[Natalee Holloway Rant]

Hope you never have kids (especially a daughter).

[Brandon McCarthy Finds His Groove]

Next time they bring BMac up, they should put him in the bullpen in long relief. Get his feet wet in the majors without the pressure of starting.

[Rafael Palmeiro]

Is Barry Bonds subject to testing this year?

[Help SAVE one of the BEST Logo's in sports]

When I was a kid, I swear 95% of the time I went to a game it was against the Brewers. I have no fond memories of that logo, Sixto Lezcano, Sal Bando, or any other thing associated with the late 70's/early 80's Brewers. It does beat the new logo though. I'll sign.

[Rafael Palmeiro]

Then dig him up and put him before congress. Let's get to the bottom of this!

[Rafael Palmeiro]

Now I totally disagree with that. How can you break a rule that doesn't exist at the time?

Then so far, only seven major leaguers have broken the steroid rule. All the others that we speculate/know about did so before the rules were in place.

[Rafael Palmeiro]

Doctors prescribe steroids all the time. There's a difference between using them to treat an injury and cycling them for the bulk of your baseball career.

[Whats worse]

You still gotta make contact. I agree.. roids are terrible.. and it's cheating. But without the eyes and the instinct one is not hitting a 90+ mph ball.

That is undeniably true. And that's the argument that you always hear pro athletes make. However, what might have been a "can of corn" is now a HR for a guy on steroids or HGH. Here's a couple of interesting facts:

 

• Through 1994, a player hit 50 or more home runs in a season just 18 times. Since 1994, there have been an amazing fifteen 50-homer seasons, and in the late 1990s an explosion of power-related records infused baseball, though no one seemed to put this together with the changing physical stature of the players. More than any other sport, baseball is numbers-driven. Fans relish numbers, and if they're tainted, there's a sense of consumer fraud

 

 

• Bonds, much like McGwire, experienced this incredible surge of power in his twilight years when most ballplayers are fading away. From 1986 through 1999, he hit three homers beyond the 450 ft. mark. In the last five years he has belted 26 over 450 ft. How many that were caught on the warning track prior to the BALCO juice have been sailing over the fence since?

 

Credit: http://www.whenitwasagame.net/story_pages/editorial.html

[Whats worse]

Personally, I don't think Steroids is that bad. My theory is that players have been looking for a way to game the system for years. Before steroids it was something else. And steroids is not a key to the hall of fame. Maybe just a key to throwing your back out with a sneeze or having a Jason Giambi Yankees experience.

The numbers in baseball are sacred. It was always a tool used to measure players against each other, regardless of era. Steroids have messed that up beyond repair.

 

I grew up knowing:

1. Aaron 755

2. Ruth 714

3. Mays 660

4. FRobinson 586

 

I never saw any of them play, but when guys like Schmidt were making their push for 500 at the end of their careers, it made 755 seem incredible to me. Almost the equivalent of Cy Young winning 511 games or Ryan having 5700 Ks.

 

Now, Bonds, Sammy, Mac, Raffy, etc. have messed with this. I think that sucks.

 

That said, nothing is worse than gambling because it turns the sport into professional wrestling. Is this real? Fake? Is he trying?

 

Baseball really blew it with the lack of drug testing, though.

[Richard Roeper...]

frank also would have had alot more national exposure if he wasn't injury plagued the last 5 years, that's the main reason

On highlight shows, yes. Frank never did interviews and promoted the Sox or himself, though.

[Richard Roeper...]

Agree totally. Robin was more of a hermit than Frank was/is. Frank owned this city for nearly 10 years. Robin not so much.

I don't disagree, and wasn't as clear as I should have been. My point is that Robin never said two words, but he was really popular (with the fans).

 

Frank had an opportunity to be a huge national figure, and it wouldn't have taken more than a little effort from him. He didn't step up, and as a result, both Frank and the Sox (one of the best teams and best players of the 90's) are an afterthought nationally.

 

I'm not saying he should have done anything differently, but he certainly could have done more.

[Would you vote Palmeiro into the HoF?]

So...let's say for the sake of argument that he's been on steroids since his career took off, as alleged by Jose.

