Major League baseball is a great sport to watch. The players are the best in the world, and their ability to paint the corners, or slap a 100 mph fastball the other way, or track down a 400 foot rocket on the run just amazes me. As Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” And I truly enjoy watching these great athletes perform their craft. It is when a microphone is placed in front of them that so many fail to perform. Similar to Jessica Simpson appearing in a movie, they are meant to be seen and not heard. The steroid scandal has resulted in countless quotes that are both humorous and sad. Humorous in that someone actually thought to say such a thing. Sad in that they believe that we, the fans, will buy what they have said. Well, more accurately, it is sad that many will believe it. Sure, Fernando Vina, I believe that you were simply trying to recuperate from an injury. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that you were a small, aging, struggling ballplayer clinging to any chance you had to remain a Major League Baseball player. Heck, if you had come out and said that you used HGH because you were a small, aging, struggling ballplayer clinging to any chance you had to remain a Major League Baseball player, I would have respected that. In fact, I’m not sure I wouldn’t have done the same thing if I was in the situation you were in. But I have trouble believing you took it solely to rehab your hamstring injuries. That’s humorous and sad.
Of course, the idea of ballplayers saying some pretty bizarre things is not a phenomenon brought on by steroids. In fact, Major League Baseball has provided us with some gems throughout history. So, grab and pencil and paper and test your knowledge of who said what. Some of these will be pretty easy, and some will be about as tough as convincing the Twins that an offer for Santana is a fair one.
1.) “I never thought anybody would make me look like an altar boy.”
a. Pete Rose b. Ty Cobb c. Ricky Henderson d. Billy Martin
2.) “The one thing we know today is that we can’t continue to do business the way we have in the past.”
a. Donald Fehr b. Bud Selig c. Happy Chandler d. Hank Steinbrenner
3.) “It's called talent. I just have it. I can't explain it. You either have it or you don't.”
a. Tony Gwynn b. Barry Bonds c. Nolan Ryan d. Ted Williams
4.) “The reality is that players can't play forever."
a. Minnie Minoso b. Cal Ripken, Jr. c. Satchell Paige d. Nolan Ryan
5.) “I'm not ashamed of who I am. Of course I'm ashamed of the things that have happened. But with life experiences, you're able to give back and help others.”
a. Mark McGwire b. Dwight Gooden c. Pete Rose d. Darryl Strawberry
6.) “Once and for all, I did not use steroids or any other illegal substance.”
a. Gary Matthews, Jr. b. Mark McGwire c. Jesse Orosco d. Jose Canseco
7.) “I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to be caught out there with anything though, it wouldn't be professional.”
a. Sandy Koufax b. ####lord Perry c. Bob Gibson d. Stan Coveleski
8.) “Everyone in society should be a role model, not only for their own self-respect, but for respect from others.”
a. Derek Jeter b. Mike Schmidt c. Tom Seaver d. Barry Bonds
9.) "God knows I gave my best in baseball at all times and no man on earth can truthfully judge me otherwise."
a. Steve Carlton b. Ernie Banks c. Lou Gehrig d. Shoeless Joe Jackson
10.) “I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
a. Jackie Robinson b. Warren Spahn c. Wily Mo Pena d. Ed Ott
11.) “Are we to say that any individual who's on steroids that has an angry moment is due to steroids? What about the individual who gets angry and kills someone who's not on steroids? What do we blame it on now?”
a. Bud Selig b. Jose Canseco c. Fernando Vina d. Vin Scully
12.) “There's nothing bad that accrues from baseball.”
a. Donald Fehr b. Marvin Miller c. A. Bartlett Giamatti d. Bud Selig
13.) “Don't ever forget two things I'm going to tell you. One, don't believe everything that's written about you. Two, don't pick up too many checks.”
a. Babe Ruth b. Tommy LaSorda c. Barry Bonds d. Cecil Fielder
14.) “If it wasn't for baseball, I'd be in either the penitentiary or the cemetery.”
a. Babe Ruth b. Ty Cobb c. Greg Maddux d. Jim Rice
15.) "If I hear Bowie Kuhn say just once more he's doing something for the betterment of baseball, I'm going to throw-up."
a. Pete Rose b. Mickey Mantle c. Sparky Anderson d. Charles Finley
a. Mark McGwire b. Rafeael Palmeiro c. Dusty Baker d. Ozzie Smith
17.) “I don't think that - you know, I'm sure that there's guys that are doing it, because I'm sure in every sport there's players who want to get the edge. But I think that it's been blown overly - way more than guys are using it in our game.”
a. Tony LaRussa b. Rafael Palmeiro c. Alex Rodriguez d. Sammy Sosa
18.) “I have never used steroids. Period.”
a. Mark McGwire b. Rafael Palmeiro c. Jason Giambi d. Dizzy Dean
19.) “When I testified in front of Congress, I know that I was testifying under oath and I told the truth.”
a. Curt Schilling b. Rafael Palmeiro c. Frank Thomas d. Sammy Sosa
20.) “I hope that people learn from my mistake and I hope that the fans forgive me.”
a. Kirby Pucket b. Rafael Palmeiro c. Roger Clemens d. Pete Rose
OK, let’s see how you did…
1. a. Pete Rose just said this recently. If Pete speaks, we should hear, “I’m sorry.”
2. b. Bud Selig. Does that mean it’s time for a new commissioner?
3. b. All four choices have talent. Barry Bonds felt he needed to tell everyone.
4. b. It’s too bad you couldn’t play forever, Cal. Baseball could use you.
5. d. All four could have said it, but it was Strawberry who actually did.
6. b. Um, yes you did Mark!
7. b. ####lord used the grease. Koveleski used his spit. The other two used talent.
8. d. Practice what you preach, Barry!
9. d. Shoeless Joe Jackson.
10. a. Jackie Robinson
11. b. We’ll just blame it on you, Jose.
12. c. Some would argue this point.
13. a. What would a baseball quiz be without the Babe?
14. a. If it wasn’t for the Babe, baseball may be in the cemetery.
15. c. Just one of the many colorful quotes from Sparky.
16. b. Rafael Palmeiro. You tried hard to fool us.
17. b. Rafael Palmeiro. You tried hard to confuse us.
18. b. Rafael Palmeiro. You wagged your finger and lied to everyone.
19. b. Rafael Palmeiro. Then you lied some more to cover your lies.
20. b. Rafael Palmeiro. OK, we forgive you. Or wait, maybe I’m lying!
The grading scale?
18-20 Correct: Hall of Famer
14-17 Correct: An All Star!
10-13 Correct: A solid job.
< 10 Correct: Dare I suggest performance enhancers?
Regardless of how you scored, my advice is that the next time you hear a player giving what he claims is an honest answer, you should remember Yogi Berra's advice and, “Take it with a grin of salt.”
Ernest L. Thayer’s famous poem “Casey at the Bat” was first published in 1888. From a historical perspective, that was well before the drug culture invaded baseball, and a short time before the Chicago Cubs last World Series win. Ironically, the poem first appeared in the San Francisco Examiner – in the same city, of course, where the center of the performance enhancement storm patrolled the outfield in recent years for the Giants.
The problems with steroids and the use of other enhancers have exploded over the past ten years, under the watch of current Commissioner Bud Selig. With that in mind, I offer you a revised version of the famous poem…
The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Nation’s Game that day: The fans tuned to the news, to hear what Mitchell had to say.
Four-hundred and nine pages, sitting heavily upon his shelf,
No longer was Selig’s only fear Donald Fehr himself.
A vocal few long ago warned of such despair. The rest ignored the growing pecs adorning many a player’s chest; They thought, if only Selig could be in charge of this - We’d put up even money now, that he surely wouldn’t miss.
But McGwire bested Maris, as did Bonds to Hammerin’ Hank, The former using andro, the latter resembling a tank; And within the many stadiums the record crowds sat, Now there seemed but little chance of Selig risking that.
And all held tight to secrets, to the wonderment of all, And some, the much deceived, told stories of juicing the ball; But when the truth was revealed, and all saw what had occurred, There was Balco, Games of Shadows, and Canseco being heard.
Then from the throats of Congress there rose a lusty yell; It rumbled through the Bronx, it rattled in Pac Bell;
They said clean up your game or we will do it for you,
And Selig, mighty Selig, quickly decided what to do.
There was ease in Selig’s manner as he stepped into his place; There was pride in Selig’s manner, very stern was Selig’s face. And when, responding to reporters, he announced who he had hired, No stranger doubted that Mitchell would dig until he had tired.
Over seven hundred interviews as he dug up years of dirt; Twenty million dollars spent, sleeves rolled up on his shirt. Then while the rumors bubbled like liquid from a syringe,
Bud Selig realized - on Mitchell’s report, his legacy may hinge.
And then the rumor-filled news came hurtling through the air, And Selig sat a-listening with a nervous posture there.
They said that all-star players would be listed in this report,
“I’m clean”, “I’m shocked”, “No Comment” so many would retort.
From the pages, black and white, there were listed eighty-eight, Both hitters and some hurlers who had tried to improve their fate. "This is a call to action," Selig said as a matter of fact,
No wavering to his voice, he added, “And I will act!”
To describe Selig’s work, much too little, much too late;
Ignoring what was right, for more revenue from the gate.
And now the Commish holds the ball, and what will he decide?
Asterisks? Suspensions? Blame others to save pride?
Oh, somewhere in this baseball land there’s a place for the best;
Where heroes are enshrined and separated from the rest.
But Bud’s conflicted tenure leaves him where within this game?
Row 1, Seat 1, Section HGH - in baseball’s Hall of Shame.
During the twelve year career Sandy Koufax enjoyed, he was often referred to as the man with the golden arm - and rightly so for the lefty from Brooklyn, New York. His accomplishments were many, including four no-hitters, four All-Star MVP awards, the league MVP award, three Cy Young awards and two World Series MVP awards. It is no wonder that his name will always be mentioned in discussions on the best left-handers of all time.
It is often said that if you throw with your left arm, you’ll always be able to find a job. So it is no wonder that southpaw superstars have always been a hot commodity in Major League Baseball. That is one of the reasons why we are witnessing such an interesting off-season with the Johan Santana trade discussions. The rumored packages that the Yankees, Red Sox and other teams are putting together each contain at least three or four highly regarded ballplayers. And yet, the Minnesota Twins have apparently not yet heard an impressive enough offer to allow them to part with their golden arm. Should they eventually move Santana to the Red Sox or Yankees, the impact of the trade will have historical implications on the sport.
It is so difficult to compare eras, but I can’t help but wonder what value the Dodgers would have received for Koufax had they complied with his request to be traded during the 1960 season. Even if Fox Sports existed back then, and 24/7 sports coverage was being provided via the web, television and radio as it is now, it is safe to say that the rumored offers for Koufax would not be as high as they currently are for Santana. Or, to put it another way, if Koufax was pitching today, and was through eight years of his career as Santana currently is, Johan would still be the main man on the market. In fact, I’m not convinced the Red Sox or Yankees would offer more than Jon Lester or Philip Hughes, respectively, straight up for Koufax. That may sound outrageous, but let’s look at the numbers Koufax and Santana produced through their first eight seasons:
Games Starts Wins Losses ERA WHIP
S. Koufax 244 164 68 60 3.71 1.34
J. Santana 251 175 93 44 3.22 1.09
As you see, their total games and starts are quite similar. But Santana dominates in other categories.
Now, if the suitors for Santana had knowledge that he would produce like Koufax did during years 9-12 of his career, they would be scrambling to sweeten an already sweet pot. Koufax became the youngest player inducted into the Hall of Fame because he was unbelievably effective over his last four years. During that span he managed to go 97-27 with an ERA below 2.00 and a WHIP under 1.00. Amazingly, he logged just over half of his total innings pitched in the last four years of his twelve year career. The impact on his arm contributed to a career being cut shorter than Dodger faithful had hoped, but it was enough to establish him as one of the greatest hurlers in history.
