Right below this is Bens takedown of MMQB, but I saw this and had to comment on it. Do yourselves a favor and click HERE. It will take you to an ESPN video featuring FJM Hall of Shame inductee, Rick Reilly, being all smug and acting vindicated for approaching Sosa with a cup and telling him to piss in it and get it tested.
1. We all know the truth now, but why in gods name would anyone with a brain agree to pee in a cup for some weird reporter. Especially without consulting with ones union, which at the time, was the most powerful union in all of sports, it still is just to a lesser degree.
2. Reilly feels all great about it, but you know what happened? He took a shot in the dark and was right about it 6 years later. Hmm, that sounds far more egregious than some other recent stories.
Thats all for now. Keep scrolling down for some MMQB goodness.
38 comments:
He wanted Sosa to pee in a cup, but wrote a slovenly Peter King style article about Big Mac. Rick Rielly? Rick Racist! sounds more like to me!
(that's a joke, just in case some Apollo Ohno type fans are out there ready to knife me...Ben understands)
Martin, Rick Reilly is the greatest man in the history of the world. He is Jesus reincarnated as a mediocre non-sports writer. It's obvious you have a vendetta against Reilly for some reason and you are not fit to raise children ever...
Ok, that is my best Ohno message board impression.
I think Rick Reilly being correct about this was an instance of a blind squirrel finding a nut. He doesn't get too much credit in my world for that.
I agree, he has yet to say how wrong he was about Mac...so why is it that he can say he's right about the most obvious example in the world (Sosa), yet doesn't say anything about his puff piece on Mac?
This is the same guy that thinks Gonzo wasn't on anything...I hope when his name appears on that list (who actually doesnt think it wont?) that he can admit he was wrong about him. But we know he wont.
Sosa was such a cheater, it is insane. I am proud to say I never liked him and made fun of him at every chance I got.
He should go in the double cheater Hall of Fame.
What about triple cheater HoF for cheating his way through that Congress thing by pretending not to understand or speak English...
Does that count as cheating or is that just plain cowardice?
@ AJ
I think this sums up how I feel about Sosa using the interperter.
Dont forget, english is his second language.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/shysterball/article/the-sosa-connection-or-lack-thereof/
Gosh, I am not so secretly glad Sosa got caught doing steroids. His whole "I'm so happy to be here and baseball has been good to me" act got old quick in my world.
Besides, he should say modern medicine and pharmacology was good to him.
Sosa is one of the biggest pieces of shit in the world even BEFORE you consider the steroids thing. Let's consider the evidence:
1.) Victory laps after every home run
2.) Plays salsa music at top volume in the locker room, annoying all his teammates
3.) Only shows up to spring training when he damn well feels like it
4.) Asks for a special trainer
5.) Talks a big game about philanthropy in the DR but didn't donate dollar one to anything but a condo for his family to live in.
6.) Strikes out more than Reggie Jackson
7.) Sucks
8.) Is a jerk
9.) Corked bat
Chris....adding to the list:
10) His stupid little one man high five point, pound chest, point to sky thing.
11) Leaving a game early and heading home (or probably to get more steroids) because he got pulled.
I think the list could go on and on...
And Fred, here is my take on that whole "leak" thing...
Sure these names shouldn't have been released, but the list should have been public knowledge in the first place. Everyone is saying that these people leaking the info should be thrown in jail or sued...well we forget, steroids are ILLEGAL, people using them or obtaining them should also be thrown in jail. And if you want to sue, go ahead, but then couldn't we as fans sue the ball players for representing something they arent, for providing a false product?
I dont know, but to me it just seems this testing should have been open and not anonymous.
The problem with the testing is this, people like Bonds will not be on that list...why? Because they still can't test for the stuff he was using.
I'm fundamentally opposed to the leak, but I like anything that hurts Soso.
It's kind of like smoking bans. I'm fundamentally opposed to state govt's telling businesses that a successful business model is not in the interest of its clientele. And yet, as a non-smoker, I can't exactly complain that my hangovers are less-bad
Chris, I dislike Sosa for all of those reasons you mentioned and even the two that AJ mentioned.
I see what you are saying Fred and I do have a problem with these players anonymous tests being made public by someone who wants a few bucks or whatever he/she is getting out of it. I actually don't even care that steroids are illegal, I think the players signed up for privacy so they should get it.
I also think the genie is out of the bottle at this point. There is speculation on every end about who is on the list and if baseball really wants to do away with steroid talk they won't let a new name be leaked every 4 months and will be proactive. Destroy the list or release it. The problem with the whole open testing thing is that the union signed on to testing if it was anonymous and private.
They are illegal and I think this steroid leak problem is huge for baseball. They are just letting it happen and they need to do something. At a certain point the individual's privacy must be violated for the common good of the game. I don't know where that point is. At this rate we will be talking about names off this list for another decade.
I think the players do have a right to private testing but I also think the old tests are going to continue to be leaked.
haha, I apologize for my alcohol fueled outburst.
Yes, steroids are illegal, but so is any kind of recreational drug. How would you feel if the company you work for said they were holding a confidential drug test to see how many employees were using, then years later as you work for another company, its leaked that you were a cocaine user. Your current company then fires you and you are looked upon with scorn even though your coke use was a onetime thing.
I'm not trying to get all patriotic but thats what makes our country so great, we can do thing in private and not worry about the government getting up in our shit.
I'm not sure if my analogy works, but it sounded good in my hungover head.
It's ok Fred, I write most of my posts while sniffing glue. It works better that way.
