Jake

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jun 5, 2013 -> 03:34 PM) I don't think Dan refuses to have a serious conversation, I just don't think it's possible to have a serious conversation with Karl Malone Well those are Karl's reasons, not mine

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 5, 2013 -> 03:38 PM) Again, I think they started this year. I see what they are doing now -- link -- they will keep the T/E data from each test, so variances from the average cause a red flag rather than only a certain minimum value. That's a significant improvement. Doesn't appear that they are keeping the physical samples, though. The T/E baseline data is a big step, though.

There was a point in time when it looked like Retherford was a good ST and/or injury away from being a MLB ballplayer.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 5, 2013 -> 03:31 PM) And they also do long-term monitoring so that it's not just the ratio but also the abundances that could trigger a more detailed look. I know the Olympics reserve the right use CIR, but does MLB even keep unflagged samples?

Malone came back on the Dan Patrick show this morning and said he was messing around with Dan because he knew that Dan has a "man-crush" on MJ. He said MJ would definitely be in his starting five, but he won't say who he'd take out because Dan refuses to have a serious conversation.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 5, 2013 -> 01:57 PM) That might have been the case with the previous policy I'll grant, but MLB was supposedly basically switching to the olympic testing model this year. AFAIK both MLB and the Olympics use T/E ratio as basis for further testing.

He'll be crying all the way to the bank, I'm sure.

If you're not a moron, it would be fairly easy to get around this testing policy. It will restrict which steroids you can use and it will take quite a bit of micromanagement, but it is totally possible to manipulate that T:E ratio to evade the red flag. You should follow Victor Conte on twitter, he talks about this stuff fairly often...he is a consultant for some testing organizations and he said it would be extremely easy to beat the program right now too. I believe at least a portion of the players are even exempt from offseason testing. Many steroids become undetectable in days, if not hours. I noticed that they actually now allow for nandrolone at a certain level to appear on a test because of Michael Morse who continued to re-test positive because nandrolone is detectable for years. If you had someone smart advising you and no one found the records of your purchase, I'd say the odds of getting caught are on the order of 1 in 1000.

His stats are confusing. More confusing than Adam Dunn's right now.

Good stuff, I really liked what bbilek posted up.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 5, 2013 -> 12:47 PM) Is he seriously going to be good enough to get back draft compensation? He might have under the old CBA but he'd have to be ridiculous this year to get it under the new one. That's what I was thinking

Back to the regular lineup other than Gimenez in for Flowers in the 9 spot

An article I just read on my mobile says at this point it looks like Cano's associate got a weight loss consultation with Bosch and they are unable to connect it to Cano.

Of course, they're also playing sports created by men for men. If there were games that women would be better at, it probably isn't the ones that men have been playing for >100 years in most cases.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 10:59 PM) No, but Cano's not supposed to be on it Apparently the name of his charitable foundation's president is on the ledgers. That probably means she was acting as conduit and not using steroids herself. Gio Gonzalez's name appears as buying an OTC, perfectly legal supplement. He is probably off the hook. The other people were clearly incriminated by the ledger, there's no reason Bosch would have written down something false in his personal notebook to protect somebody he never knew would need protection.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 09:19 PM) I'm beginning to feel like some ramifications should start happening to the teams. The Tigers reaped the benefits of Peralta last year. Brewers made money pff Braun's MVP It would be more effective if they did that, but it would be hard to implement since the league represents the owners and it would probably punish the wrong party in many cases, even if sometimes they knowingly turn a blind eye.

5 game hit streak for Dunn

Screw the Tigers, I'm not trading them s***.

If you want to rebuild, you keep Tank in LF and hope his young self can get better. If you're trying to win, you want a more sure thing at 1B (Morales? A revitalized Dunn that appears later this season?). I just don't see Dayan at 1B for a while.

Ben Affleck is not back in my good graces, I gotta tell you. Argo was a gigantic disappointment, Oscar or not.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 05:14 PM) This is true, the Cubs pen is in absolute shambles. Do bad MLB bullpens normally go after other failed MLB relief pitchers?

Hard to say anything about Barnum, he's hardly had an at bat. He could need more or less time than originally thought, but who knows?

