WELL SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!!

A couple of other unexpectedly surprising news items this week that did not include the Tampa Bay Rays:

The "MLBPA says teams acted in concert against Bonds" story is located at
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3647779
-----------------------
NEW YORK -- The baseball players' union says it has found evidence teams acted in concert against signing Barry Bonds but it reached an agreement with the commissioner's office to delay the filing of any grievance.

The union expressed concern in May about the lack of offers to the home run king. Filing a grievance would trigger proceedings before arbitrator Shyam Das.

Weiner said the section that had been violated was Article XX (e) of the collective bargaining agreement, which states, in part: "Players shall not act in concert with other players and clubs shall not act in concert with other clubs." Weiner would not say how long the agreement runs to allow the union to file a grievance.

"I am convinced based on MLB's actions in 2008 that they will never let him wear a major league uniform ever again," he said.

The players' association won three collusion grievances in which owners were found to have conspired against free agents following the 1985, 1986 and 1987 seasons. Management agreed in 1990 to settle those cases for $280 million and also agreed to a provision that future collusion would be subject to triple damages.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
----------------------------------------
Apparently this will come as a surprise to many of the bobble-heads in the media and pablum-swilling fans, but this is actually a surprise coming from a union that Bonds very openly and publicly distanced himself from prior to concluding his all-time HR record chase. The union certainly would have a "grievance" with Bonds himself based on that action. So in a sense, they have less incentive today to carry water for Bonds, except to the extent that this type of collusion could affect other players down the road if the owners pattern of behavior went unchallenged.

MLB teams could all paying into a fund to compensate Bonds for lost salary (maybe $10M per season) for 1-3 seasons multiplied by potential treble damages.

OUCH!!!
--------------
The "Canseco regrets writing 'Juiced,' naming names" story is located at
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3655031

Updated: October 21, 2008, 1:09 PM ET

Jose Canseco Regrets Tell-All Book

Jose Canseco, whose book "Juiced," which focused attention on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball and led to congressional hearings on the subject, now says he never should have written the book and named names of alleged steroid users.

During the A&E Network's one-hour documentary, "Jose Canseco: The Last Shot," Canseco said he "regrets mentioning players [as steroid users]. I never realized this was going to blow up and hurt so many people."

During the program, the 44-year-old Canseco said he "wanted revenge" on Major League Baseball because he believed he had been forced out of the game. The book was his means of getting even, and he named names "to show I was telling the truth" about steroids in baseball, he said.

"If I could meet with Mark McGwire and these players, I definitely would apologize to them," Canseco said, according to the New York Daily News. "They were my friends. I admired them. I respected them."

The Philadelphia Daily News reported Tuesday that Canseco, still seeking steady work, has agreed to fight Danny Bonaduce in January as part of a Celebrity Boxing Federation bout. In July, Canseco was knocked out by former Philadelphia Eagles return man Vai Sikahema in Atlantic City, N.J.
--------------------
The surprise is Canseco's admission that he wrote the book with "revenge" as one of his main motives. He seemed so sincere and altruistic at the time. I can't believe that I fell for his line. I feel so dirty and used.

Jose, good luck to you in:
- getting any of the players you named to accept your apology
- getting your dignity back (what's left of it) if you get knocked out by Danny Bonaduce

I'm on the record as hoping that Bonaduce knocks him out. COLD!!
------------------------








------------------------------

This fight is going to be drug-tested right??

Aw hell, who cares? Make it a fight to the death and we can waive the drug testing, what do you say?

Maybe we can thin the herd a little bit, huh?

LET'S GET READY TO RUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!!!

THE MITCHELL REPORT IS ON THE CLOCK

You know this is big when CNBC's business channel has a countdown clock for the announcement. This is normally reserved for Federal Reserve announcements or other important business news.

After years of investigation, and up to $20 million in expenses, we finally get the names and the finger pointing we've all been waiting for.

Baseball's problem at this point is to somehow find a way to ensure that the financial goose keeps laying golden eggs while trying to persuade the fans, the media and Congress that the goose is not being fed performance enhancing substances to get the results.

According to an October 7th Phil Rogers piece in the Chicago Tribune titled "MLB cash cow breaking away' baseball is poised to meet or surpass the NFL in terms of total revenue generated.

"I probably shouldn't say this," one highly placed MLB executive said
last week. "There was a time when I wouldn't even think it. But I think
we're going to see a time in the future, the near future, when we are
going to pass the NFL in producing revenue."

Commissioner Selig was quoted as saying:
"By any measure you want to look at, our sport is more popular now than
it has ever been," Selig said. "The country really is baseball-crazy
today, no question."

The 30 major-league franchises combined to draw 79.5 million fans,
averaging 32,785 per game. The overall attendance increased 4.5 percent
over the record 2006 totals. Local, cable and network ratings are also on
the rise.

So in spite of the recent steroid mess, or maybe in some ways because of it, the sport is enjoying unprecedented popularity. In no other business could you have the same level of abuse of the product by those in charge of enhancing the value of it, and still produce the kind of results baseball has been getting recently.

The fans clearly love the style of game as it is being played today.

Let's face it, as much as purists may decry the lack of such old-school fundamentals as the lost art of laying down the sacrifice bunt, or the majestic artistry of the well-timed hit and run play, at the prices it costs to attend a major league game, fans will continue to demand the long ball and increased scoring.

Every other sport, with the possible exception of soccer, has recognized this and adjusted the rules of the game and/or style of play to accommodate the demand of the fans. And the exception proves my point. Soccer will never catch on in this country, number 1 because it's a communist sport and communism is dead, and number 2 there is no scoring. It's like watching paint dry. And while yes, I can still attend a professional soccer game in this country at bargain prices (as long as it is not a game where Beckham rides the pine) you couldn't pay me to watch it.

So, yes, I will certainly be interested in the names linked officially and forever to infamy by the esteemed former Senator. And yes, I will listen to the predictable 180 degree turn the media spin takes now that some of their butt-boys get dragged down into the mud as well. Don't kill the messenger now.

It was all fun and games when it was Barry, BALCO and Greg Anderson.

Now that the Yankees former trainer looks every bit as sleazy as Greg Anderson, lets see the scathing articles you Nobel prize wannabes write about Clemens, et. al. Lets hear the pundits rage on the air about how a multiple Cy Young award winner should be denied entrance into the hallowed, but increasingly irrelevant Hall of Fame.

If the KC Royals trainer with background and behavior that sounds Greg Anderson-esque gets fingered, maybe some of Cardinals and Royals players of recent note should be held accountable for their Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio-like early career numbers.

You see, here's the problem I have with this:

The media (the supposed guardians of the game), the owners, the GM's are all falling over themselves NOW and saying:

We're sorry, we didn't know what was going on.
We didn't know then what we know now.
We didn't see know the signs then, we do now.
Give us another chance.
We'll clean up the game this time.
WE PROMISE.

To that I say, BULLSHIT. People want to give Jose Canseco credit for what he said in his book, and the big names he called out, but they only want to credit him selectively, like his story is some sort of Chinese Buffet where you can take some of this, and a little of that, but pass on whatever part of his story you don't like.

Sorry, my BULLSHIT meter just went off. One of the things Mr. Canseco made fairly clear was that everybody knew what was going on. Players , management, fans, everyone. So why would anyone trust the same people, the same entities who couldn't prevent this from occurring the first time, to get it right this time?

Fool me once, shame on you....fool me twice, shame on me. A similar ignorance that was prevalent back in the 90's is with us today. Today, the main difference is we have people who think they can become knowledgeable about an issue lickety-split through Google searching. The Wikipedia-experts. Hot damn, ain't we lucky now?

Former Commissioner Faye Vincent makes the occasional rounds of the talk-shows and the evening news because he can be sure to bash Selig, bash Bonds, bash everyone involved. But NOBODY, and I mean nobody asked Mr. Vincent the most pertinent question, which is this:

Mr. Vincent, we are all now aware that you sent a now famous memo to all teams in 1991 (19 freaking 91) regarding steroid use. Obviously to send a memo regarding this subject you had to have valid, concrete reasons to send a memo regarding this particular subject as opposed to say any other topic of the day (gambling, recreational drug use, child abuse, etc.) and that is that you had to know this was a growing problem within the sport. So having identified it as an important issue, such that you were compelled to issue the memo, where was the follow-up as you observed the problem continue to get out of control?

Yes, I know, I know, the owners threw him out and put in the puppet named Bud. But in my opinion, being an ex-Commissioner offers an even better forum to be an advocate for change on this issue. An issue that his office clearly identified as a problem as far back as 1991.

And so I would ask Mr. Vincent again, since you clearly identified the issue at the time as a source of concern, what concrete, tangible steps did you take to keep the problem from escalating? Being that you love the game and all and had this intimate knowledge of the situation as it developed. I'm not real sure I want to hear much more of your carping and finger-pointing, and posturing and passing the buck. I've really heard enough of that. WHAT DID YOU ACTUALLY DO, MR. VINCENT?

So the finger-pointing we know can go at least as high as the Commissioner's office. How about the Oval Office? Sure, we know that President Bush picked up the issue in his State of the Union address, but I'm not sure we're getting full disclosure from the President regarding this issue. Instead of continuing to commit perjury in the court of public opinion by saying "I didn't know what was going on in my clubhouse". You're either being intentionally deceptive or were criminally stupid at the time.

You could see WMD half a world away, but couldn't see steroid use in your own (club)house. AMAZING. Good Luck in retirement Mr. Prez. don't forget to keep in touch.

If the President is really that concerned about the issue, maybe he would like to donate the proceeds of the huge gain he made on the sale of his piece of the Texas Rangers to fight steroid abuse at the youth level or further research for better testing. Do something tangible rather than just more rhetoric. It's not as if he didn't capitalize on his time in baseball to move into something that has clearly set him up for life, right?

You'll remember, that deal was held up as an example of the President's business acumen and overall intelligence during his initial campaign (an example he clearly needed then, and probably needs more now).


So give something back to the community, Mr. President. Put your money where your mouth is. You know, a little something for the effort?

In my opinion, if Mitchell's report doesn't at least give a nodding acknowledgment
that the 'don't-ask, don't-tell' philosophy, that permeated both the locker room as well as the boardroom, allowed this problem to get out of hand. Sure, everybody wants to see their favorite whipping boys(s) get whipped, but you almost have to play "whack a mole" and make sure you pound every corner of the industry over the head equally for this. Even though, that is exactly what Jason Giambi said once and got both roundly criticized and eventually muzzled (via economic extortion of threat of terminating his contract) for saying it.

And please, I propose a law, that says the next person who uses Jason Giambi as an example of someone who told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth be incarcerated for criminal stupidity. He told as little as he had to tell regarding his history with PED as he had to in order to keep his lucrative contract. Just Google an image of his Team USA baseball card and if you even recognize him, come back and we can talk, OK?

Anyway, it's almost time to read the report. Merry Christmas Baseball.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE: After watching the Mitchell Press Conference

WOW. A very comprehensive 400+ page report. I was amazed at how often Mitchell in assessing where we have been, where we are and where we are going with regards to this issue spoke words eerily reminiscent of Mark McGwire's "I'm not here to talk about the past" theme.

