Going Fishing

We have had some visitors come to this blog to defend themselves. Jeff Pearlman, Cliff Corcoran, The Professor, and a Grizzlies fan. So today, on this wonderful Saturday, I think I'm just going to try to bait people and see if they come to defend themselves. Why? Well, heck, why the hell not?

First up, we have Jeff Pearlman and his HOF ballot for this year.

Roberto Alomar—Yes. Absolutely. Without question.

No arguments with this one. Alomar is one of the greatest 2nd baseman of all time, both defensively and offensively.


Kevin Appier—Nice pitcher. But a big NO.

Harold Baines—Very good player. But not great.

Again, no arguments from me.

Bert Blyleven—Yes. Was a better pitcher than Don Sutton, but lacks the magic 300. Deserves a spot.

I'm very impressed that Pearlman included Bert here. Most writers cite his lack of a Cy Young and hold it against him. I'm glad Jeff didnt do that here.


Fred McGriff—No. But a case can be made: Nobody I know thinks McGriff used PEDs. He was a dominant power hitter in an era of cheats and frauds. He carried Toronto and, for a brief time, Atlanta and San Diego.

Nobody I knew thought AROD did steroids, but we all know how that turned out. We dont know who did and didnt take steroids, I hate when people just assume that because someone is skinny they never took anything. A) Not all steroids make you bigger. B) Again, look at the list of people that did actually take them. Not everyone looked like a freaking bodybuilder.

On a side note: I would give anything if it was found out that Derek Jeter took a banned substance. I think the world might end from all the sportwriters around the States heads exploding simutaneously. I dont have anything against Captain Calm Eyes, I just think it would be funny because no one would know what to do with themselves. It would be like when a little kid finds out Santa doesnt exist.

Mark McGwire—N.F.W.

Guilty until proven innoncent. Man, ever since that day in 2005, you would think that Mark McGwire molested little kids for a living. Why all the hate for Big Mac? He only saved the sport, along with Sammy Sosa.

Jack Morris—Yes, yes, yes. Should have made it eons ago.

No, no, no. NO, he should not have. His argument is based around one game. Other than that one game, he really didnt have a very impressive postseason resume. At least he voted for Morris and Blyleven, and not just for Morris like so many idiot sportswriters do.

Dave Parker—Sans the drug problems and weight gains, woulda had a chance. Side note: A female reporter who covered the Pirates back in the day told me Parker was a real pig. Once, he went up to her in the clubhouse, butt naked, and said, “I bet you want some of this.” while pointing to his penis. Reporter replied, “First I’d have to find it under all your fat.”

heh. Well, she didnt say no, did she?

Tim Raines—Without question. He and Rickey were the two most dominant table setters the game ever saw. And yes, that includes Lou Brock. Brock was a first-ballot enshrinee, Raines has better numbers.

This is absolutely correct. If there is no Rickey Henderson, Rock is in the HOF already.

Alan Trammell

He said no, but I think its criminal that Trammell and Sweet Lou get no love from Hall voters. I mean, Lou fell off after only one year. Thats messed up.

There was a recent post up over at our friends website Respect Jeters Gangster that asks the question of would you trade Robinson Cano for Felix Hernandez? Straight up. Guys, I love you but A)That would never happen and B) The yankees would have to be idiots of the highest level not to pull the trigger on that deal. Cmon, really? You would have to think about making that deal? Shit, I wouldnt even think twice about giving them Pedroia straight up for King Felix.

Oh my god, I am going to hell for this one. I was just clicking around the internet and came upon this article written by a then 16 year old kid. Ah, fuck it, I wont be that hard on it. Its from 2002, so its a little old, but I figure "why not?", I dont have anything better to do today since its shitty out.

A week ago, the Baseball Union set a strike date for the end of the month. The baseball players have shown that they're not playing around when they vow to strike, because there have been eight strikes in baseball in the past 30 years.

When the players have gone on strike, it has been for a good reason. It usually involves the owners crying poor and trying to implement a salary cap. Which is, of course, ridiculous, being as all the owners are billionaires.

This has to do with, of course, money. A new economic system is being proposed for Major League Baseball, but the players are worried about their salaries being cut if this system is put in place. Presto, the automatic solution is to quit working.

Right, because thats the only kind of leverage the players have against the owners.

Sadly, the game has come from a time where players were loyal to their managers, teams and teammates, to a day and age of greed – and it has nearly come to a point where money is the only tangible factor that comes into play when players makes decisions on which team to play.

Is anyone else perplexed that the owners get all the sympathy from the fans, while the players are looked upon as being greedy? In what other industry is everyone anti union? Certainly people dont sympathize with presidents of large corporations. What is it about sports that puts people on the owners side?

The blessings that they have received are all from the baseball fans. Therefore, they owe it to the fans to do whatever it takes to prevent a strike. But money is everything to these guys.

Okay, kid. I know your about 23 now, but think back to when you were 16. If you parents were getting shortchanged at work and threatening to go on strike would you just tell them to give in and take a pay cut? Its basically the same thing with ballplayers. Yes, they make a shit ton of money, but who in their right mind would ever just agree to take a paycut? You would have to be stupid. And then if you do agree to said paycut, where does it end? Once you give in, people are only going to try and take more, its human nature.

Greed has taken over the game and it's a sad sight.

Greed has always been a part of the game. It used to be the players that got the shortend of the stick, but now it has changed to the owners. Jimmy Foxx won the triple crown one year and they tried to cut his salary because he didnt hit as many home runs as the previous year. He ended up holding out just to get paid the same amount as the previous year. Are players greedy? Sure. But so arent the owners.

Well, thats about it. I guess I didnt really bait anyone since I wasnt really feeling snarky or drinking haterade today. Oh well, what can you do?