Bumgarner no longer upset over Gammons' tweet - San Jose Mercury News

 

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner (40) waves to the crowd as he leaves the field following their 5-0 win for Game 5 of baseball's World Series against the Kansas City Royals at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) (Nhat V. Meyer)

This should put the issue to bed, but as ususal the erroneous report is trumpeted one page one, the retraction is buried. Bummer is being generous to Gammons. He didn't misinterpret the words as much as he embellished them for greater effect. There's a big difference. 

When the effect of that tweet is possibly to make Bumgarner seem like an arrogant jerk in the locker room -- ie: only I can be trusted to win games here -- when everything seems to point to exactly the opposite, there should be at least an apology. I guess Bummer should be happy with that, but I was hoping there would be a butt whuppin'. Even verbal dressing down would have been OK, but Gammons seems to know he screwed up here.  Move along. 

from mercurynews.com
World Series sights and sounds: Bumgarner no longer upset over Gammons' tweet - San Jose Mercury News:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- MadBum isn't mad anymore.

The Giants pitcher was steamed over the weekend when veteran baseball writer Peter Gammons posted on Twitter that Madison Bumgarner had demanded that he start Game 4 instead of Ryan Vogelsong. 

Gammons' exact tweet read, "Before the game, Bumgarner told teammates, `My pitching tomorrow is not an issue. I am. I will not take no for an answer.' 

Bumgarner vehemently denied ever saying that, and initially didn't know it came from the esteemed Gammons, a C. Taylor Spink Award winner. But just before the Giants took batting practice for Game 6, Gammons approached Bumgarner and apologized. 

"He just told me it got turned around a little bit and that he misinterpreted some of my words," Bumgarner said. "I told him I ain't worried about it. It's unfortunate that it came out that way, but there were no hard feelings from me. It's over with now.""

'via Blog this'

Marlins case proves baseball needs a cap, a floor and one more ingredient

The Florida Marlins recently agreed to increase its spending on salaries to comply with MLB's revenue sharing agreement. So we've established that baseball needs a salary floor, but no clear consensus on a salary cap or ceiling. Common sense would tell us that nobody would build a house with a floor and no ceiling, so why does baseball think that it could pull it off? Seriously, a salary floor and a salary cap would provide a definitive range so teams could best manage their costs as they try to stay competitive.

But does this help the competitive landscape? Not entirely. Teams could still surf the lower end of the range of costs, pocket the revenue sharing funds and still not compete. So, as usual, the fans would lose, at least in most cities.

These guys need a little more incentive to play to win the game. (as Herman Edwards told us is the entire purpose, HELLO!!!) Too many baseball teams do not even try to win on the field, content to win more love among the green-eye shade crowd than their fans. THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

Most cities and their fans have already been taken to the cleaners with a gun to their head by caving in to owners "requests" for new stadiums across the country. It's high time the fans were paid back in some fashion.

What would be the glue that would keep both the owners and their bean counters happy as well as provide the fans with a more exciting and balanced competitive landscape? In my opinion, adoption of NFL-style scheduling, whereby you play a certain amount of games against teams that finished in the same position in the standings as your team did.

I'm OK with the notion of teams playing most of their games against divisional opponents. I am also OK with keeping inter-league play in some form, especially the true rivalries that exist. The contrived inter-league rivalries do not concern me and the fans would not miss them much. In fact, if you play a certain percentage of games with the same-prior-years finisher as your team, your team will eventually see all the teams in the other league. The rate at which players change teams does not allow a system that would guarantee fans the chance to see all the superstars of the "other" league. So why do we concede part of the scheduling to achieving this goal?

Under this type of system, you would likely see a bump in attendance for the previously considered "contraction candidates" like Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, et. al.
We hear continuously that the one thing that helps attendance the most is winning. So let's help teams win and become more competitive.

If the rich teams don't want to share as much revenue, that's fine.

If the poor teams don't want to spend as much as the rich, that's fine.

If the rich tams want to cut back on salary to increase profits and risk falling in the standings, that's fine too.

If the salary structure continues to impede competitive balance, why not look at another way to improve it?

What's the definition of insanity? Continuing to do things the same way and expecting different results.

I can't listen to these small sample examples from one sport or another about competitive balance being better in baseball and see that in the NFL almost every teams fan base feels like it has a shot to win. I understand that their 16 game, small sample of a season allows for a lot of that variation, but unless baseball wants to bust down to a much smaller than 162 game season, that bet is off.