He recommended, and rightly so, that the Commissioner not punish anyone retroactively for behavior committed prior to or for deeds that were in violation of a policy that was not in place at the time. The punishment will be the public stain on the players reputation, which should be damaging enough in most cases.

Not very surprising is that the names run from superstars to mere hangers-on. But that doesn't surprise me much at all. I have speculated for years that the number of players from the bottom of the roster would outweigh the number from the superstar strata. The superstars names sell newspapers however.

The detail behind the inclusion of Mr. Clemens and Mr. Pettite are sure to cause some to change their viewpoints regarding these two players. Not surprising to me that they were included, but the details from the trainer were very, very damaging.
I'm really not sure after first read, how they, or their cronies in the media, spin their way out of this one.

Let's see what say you now, oh sanctimonious protectors of the sanctity of the Hall of Fame, nay, of the very Game of Baseball itself. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Also interesting was his focus on pointing out that baseballs inactivity on this issue "while they were tending to economic issues" caused the problem to mushroom. No duh!

Also, interesting that he points out, rightly so, that at it's core the victims are the players who had to face the dilemma of either losing their jobs to players who used or joining them in order to compete. And this was where he was chiding baseball for being slow to act on the issue, because even though nobody will give him this type of out, if we are to believe that everything written in the book "Game of Shadows" is correct, this was the same dilemma, the same choices that Mr. Bonds must have felt. He was jealous of the attention Sosa and McGwire were receiving. He was losing his status in the game to players he felt were not his equals on a level playing field. You had an industry that was turning a blind eye to the problem and a Justice system that, given the penalties levied against users, didn't really care about the issue either. What to do, what to do?

But now, retroactively, because he first took McGwire seasonal HR record, and later Aaron's career HR record, we want to hang him from the highest tree. AMAZING.

We'll see how many folks take Mitchell's recommendations to heart, and I thought he made a great case for focusing on the recommendations the report outlines, and moving the issue forward, and improving the game. Or if they continue pushing old agendas.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UPDATE #2

Typical reaction from the "Oh no, not Roger Clemens, crowd". Let's see if I have this correct. The trainer is lying to avoid the crushing weight of the feds charging him with one thing or another. Even though he was accompanied by personal lawyers when he testified before Mitchell. And we can believe that line but......we also have to believe that Greg Anderson doesn't act in quite the same way. He doesn't act to save his own ass and give up Bonds, but if and when he does, we would willingly believe his story even though it was in fact also coerced.

Listen, we now have MORE direct, not indirect, evidence tied to Clemens then we do against Bonds. But the media picks up the gauntlet and foolishly calls it hearsay evidence. The link to Brian Roberts sounds like flimsy, hearsay evidence. The testimony against Clemens sounds damning. And he has apparently committed perjury in the court of public opinion, what's that worth?

So now we will hear that Clemens and Pettite are the victims of a disgruntled employee and are entitled to due process and to face and confront their accusers.

These comments are all valid and and true, but most of the media folks who use this logic appear to forget (but I don't) that this was not a courtesy they readily extended to Mr. Bonds. And yes I'm talking about Hall of Fame talking head Gammons and empty head John Kruk. They don't want to believe it now that one of their pet players is dragged down into the mud.

Remember, the consensus wisdom from the bizarro-world, jackals in the media was that if the charges levied against Barry Bonds were not true, then he would sue. To protect his reputation and prove his innocence. Of course, this ignores the fact that our entire justice system is founded on the presumption of innocence and the principle that the government has to PROVE YOUR GUILT, not the other way around. Interesting that yesterday, even ESPN's resident legal expert Roger Cossack seemed to be able to finally articulate these legal concepts on behalf of Mr. Clemens. HALLELUJAH, THEY'VE SEEN THE LIGHT.

I do seem to recall that Clemens has in the past threatened to sue anyone who damaged his reputation or cost him endorsements or damaged his opportunity to continue to generate revenues based on his career. That day has come Rocket, time to put your money and your legal team where your mouth is.

Regardless of the fallout, I say welcome to the party that recognizes that EVERYONE is entitled to due process and has constitutional rights that some of the more irresponsible members of the media would so willingly trample in order to sell papers, push agendas and further careers. Fellas, you're a bit late, but welcome, there is room for all. And you'll find, if you care to read the Constitution, that it doesn't stop after the First Amendment you hold so dear. Maybe now you'll stop using the rest of the Constitution as mere shards of paper not worthy of wiping your buttocks on.

To conclude, it seems like the report was delivered like a flaming bag of shit on the porch of the players union and some individual players. And now they are laughing and letting the media and Congress do their PR work for them to tarnish (devalue) the players and gain the high ground to push further drug testing issues forward.

As far as Senator Mitchell and the $20 million dollars spent on this report, I would say this: It's not my money or taxpayer money being spent, so you can spend or waste it as you like, but it seems like most of the names mentioned in your report have long been listed on the site Baseball's Steroid Era, that we've had on our favorites for some time.

http://www.baseballssteroidera.com/

I haven't done a one-for-one checkoff of the two lists, but to be honest, off the top of my head, the websites list is more comprehensive and would probably have cost a lot less than the $20 million. But it doesn't have a former federal judge and U.S. Senator's stamp of approval. So I guess you get what you pay for.

Baseball now faces the prospect of having the greatest power hitter of all-time, the greatest power pitcher of all-time and the greatest singles hitter of all-time
publicly vilified and persona non-grata in the Hall of Fame. BEAUTIFUL WORK.

Finally, I feel vindicated on my long time assertion that once a popular player either tested positive, or even better was thrown under the bus by the court of public opinion in this manner, that there would be a stunning reversal in the tone of the debate.

So thanks Senator Mitchell for that, but it was fairly obvious all along that this would happen.

