sti3

One big mess! Baseball rife with word of more positive tests By Howard Bryant Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - Updated: 01:30 AM EST Before last week's Red Sox-Royals finale, a Royals player, who shall remain nameless, sat in the Kansas City dugout staring straight ahead squinting against the early afternoon sun. The topic was Rafael Palmeiro, whose 10-game suspension for violating the league's steroid policy expires tomorrow. "Forget Palmeiro," the player said. "Be on the lookout for more. There are more names coming. Trust me." The television executive whose network is a rights holder of Major League Baseball said last Friday that baseball had the names of as many as a dozen positive steroid tests that it was withholding from the public, unsure in the wake of the Palmeiro disaster exactly how to proceed. Three days later, before Monday's 11-6 Sox win over Texas, a Red Sox pitcher heard the same thing, which reminded me of the words, "the rumors are always true," a classic line in Robert Altman's 1992 film "The Player." "We're all hearing the same thing," the player said, noting that leading up to the Palmeiro announcement word had floated for days that "somebody big" was going down. "I heard they had 58 names they weren't releasing. I also heard that at least two were bigger than Palmeiro." Later that afternoon, a former executive told me he had heard the talk recently, too, but the number is closer to 50 than 58. Baseball executives say the rumors are not true, that the talk is cheap, more grist for the messy rumor mill. Baseball officials say there is no intrigue. Yet this is the tale being spun around clubhouses in Major League Baseball, emblematic of the odd and suspicious environment that exists around the game right now. The season itself is powered by Old Faithful – the wondrous game itself – and the power of baseball alone is preventing the season from turning into one big mess. But internally, teams are angry at the way the steroid process has unfolded. The Red Sox are livid – less so now because Baltimore has fallen out of the race – that Palmeiro was allowed to play against them in the four-game series before the All-Star break. Imagine the games where Palmeiro demolished the Red Sox affecting the pennant race. Sox officials remain quiet on the subject, however, lest they give the appearance of sour grapes An Oakland executive not named Beane was frustrated, leaning toward believing the rumors. "If they knew about Palmeiro since May," the executive said, "what's to say they aren't sitting on more names?" Players now sympathize with Juan Rincon, the Twins pitcher who was suspended for 10 games without appeal. Three months after his suspension, having already forfeited games and salary, Rincon's appeal is now being heard. Players want to know if they are being set up by the league in this political wrestling match to prove it is not soft on drugs. The leak that Palmeiro used the powerful steroid stanozolol, players believe, came from Park Avenue. Twins officials aren't happy, either, for had Rincon been allowed to play while his appeal was being heard – as was the case with Palmeiro – he might have helped them chalk up a few more wins, something the Twins desperately need as they fade from the playoff race. Rincon has been told if his appeal is upheld he will have his service time reinstated. League officials haven't, however, told him how he will reclaim his name.

It'd be interesting to see his Widger/Pierzynski splits--I know one of his shellings recently was with Widger behind the plate. FWIW, since the ASB he's had way more good outings than bad ones, if anyone wanted to notice.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 10, 2005 -> 10:33 AM) Blum kinda blends in. He isnt real distinctive looking and sorta just fills space.Doesn't get any hits either.

According to a Cards fan friend, this column suggests that there may have been as many as 58 positive roid tests this season in MLB but Selig is covering it up. Unf the piece is subscriber only. Can someone post PLEASE??? http://sports.bostonherald.com/sportsColum...articleid=97391 One big mess! Baseball rife with word of more positive tests By Howard Bryant Recent Columns by Howard Bryant Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - Updated: 01:30 AM EST Before last week's Red Sox-Royals finale, a Royals player, who shall remain nameless, sat in the Kansas City dugout staring straight ahead squinting against the early afternoon sun. The topic was Rafael Palmeiro, whose 10-game suspension for violating the league's steroid policy...

QUOTE(sti3 @ Aug 9, 2005 -> 04:41 PM) I'm sorry we have no chance today. Jose is a Nervous Nelly on the mound against a normal team, so against the uber-patient Yankees he will likely walk 9.This is why I don't bet.

QUOTE(MurcieOne @ Aug 10, 2005 -> 09:55 AM) honestly.... this isnt even the biggest series in the AL right now. So I dont really think the nation is really paying that much attention.Did any other series in the AL have SCOTT HARPER or THE PUNCH?

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Aug 10, 2005 -> 08:50 AM) I'm used to Hawk, but if anything, I've noticed him crying about the umps a whole lot more lately.R&F are doing it a ton too, for example on the bunt by Pods. Something in the air. Sorry Mar.. I mean Sqwert, I think you're making something of nothing here. We know Hawk gets on your nerves. There's an easy solution for that--turn on your am radio and listen to the best in the business while you watch!

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Aug 10, 2005 -> 08:02 AM) Problem is there isn't. Case in point, last night. There was more on the why wasn't Hermanson used in the 9th, blah, blah, blah, our offense sucks, we can't hit etc., than there was on the great outing Contreras had and the win we picked up.Man Contreras had a great outing. Why the hell wasn't Hermanson used more in the 9th? Oh yeah because lefties are still hitting okay against him. WWE NEED 2 TRADE FOR A LHRP.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 10, 2005 -> 08:05 AM) For a guy that has completely downplayed this series vs the Yankees Hawk sounded like we had just won game 7 of the ALCS. He could barely speak he was so full of emotion. I don't mind that type of emotion but it seems a bit hypocritical after he's been downplaying the series for the last few days. Would he have reacted the same way if we had preserved a 2-1 win against the Royals? I don't know but I do know, like most of us, that this is a pretty damn big series. