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QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 01:22 PM) Game, set, match, and f*** baseball. They continue to handle everything in the worst possible way. Listen, the events got screwed up and rendered the suspension null. This does not exonerate Braun from guilt of using and testing positive, and anyone with a brain should see that. MLB should have said "the case went to an arbiter as we collectively bargained, and the arbiter declared Braun eligible to play. This does not mean he did not fail a drug test, but we stand by the decision based on the agreement set forth". None of this being furious bulls*** and threatening to appeal the decision in Federal Court. MLB seems incapable of letting stories go away. The reason they won't let it go away is that most sports use a seaparate company to handle everything. MLB though they could create their own porcedures and could do it just as well. They don't want to admit that their procedures were declared the reason that Braun is getting off the hook.

QUOTE (PorkChopExpress @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 12:34 PM) So there's at least one way to taint it. And there's an unexplained 44 hour gap that the sample was held by someone who could taint it despite his having the opportunity to ship the sample at anytime after having taken it. In Braun's press conference, he just said that they consulted scientists who said a determined person could easily taint the sample. Despite some sources saying that his elevated testosterone ratio was not unusual, the fact that his test results showed his testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio was three times higher than any result in the history of baseball's program certainly raises suspicion. Add that to the fact that Braun showed no physical side effects of use, i.e., enhanced performance, based on records kept by the Brewers apart from this situation, and that he has been consistently good his whole career while not ever testing positive the other 25 times he's been tested, and I certainly cannot make the judgment that he is obviously a juicer. Of course it's possible. It's always possible. You could make this argruement for every single drug test ever done. Braun could have paid of the sample collector and they used someone else's urine. Maybe Braun's agent stopped the collector after the sample and paid the guy to keep it at home overnight so there would be this technicality and the guy still did his job. I've had reporters offer me lots of things to get info from training rooms so don't think that these things don't happen when there is this much money involved. You can always find a way to make excuses. The facts are that the sample tested positive. The procedure was followed except the collector kept the sample in his house, which he felt was secure over the weekend. Very few postive tests are ever over turned regardless of the sport. If the decision is overturned it's always on a procedural technicality. You can draw your on conclusion if you think that was his sample.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 09:06 AM) Yup. Innocent until proven guilty. Welcome to the greatest county in the world. Yes but he lost alot in the civil trial that only required a preponderence of evidence. So much so that he had to break into a persons hotel room and kidnap them to get memorabilia back to raise money. This evetually landed him in jail like he deserved. Hopefully, Braun learned from this experience and doesn't try them for the playoffs again.

QUOTE (PorkChopExpress @ Feb 24, 2012 -> 10:59 AM) No there's not. What reasons are you aware of? That the sample tested positive for PED's? Due to improper handling, those test results may have been wrong. Braun has said as much this entire time. According to the legal analyst on Mike and Mike this morning, Braun offered to do a DNA test to prove that the sample wasn't even his, but MLB refused. There's no reason for an outside observer to make any kind of judgment except for an uneducated one, which leads to the lynching-type result I'm seeing in this thread. So many people have already determined he is a juicer based on nothing but speculation and the fact that he performed well in his sport. I would think he has a huge libel/slander claim against whoever leaked the test results. Jack Burton here is wrong on so many levels. The "may have been wrong" is the key. The T/E levels that were found in the urine could not have been made by someone who wasn't taking PEDs. The only way practical way to taint this is to have someone else take PEDs and substitute the sample. Braun's lawyers knows this and this is wwhy they came up with the "I'll take a DNA test" idea. They also know that if MLB called their bluff that the union would step in and prevent this and a massive legeal battle would start. Which neither side wants. It would also start a precedent for every player to use the "DNA" defense. MLB will just need to suck it up on this one because their agent screwed up the procedure. I'm sure they are hoping that Braun got scared enough and he'll clean himself up.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 01:56 PM) If I were Robin... LINEUP De Aza, CF Morel, 3B Dunn, DH Konerko, 1B Viciedo, RF Ramirez, SS Rios/Fukudome, LF AJP, C Beckham, 4 BENCH Flowers: C Lillibridge: 2B, RF/LF Kuhn: 3B, 2B, SS Danks: OF ROTATION Danks Peavy Floyd Sale Humber BULLPEN Reed (CL) Crain (SU) Thornton (SU) Ohman (MR) Santiago/FA crowd (LOOGY) Stewart (MR-LR) Some explanations... --This team has no good 2-slot hitter, I picked Morel, but it could also be Ramirez or Beckham, depending on how their seasons all go. Morel is going to be a very good #2 hitter. High contact rate with a good eye and a low strike rate. He'll have some power but not great. Leave Ramierez lower where his hitting capabilities fit better to driving in runs.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 08:28 PM) Thats what I thought, so the test is already very unreliable (in terms of drug tests its the worst reliability, 1 is hair and 2 is blood), there was a reading that was far outside of the normal range (even for failed tests,, at least thats what I believe I read when it came out) and there was poor handling of the sample. Surprised that it was 2-1 Urine tests are valid in regards to what he tested positive for. Reliability is the reason you have the protocols which must be exactly fiollowed for a given test with mulitiple samples. He can say whatever he wants. He is guilty of taking banned substances. He knows it and the lawyers know it. This is why they attacked the procedure and not the actual tests.

