A-Rod Talks With Peter Gammons of ESPN

Full Transcript of Interview

BREAKING A-ROD NEWS!

A-Rod Comes Clean in Emotional Interview with Peter Gammons

A-Rod reads Jersey Hardball!!! According to ESPN.com, A-Rod in an interview with Peter Gammons will admit to using PED’s from 2001-2003 on Sportscenter tonight at 6pm EST. This is refreshing news indeed. Not only for the fact that A-Rod is the first of the Steroids accused stars, to actually tell what seems to be the truth, but also because apparently A-Rod took our advice. See article below, from this morning…

Who wouldn’t want to take advice from these guys!

Rodriguez Should Come Clean

With his legacy and place in the annals of the game hanging in the balance, Alex Rodriguez has a difficult decision to make. Sooner or later he will have to answer to the storm of media scrutiny regarding his alleged failed steroid test in 2003. Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be Major League Baseball’s shining and guiding light that would lead them out of the steroid era. He is on pace to hit over 800 home runs for his career, which would have passed Barry Bonds and once again legitimized the most important and recognized record in American sports.

Suddenly, all of that has changed and Rodriguez has been exposed as a possible cheat himself. Although, he will never be looked at the same again, he may be able to save face a bit, and convince writers of his Hall of Fame status once his career is over. While not impossible it will be extremely difficult for Arod to pull off. Take for example, Mark Mcgwire, a player who hit 583 home runs in his career, good for eighth all time, saw his HOF votes decrease from a year ago. And we all know about Barry Bonds (All time HR King) and Roger Clemens (9th most wins all time), who not only have been vilified for their steroids scandals, but may also go to jail for perjury. While these examples do not help Arod’s case, I believe how he handles the charges may save his HOF status.

In my mind Rodriguez is limited to three real options of how to react to the allegations. He can take the road that Bonds and Clemens have taken, which is to vehemently deny the charges. As you may know, this hasn’t worked out well for the two of them. Both face possible perjury charges and could see jail time in the near future. Option two is to not say much of anything at all (see Mark Mcgwire and Sammy Sosa). While not saying anything is not exactly considered lying, the silence that Mcgwire displayed on the stand in front of congress might as well have been an admission to cheating.

In the end Arod’s final and best option is to come clean. He needs to tell the truthl; fully and completely. He needs to say he did it to legitimize his enormous contract, that he felt he had to because just about everyone else was, and to solidify his place as an all time great. He needs to say that it hasn’t happened since then as he has not failed any other tests administered since then and that it will never happen again. He needs to apologize to the fans and to everyone who has ever supported him. While he will never be looked at the same again, this may allow him to finish his career to play out with some sort of normalcy and become the first of the true superstars who have been caught up in the steroids scandal to come clean.

-Favad Ali

Jones Worth the Risk?

It has been reported on Sunday that the Texas Rangers will sign Andruw Jones to a minor league contract. I believe this to be an excellent move by Texas. Although Jones’ numbers have been in steady decline over the past 3 seasons and reports from his winter league play were far from impressive, I see this as a no lose situation for the Rangers. Andruw is still only 32 years old with 13 years of MLB service. This is a player with 10 Gold Glove awards, 9- 90+ RBI seasons, and something to prove.

The Rangers outfield/ DH situation projects out to be Josh Hamilton, David Murphy, Nelson Cruz, Marlon Byrd, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The one glaring thing about this group of players is that none of them are a true centerfielder, a position Andruw has played more than adequately in the past. Right now the starting centerfielder looks to be Josh Hamilton. Does Texas really want their best run producer playing 65-70 games (assuming he DH’s some) in their spacious centerfield at their furnace of a home ballpark? I wouldn’t think so, if they can help it. The rest of their outfield core, while definitely a solid group of ballplayers, are far from a sure thing for a team looking to compete in the weakened AL West.