In MLB, over 50% of the teams have virtually no shot at winning each year and the fans know it. That cannot continue much longer, especially in this current economic environment.

It's interesting that I read an article by The Peoples Commissioner, Peter Gammons on MLB.com that gave a State of the Union type analysis of the current environment.

Attendance down only 6.9% (they lucked out and it may be down more)
Revenues were flat (more revenue streams)
Revenues projected to break $8 billion in 2010 (by comparison revenues were $1.3B in 1995, the pre-steroid era)

All fine and good Peter.

But then he went into some sort of logic-gymnastics that strained credibility. He says "it is unfair to label he Yankees championship as a World Series purchased" after buying Sabathia, Texeira and Burnett. WHAT!!! C'mon Peter, you know better. And then a couple of lines later he follows with a "the Yankees had six of the 10 highest-paid players" chaser line.

And then wonder why there is a disconnect between how fans view the landscape and how ownership and leadership views it?

The most telling quote in Gammons article was from A's owner Billy Beane, "The way the system is right now, there really is no difference between a $75 million and a $40 million payroll. I think a lot of small-market clubs look at that and ask 'Why pay $75 million when $40 million will buy me as many wins?"

INDEED. THIS IS THE PROBLEM. And this is why in many cities, baseball is in a moribund state of no hope, fans merely twirling the turnstiles as a nod to nostalgia. Waiting for the talk about contracting their teams to heat up again in a time where if anything, we should be talking about expansion again. At least if you rely on USA population growth alone since last expansion. And if you consider the ever growing numbers of international countries that are providing fertile grounds for player development, we are way past due for another round of expansion. And you would need expansion, not contraction to implement my master plan. And yet, the "meeting of the minds" as Gammons calls it, discussed "the situation" in the previously considered contraction candidate cities. I would call it a "meeting of the mindless" because no business can grow by contracting markets.

I know money can't buy me love and it can't buy me wins. I live in Chicago and see what the Cubs do with a wheelbarrow full of cash and no brains every year. And I see what the Marlins do on a Salvation Army type budget and an eye for talent.

But still, there has to be a better way of doing business. In the way I suggest, the revenues grow in those cities where there has been little or no real growth in years, maybe decades.

(Price) Fixing the Draft does not do that.
A World Wide Draft does not do that.
Capping the dollars applied towards the Draft and International signings does not do that.

Only getting their heads together on a salary floor and a cap does that. You can't talk about one without the other in baseball anymore. It's a sign of "baseball mindlessness" or senility. And you can't just do that, you have to add the missing ingredient, the NFL-style schedule.

Other than that, I would support expansion, but not to the AAA cities they hope to extort a major league franchise fee from. If Chicago can support two teams, Boston can as well. If New York supported three teams in the past, they can do it again. Return a franchise to Brooklyn or start one up in the swamps of Jersey. That will return at least some semblance of competitive balance to a sport that truly has only had the facade of balance for the last quarter century.

Let's review:
Salary Cap (OK)
Salary Floor (Yes, yes)
Revenue Sharing (Yes, by all means)
Expansion, not contraction (I though you'd never ask)
NFL-style, place in the standings scheduling (Oh, yessssss.)

And if that doesn't work or we can't come to agreement on all these components of the plan:
Expand into the LARGE markets until they are on a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD with the SMALL-TO MEDIUM markets.

If Obama can bring Balkinization to America's largest banks, I don't see why we cannot Balkinize America's (or ESPN's) largest teams markets--the Yankees and the Red Sox.

Now that was easy, wasn't it? No more problem with disparity between LARGE vs. SMALL markets.

Get it? Got it? GOOD!!! My work here is done. I'm happy to have been of service.

NOT BIG PAPI !!!! NOOOOOOO..........

Is it becoming clearer by the day that we may have been better served had we commissioned Mr. Magoo to investigate the steroid issue in baseball than former Senator George Mitchell and his Sawks bias? I mean who else has to fall by the wayside? Can MLB get it's $12 million back for the "investigation"?



Does this development not further "TAINT" and expose as the corporate white-wash job that it was, the door stop that has become the Mitchell Report?