QUOTE (Cerbaho-WG @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 05:26 PM) Braun, correctly, got off on a technicality (improper storage of a sample). However, it's still very clear that he was caught using a synthetic substance. He used PEDs, cheated, but was correctly exonerated here. This is correct. If there is any banned substance in a sample you have to suspend the player. However, you MUST follow the protocol for testing the sample to prevent any tampering. I have no doubt he is guiluty based on previous information but he should not be suspended based on the idiot sample collector's screw up.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 02:25 PM) Exactly. That was one of Theo's loopholes. Now he has to find advantages the same way everyone else does...good scouting, rather than gaming the system through loopholes. I agree. I lie sports where it's talent that wins (on the field and front office) not just he who spends the most money wins. I liked when football put in the hard cap. I wish baseball would. I know it won't happen but the changes are making it more competitive for all teams.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 02:24 PM) Welcome to the return of irrelevance. This team is going to suck and steal zero headlines. Is it really important if they steal headlines. I'm beginning to see why you like Ozzie so much. With a moderately talented team that most likely will not contend for the division and Venture as the manager, this team will not be in the headlines (except for Cowley exclaiming how right he was and what Ozzie says from Florida).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 01:13 PM) http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/reds...arrowing_t.html Jenks is lucky he isn't paralyzed from the waist down. If the infection truly is in the spine he could be looking at osteomyelitis in his vertebrae. With a guy that size spinal fractures are a real possibility. Hopefully they caught the infection in time if not, he's screwed. He may not be able to stand upright let alone play baseball. If the infection got into his spinal fluid, he could die or just go into a coma. I would like to be his attorney if the bone spur was truly left partially excised. You can make the case of ruining a 10's of millions of dollars player. $$$$$$$$$$$$$