It's just so cool to hear ALL THE IDIOTS I'VE MENTIONED OVER THE YEARS (too numerous to mention, but y'all know who you are) TALK OUT OF THE OTHER SIDES OF THEIR MOUTHS.

As I've said before as well, the contortions some of these fools are engaging in today in reconstructing their arguments regarding this issue makes it abundantly clear that these guys are eminently qualified and have the the requisite flexibility to go fornicate themselves.

Merry Christmas to baseball and baseball fans everywhere.

Bonds Divides Nation Again...Let's Get Ready to Rumble

It's Black vs. White.....Player vs. Fans....Hitters vs. Pitchers in a battle of epic proportions for the heart and minds of baseball fans all-over the world. If he starts dividing us Boy vs. Girl, Oh man!! It's on, then. It's going to be a real throw down at that point. Let's hope cooler heads prevail before that happens people.

By the time Barry breaks the record, there won't be a man woman or child left in the country who hasn't been asked "What do you think....". It's office cooler gossip gone wild.

I don't care anymore that Hank Aaron is too busy folding Bud Selig's laundry to go.

I don't care that Bud Selig is too busy being the most ignorant commissioner of all time to go. At least he doesn't have to fold his own laundry.

I don't care that the more mealy-mouthed, panty-waisted, bed wetting, so called "guardians of the game", who still aren't over the psychological trauma of their mommies throwing out their baseball card collection, keep whining poetic about the sanctity of a baseball record like it's the deity, Get Over It, you little (INSERT COMMON NAME FOR FEMALE DOG HERE).

I don't care if those who don't like it hold their noses, in fact, I don't care if some of them hold their noses too long and have a bit of an accident, if you know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying?

I don't care what the latest he-said, she-said...did you hear what so and so said garbage in the papers everyday. Who cares what Schilling or Wells or Ortiz or whoever have to say? I guess everyone does.

And even though you didn't ask (that's what blogs are for) I would caution all the haters piling onto the A-Rod as next Home Run King Love Boat that's currently boarding:

First, Alex is more of a Prince Charming type than a King type.

Second, Alex is a sensitive little flower, he senses that like certain high school romances, this one has all the earmarks of one based more on your feelings of revenge against the current king to be, rather than any actual true feelings of love for him. Like, it once was with Derek (giggle, giggle). This has disaster written all over it. You can't toy with the emotions of a future HOF like that.

Third, his manicurist says that the pressure of hitting all those home-runs are going to make those really gross callouses on his hands even worse and then no girl will really want him. Never mind, that won't be an impediment.

Fourth, You know how Alex responds to pressure. You've practically guranteed that he won't get the record now. He like has that thing some men get when they can't pee in a public trough like at Wrigley Field unless there's nobody else in the park and yeah, right what's the chances of that ever happening? THAT'S CRAZY.

So anyway, my point here (if indeed I really have one) is be careful what you wish for. Or whose boat you get on, this one has Gilligan's Island written all over it.

ANYWAY HERE'S THE LATEST:


From one of the best baseball blogs out there:

http://www.baseballmusings.com/

Commenting on today's USA Today Headlines:

http://www.baseballmusings.com/

Boost or No Boost?
Jason Giambi comes down on the side of Barry Bonds,
saying the steroid boost is overrated:

Giambi won't say whether he believes Bonds ever took
steroids or human growth hormone, but he's convinced
that no drug is responsible for Bonds' extraordinary
career.
"Barry is one of the greatest players, if not the
greatest, I'll ever see play," says Giambi, who has
hit 355 career home runs. "I know people have a tough
time accepting it, but what he's doing is
unbelievable. And I don't care what people say --
nothing is going to give you that gift of hitting a
baseball.

"It's the same thing for Barry. If it were that easy,
how come you don't see anyone else doing what he has
done?"


I find two things interesting about this type of
argument. It separates the skill of hitting the ball
from the strength to drive the ball. In other words,
if the eye-hand coordination isn't there, if the body
mechanics aren't there, it doesn't matter how strong
you are.

So, if players believe this is true, why take steroids
in the first place? Giambi didn't answer that.

"Unfortunately, (the rumors) are going to be a part of
it. But that's OK. I'm probably tested more than
anybody else. I'm not hiding anything," said Giambi,
hitting .273 with five homers this season. "That stuff
didn't help me hit home runs. I don't care what people
say, nothing is going to give you that gift of hitting
a baseball."

In general, people use drugs because they work.
Recreational drugs make you feel good. Steroids help
build muscle. If Giambi is suddenly becoming talkative
on the subject, let's hear the whole thing. And I hope
it's better than, "Everyone else was doing it."

My commentary regarding the article and David Pinto's
comments over at Baseball Musings:
Interesting analogy you make to use of PED and use of
recreational drugs.

It's the short-term temporary illusion that
recreational drugs make you feel better when, in most
cases, on a long-term basis, they really don't succeed
in making many people feel better overall.

I believe much the same to be true with steroids/HGH
use in baseball, reflected in Giambi's comments.

Short-term, confidence boost, yes.

Muscle Mass increase, yes. Whether that additional
mass is utilized to faster bat speed has not yet been
proven conclusively for obvious reasons.
And Bonds always had lightning quick bat speed and hit
some monster tape measure home runs even back when he
was built like a Popsicle stick.

You would have to improve bat speed, which is a
combination of strength and speed. Very difficult to
do both. Many believe without being blessed with good
genetics ie: higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle
fibers, that increased mass in most cases is
irrelevant except to make for a better looking squad
coming off the bus.

I thinks that is what the David Ortiz's and Giambi's
are getting at when they acknowledge what Bonds is
doing is admirable on some level.