These were the two largest guys in the Red Sox lineup and the clubhouse at the time, both literally and figuratively, and this Barney Fife clone wraps up his investigation and concludes that "Nope, nothing to see here" regarding the Red Sox. The team he had an interest in?

And is it also not becoming clearer when the assorted talking heads wiggle and squirm to protect their favorite, nice-guy players that the biased media cannot be counted on to bring us the facts?

And how it is even a serious question to ask "Does this taint the Red Sox titles?" Of course it taints their titles, morons. Are you kidding me? Their two biggest sluggers are tainted and you have to even posit the question?


What are we waiting for here? Another media nice-guy, favorite to fall from the tree and then they can tell us, "Well it doesn't taint their legacy...It doesn't taint their championships.

I just heard one clown on ESPN say it only should affect how we look at 2003 re: Ortiz and I suppose--using that logic--only recently regarding Manny. Wow, the tone and narrative of the debate has really changed recently.

Just in the last two weeks we learned that Bob Costas had a private dinner with A-Rod and his newest gal pal. Does anyone really think he'll deliver any hard-hitting exposes or diatribes against A-Rod, much less any other pin-striped juicer?

And a Mets reporter--in breaking a story that vilified a team employee (to his credit)--doesn't understand that trying to curry favor from the team when you are supposed to be maintaining an air of impartiality "TAINTS ALL OF YOUR REPORTING". The bad and the good. Try considering the fans best interest when you are trying to move up the corporate ladder.

In this case, of course, the brethren quickly circled the wagons and defended their own. No hint of impropriety here people, move along. Because they know. And they want to reserve the right to themselves to do the exact same thing should the situation arise.

So from the top of the media food chain to the bottom, nothing but a cesspool. No surprise here.

Can't wait to hear the Gammons / ESPN spin on this one. Way past time for old Uncle Bud Selig to unveil that Jason Giambi style apology and hope that there are no more popular stars on that list. We're a Pujols or a Jeter or a Maddux away from this sport REALLY smacking into the side of a mountain. Even after all that it has been through.

I love the old switcheroo, dipsey doo these guys manage to pull off. When folks were leaking sealed court information in the BALCO case to newspapers, it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Now all of a sudden they want to make a federal case out of it. Can't have it both ways. HAHAHAHAHA.

GIANTS PROSPECTS - THE BUSTER POSEY ERA BEGINS

It looks like it is going to get crowded on the Buster Posey train. It appears as if Peter Gammons is on board.

FROM PETER GAMMONS BLOG ON BUSTER POSEY:

The other teams in the AL East were joyous when the Rays decided to take Tim Beckham over Posey with the first pick last spring. Posey is athletic, has a great arm, has incredible power and is a lover of the game.

And that's some pretty weak praise for a player the caliber of Buster Posey coming from Gammons.Hall of Famer my butt!!

Remember, you heard it here first in this classic blast we like to call "I <3 Buster Posey" http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-heart-buster-posey.html

And I reiterated it here, proving conclusively that a lineup of Buster Posey's would be a force of nature capable of beating the 1927 New York Yankees lineup, nicknamed "Murder's Row".

http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2008/06/our-nation-mourns-buster-posey-has-been.html

First, he has the Bugs Bunny baseball player career at Florida State. Next he'll take the National League by storm, winning the Rookie of the Year and M.V.P. Award in the same season.

He'll also win an ESPY, an Academy Award and probably a Nobel Peace Prize after warring nations put down their weapons to watch him play.

YOU WATCH !!! BUSTER POSEY IS THE MAN !!!!!
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Looking over the Giants Organizational Rosters brings up a couple of question marks.

I understand the Dominican free-agent signees Rafael Rodriguez and Luis Mateo are not likely to be placed on a Class A or above roster (too young). But where have you gone Wendell Fairley??

This was the MLB.com capsule on Fairley before the draft:

A two-sport standout long on tools, short on experience, Fairley is somewhat difficult to figure out heading into this draft.

A wide receiver with plus speed, Fairley hasn't always given baseball full attention. As a result, his tools are extremely raw. At the same time, he's shown skills -- above-average arm strength, raw power potential, bat speed that hints he could be an above-average hitter -- that are hard to look past. Any player this raw would be hard to place in terms of when he'll be drafted, but add in some makeup issues, and no one knows for sure when Fairley will be selected.

Comparisons to Rays Carl Crawford seemed realistic, but injuries and off-field issues seem to have conspired to retard his development. He's been MIA since being drafted.