Marlon Byrd, their most experienced player with 7 years in the league, has been injury prone throughout his career playing in 130+ games just once, in 2003. At 31 years of age I don’t seeing him becoming Mr. Durability anytime soon. He looks to be more of a solid 4th outfielder/platoon man, not someone you can count on to start all year long. Nelson Cruz, who at 28 is certainly not young by MLB standards, looks to be coming into his own, but is far from a sure bet. After a breakout season in ‘08 with a combined 44 Home Runs and 125 RBI’s between AAA and the big leagues, good things seem to be coming. Although you can’t ignore the fact that after 557 major league at bats he has posted a .251 batting average with a .312 on base. David Murphy, the projected starting left fielder is another player coming off a promising ‘08. Like Cruz though he lacks experience for his age, of 27. Murphy has posted a career batting average of .286 and an on base of .334 after 542 at bats. He is a line driver hitter with solid gap power. While he is the better pure hitter, he lacks the raw power of Nelson Cruz.

I definitely feel that Andruw Jones could make a positive impact on this team. Will he ever win another Gold Glove award? I doubt it. If he gets himself into shape I do think he is capable of playing a solid centerfield. Assuming the Rangers would like to use Hamilton as their centerfielder as little as possible, I see Jones being a very viable option for 80-90 games. Combining with Marlon Byrd in a platoon situation could allow the Rangers to keep Hamilton as their RF/DH.

The next question would be though, can Jones produce offensively? Like all questions about Jones it will come down to what kind of shape he’s in. I think if he can hit .250 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs, similar to what Sammy Sosa did in his stint with Texas in ‘07, the Rangers would be more than pleased. If he pans out the Rangers are only on the hook for 1 million dollars which would include incentives. That’s a bargain these days for a 20/75 player. He still has to win a roster spot in spring training and prove he can still play. If he doesn’t work out, the Rangers can send him down to the minors or release him only owing him $500,000 if he does crack the big league roster. If he does work out though, the Rangers could be getting one heck of a deal.

-Robb Lennahan

Beyond Belief: The Josh Hamilton Story

I recently read this book and thought I’d share a little bit about it with you. We all know the plot of the story. Josh was the #1 pick in the draft out of high school for Tampa Bay (at the time Devil) Rays. A can’t miss prospect who becomes a cocaine addict, recovers, and was the feel good story of the 2008 baseball season. First and foremost this is not a book about baseball. This is a book about drug addiction with a backdrop of baseball.

After re-aggravating a back injury during the offseason of 2001 Josh used cocaine for the first time at the age of 20. This is followed by numerous suspensions from Major League Baseball, trips in and out of rehab, and the loss of family and friends. More low points include blowing through his 3.96 million dollar signing bonus and selling his wife’s wedding ring for crack.

On October 6th, 2005 after a 4 year spiral into the dark world of crack cocaine addiction, Josh started on the road to recovery with the help of his grandmother and his religion. Josh is still clean to this day and as I’m sure you all know is flourishing in baseball right now with the Texas Rangers. He led the AL in RBI in 2008 and also put on a memorable show at the HR Derby at the All-Star Game.

Being a fan of his is definitely an added bonus to reading the book along with all the insights and a look at the inner workings of the game; such as day to day life in the minors and the big leagues. Also, the book is an interesting look at a ball club’s pre-draft preparations. Baseball fan or not, this book is a flat out a must read.

-Robb Lennahan

SI Reports A-Rod Tested Positive for Steroids in 2003

According to the story broken by Selena Roberts and David Epstein, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for the anabolic steroid Primobolan and Testosterone while with the Texas Rangers in 2003. Under the 2003 survey testing, there was an agreement between the League and the Players Association that there would be no penalties for positive tests. There were 104 players who tested positive during survey testing in 2003. The information on Rodriguez was leaked by unnamed source. Full story at SI.com.

Joba Would be Bullish in the Pen

The topic of where Joba Chamberlain best helps the Yankees, as a starter or reliever, has been one that has been discussed seemingly since the day the burly righty joined the big ballclub in late 2007. The argument of sabermetricians, that the more innings you can get from the dominant righty the better, favor Joba staying in the rotation. While his numbers from last year were very similar as a starter and as a reliever; I believe Chamberlain would best help the Yankees as a relief ace setting up for the great Mariano. His football-like mentality, his effectiveness, and his dominant stuff are best suited to be utilized out of the pen.