Either he's the only one who has figured out how to
combine PED use with maintenance of the unique sports
skill of hitting a baseball (hardest thing to do in
sports IMO) while avoiding injury and breakdowns
associated with PED use.

Canseco's career derailed due to injuries. There are
others Jose implicated who you could argue had
potential HOF careers detoured primarily due to PED
use.

I think that's the reason for the apparent disconnect
between fans response to Bonds and players response.
Among players, most of the negative stuff has come
from pitchers (Schilling, Lidle, Wendell) although
Clemens was surprisingly positive except for the love
tap to the elbow guard incident.

Hitters know how difficult it is, with or without PED
use to hit home runs. And unfortunately, for what it's
worth, they have become the human guinea pigs as to
whether the stuff works or doesn't work effectively,
if you temporarily put ethical issues aside. We won't
know the long-term health ramifications for this set
of guys for another 20-30 years.

Ultimately, you're always going to be left with the
ethical dilemma of whether the risk of being caught
and the long-term health issues are worth the
potential reward of being a Major League player, on
whatever level.

Would you take a winning lottery check today, worth
anywhere between $1M and potentially hundreds of
millions, if you were told that if you won you could
lose 10-20 years off your life?

What's the old smokers retort? "Well, it's the last
twenty years, they weren't going to be very good years
anyway"

Posted by Charles Slavik at May 18, 2007 11:33 AM

BALCO II: The Orlando Case?

Loomis: 'All we want to sell is hormone replacement'
By Tom Farrey
ESPN The Magazine
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=farrey_tom&id=2783117

The raids in Orlando and elsewhere effectively mark the formal start of the government's full-scale assault on compounding pharmacies, which differ from traditional pharmacies by creating custom creams and other products tailored to the needs of individual patients. They have become major players in the anti-aging industry, and a growing threat to big pharmaceutical companies whose drugs often cost more.

The most telling line in the story and probably the most ignored and glossed over. Follow the money, right? Isn't that what we hear all the time? Follow the money.
Interesting, very interesting.


Also, this quote: Because it doesn't seem to be the facts as reported to us by the media or the pollsters. Accoridng to them, it's all athletes and young kids.

"As far as athletes, most of our patients don't walk up to the counter," Naomi said. "We're FedExing it [to clients] so we don't actually see the person. As far as names coming through, famous athletes, we don't see them. I mean, there are a couple, but ..."

"It's a very small number," Stan said, interjecting. "I don't know of any active athletes. It's the weekend warrior where most of it is going."

And from this follow-up story:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2781674

Victor Conte, the founder and president of BALCO, the Bay Area lab which has been the focal point in the federal steroids probe, said he was not surprised by the raid.

"People from all walks of life now are using performance enhancing substances. From athletes to movie stars, there seems to be an ever-growing need to find a competitive edge," Conte said. "Maybe it's time to fully realize that we are now living in a pharmacologically enhanced society."

Maybe its just me, but Conte and Canseco it seems have been closest to being on the mark with their comments and analysis of the situation than most. Sometimes the message gets lost due to the perception of the messenger.

Steroids? And the HR King? Say it isnt so Hank!

From the Website www.protrade.com comes this interesting piece. We are often told by pundits that we need to connect the dots of circumstantial evidence in order to convict one Barry Lamar Bonds of steroid use in his assault on Hank Aaron's HR record. This article brings up some valid points using some of the same logic and methodology to circumstantially indict one Henry Aaron. Wow!!!

Interesting to note the use of Tom House quotes, which came and went without much of a furor. Why wasn't there the same level of moral outrage or consternation or ex-post facto indictment of players from the 60's and 70's? We know that recreational drug-use was a major social problem at this time. Why wouldn't we believe this extended to baseball? And why do we feel it was limited to recreational, non-performance enhancing drugs? Oh sure, these guys were doing cocaine and amphetamines, but steroids, Nah!! Players were well-paid and had an interest to protect back then as well, didn't they?

We know that the Hall of Fame is slowly being littered with the busts of those whose recreational use of cocaine during their careers stained the game and provided a less than sterlng example to our nation's youth. Where was the "integrity of the game" litmus test when these guys passed muster? Oh, I guess we can pick and choose which law-breakers we want in and which we choose to exclude. Isn't that special?

Maybe Mark McGwire might have been better served if that reporter found some lines of cocaine on a mirror instead of a bottle of andro, right? Shameful, disgustingly shameful.

It is ironic that Tom House is the player who caught Hank Aaron's 715th home-run.
The evidence forms a neat little circle. Also, effective use of Davey Johnson's unusual, Brady Anderson-esque home-run production. What happened there, chief?

I have graphs that clearly show that when one looks at home-run production, relative to the the production of the rest of the league (to adjust for different eras and conditions), the line showing production by age of Mr. Bonds very closely matches that of Mr. Aaron in terms of late stage of career productivity.

In other words, the rising tide of factors (like expansion diluted pitching, smaller stadiums, tighter baseballs, etc.) that lead to increases HR production will be reflected across the entire population by examining the change in the mean. Hence, the phrase "a rising tide lifts all boats". Comparing the individual's production relative to the mean would show unusual spikes in production that might be a cause for concern. You have to do both or you get an obscured visual image. To look at one to the exclusion of the other is like trying to hit with one eye closed. You might be able to do it, but it wouldn't look good nor would it be as effective as trying to do it with both eyes open.

Aaron's and Bonds' path of productivity as shown in these graphs, are not all that unusual for superstars and clearly not any more unusual than that of Davey Johnson's and Brady Anderson's among others. A one year spike is clearly more questionable.