Other Giant prospects Missing in Action:
SS - Ehire Adrianza
RHP- Kyle Nicholson
LHP - Aaron King
LHP - Ben Snyder

The Augusta (Low-A) roster has not been totally fleshed out so hopefully a couple of these guys will resurface.

The Devil Rays are on the clock......1ST ROUND

Who would have thought that we'd live long enough to see the day as baseball fans when the MLB Draft would be televised. Peter Gammons lends instant credibility.

1st Pick: Devil Rays pick David Price, 6-5,215 LHP Vanderbilt.
The Royals are now on the clock.

They asked Price how he feels about being the #1 pick. He should have said rich, because he will be. Emotional was his answer, not bad for now.

Steve Phillips is one of the experts, that might be a reach. HAHA.
What's the over/under Devil Rays fans (both of them) will be chanting "Thanks for Kazmir, Thanks for Kazmir". I'd say by the third round.

Keith Law of Scouts, Inc. is the prospect expert, First surprise of the day, I thought it would be, should be someone from Baseball America.

2nd Pick: Royals pick Mike Moustakas, surprising pick, Boras client and the Royals. Seems like they would look for guys who are more major league ready. 6-0,185 3B-1B type who played short as a prep, 97 MPH gun. Not Bad.

The Cubs are on the clock....

3rd Pick: Cubs take Josh Vitters prep 3B. 6-3,195 power hitting prospect. Gammons calls him the best bat in the draft.

Pirates are now on the clock...

4th Pick: Pirates take Daniel Mosko LHP from Clemson 6-1,200 a bit of a reach. May be the first "signability" pick.

Baltimore Orioles are on the clock.....

The first steroids PSA commercial just ran good to get that one in before you lose your target audience.

5th Pick: Orioles take Matt Wieters the 6-5, 230 lb. switch hitting catcher. Good value here, an acknowledged 1-2-3 guy in the 5-hole. Another Scott Boras client. Don'y you just want to have the armored car business the Scott Boras generates?

National are on the clock.....

6th pick: National pick Ross Detwiler LHP Missouri State. 6-4, 175lbs. Another LHP, go figure. What did I say? You can never have too many of them.

Brewers are on the clock......

7th Pick: Brewers pick Matt LaPorta 6-1,215 lb. 1B from Florida. Where do you move Price Fielder? I guss LaPorta needs a new glove. Another Boras client? He'll need it, he's a college senior without as much leverage. Could be another "budgetary" pick. 20th ranked prospect by Baseball America in the seven slot.

Colorado Rockies are on the clock...........

8th Pick: Rockies pick Casey Weathers RHP from Vanderbilt. Can start or relieve. Hard Thrower. Another college senior. Second Vanderbilt pitcher taken, that's gotta help recruiting.

Diamondbacks are on the clock.....then the Giants....

9th Pick: Diamondbacks pick Jarod Parker RHP 6-2,175. Hard Thrower, first HS pitcher taken.

Giants on the clock......Beau Mills, Beau Mills, Beau Mills.....
Jim Callis from Baseball America is one of the experts so I guess they're really spreading it out and seeing who shows well. No Mel Kipers so far, A few seem kind of stiff and wooden.

10th Pick: Giants take Madison Bumgarner 6-5, 220 lb. LHP from North Carolina. HS pitcher, he's not going to help for years. GREAT. This guy is going to help our Short Season or Low-A team. See you in 2010 kid.

Mariners are on the clock..........

First shot of a "war room". I hope they all got the memo about not scratching yourself or picking your nose at inopportune times.

11th Pick: MAriner take Phillipe Aumont 6-7, 225 RHP from Canada. Not a bad pick here. Got to be hard to project with the weather and the competition. Mystery past, live with guardians, doesn't discuss his biological parents. Uh, oh.

The Marlins are on the clock.......

12th Pick: Marlins pick Matt Dominguez 6-2, 185 3B from same HS as Moustakas, the second pick. I hope they won state with those guys.

Indians are on the clock.............

13th Pick: Indians pick Beau Mills 3B 6-3,205 could move to 1B if Indians lose Hafner down the road. Way to go Giants, if this guy turn out and we're stuck with Peter Happy for 5 more years I'm going to scream.

Braves are on the clock.......Gigantes pick 22nd and 29th in the first round, I think they better get some potential immediate help. Collegiate players guys.