Indiana outplayed the Heat for the majority of the series, including a game or two that were lost. They definitely showed they belong in future contenders conversations. If Miami will remain this vulnerable with bad Bosh, bad Wade, it's all a toss-up.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 11:37 AM) Draft is now just 2 days away. Best Case Scenarios (BPA who would have to fall to us. In order of my liking to the players): 1.) DJ Peterson, New Mexico, 1B- One of the most advance hitters in the draft. Should reach the majors sooner than most and risk is low. Defense is weak and he's average to slow running. Could be a perennial .275 hitter with 25 HRs, think Michael Cuddyer in his prime. 2.) Dominic Smith, HS, 1B - USC Commit and very impressive athelete for a 1B. Lefty arm throws 90+ MPH. Solid defender, good makeup and best pure HS hitter. Ceiling could be Adrian Gonzalez type. 3.) Trey Ball, HS, LHP/OF - 94 MPH fastball. More likely to start as a pitcher than an OF. Nice to have two options if he doesn't work as a pitcher. Curveball projects well along with his 91-94 MPH fastball. 4.) Ryne Stanek, Arkansas, RHP - Reviews are mixed but generally good. Command seems to be a slight issue and doesn't have great velo or an out pitch (slider is close). Nice frame and projects as a back end of the rotation starter with a #2-#3 starter as his ceiling. 5.) Hunter Renfroe, Mississippi St., OF - Toolsy OF with serious power and serious throwing arm. Throws 96+ MPH off the mound. He has been rising up the boards but really has only had one great year. Another tools guy who has to put them together. Would fit the description of a KW draft pick. More Likely Scenarios (In order of my liking to the players): 1.) Alex Gonazalez, Oral Roberts, RHP - 91-93 MPH fastball with very good movement. Flying up the boards after his slider's development into a plus pitch. Ceiling is #2-#3 starter and basement is a reliever. A couple of scouts doubt him as a SP but no one doubts his fastball-slider combo out of the pen. 2.) JP Crawford, HS, SS - Another USC commit. Less of a risk than a normal HS player. Great defense at shortstop and while he is improving at the plate, he hits for a good average and carries plus speed. May grow out of the SS position but has the speed and athleticism to play all over the diamond. Cousin of Carl. 3.) Chris Anderson, Jacksonsville, RHP - Ceiling as a #2 starter. Nice pitcher's frame at 6' 4" 225 and a slider that projects as an out pitch. Fastball in the mid nineties. Pretty good amount of risk for a college pitcher. His college stats at Jacksonville aren't overly impressive and has only started one full season. However, Anderson has been tied to the Sox as much as anyone but Alex Gonazalez and Austin Wilson. 4.) Phillip Ervin, Samford, OF - His bat speed may be the best in the draft. A little stocky but still has decent speed. Defensively he projects as average but has very good speed. Hit well with wood bat in Cape Cod League. A couple reviews see him with the potential to drop out of the 1st on draft day. 5.) Austin Wilson, Stanford, OF - High risk, high reward. To me, he screams bust. He possesses good strength, athletic ability and has the tools. Outstanding arm. He does seem to look unnatural on the field. Never has hit like a 1st RD pick for an extended period of time at Stanford. About as risky as a college OFer comes, his ceiling is Ginacarlo Stanton and his basement would be maybe a RH Joe Borchard. 6.) Aaron Judge, Fresno St., OF - Judge is massive at 6' 7" and 260 lbs. Very good K/BB ratio and pretty solid overall approach. While scouts put his power potential at 30+ HRs, he holds a short swing that has yet to put that projection into fruition. Pretty solid in the other aspects of the game but the big wild card is whether the power will project. I am not a big fan of hitters with long arms. Good work. I'm not a fan of Ervin, at all. I don't like J.P. Crawford, either. I don't like drafting a marginal bat at any position -- it isn't hard to find superb SS defenders that can't hit, there's always an Eduardo Escobar for that. Wilson could be exciting, but like you said there is some substantial risk. Judge is intriguing, but you don't want to be stuck with a Ryan Sweeney who has waited 28 years for his power to arrive. Dominic Smith could be worth a pick, but I don't like Peterson a whole lot...we could do worse, we haven't gone for a "low risk" hitter in quite a while. Maybe Gordon was low risk? When I think of being the GM and picking between these guys, I can definitely understand why you'd end up going with pitchers more than half the time and using most, if not all, your high position player picks on high upside/high risk players. I don't like having a guy completely pan out and that just means he is a sub-All-Star player.

From talking to Dan Hayes, there is absolutely no imminent threat to Robin's job. For the foreseeable future, it is his so long as he wants it. We can fire some of his supporting staff, but I don't see any reason to do that. Wouldn't change a thing and just shows that we have a quick trigger with position coaches.