You also have to remember that not too many power hitters play beyond age forty. Mays, Williams, Aaron, Bonds, etc. are exceptions to the rule. Many HR hitters like McGwire and Ruth are not playing at age 40 or more, so we are looking at a relatively low sample size which means we really don't know what normal is. Especially for a group (superstars) who by definition are not normal. That's important to remember also. Anyone who says they know what's normal and what's not regarding this sub-group is not being totally truthful or pushing an agenda or worse.

Bonds is usually indicted, tried and convicted by many on the basis of his late career jump in productivity, however when you compare his productivity jump vis-a-vis that of the rest of the league (his peers), his gains are not to be unexpected from a statistical standpoint.

One would and should expect that the productivity of the elite stars (Bonds, Sosa, McGwire) would jump a little higher then that of the "Average" player.

In fact if you compare Bonds' career HR productivity relative to the league average vs. the same statistical comparison of Aaron's career year-to-year, for each chronological year of age Aaron vs. Bonds, they run virtually neck and neck from the beginning of their career until at least age 40.

I will post the graph as soon as I master the technology.


http://www.protrade.com/content/DisplayArticle.html?sp=S8687c664-c2d1-11db-9291-83f05e1a00a7

Steriods. And the HR king. Say it isnt so Hank!
Smart 3 Not Smart 0 Comments 2 | Feb 22 2007 04:05 PM PST By BayAreaBaller
Topics: barry bonds hank aaron bud selig mlb jose canseco steroid steroids baseball home run king

STEROIDS GROUND ZERO: 1973 ATLANTA BRAVES
(Or what you will NOT read in Game of Shadows)

One of the more distressing fabrications which has emerged from the BALCO case has been the erroneous contention that the so-called 'Steroids Era' began in 1991 with Jose Conseco as its architect.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

The San Francisco Chronicle, in a May 3rd 2005 article quoted former Major League pitcher Tom House of the Atlanta Braves as saying that steroids were rampant in the game in the late '60s and throughout the '70s.

House, perhaps best known for catching Hank Aaron's 715th home run ball in 1974 in the Atlanta Braves bullpen, said he and several teammates used amphetamines, human growth hormone and 'whatever steroid' they could find in order to keep up with the competition.

"I pretty much popped everything cold turkey', House said. "We were doing steroids they wouldn't give to horses. That was the '60s when nobody knew. The good thing is, we know now. There's a lot more research and understanding."

House, 58, estimated that six or seven pitchers per team were at least experimenting with steroids or human growth hormone. He said players talked about losing to opponents using more effective drugs,

"We didn't get beat, we got out-milligrammed", he said. "And when you found out what they were taking, you started taking them".


According to Rep. Henry A. Waxman in his March 17,2005 opening statement before the House Government Reform Committee:

"Congress first investigated drugs and professional sports, including steroids over 30 years ago. I think perhaps the only two people in the room who will remember this are me and Commissioner Selig, because I believe he became owner in 1970".

In 1973, the year I first ran for Congress, the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce concluded a year-long investigation that found--and I quote--"drug use exists...in all sports and levels of competition...In some instances, the danger of improper drug use--primarily amphetamines and anabolic steroids--can only be described as alarming".

Bowie Kuhn, and the powers that be at the time, quietly squashed the entire tawdry episode and with good reason: it would cast suspicions on an African-American slugger who was challenging one of baseball's most cherished records: The career record for home runs.

Compare Hank Aaron's stats at the beginning of his career and then notice how his HR% began to increase beginning when Hammerin' Hank was 37 years old.

HR% is defined as being the number of HRs per 100 ABs.

Age HRs HR%
33 44 7.3
34 39 6.5
35 29 4.8

Nothing unusual about these statistics; it is a typical profile of a slugger in decline as he ages. But then Hank began to undergo an 'enhancement.'

Age HRs HR%
36 44 8.0
37 38 7.4

What explains this spike at a latter age? Expansion? Perhaps. But then what happens?

Age HRs HR%
38 47 9.5
39 34 7.6

Hank...What's going on buddy? Aaron's HR% were TOPS in the NL in both 1971 and 1972. Hmm.

Age HRs HR%
40 40 10.2

Which leads us to 1973 when at age 40 in just 392 at bats, juiced 40 HR's for a HR% of 10.2. Once again TOPS in NL for the THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR and the HIGHEST HR% in the ENTIRE 23 year career of Hank Aaron.

Hank Aaron at 40 was not the only Atlanta Brave to hit 40 Hrs that season. Teammates Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson blasted 41 and 43 HRs respectively.

Darrell Evans

Year HRs HR%
1971 12 4.6
1972 19 4.5

1973 41 6.9

1974 25 4.4
1975 22 2.8

Notice a statistical anomaly? Let's see what Davey Johnson did.

Davey Johnson

Year HRs HR%
1971 18 3.5
1972 5 1.3

1973 43 7.7

1974 15 3.3
1975 Played 1 game
1976 Did not play MLB

Notice a statistical anomaly? It would be one thing for Hank Aaron to undergo an 'enhancement', but what are the odds that not one but TWO teammates would both have career years in HR's and HR% in the SAME YEAR as when a Congressional Committee issued its final report saying that anabolic steroids were rampant in the game? Why did Darrell Evans and Davey Johnson both experience career spikes in HR's only to return to earth the following year? And how did Hank finish up?


Age HRs HR%
41 20 5.9
42 12 2.6
43 10 3.7

So what happened? Enquiring minds want to know.

The 1996 Baltimore Orioles set at the time the team HR record for one season. Brady Anderson's 50 HR season was viewed suspiciously.

The manager of the 1996 Baltimore Orioles? Davey Johnson.

The only question remains: What did Bud Selig know and when did he know it?