14th Pick: Braves pick Jason Heyward, Georgia prep star. 6-2,198 lb. OF, the Brave like to pcik the hometown kids and they have a boatload of prep talent down there. The Georgia youth programs in some areas are developing into the upper echelon of youth programs in the country. MLB.co has this kid at 6-4,220 vs. Basbeall America's number shown above. That's quite a difference. I've heard of inching, but this is ridiculous.

Reds are on the clock..............the Porcello kid from NJ is still on the board, the Reds like young pitchers or Brackman from NC State if they are looking for more immediate help.

15th Pick: Reds take Devon Mesaraco HS C from PA. Too high for a prep catcher.

Blue Jays are on the clock...........

16th Pick: Blue Jays take Kevin Ahrens 6-2, 180lb. switch hitting 3B. Comparisons to Chipper Jones are good but might be a reach here.

Rangers are on the clock...........

17th Pick: Rangers pick Blake Beaven 6-7,210 lb RHP from TX. Highly rate power picher with outstannding control , 4 BB's in 73 IP vs. 139 K's.

Porcello and Brackman are slipping, hopefully they get some Suzy Kolber love in the green room. Porcello is asking for Josh Beckett $$ plus inflation, he'll go to the Yankees.

Cardinals are on the clock......

18th Pick: Pete Kozma, 6-1,180 SS from OK. This is a major reach. Maybe the first non first rounder to elevate into the first round. MLB.com comments "savvy, hard worker, no flash, WISYWIG, fundamentally sound" echo ominously like "good personality" describing a blind date. Hope Eckstein can play until he's 40.

Phillies are on the clock........

19th Pick: Joe Savery 6-3, 215 LHP from Rice. Rice has produced a lot of steady if unspectacular pitchers. K numbers are not overpowering.

Dodgers are on the clcok.........

Selig pronounces Los Angeles like an idiot. It's not Angle and there's not two ee's on the the end, "Angle-ees". What a tool.

20th pick: Dodgers pick Chris Withrow 6-3,195 P from Midland, TX. 44th Rated prospect by Baseball America (right below Casey Crosby) might make it seem like a reach but the Dodgers are usually loaded with prospects, so I can't argue with them. Athleticsm, bloodlines and clean mechanics are a Big Three. Just goes to show, it only takes one.

Blue Jays on the clock again........

21st Pick: Blue Jays pick J.P. Arencibia 6-1,195 C from Tennessee. Anothher reach from Blue Jays here I think. They must know something or their budget for signing bonuses just isn't there this year.

Giants are on the clock.........Little early for Frazier here, but I wouldn't mind seeing a 3B who can help, SOON. I'm not as sold on the kid from texas Suttle, even though BA has him ranked higher than Frazier. Maybe Mangini fro Oklahoma State.

22nd Pick: Giants pick Tim Alderson 6-7,210 HS P from Scottsdale AZ. A bookend for Bumgarner. Only 4 BB's vs. 111 K's. Either he's a great control pitcher or his Mom umpired all his games. Quirky delivery has some ??'d whether the risk of a first-round pick for him, Giants obviously have a height requirement this year.

Padres on the clock........

23rd Pick: Padres select Nick Schmitt 6-5,230 LHP from Arkansas. Late riser,a verage FB, knows how to pitch. About right for the spot. Some thought he could go even higher.

Rangers are back on the clock...........

24th Pick: Rangers select Michael Maine RHP from Deland FL 6-1,171 power pitcher. Another athletic pitcher, some liked him as an OF but can reach the upper 90's with the FB.

White Sox are on the clock...........

25th Pick: White Sox select Aaron Poreda 6-6,240 LHP from Univesity of San Francisco.
Not overpowering numbers, but thows hard, secondary pitches seem to be a problem.

A's are on the clock

26th pick: A's select James Simmons RHP UC-Riverside 6-4,215 RHP. Rated best command among college pitcher by BA. Oakland likes the collge pitchers, college players, in general.

Tigers are on the clock...........

27th Pick: Tigers select Rick Porcello 6-5, 188 RHP from NJ, Tigers can sign Boras clients. The 4th rated prospect in the 27 slot is a good deal here. Great FB, power pitching prospect.

Twins are on the clock.......

