Better Late Than Never

Okay, we're about a month in to the 2009 MLB regular season. Zinglebert and I put together our predictions for the 2009 MLB final standings, but some wretched piece of shit (i.e. me!) never got around to posting them. So, for your review and comedic enjoyment, here are our predictions:



At the end of the season we'll post the results...the basic formula is 5 points for each correctly predicted first place finish, 4 points for each second place, etc. More points are awarded for each round of the playoffs that we correctly predict, with 20 points being awarded for correctly predicting the World Series champ.

So there you have it--our attempt to show you that we can predict as poorly as the "experts" do.

Murray, Welcome to the Internet Age

Hey, Murray Chass! I know you are an aging sports writer who, supposedly, writes a blog. No, wait, Murray doesn't like blogs. He writes online articles. Crappy, online articles at that.

Murray's latest whine? He is saddened that Major League Baseball is no longer printing the Green and Red Books that detail information on each club - team records, finishes, managers, executives, statistics, etc. There is one book for the AL (Green) and one for the NL (Red). MLB has printed these for 70+ years.

Now, before you jump on the Murray bandwagon and light your torches or grab your pitch forks to march on the MLB offices, let's make one thing clear. Yes, the MLB is no longer printing these books. However, for the first time, the books will only be available online.

The books do include a vast amount of information that new and old writers should access for writing various articles. MLB and the teams have determined that there was just not enough interest for the amount of expense to print and mail the books every year when most of the information is duplicated every year. In this age of the Internet and companies going green, I can understand why this decision was made. Murray! If you can supposedly write an online article, I don't see why you cannot easily get this information.

I love how he bemoans in his article how woeful it is he will no longer have his printed copies. It is not like you have to access the Internet every time you want to access the information. You log on and download the information once! If you really want a printed copy - then print the fucking things off you lazy fucktard! Are you pissed because it will not be in a nice green or red book cover?

If you are not going to advance with the times, then get off the Information Superhighway. The last thing we want is you slowing us down with your turn signal stuck on.

Let It Die

"It's not my fault!"

This phrase has been declared many times throughout antiquity. Reportedly, Custer said it at Little Big Horn. Han Solo said it when the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive wouldn't work trying to escape the clutches of the Empire after leaving Hoth. And now, this fucktard has said it:

Is it too early to give the 2009 Fucktard of the Year Award?

Anyway, on to the Wallace Matthews article in Newsday:

Commissioner Selig defends his record

Bud Selig to baseball fans: Don't blame me. In a lengthy telephone interview yesterday, the commissioner of baseball strongly disputed the widely held perception that he was in any way complicit in the proliferation of steroids in major-league baseball during the past 15 years. "I don't want to hear the commissioner turned a blind eye to this or he didn't care about it," Selig said.

"That annoys the you-know-what out of me. You bet I'm sensitive to the criticism. The reason I'm so frustrated is, if you look at our whole body of work, I think we've come farther than anyone ever dreamed possible."

Yeah, why would anyone say that the commissioner "turned a blind eye" to the steroids issue? Are you kidding me?

Selig pointed to the reduction in the number of positive steroid tests among major- and minor-league players during the past three years, as well as the institution of amphetamine testing as evidence that baseball's 2005 drug policy is working.

Sure--Major League Baseball has had a testing policy since 2004. I think it's reasonable to say testing is a huge success after a three-year decline in positives. Of course, by "reasonable" I mean, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND????

MLB has made progress, sure. The fact that there is even testing now is a progress compared to five years ago. But come on. Even the commissioner can't say that MLB's program has been a success, right?

He also defended his efforts to stop the use of performance-enhancing drugs as far back as 1999, the year after Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, two now-suspected steroid cheats, staged a seasonlong (sic) home run derby that helped pull baseball out of the tailspin it went into after the work stoppage of 1994.

Selig's "efforts" included waiting for a report on the effects Androstenedione (what McGwire was taking during the 1998 season) and doing nothing else.

You remember 1998? Sosa/McGwire? In case you missed it, McGwire and Sosa both eclipsed Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61, set in 1961. McGwire ended with 70 homers, Sosa 66 (Barry Bonds then set the current record with 73 homers in 2001). In '98, an Associated Press reporter noticed a bottle of Andro- supplements in McGwire's locker and asked Selig about it. Selig's response? Wait for a study, then do nothing.

"I'm not sure I would have done anything differently," Selig said. "A lot of people say we should have done this or that, and I understand that. They ask me, 'How could you not know?' and I guess in the retrospect of history, that's not an unfair question. But we learned and we've done something about it. When I look back at where we were in '98 and where we are today, I'm proud of the progress we've made."

Proud. Of the progress that's been made. Like this progress?

Selig said he pushed for a more stringent drug policy during the labor negotiations of 2002 but ultimately settled for a watered-down version out of fear that the players association would force another work stoppage. "Starting in 1995, I tried to institute a steroid policy," Selig said. "Needless to say, it was met with strong resistance. We were fought by the union every step of the way."

Yeah, blame it on the union. It's all the players' fault.

