor, American Idol and Big Brother have nothing on congressional hearings. Yesterday gave us four and a half of the best hours of reality television, with Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee squaring in a Washington battle royale where two men entered and only one would leave – with his dignity.

And that man was Brian McNamee. Cool, calm and to the point, the former New York City police officer/trainer/dope dealer started off the hearings with a bang. Clemens, on the other hand, seemed about as prepared as Miss South Carolina. With his lack of focus and embarrassing off topic rants, I was half expecting to see Marsha Clark sitting behind him. The guy is pleading his innocence to preserve his entire legacy, and all he could do was stammer his way through predetermined questions from people he’s already had interviews with.

The whole day started off with an omen. Apparently, Clemens’ lawyers were the ones that got this whole shindig to go down, which basically means that with the facts standing by themselves, it spelled doom for Clemens. So the former Cy Young winner came out full of anger, trying to look as innocent as possible. I doubt anyone changed their minds as that point. But it wasn’t like McNamee’s opening statement was impressive either. Just a bunch of stuff we already knew.

So we go on to learn that Andy Pettitte told investigators that the Rocket told him that he used HGH. Yeah, that’s not good. This is when Roger goes on to say that Pettitte “misremembers”, a word that he will use roughly 100,000 times throughout the day. When asked about why Pettitte and his wife would lie about his best friend taking steroids, all Clemens could come up with was that he must have mistaken that conversation with another they had talking about watching a commercial. It’s pretty much over from here. Clemens’ story is unbelievable, and there is no way in hell Andy Pettitte would lie about his closest friend taking illegal drugs.

Then came the throwaway argument: a party at Jose Canseco’s house. McNamee says Clemens was at a party which he obviously wasn’t, according to anyone who could remember it, including Canseco himself. I kept asking myself, “why does this matter?” It had nothing to do with anything. At worst, people could say McNamee is a liar, at best that he “misremembered”. But if you’re going to liar route, which is about snowball, let me remind you about Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch, two men who threw away everything to support McNamee’s claims.

After some shady testimony from Clemens, one of the lowlights of the day reared its ugly head. And the ugliness would come in the form of Rep. Dan Burton. I would bet money that he was drunk. He laughed McNamee, repeatedly called him a liar and even said that he was disgusting. He then went on to praise the Rocket’s career, followed by basically yelling at McNamee that he didn’t believe him. Though it was despicable, as possibly career-ending for Burton, it did come off as hurting McNamee’s case. But what nobody is talking about, and what sealed the deal for me, was what fellow Indiana Rep. Mark Souder said. Souder, the co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy, explained that in most drug cases, offenders tend to just give you enough to leave them alone. McNamee lied at first, then came forward with a little, then a little more, then a little more. Burton calls McNamee a liar, which he is, but eventually the truth came out. It’s not that McNamee is making things up as he goes along, it’s just that he tried to protect his friends as long as he could. When talks about perjury and the government got involved, McNamee finally gave it up. If anything, his lies at the beginning show how much he can be trusted, if that makes any sense.

Look, to make a long story short, Clemens was banking on the fact that people would think McNamee is a liar, and is lying about his steroid use. But everyone not named Roger Clemens backs McNamee up, and even his lying at the beginning had a motive. Unless you are a conspiracy theorist who believes McNamee is being forced to lie, there is no way he would be making this up. Clemens on the other hand, has every reason to lie. He is the only one with anything left to lose. And the more he denies it, the deeper the consequences go.

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The Mitchell Report Worked

It was a witch hunt. Too much hearsay. Nothing would change. Yep, the naysayers were on the front line when the Mitchell Report came out, quick to dismiss what it had to say and to blast Bud Selig. After all, it was pointless, right? It's starting to look like a success to me.

We have Andy Pettitte to thank for that. His admitting to using HGH changed everything. When he washed the blood from his hands, players starting to get in line behind him, wanting to not to clear their name but to save their dignity. Since most of these fellows took the drug while it was still legal, the only stigma around them now is the burden of bad choices. The only ones with anything to lose are the liars.

Roger Clemens, where art thou? Ah, the Rocket has more to lose than his pinstriped friend. He has the Hall to think about. He's already denied the report, and there's no turning back now.

But the some players aren't as selfish. Brian Roberts and Fernando Vina have come clean. The admit to what we all know happen over the past couple of decades. And strangely, a simple "I'm sorry" has resonated more than anyone ever thought. Of course they feel bad about it, but nobody blames them. Nobody ever did. We know it was hard to turn down the juice back then, we understand.

But the further you dig that hole, the harder it is to dig yourself out. Every denial adds layers of anger. Some players, such as Clemens, just don't get it: we know what you did. Other players, hell, even one of his best friends, are proving the truth of the report. It's not a guessing game anymore.

So, Rocket, come clean. It's the only way to save your career. If Barry Bonds has a chance to get into the Hall, so do you buddy, but not if you continue lying. Voters tend to take that into account. Show some dignity, show some pride. Even if you don't get in, at least you'll be left out knowing you were a better man for it. You know, if that sort of thing matters to you.

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Explaining the Mitchell Report

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what is actually going on in baseball right now. Don't get me wrong, nobody is actually saying "I am confused". It's just that conflicting reports can give the wrong impression. So an explanation might be necessary.

1. George Mitchell

George J. Mitchell is not a Senator. He was, yes, but he no longer is. This is important because some people are under the impression that the U.S. government is heading this investigation. They are not.

Also, he is a director for the Boston Red Sox. Since the report named Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite, New Yorkers believe it's a conspiracy. This I cannot prove or disprove. Knowing politicians, he was probably elated to get a few big name Yankees, and more than likely tried to do so. But the reason for that is the net that was thrown to get these names happened to target that clubhouse. Whether that was on purpose or not doesn't really matter, since getting the users' names was the point anyway. I would suggest getting Rudy Giuliani to even things out, but he roots for whoever is leading the polls, so it's a moot point.

2. Legalities

Nobody is really in trouble. The report was done independently, with its focus directed on figuring what the hell went on and how to approach the future. Remember, the only reason Barry Bonds is being tried in court was because of perjury, not taking an illegal drug. None of these players would talk with Mitchell, so no perjury took place. Nothing extending to the courts should be done until Congress gets together in January to discuss the issue.

3. Consequences

The purpose of this whole report was to shed light. George Mitchell recommended that none of the players that were outed should be reprimanded, though it is likely Bud Selig will do a little house cleaning. What will happen now is unclear. MLB will likely implement a Department of Investigation, so the 90's will never happen again.

As far as the players go, nothing has been proven thus far. Just because the report says that players like Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite took steroids does not mean that it's proof. It was just an investigation, with the information mostly coming from a source the Players Union would call a disgruntled employee. But baseball, unlike other sports, encourages its people to look at reports like this when considering awards like being inducted into the Hall of Fame. There are no definitive lines; how this plays with the voters is completely subjective. However, I wouldn't expect Clemens to extend his career any longer.

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