Joba also ran into some arm issues at the end of last year due to his conversion from reliever to starter. Some would argue that the torque put on his arm while throwing the curveball as a starter could be the root of his late season rotator cuff issues from a year ago. As a reliever, Joba will not have to rely on using the curve. His explosive fastball and devastating slider will be more than enough to get the job done late in games. Joba will also have the ability to go more than one inning out of the pen at times. This is a luxury that cannot be matched by other relievers at Joe Girardi’s disposal.

Joba coming out of the pen will also open up a chance for Phil Hughes, who still projects as an above average Major League starter to go into spring training and battle it out for the final spot with the promising Alfredo Aceves, and Ian Kennedy, who had a strong showing in the Puerto Rican Winter League this year. If Joba remains in the rotation Hughes will become nothing more than an insurance policy in case a starter goes down during the course of the season. Not a bad insurance policy to have, but Hughes has shown the potential to be so much more than just an insurance policy. Along with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League this offseason, Hughes has committed himself to a stringent workout program to keep himself in shape and hopefully, injury free for the upcoming season.

With Joba in the rotation, the Yankees will rely on the like of Brian Bruney, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Damaso Marte to serve as the bridge to Mariano. While these relievers got the job done for the most part last season, none provide the versatility or pure stuff that Joba does. More so, Joba can take over the closers role once the great Mariano has called it a career. Although Rivera has shown no signs of slowing down, it’s only a matter of time before the greatest closer of all time bows out. The Red Sox had a similar quandary with Jonathan Papelbon. They decided he could best help the club coming out of the pen. All Papelbon has done since then is become one of the top closers in the game today.

-Favad Ali

The Manny Problem

Two Years for 45 million dollars. One year for 25 million dollars. These are the two reported contracts Manny Ramirez has turned down from the Los Angeles Dodgers. We all know Manny’s resume. A .396 batting average through 53 games to lead the Dodgers to the playoffs. World Series Championships in 2004 and 2007 with the Red Sox. A future 1st Ballot Hall of Famer, who will likely eclipse 600 home runs and come near 3000 hits all without the steriod cloud hanging over him.

We also know the negative side of Manny. Tanking his final season in Boston to force a trade to Los Angeles, the fake injuries, the clubhouse disputes, and the icing on the cake shoving Red Sox traveling secretary Jack McCormick to the ground because he couldn’t accommodate Manny’s request of 16 tickets for a Red Sox-Astros game. By the Way Mr. McCormick is 64 years old.

Taking all this into account however and what you have is still one heck of a ballplayer (when he wants to be) and a ballplayer who will be paid a great deal of money. Now I understand a player's competitive nature doesn’t end on the field. Whether its baseball, basketball, or video games; I'm sure these guys want to be the best in everything they do. The same goes for their contracts. I’m sure Manny Ramirez feels that he should be one of the highest paid players in the game, because that’s part of his competitive nature. Being the best also means getting paid the most. Turn back the clock 3 years and this would be true and Manny would almost certainly be signed right now to whatever contract he wanted, lets say 4 years and 100 million dollars.

Unfortunately for Manny and many other Americans, it is 2009, and the country is in a serious economic recession. The word recession probably means very little to Manny Ramirez. He’s made well over 100 million dollars in his career, he’ll probably have more than enough money to take care of himself and his family for the next 50 years so this next contract shouldn’t really matter. But it does. It actually matters more than he realizes, I think. Lets take a look at his most likely employer for 2009 the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers play in the state of California. A state which is in serious economic trouble. California has 145 Billion dollars in expenditures through 2010. The expected revenue through that time is only 100 Billion. Meaning a 45 Billion Dollar deficit for the state in the next 2 years. Combine that with the taxpayers, who are losing jobs at an alarmingly high rate, and that spells trouble. People who are struggling to find employment or pay their mortgage or put food on the table certainly wont be going to any Dodgers games anytime soon.