In fairness, the MLB Players' Association is the most powerful union in sports. Since the era of collective bargaining began in sports in the late 70s, the MLBPA has seldom had to give in on anything. When the owners have tried to stand firm and make the players break, it hasn't worked out well for the owners.

But Selig admits that he "settled for a watered down version" because he was afraid of another work stoppage. Even if that were true, why would he have worried? The players would have had to publicly say that they were against testing, which would have given MLB the moral high ground. Selig at least could have tried!

Also, note that he pushed for a more stringent policy in 2002--four years after McGwire/Sosa. Why not push for it before then?

As bodies expanded and home run totals ballooned in the late 1990s, Selig said he consulted with baseball men he knew and trusted, such as Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin (then a coach with the Milwaukee Brewers), Braves president John Schuerholz and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to gauge the extent of the problem. "They all told me none of them ever saw it in the clubhouses and that their players never spoke about it," Selig said. "[Padres CEO] Sandy Alderson, as good a baseball man as you'll find, was convinced it was the bat. Others were convinced it was the ball. So a lot of people didn't know."

Except all the players who were using. And the trainers who were injecting. Did Selig or anyone else in his office ever think to ask players or coaches--you know, people actually close to where the drugs may have been used? I mean, there was no evidence of anyone using steroids before 2002, right?

Selig said that although only eight major-leaguers have tested positive for steroids in the past three years, he continues to be concerned about the possible use of human growth hormone, for which baseball has no approved test. "On HGH, I'm as frustrated as anyone," he said. "Right now, we're funding a program at UCLA with Dr. Don Catlin to come up with a test, any test, that's reliable."

That's good--it's needed. Then again, MLB could just talk to these people, who may be pretty close to offering a test up for widespread use.

I'm sure that I'm not the only person criticizing Selig today. However, this article shows how much of a fucktard Selig is.

This website does a pretty good job of explaining the role Selig has played in this whole steroid mess and his lack of action throughout the years. To sum it up, Selig did nothing when McGwire was linked to Andro, mainly because Selig was too worried that any noise about it would ruin the attendance boom baseball enjoyed in the late 90s. Then, he ignored all of the allegations and stories (Jose Canseco, Ken Caminiti) from former players who said steroids was a problem. When MLB was finally pressured by congress to have a policy with teeth in it, he first instituted a weak program, then modified it after widespread criticism (and more pressure).

One thing that's sad is that Fay Vincent, baseball's commissioner until 1992, was working on a plan of random testing that he outlined in a 1991 memorandum. So if Selig did "all he could do" to try to combat the steroid problem, why did he do absolutely nothing until 1995 (if you believe Selig, though there is little evidence to support that he did anything of consequence before 2002)?

This whole thing needs to go away. MLB now has steroid testing (with penalties) in place, and presumably a test for HGH is on the way. It should be a dead issue. However, with Selig saying stupid things like he might alter the record book in regards to players who are associated with steroids (statements which he has since backed off of), Selig is showing how much he doesn't want to get blamed. Suggesting to alter the record book is idiotic, since the players who have admitted to or accused of using weren't breaking any rules in using steroids! Oh, sure, there were rules against using steroids in place before 2004, but there was no testing, and no penalties! Even if a player had injected right in front of Selig, there was nothing he could have done to penalize the player. So why threaten belated punishment now?

Yes, the players are the ones who used steroids, so they are the most responsible (those that did use, anyway). But for the commissioner to say that he and MLB are not at least partly responsible is just stupidity and arrogance on his part. Bud, you are a fucktard.

And to the media who keep rehashing the same goddamn story: enough! Let the fucking thing die already!

Phelps vs. A-Rod

This is from a couple of days ago, but I could not get the chance to post it. Enjoy.

Phelps gets suspended, A-Rod gets ... nothing

On the surface, this statement is correct…at least for now. It has only been two days since the story broke. We do not know if any of Alex Rodriguez’s sponsors will drop him like Kellogg’s did to Michael Phelps.

So why does it seem like A-Rod is getting off scot-free? Glad you asked.

My opinion on this is the fact that A-Rod actually came out and said that he did in fact take steroids. Roger Clemens did nothing but deny, deny, deny that he took steroids. Barry Bonds claims he did not know what he was taking or putting on his body. Mark McGwire pleaded the Fifth Amendment before Congress. Rafael Palmeiro testified before Congress he did not take steroids and then tested positive the next year.

A-Rod bucked the trend of other current and former players and owned up to the fact he did it and why he did it. He did not do anything illegal under Major League Baseball rules at the time. Baseball did not suspend players for a positive steroids test in 2003. It was frowned upon but that is MLB’s fault for not implementing a stricter steroids policy sooner.

Phelps got caught doing something illegal in smoking marijuana, something he could have gone to jail over (and possibly still could). The IOC is extremely strict on any drug use. Phelps knew this. Yes, this is minor compared to if he had taken steroids. However, marijuana is a banned substance by the IOC. It shouldn’t be a shock to him or anyone else.