Here are Koufax’s career totals:
GamesStarts Wins LossesERA WHIP
397 314 165 87 2.76 1.11
While it’s not at all realistic to think that Santana could duplicate a four year run like Koufax did from 1963-1966, he wouldn’t even need to in order to find himself in the same statistical position as Koufax through 12 years. Being traded to Boston or New York would certainly increase his ability to pile up wins. He can absolutely average 18 wins a year pitching for one of the top two teams in baseball. In fact, he has averaged 17.5 over the past four years in Minnesota. While he may not lower his ERA to the level of Koufax's, he would have the opportunity to add to his two Cy Young Awards and shine in the post-season on an annual basis.
If the Red Sox or Yankees do work a trade – and eventual extension - for Santana, it is highly possible that by the time his new contract expires his numbers will outshine those compiled by Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax. Only 28 years-old and likely headed to a perennial power, baseball enthusiasts should take note of just how outstanding he is. When all is said and done, Johan Santana could very well end up as the greatest southpaw to ever toe the rubber.
This off-season’s free agent class is not overly impressive. However, there are some mighty big names that could be changing uniforms prior to the 2008 season. When a name like Johan Santana gets floated out there, this torturous period of time between the Series ending and Spring Training beginning becomes much more interesting.
Miguel Cabrera is another absolute stud who could find himself on the move. The Marlins seem willing to part with him, and there are numerous teams that could use a third baseman. Another big name that could – and probably should – get traded this off-season is Milwaukee’s Ben Sheets. He’s a free agent after the ’08 campaign, and the odds of Milwaukee signing him are about the same as the Bratwurst getting booed after winning the Sausage Race. He’s also an injury risk, but at this very moment he’s healthy. The Brewers should look to move him prior to his next blister or ear infection or tweaked muscle. One complication is his limited no trade clause – allowing him to be dealt to one of eight teams. If he’s interested in playing for a winner, though, he would likely loosen restrictions to go to any of the larger market contenders.
The Cincinnati Reds are in dire need of pitching, and that being said, it would not make sense to head into 2008 with Dunn, Hamilton, Griffey, Hopper, Freel, Bruce, Votto and Hatteberg to cover the outfield and first base. They seem committed to winning soon, and hired a manager who tends to favor veterans to youngsters.
The Rays, it has been rumored, would move Carl Crawford. He could absolutely be a difference maker on several teams – taking a team from a division contender to a favorite.
These are just a handful of interesting situations to think about. Here are five trades that I think should be made this off-season:
Johan Santana to the Philadelphia Phillies for Kyle Kendrick, Carlos Carrasco, Joe Savery and Adrian Cardenas. This brings back memories of the Herschel Walker trade, only this time it’s Minnesota receiving all of the players. Some will probably say that, once again, it would be Minnesota ending up on the short-end of the trade. But if Santana is dealt, this is the type of trade I believe it will be. I don’t see a team, like the Mets for example, trading an everyday star like Jose Reyes and also throwing a prospect or two to the Twins. And I’m not convinced the Twins would want that, because Jose Reyes – and players like him – will also command a great deal of money when their current contracts expire. By acquiring four young, highly regarded players, the Twins could continue to take a “Money Ball” approach to winning. This trade would give the Twins three guys who could very well make up 60% of their rotation starting in 2009. A rotation of Liriano, Carrasco, Kendrick, Savery and (fill in the blank) could potentially be outstanding. Cardenas, though only 20 years-old, is being compared to Chase Utley. He can play either middle-infield position, will hit for average and has some pop in his bat. The Phillies would make this trade – assuming, as a large market team, that they could negotiate an extension with Santana – because it would put them in a very good position to win the East again in ’08 and ’09 and ’10…
Miguel Cabrera to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Andy LaRoche, Matt Kemp and James McDonald. LaRoche and Kemp would immediately be every day players for the Marlins. While LaRoche hasn’t been overly impressive at the Major League level, he did show the ability to get on base – drawing a walk about every five at-bats. He and Kemp both had very impressive on-base percentages. McDonald was the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year. He dominated at Single A, and then did the same in 10 starts in Double A. In Cabrera, Torre gets exactly what he needs – a huge stick at third base.