28th Pick: Twins select Ben Revere 5-9,152 OF from Lexington KY. The 135th rated prospect. The biggest reach so far. Twins must be holding car washed and bake sales for bonus money.

Giants are on the clock again......Third time is the charm.

29th Pick: Giants select Wendel Fairley 6-0,190 OF from MS. WOW. Their philosophy is directly opposite from what mine would be for the Giants. A bit of a reach but one of the more athletic players in the draft. Big club just may not see him for 3-4 years. Steve Phillips applauds the move, so I feel better about my philosophy.

Yankees are on the clock.......

30th Pick: Yanksees select Andrew Brackman 6-10,230 RHP from NC State, the 7th ranked prospect in the 30 hole. The rich get richer.

Five Boras clients in the first round, again TRGR.

If you want to talk about a couple of things that are wrong with baseball, these two examples right here would fly at or near the top of my list.

This concludes the first round

Happy 76th Birthday to Willie Mays

Might still be the greatest all around baseball player of all time. ESPN's Peter Gammons interviewed him for last night's Giants-Phillies broadcast and Mays brought up an interesting point. When Gammons asked him if had Willie played in more favorable hitters parks than Candlestick and the Polo Grounds, would he have hit possibly 800 HR's, Mays reminded him that he lost nearly 2 years to a stint in the Army that may have cost him 70-80 HR's. I'll leave it to the SABR crowd to calculate the park-adjustments, but Mays certainly never played in a park that was nicknamed "The Launching Pad".

Absolutely, one of the most awesome packages of speed and power in the history of the game. Along with Barry and Bobby Bonds, Ricky Henderson and even Joe Morgan.



One of the best qualities about Mays was he had an infectious joy for playing the game. In his earlier years in New York, it was one of his more admirable and marketable qualities. It didn't seem like he had as much fun in the game in his later years, for a variety of reasons.



Given the circumstances (1954 World Series), one of the greatest catches of all-time, and the throw afterward to keep the runner from scoring makes this catch an even more remarkable defensive play.



Always seemed poised to deliver a big strike, a big play, whether it be at-bat, on the bases or in the field. I loved watching him play. To me, like Ted Williams, Mays is baseball royalty. As far as RH hitters: Mays, Frank Robinson and Aaron were the best I've ever seen. LH Hitters: I'd rank Bonds, Ruth and Ted Williams in whatever order you'd like. Among switch hitters: Mickey Mantle and Ricky Henderson. All were great all-around players as well.

HAPPY 76TH BIRTHDAY TO THE SAY-HEY KID.

Baseball News and Stories that just won't go away

Agents raided the Signature Pharmacy Lab in Orlando to provide fresh names and reputations to add to the fire that is the story of steroids in baseball. Not surprisingly only Gary Matthews name (black) is leaked.

Gary Sheffield (black) meanwhile is skewered publicly for not throwing Barry under the bus either in his new tell-all book or in his interview with Hall of Famer Peter Gammons, who pointedly reminded Sheffield that he and Bonds did not get along. In fact, Sheffield must have confounded Gammons and all of white America by stating in the interview that he was rooting for Bonds to break Ruth's record, more than anyone.

That fool must be on drugs, huh? When you can't be prompted into saying what you're supposed to say by a Hall of Famer, maybe you yourself are not qualified to be a Hall of Famer, even though you're closing in on 500 home-runs. Get ready for the end of career bend-over job Sheff, you have to know it's coming.

Speaking of which, the Veterans Committee met today, as it does apparently every two years now, and failed to see their shadows, which means that guys that were previously F_ _ _ ed over by sport writers for the fifteen or so years they had a chance to elect them, now have to wait another two years until this group of morons meets again in two years to say to Ron Santo, Jim Kaat, Gil Hodges, Tony Oliva among others, YOU'RE NOT WORTHY!!! YOU'RE NOT WORTHY!!!

And how about Curt Flood and Marvin Miller? Curt Flood is a player who if you asked baseball fans of today I'll bet anyone not older than 40 would even be able to tell you who Flood was and what he did that influenced baseball so much. And Marvin Miller is reviled too much to ever make it in. And both men did more to make baseball what it is today, in spite of the fact that the know-it-alls of the day told us both would destroy baseball. And they are not allowed entrance because they are judged by those whose contributions to baseball pale in comparison or are non-existent. But those pricks are already in the Hall and damned if they are not going to keep it an exclusive club.