The league knew that this was going on, but Bud Selig and the other owners did nothing about it. They were profiting from the boom in attendance because of the home run races of McGwire, Bonds and Sammy Sosa. After the strike in 1994, the league and owners were happy to have fans flocking back to baseball. Only after a few elected representative threatened to look into revoking MLB’s anti-trust exemption did they finally start cracking down on steroids.

Had A-Rod came out and denied he took steroids or stated he may have taken something but didn’t know what was in it and he would be dragged through the streets and tarred and feathered if it was proved he had knowingly taken them. We will not know the full extent of any backlash from this coming out for a while. Will this have any effect on his potential Hall of Fame voting? No one can really say at this point. The HOF voters have shown intolerance to known or suspected steroids users up to this point, but they are going to have to face the fact that there was wide use of the drug for that baseball era. They will be forced to either blacklist the entire group from that timeframe or judge the players by a different set of criteria.

Another influence on the lack of impact on A-Rod is the fact only his name was released from the list of 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. Since only he was outed by Sports Illustrated, I believe that may have minimized some of the retribution against him. Likewise, who knows how he would have been affected if all 104 names had been released and what other superstars may be on that list?

Were A-Rod and Michael Phelps subject to different standards? Yes. However, that is due to the different standards between the IOC now and MLB then. Phelps is still a young athlete who did something incredibly stupid in smoking marijuana and even more stupid in getting his picture taken doing something illegal! Olympic athletes are expected to be squeaky clean and the sponsors of Olympic athletes also expect that. MLB athletes can get away with a lot more in the media. That’s just the way it is. I don’t think the punishment of Phelps was too extreme and I do not feel that the lack of punishment of A-Rod is too lenient either.

One other tidbit that rankles me. Why do sports media writers continue to think that if you take steroids your numbers should drastically increase? Athletes do not take steroids just to potentially increase their power number. They also take them to help recover faster in the case of pitchers or more endurance over the entire season. Oh, maybe that is why you work for ESPN. They hire morons and put them on TV.

You may think I am way off-base on this but I’m sure that is nothing new. Opinions are like assholes – everybody has one.

Why Does MLB Reward the Wild Card?

I am not the "Baseball Guy" that Slut is, but this is one issue that has really irked me for a while.

Can someone tell me why the fuck MLB does not allow a Wild Card team to play the team with the best record when they are from the same division? Anyone? For some godforsaken reason, the powers that be at MLB have decreed that teams from the same division cannot play in the Divisional Series.

Yes, those teams would have played each other more than they have played the other teams in the playoffs, but why should that prevent them from playing in the Divisional Series?

For this year's playoffs the Cubs finished with the best record in the National League. They have earned the right to play the Wild Card team, the Milwaukee Brewers. But the Cubs do not get to play the Brewers, they get to play the Los Angeles Dodgers because the Brewers and Cubs are both in the Central Division. OK, in this year's case, the NL West winning Dodgers have a worse record (84-78) than the Brewers (90-72). But this rant is not the the Cubs have to play the Dodgers. My rant is that the Brewers get a break from playing the team with the best record and get to play the #2 team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

The same thing happened in last year's playoffs. The Colorado Rockies won the Wild Card playoff game against San Diego and since the Arizona Diamondbacks finished with the best record in the NL, the Rockies got to face the Phillies instead. The Rockies still beat the D'backs in the NLCS and went to the World Series. The results may not have been any different if the Rockies had to face the D'backs in the NLDS first, but they should have played the best team first!

At least one Wild Card team has made it to the World Series each of the past six years and eight out of the 13 years, with four of them winning the Series. Of those Wild Card teams that made it to the World Series, six of those were a Wild Card from the same division as the team with the best record. Here is a listing of the Wild Card teams that made it to the World Series and the results since the inception of the Wild Card in '95.

2007 - Colorado Rockies* - Lost
2006 - Detroit Tigers - Lost
2005 - Houston Astros* - Lost
2004 - Boston Red Sox* - Won
2003 - Florida Marlins* - Won
2002 - Anaheim Angels* - Won; San Francisco Giants - Lost
2001 - None
2000 - New York Mets - Lost
1999 - None
1998 - None
1997 - Florida Marlins* - Won
1996 - None
1995 - None

* - Wild Card from same division as team with best record in league.

Please note that the four teams that won the World Series were all Wild Cards teams that got to play the second-best team in the Divisional Series.

Yes, once you make the playoffs it is a whole new season and it is more of a matter which team is hotter or better at that time. Does this necessarily mean that the Wild Card teams have an easier path to the Series? The results seem to show this could be true, but obviously there are other factors that affect the results. But why do we give the Wild Card team a reward of the second-best team in their league and sometimes punish the team with the best records with the #3 team?

Can you imagine the NFL having a rule stating that during the Wild Card playoff round that the #3 team cannot play the #6 team if they are from the same division and would have to play the #5 team instead? Fuck no! The #3 team earned the right to play the #6 team. Who cares if they are from the same fucking division.

Come on, people! If baseball can actually institute instant replay into baseball may they can take there heads out of their asses again long enough to have the Wild Card play the team with the best record.