Ben Sheets and Matt Wise to the New York Mets for Philip Humber, Carlos Gomez and Aaron Heilman. It would be a bit tricky for these two teams to work together on a trade because the both believe they can represent the NL in the ’08 Fall Classic. But the reason they should work together is that the Mets are in desperate need of an “ace”, and the Brewers need to get something for Sheets before he signs a four-year, sixty-five million dollar deal a year from now with a team that can afford him. The Mets could sign him to an extension and hope that he can give them 120 starts over the next four years. Matt Wise improved late in the year last season, and could help diminish the loss of Heilman – who would upgrade the Brewers shaky pen. In Humber, the Brewers get a pitcher they can plug into the rotation now, or in a year. They’ll be relying on several younger arms – so the more depth to choose from, the better. Carlos Gomez would give them a corner outfielder and another exciting young player to go with their impressive collection. Heilman would provide needed stability to their middle relief corp. This is the time to trade Sheets, as I really don’t think they will be able to trade Sheets during the season. If they’re in the race, he’s not going anywhere. If they’re out of the race, it may be in large part to Sheets being hurt again. I guess the possibility exists that the Brewers will fall out of the race prior to July 31st, but Sheets’ value will still be very high. I’m not sure that’s a chance the Brewers can – or would want – to take.
Josh Hamilton to the Cleveland Indians for Cliff Lee and Juan Lara. A little swap within the Buckeye State that would make a lot of sense for both teams. The Indians would like to add a solid stick in their line-up, and Hamilton would be a very nice addition to their team. He’s only 26, would shore up their leftfield situation, and he would likely be able to transition to first should the Indians choose to give him some opportunities there. Hamilton’s departure would help the Reds reduce their overloaded outfield – creating room for Jay Bruce who has mastered the minor leagues. More importantly, they would benefit from the addition of a solid starter who could be slotted at #3 behind Harang and Arroyo, and a talented left-handed arm for their pen.
Carl Crawford to the Chicago Cubs for Rich Hill, Omar Infante, Jacob Fox and Eric Patterson. Let’s face it – 1908 was a long time ago. The Cubs need to make a move that will bring a championship to the north side of Chicago. Hill and Patterson have been rumored in a deal for Crawford, but the Cubs should sweeten the pot and get it done. The Rays have a lot of needs and trading Crawford could help fill many of them. In Hill, the Rays would get a solid middle of the rotation starter. In Infante, they would be getting a temporary solution at shortstop. Jacob Fox could fill their catching void. As with Geovany Soto, Fox had an outstanding minor league season and is ready to play at the major league level. Eric Patterson is one of the most talented position players in the Cubs system. He could be used in the outfield or middle infield. Replacing Hill would not be easy, but the Cubs actually have several young and talented arms to choose from – including Kevin Hart, Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall, Donald Veal and the possibility of moving Ryan Dempster back into the rotation.
It’s going to be an interesting off-season, and time will tell if anything remotely close to what I’ve suggested will happen. I do believe there will be quite a bit activity, and the Rodriguez twists and turns have already added excitement. I wrote the other day that I thought he would get $28 million a year from the Angels. The money looks accurate, but I didn’t anticipate him getting it from the Yankees. We’ll have to wait and see on these other players I’ve mentioned. As for now, all we know is that A-ROD is likely staying in pinstripes, and Bonds may be wearing them as well – for up to six months.
I am a fan of all sports - but baseball has always been my favorite. Growing up in the Northwest Indiana I able to attend many games at Wrigley Field, Comiskey Park, Soldier Field and Notre Dame.
I attended Valparaiso University in the late 80's/early 90's where I did play-by-play and color commentary for their baseball, football and basketball teams.
I hope you enjoy my writings, and I look forward to reading your feedback.