Hey guys, it's not Augusta, you can be inclusive and it doesn't reflect in the least on your accomplishments. Yes, it does add to the pool of people who can sign autographs with the cute little HOF initials next to it on a baseball and sell them on E-bay for outrageously inflated prices. Maybe that's the motive, economic greed, turf protection.

By the way the Veterans Committee is made up of all the current living Hall of Famers, who seem to think that they are voting on people for sainthood, or for passage into heaven. It's a joke.

In fact the initial Baseball Hall of Fame process as voted on by the sportswriters is a joke. CAN YOU SAY...INHERENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST??? I thought that you could.

These sanctimonious pricks, many of whom don't come close to the standards they seem to hold out for other people should have their ballots disclosed publicly. If they can't justify why they are keeping people out, they shouldn't have a ballot. Same with sports writers or whomever is delegated to vote.

Football seems to elect almost anyone who didn't kill someone (allegedly) and can't wait to send in others who were active participants in events that led to the murder of multiple people. Oh, and drug users, hey they'll just be more fun at the subsequent Hall of Fame get togethers. Who's turn is it to bring the hookers? Hell, let the Playmaker do it he's a rookie.

Disgusting, really disgusting. The more I think about it, those that they let in vs. those that they keep out, in both football and baseball, every year it seems like they turn what should be a great PR event for and celebration of the individual sport into a mockery and a sham.

The Veterans Committee's actions are so stupid, disgusting and revolting that it actually made the details of Tommy LaSorda's forays with the newest version of the Hollywood Madam understandable and palatable.

Yuck, mental image of Tommy LaSorda naked, I'm scarred for life.

Mental note: Don't read Deadspin on a full stomach.



P.S. - Of course, today we also hear from the law-breaking reporters from S.F. (exempt from the law of course because they are reporters and the only Amendment that counts is the first Amendment, right?) details about Barry Bonds hat size and other examples of his physical change over the years, like nobody has noticed Roger Clemens' head turn into the Great Pumpkin over the years and his body type transform from ectomorph to mesomorph before our very eyes. Sorry ladies, I don't know details of his shoe size, you'll have to find that out for yourself.

The take home message the media seems to want to deliver almost daily is that only the few black guys that are left in baseball cheat. Or they are seemingly the only ones the media cares about or seems to want to harp on ad nauseum. The white guys will get a pass or our sympathy, but they are allowed to move back into the publics good graces at warp speed compared to persons of color.

And it was the same type of coverage when baseball was suffering a public black eye due to the cocaine abuse headlines years and years ago. You can look it up.
So we really haven't progressed that much as a society, as much as we'd like to believe otherwise and that is truly disgusting.

And this is the foolish, hysterical climate in which we are making the type of public policy decisions that lead us to testing High School athletes for drugs, not all students, just athletes. We don't care if the other kids do steroids apparently.

I've always heard that you should not see how two things are made, laws and sausage. Well, laws or public policy made in this type of climate is like making sausage in a public restroom (or a NYC Taco Bell - Yum Yum, no pun intended, this sausage tastes a little mousey today)

Whether you agree with the mans politics or not, I thought one of the good things Bill Clinton did as President was attempt to open a dialogue on race in this country. And like most problems, our reflex as a country was to say "We don't have a problem, really we don't".

Well maybe we do. And the first step of course is to recognize the problem and admit to it. A poll taken by Markitecture recently, asked people if they thought:

"There is very little racial prejudice in Sports". Simple Question.

In 2002, 31% Agreed - 40% Disagreed - 29% I presume were Not Sure.
In 2006, 19% Agreed - 41% Disagreed - 40% Not Sure???

So clearly we are moving in the wrong direction, just from a public perception standpoint.

And equally as clear IMO, is that this is an issue that is as important or more important to remove as a scourge from our society. Isn't it? Or do we need a poll rather than our common sense to tell us:

Which is a more important problem to solve in our society today?:
a) Steroids - Cheating in Sports
b) Racial Prejudice in Sports

Someone asked me recently why I write about the steroids issue so much, and it's not so much about Bonds or Sosa or McGwire as it is about the ripple effect some of the issues have throughout society, from youth sports, to civil rights, to race relations, to character in sports and on and on and on.

There's too many layers to the story to have it presented in as simplistic and moronic a fashion as it currently is. That's why. I'd rather write about just sports. Maybe someday.