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 23, 2012 -> 11:11 AM) Sale, Flowers, Floyd. Did Sale lose weight? His is thin. Look at the "chicken" lower legs. That's a Jack McDowell physique.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 22, 2012 -> 11:58 AM) No doubt about it. It's always a good thing when millionaires show up to play baseball. Are there any other kinds of baseball players? I think there are only rookies and millionaires.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Feb 22, 2012 -> 01:22 PM) I'm happy for him. He seems like a really nice guy. He is a great guy.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 21, 2012 -> 03:01 PM) Yeah, and we all know Ozzie takes EVERYTHING seriously. Do as I say, not as I do, I guess. I agree, I think that's how he eventually lost the players.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Feb 21, 2012 -> 01:18 AM) Anyone else follow Brandon McCarthy? Dude is pretty damn funny. Seems like a fun dude to hang out with. Brandon McCarthy @BMcCarthy32 "Well if you didn't want to get farted on, you shouldn't have tried to cuddle," I said to kick off Monday night's fight. This is one of the reasons Ozzie didn't like him. He didn't take anything seriously especially his preparation (too much nightlife) for game days.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 04:40 PM) And there's no reason that the likes of Santiago, Petricka, Castro and/or Axelrod can't be put into that starting rotation before Molina. Obviously, the same goes with Stewart. There's just no compelling reason to rush him, other than to justify that trade immediately. We finally have some semblance of pitching depth in the upper minors...let's use that to protect Molina's development and psyche to nurture him for as long as necessary before he's 100% ready for major league hitters. The problem is you do not know the Pyche of any of the players nor do I for the most part. The only people that do are the ones that deal wih them on a daily basis. They may come to the conclusion that Molina is best suited for MLB success from the mental aspect. The others may best suited for a relief role. I'm not saying this is true, just that the people in the organization are the only ones you can decide this and to say that there is no reason that the other shouldn't be ahead of him is not accurrate.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 20, 2012 -> 01:27 PM) I am going to absolutely hate seeing a ton of platooning, I'm going to complain about it every time it happens to any of the kids, and I absolutely expect that you're right. I don't think any one really knows with Robin as manager. I agree with you so let's hope he uses the beginning of his career as a reference and let's the kids fail and learn to succeed. Because everyone knows that especially hitting is a faling job. You fail more than you succeed and learning to deal with failing is one of the keys to becoming a good hitter.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Feb 18, 2012 -> 08:47 AM) Why would you pay extra money to watch batting practice? The opportunity to catch a meaningless ball? It's not meaningless to a kid. That ball can make a fan for life which is a lot more income.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 17, 2012 -> 03:56 PM) Those two are 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger from Predator compared to Tom Arnold, oh, I mean Babe Ruth. He got a candy bar named after him. That's all you need to know. I would disagree, they are both fat and out of shape slobs. But like you've said before, I know nothing about athletes. I've only worked with olympic and professional athletes for the past 30 years.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 17, 2012 -> 03:32 PM) Did somebody just imply that Bill Russell could play in today's NBA? That's blasphemy and preposterous. What's next? That fat, out of shape, porker Babe Ruth would rule the game of baseball like he did when entire teams were hitting 20 HRs and pitchers topped out at a 2006-Freddy Garcia like 86 MPH on their FB? Bill Russell played when there was no athleticism, everybody, even point guards, dribbled with only their strong hand, everybody was built like Wite, everybody shot in the low 40's percentage wise, and everybody played at a clown pace. Bill Russell is not even as good as Sabonis. Now there's always room for interpretation. You've got some guys who were good for their time. Then you've got Wilt, Magic, Michael, Shaq and LeBron. They'd be good ANY time. But just stop with Bill Russell. I can't take it anymore. That's true. Fat out of shape guys can't hit kind of like Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Feb 16, 2012 -> 09:35 AM) It's impossible not to like Doc Rivers. Thanks for posting that article. Of course he was a product of the Marquette Warriors, before they became the Marquette Hugging Geldings

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Feb 15, 2012 -> 03:36 PM) He specifically says he does "prehab", preparing athletes to avoid injuries and recover quickly. It's a combination of those two. Coop's handling/teaching of the pitchers and Herms conditioning programs, most of which comes from Andrew's group.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 15, 2012 -> 07:27 AM) I don't think the Marlins are going to be that good. But healthy Johnson, Sanchez, Nolasco and Buehrle is a way above average rotation. Forgot about Zambrano. SP shouldn't be a problem for them. Too many health issues throughout the staff for me to trust the rotation. Zambrano is still as big of a question mark. Even if he pitches well which is shaky, he has a whole new group to fight with.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 14, 2012 -> 11:45 PM) No way this is true. Our team is expected to be one of the worst in baseball. It has more to do with the respective divisions than anything. Also, 2 other reasons. 1) no way the Sox play as bad as last year so I don't fall in line with them being one of the worst teams. The Sox aren't going to win the division but aren't going to be awful. 2) I don't see the Marlins pitching staff doing much. Johnson and Buerhle and pray for a hurricane?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 14, 2012 -> 09:29 PM) Makes sense. It's not fair, though, that Ozzie gets this talented team in Florida that acquired a bunch and Robin (and we fans) is left with this rotten team on the South Side. The Sox will have more wins than the Marlins.