Your analogy is very accurate and I can't help but agree with you on that. I think A-Rod and Sosa should sue whoever leaked the information for a violation of privacy. They are not going to do that though and more information will be leaked. It is great that we can do in the privacy of our own homes what we want.
Baseball has a serious problem here though and if releasing all the names is not the correct solution, they need to think of another one very quickly. I have a feeling these names are just going to get leaked more and more.
Trust me, I am all about privacy, but clearly A-Rod and Sosa aren't suing so they don't give a shit about their privacy and baseball needs to nip this in the bud soon.
It's unforgivable that the info leaked. Period. There's no excuse for it and the people responsible for allowing to be leaked as well as those who did the leaking are worldwide pieces of shit.
That said: I will enjoy watching Sosa crash and burn.
Chris, I'm almost 100% sure you are a cubs fan (cant remember off the top of my head.), why all the hate for Sosa?
Chris is a big White Sox fan. He will now hunt you down Fred and injure you greatly.
I do think A-Rod or Sosa should sue someone because the information should have stayed private. That was the rules for the players to agree to testing, that is stay anonymous and private. I can't agree more that it should not have been leaked.
Of course I also think baseball needs to make sure there are no more leaks.
He used to run on the field at the beginning of the game and that was annoying and his constant modesty annoyed me as well. It was a great day when he got caught corking his bat. I also was never a big McGwire fan either. I felt like he was a great slugger but there was not much else to him. Like I said, Dave Kingdom Lite.
Chris: 1,000 apologies
Ben: McGwire had a phenomanal batting eye, thats what seperates him from Kingman.
although, Kingman was almost a righthanded adam dunn, minus the 100 walk seasons.
I love how McGwire's comparables on Baseball Reference are Jose Canseco, Jim Thome, Jason Giambi, Juan Gonzalez, and Dave Kingman. Four steroid users and my favorite swing and miss guy of all time.
How dare you accuse Jim Thome of using PED's! Dont make me get Ken Rosenthal on your ass! That is funny. I dont see how Kingman and McGwire are similar, except for the HR's, and both were very large men.
I'm surprised we havent got any comments on the post above. I thought it was a kickass post on your part, and I was sure it would fuel some kind of discussion. Maybe I'm still drunk? BTW, Providence sucks on a Wed night, I dont recommend it.
It's ok, it is still early. Thanks for the compliment. I enjoyed writing it. We had a steroid discussion yesterday but I clearly think Howard Bryant needs to not believe the fans are culpable for the steroid era.
Dave Kingman is really not that much like Mark McGwire, but it really pisses off Big Mac fans when you compare the two. And I like nothing more than pissing off people. Baseball reference is badass, especially the comparables part. If I had money I would sponsor a page.
Dude, lucky for you I have money. What player--or team--should we sponser? He can be the blogs ombudsman, whoever we choose. I'm serious. Who should we sponser? Lets take a poll.
Fuck you, AJ! Not Detroit players are allowed! (Kidding)
dude, I have the perfect player.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/eckstda01.shtml
who knew grittyness, and scrappyness could earn you a $50 fee on baseballreference?
Readers, what say you?
Eckstein seems like a good choice!
But really would should sponsor a good player, that way people will view it more and then this page becomes viewed more...Not sure if thats a good thing or not.
I thought about it, and I like the way things are. I mean, I cant remember any trolls coming through here, and we have good discussions. I dont know, I think it would be fun to sponser a player for the heck of it. Like i said: I'll sponser a player, but i want the readers and bens imput on who it should be. So sound off, all 10 readers. Who do you want to be sponsered?
I still cant believe Prime Minister of Scrappiness is still available.
Wow, it must be nice to have money.
I don't care really. If you want to sponsor Eckstein feel free to do so. Unless the readers have someone better, I am up for it. I think I have the ability to stop people if they cause trouble in the comments or something.
If someone knows if I can't block someone tell me, but I am pretty sure I can. Also, if anyone can think of a better player, go for it.
McGwire put up insanely good #s:
career OBP of .394 and a career OPS of like 982. Huge IsoP #'s (.325? Absurd). Nearly 600 HR, 250 2B.
162 game AVE:
.263/.394/.588, 22 2B, 50 HR, 1 3B(!), 122 RBI, 101 R, 162 OPS+
Now obviously he did that all with steroids, but the "Even if he didn't use steroids he wasn't that good" thing is silly. He was one of the better hitters in the history of the game
yeah, who knew you could make a living in your moms basement while writing for a blog?
If you guys care, nominate a player to be the ombudsman. MIght as well have a mascot, right?
I can see AJ furiously typing in Justin Verlander right now. He's still no Grienke.
I was only kidding about Eckstein...
As I said in my post today, that's what sucks is that McGwire should not be in the Hall of Fame...but he is still one of the best hitters in the game. I have no idea how much of that is due to steroid usage.
Can we not make Jeff Francoeur the ombusdman? Of course he won't be in the majors much longer.
I know you were but, wouldnt he be the perfect mascot for the blog? We pretty much mock scrappy players (and he is actually.....short, unlike Billy Wager, Ben, and Myself). Doesnt matter to me, you guys get to choose. You can choose no one, if you want. I'm just throwing it out there to give the readers some say.
Jeff Francouer is a good nomination. All those opposed, say I.
somehow Francouer is already sponsered. Anyone else? That would've been perfect, too. Damn.
Eckstein would do for me. I wonder what some of the other commenters think. Maybe they have better ideas. I can't believe Eckstein is available.
I was thinking the same thing. Cone on, commentaters. Sound off!!!!
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