Fay Vincent circulated a draft steroids policy in 1991. Selig knew that if the scab of steroids was picked off, the puss of the 1973 Atlanta Braves would be oozing all over the game. The scandal of Hank Aaron's HR record being tainted by steroids use would have been a PR disaster at the time and. personally, extremely painful to Bud Selig who, after all, is a long-time friend of Hank Aaron.

Hence the boardroom coup which ousted Fay Vincent and made Bud Selig 'Acting Commissioner', while still maintaining his position as the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, a blatant conflict of interest.

So long as Bud Selig remains in charge of Major League Baseball, the American public will never get to the bottom of the steroids scandal which has sullied the game. He has too much of a personal vested interest in Hank Aaron.

Besides, after this season, Barry Lamar Bonds will BE the HR KING.

LONG LIVE THE KING!!!

CANSECO AS STEROID COP??? Maybe he can deputize OJ.

That would be just grand. Canseco undercover in Major League lockerrooms as a bat-boy? Equipment Manager? Clubhouse flunkie? How would this work, Jose? You're not in the game anymore. You presumably can't name anymore names than you used up to sell your book or promote yourself can you?

What, you would be an improvement over Bud Selig and his cronies? Ouch, you got me there, they've only uncovered one case this ear so far. More entertaining too? Can't argue with you there.

OK, Jose, you got the job big guy? One last question, can you bring the girl to the press conferences? Thanks, Jose.

Maybe you can help OJ with his search too, in your spare time. He doesn't seem to be making much progress. Doing just enough it seems to stay out of jail.

Conte again refuses to roll over on Bonds!! What's wrong with this guy?

So let me get this straight, the guy with the most to gain by giving up Bonds, the ultimate "stay out of jail free card" in this entire investigation, again refuses to do so. This after giving up virtually everyone else of lesser value. (ie: Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, et al). Makes perfectly logical sense.

And the authors of "Game of Shadows" continue to pick and choose what "evidence" consider "fact" and what they consider "fiction".

Quote: Lance Williams, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who has written "Game of Shadows" with Mark Fainaru-Wada using the federal interviews to detail Bonds' alleged steroid regime, discounted Conte's denial.

"He did not come to court and challenge the drug agent and say, 'You lied,' " Williams told USA Today. "The guilty plea was pretty convincing to us that everything was true. Our belief is that he's doing this because he feels bad that he gave all of those people up."

OK, whatever. Hand these guys a Pulitzer Prize.

When one of these authors appeared on ESPN when this story first broke, he defended the use of Bonds' ex-girlfriends testimony, even though she has since contradicted some of it on Geraldo's show, by saying, and I quote " Why would his girlfriend lie?" If you read the excerpts and believe that it's true, you can only conclude, why wouldn't this woman lie? He treated her like shit it appears. Who among us would want to be judged by the character reference provided by an ex-spouse or girlfriend? Has this guy ever been laid? Has he not heard of the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorned?" I would guess the answer to be NO to both questions. But let's just hand them a Pulitzer prize for their "most excellent journalism".

And how about the treatment of Greg Anderson? If the excerpts are to be believed, why in Hell wouldn't this guy have turned on Barry? He apparently treated him like dog shit also. And yet, when he was interviewed by the prosecutors he ends an interview with the famous line "I don't want to go to jail". And these prosecutors can't close the deal and get him to roll over on Barry? Have they not watched any cop shows on TV? This guy was begging for a deal. And yet he goes to jail rather than rat out on Bonds? This Bonds guy must be a real prince.

Conte and Anderson would both rather do time and have the weight of the IRS and the DOJ on them for the rest of their lives apparently. Most of the "evidence" in the excerpts, it seems, could have been acquired by dumpster diving behind the BALCO prosecutors office. Yes, the selective leaking of testimony to make the story appear however the author's like it is Pulitzer Prize winning work. That's according to the brethren, print media and their cousins in the electronic media. Many of whom have previously disclosed their outright hatred for Bonds.

Let's remember that this BALCO grand jury evidence was convincing enough to the grand jurors to result in only two of the initial forty two charges resulting in convictions. Two for forty two? I think I could hit two for forty two against Major League pitching. And the grand jurors heard and saw all of the evidence directly. They did not have to rely on cherry picked excerpts. And they were able to see and hear the testimony of the person's subpoenaed live and in person. They were able to judge believability by the person's voice and mannerisms, not just words on a piece of paper. And still only 2-42. Good evidence.

This issue is now in the forum that the Bonds-haters want it to be, the Court of Public Opinion not the Court of Law. You can say what you want and the standards of evidence and fairness that would apply in a Court of Law are meaningless. You can mislead at your own pleasure, just as all in the media who perpetuate the "If theses charges are untrue, why doesn't Bonds or his people sue the authors for defamation. Surely these guys know that as a Public Figure, people can virtually say or rewrite whatever they want about a public figure and the chances of prevailing in the defamation suit are virtually nil. And I'm sure these journalists are properly trained by our institutes of higher learning to at least CYA in this regard.

When I hear a Frank Deford's or Rick Reilly's commentaries re: Bonds I can honestly say I have not heard such venom and vitriol in a voice since Ron Goldman's father during the OJ trial. I mean who pissed in these guys' Wheaties? Bonds did I guess when he publicly called out the media to clean up their own houses first. Called them all liars, as I recall.

We're well past the witch hunt stage at this point and have gone directly to lynch mob mentality, with all that entails. And it looks and sounds ugly and racially motivated and wrong. And all who reflexively deny that race has anything to do with this has got to have his or her head in the sand (or some posterior orifice).

Don't give me this baloney about protecting the sanctity of records. The barn door has long closed on that. You'd sound more honest if you said you were trying to protect Madonna's virtue.