 

Most of his home runs haven't been 450 feet.  A lot have probably just cleared the fence.  So how many of those home runs would have been flyouts?  How many pitches has he hit that have just gotten over someone?  How much more playing time has he gotten because of his home run numbers?  How many balls did he hit off the wall for doubles that would have been flyouts without the extra 10 feet?  If he was 2500 hits and 100 home runs, would you vote him in?  2600 and 200?  2700 and 300?  2800 and 400?

 

Some people were saying Palmeiro shouldn't reach the hall even before this just because he never dominated a league.  This is just another wrench.  If he isn't voted in, I think the Vets committee will murder him based on this conviction too.

Raffy has 3000 hits, which is usually an automatic by itself.

[Richard Roeper...]

I've always thought that he's connected with the fans quite well. I really haven't met anyone that's a fan that think he's a jackass or pompous idiot. His refusal to really deal with the media is what made the media turn him into a "bad guy."

Like it or not, dealing witht the media is part of the profession. It's also another way to connect with the fans. I would have loved to hear Frank interviewed on the Score back in the day (and based on the reaction of this board when a Sox player is on the radio or ESPN, so would most of you).

 

Face it, Frank blew his opportunity to be more than just a player. He culd have been our icon. Ventura was and still is the most popular player from those 90's teams, and it's not because he was a better player. He was better with the media, and a better team player.

[what is Joe Morgan's problem??]

Had Alomar had more years of numbers near his prime, he'd be in the top five.  Unfortunately for him his dropoff was sharp, and final, dropping him below Morgan or Sandberg, no question.

 

If you're looking at entire careers, BIGGIO >>> Alomar...it's not even close.

BIGGIO >>> Maz for multitudes of reasons.

Your avatar stinks.

[Rafael Palmeiro]

Not that im saying Raf or Giambi didn't take steroids.  But when you get older, you get bigger.

Could someone post a pic of Minor League Frank Thomas and Current Frank Thomas?

[Twins to release Boone]

I have a lot of great time with the Twins. I thank them for the opportunity.

[Rafael Palmeiro]

"Oh, and I will not be using my fine lawyer, Mr. Angelos, to file a defamation lawsuit against Jose Canseco. Thank You. In the future, please know that 'I am not here to talk about the past'"

[Rafael Palmeiro]

Goes from first ballot hall of famer to maybe...

I bet Sandberg is soooo happy. Now he won't have to answer the question, "Ryne, are you skipping the HOF induction ceremony because you are a racist, or is it because Raffy was banging your wife?"

[what is Joe Morgan's problem??]

1. Rogers Hornsby

2. Nap Lajoie

3. Jackie Robinson

4. Charlie Gehringer

5. Roberto Alomar

6. Eddie Collins

7. Bobby Doerr

8. Joe Morgan

9. Ryne Sandberg

10. Bill Mazeroski

Oops. That's it, I'm ordering "Hooked on Phonics."

[what is Joe Morgan's problem??]

Where would Roberto Alomar fit in on a list of great 2B? Did he ruin his legacy by sticking around when he couldn't play anymore?

[Hendrix played gay for Army discharge]

Then the lyrics are just as I always thought, "Excuse me, while I kiss this guy!"

[White Sox Trade Thread]

I'd like to see if they could get Tony Clark cheap. He could fill in at 1B/DH and is having a good year pinch hitting. I wouldn't want to give up too much, though.

[what is Joe Morgan's problem??]

Sandberg was clearly the best 2B in baseball for a number of years in the 80's. He is definitely a HOF.

 

Morgan has always had a problem with Sandberg for some reason. One thought - Sandberg is white and Morgan resented all of the attention Ryne received. Whatever the reason, Morgan has shown no class in this situation.

 

I hope when Morgan's buddy Barry Bonds gets elected, Morgan and all of the other HOF members boycott because they don't think Bonds' numbers are legit. Then, and only then, will I have respect for Morgan. I doubt it will happen, though.

[Female Robot dbuts in Japan]

There was a long thread about this girl the other day, if I'm not mistaken.

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37421

[Sammee's still an asshole]

It WAS a cheap shot, but Sammy immediately recognized this and apologized. Barajas seemed ok with that, though he left the game.