But that’s not the issue, the Dodgers will sell tickets. The issue is how do the Dodgers justify to their state, and their fan base, bringing back a player who’s turned down such a large sum of money. Especially in light of their states economic problems. Can the fans really cheer for someone who turned down 20 Million dollars when the unemployment rate in California is at its highest in 15 years. When in December alone more than 78,000 people lost their jobs. How does Manny Ramirez justify turning down a 20 Million dollar contract. More so how can the Dodgers justify bringing him back at this point?

Looking at the Dodgers, like all teams, they have holes but unlike most teams they have some money to spend. For the 25 million they offered Manny they could most likely sign Adam Dunn, Juan Cruz, and either Randy Wolf or Ben Sheets. Now granted, none of those 3 players have the marketability of a Manny Ramirez but with those 3 players you have filled 3 glaring needs on your club. In a very weak National League West those signings barring injury should win you the division. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt needs to let his fan base know that he is willing to spend the money to put a winning team on the field but that he can't justify Manny’s demands in this economy.

I think letting Manny walk will actually make the Dodgers look better in the court of public opinion rather than signing him to 20+ million. The game is for the fans, and if I'm a Dodgers fan, I can't justify spending my hard earned money to go to a game to watch a player who cried all winter over only being offered a 25 million dollar contract. Mr. McCourt please take a stand and let this clown walk away and get his money from someone else, trust me you’ll be better off.

-Robb Lennahan

The Promise of a New Season

(I am pumped for 2009!!!)

In the world of Major League Baseball its easy to get lost in the shuffle when you don’t have deep pockets such as the Yankees, Red Sox, or Mets do. Now don’t get me wrong money will not buy you a championship. It may make you competitive, it may get you a playoff spot, but in that 7 game series payrolls are thrown out the window and anything’s possible. Just ask Arod. But what will the spending of the large market teams do for them? It will make them money of course; you have to spend money to make money.

Why do people care about seeing the Yanks and the Red Sox square off 19 times a year? Is it the history or the heated rivalry? Too some, but mostly it's to see David Ortiz and Arod slug it out. To see Josh Beckett go K for K against Joba, or to see who’s more dominant in the 9th, The Sandman, Mariano Rivera or the Riverdancing Jonathan Papelbon. These are the stars of the game and people pay to see them. Networks pay big money to nationally televise these games. In the upcoming 2009 season you are guaranteed to see a Yankees/Red Sox Matchup on ESPN’s Sunday game of the week because viewers will tune in. This is the reason you wont be seeing any Nationals/Padres game, no one will care to watch.

This is not to say only the biggest spenders are the only teams worth watching. Over the last 10 years the Oakland A’s have the 4th best record in baseball (815-641, 5 playoff appearances) and the Minnesota Twins have the 8th best record (776-682, 4 playoff appearances) and this is done with only a handful of players the casual fan can identify. Also the Florida Marlins with a team payroll typically under Arod's annual salary have 2 World Series Championships since 1997. You just don’t hear much about teams like this because the solid fundamentals of a winning baseball team doesn’t sell tickets or make Sportscenter highlights.

People don’t get excited about a well executed sacrifice bunt or an effective bullpen. This is the exact reason why baseball is such a great sport and the reason why I fall into a depression every year between November and March. Its unpredictable, every year there will be teams and players that exceed expectations or fail to meet them. We only need to look at the Tampa Bay Rays for the most recent example. We can also look at individual performances. Alex Rodriguez, one of the best players in the game, a 1st Ballot Hall of Famer and dare I say a cultural icon has ZERO World Series Rings and a .279 BA and 17 RBI in 39 postseason games, and 1 RBI in his last 44 postseason at bats. Meanwhile David Eckstein who just signed a $850,000 contract with the Padres, roughly $450,000 more than the leagues minimum salary, has 2 World Series rings and was the 2006 World Series MVP.

With the first pitch of the 2009 season quickly approaching, optimism is in the air. Of course the analysts will favor the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Cubs but the games aren’t played on paper. So come playoff time don’t be shocked if the Royals' Zack Greinke is pitching a gem in game 1 of the ALDS or Jay Bruce comes through in the clutch in the National League Championship Series. These are the kinds of things that happen every year in baseball and no amount of money spent can help it or stop it.

-Robb Lennahan