We have the Weapons of Mass Destruction motivation for going into this steroid mess to begin with, the "kids are using in droves and we've got to protect the kids". Recent reports suggest that kids are reporting steroid use at about the 3% level. The experts then conclude that the number is really closer to 5-6%. OK, I'll accept 5-6% even, but it doesn't seem to be a growing problem or epidemic, like the media and Congress would lead you to believe. Not like drinking or on-line gambling or Poker (ESPN's new sport).

We have owners, who include President Bush by the way, who profited by the use of steroids by their players and looked the other way when it was right in front of their faces but now are gleefully throwing the same players under the bus now that they don't have any use for them any more. Or looking the other way while the media does it for them. Very classy behavior. Real stand-up guys. These so-called leaders, who will gladly hold others accountable to high standards but will deflect same when it's applied to themselves.

Bush's team had Canseco, Palmiero, Sosa and many other suspects by the way. Interesting how the man could see WMD half a world away that may not have been there, but couldn't see this steroid problem when it was right in front of his face and in his own clubhouse.

We have the continuing Racial Profiling Argument ("He looks like a user") perpetuated by the David Wells' and Turk Wendell's of the world. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Wells himself admitted in a recent interview by saying he would have "never guessed" that Palmeiro wasn't using while he was his teammate and yet it appears he was wrong. How can he spot a user from across country or across the diamond when he couldn't see one in his own clubhouse?

That's one of the problems in my mind with this recent hysteria. We have people who are anointing themselves steroid experts either by their use of steroids or the ability to Google the word "steroids". Heck, I could do either or both and I wouldn't be an expert.

Remember too, the "experts" postulated that mainly sluggers were juicing and ruining the game with their inflated hoe-run numbers. But what we're finding from early returns is that pitchers are getting caught as users at a rate virtually equal to sluggers. The absolute numbers are a 1.5-1 ratio of hitters to pitchers, but that is equal to the ratio of hitters to pitchers on most rosters, so the rate is virtually equal. In the recent issue of Street and Smith's Baseball, Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel did an article titled "Mounds of Trouble" documenting this surprising development. He said 35 of the first 88 minor league suspensions went to pitchers, so the ratio was 1.2-1 hitter to pitchers at that level.

We still want to glorify the guys we like like Lance Armstrong and Roger Clemens and demonize those we don't like. Even when there is as much evidence or questions about one or the other. I still submit that if you truly believe Bonds is a user, you almost have to honestly admit that Lance Armstrong is a user. But few people do say Yes to both. A failed drug test, even though he and his supporters always submit the defense that he never failed a drug test, former teammates who have "testified" in the court of public opinion that he used. Why is the "evidence" of their testimony discounted so readily and others so readily accepted?

It's really unfortunate, the treatment of guys like Sosa and McGwire has taken a 180 degree shift from guys who saved the sport to guys who are now credited with ruining it.

I don't believe I've seen anything like it since the way this country treated the Vietnam veterans, who left as patriots, doing their duty to protect this country and save it from the scourge of Communism and returned to be spat on as baby killers and symbols of an unjust war. The parallels are eerily similar.

We lauded these guys for providing Norman Rockwell moments (McGwire) and were teary eyed when he broke Maris' record, with the nations', the medias and the Maris' approval I might add. And now we want to vilify them. Very nice.

And don't give me the clap-trap-crap I hear from some weak-assed media members, like a Rick Telander, who want to jump all over themselves saying they tried to warn us of the problem, but nobody listened. Baloney. When one media member poked into McGwire's locker and found Andro, the rest of the brethren pounced all over him for invasion of privacy. More likely for pissing on the parade that was the McGwire-Sosa homer chase.

This is what people wanted, "Chicks dig the Long Ball", this is what baseball owners wanted, to make us all forget that they canceled a World Series for crying out loud and it worked. The cash registers rung loud and clear. I don't hear any call whatsoever from Congress or anyone for the owners to disgorge themselves from profits obtained under a fraudulent basis. Revenues have nearly tripled from the stain of the canceled World Series. Remember that when you want to direct your venomous attacks in the future. You'll probably sound less disingenuous.

from espn.com
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2372623

Victor Conte continues to deny that he provided Barry Bonds with performance-enhancing drugs. Conte, who said when he went to prison in December that he had never discussed steroids with Bonds, much less given him any, reiterated that position to Friday's edition of USA Today. He admitted from prison that he had provided the cream and clear, two now-illegal steroids distributed by the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, to Bonds' personal trainer Greg Anderson.

Conte, however, declined to clarify for USA Today whether Bonds could have gotten them from somebody else connected to BALCO. "My understanding was that it was for [Anderson]," Conte told the paper. "Understand that baseball didn't have any testing. They didn't need this highly undetectable stuff I was doing with Olympic athletes. They were in another world from me. My relationship with Barry Bonds was 100 percent about his nutrition, his younger brother's nutrition and about nutrition for his father."

Conte, who denied to ESPN.com in December that he had named athletes when BALCO was raided in 2003, again denied that a memo by federal investigator Jeff Novitzky indicating he had done so was false. "Much of the information in the memorandum of interview prepared by the federal agents ... was completely fabricated," Conte's told USA Today. "I filed a declaration under penalty of perjury with the federal court regarding what was actually discussed that day, and it clearly states that I did not make a confession to the agents."

Lance Williams, a San Francisco Chronicle reporter who has written "Game of Shadows" with Mark Fainaru-Wada using the federal interviews to detail Bonds' alleged steroid regime, discounted Conte's denial. "He did not come to court and challenge the drug agent and say, 'You lied,' " Williams told USA Today. "The guilty plea was pretty convincing to us that everything was true. Our belief is that he's doing this because he feels bad that he gave all of those people up."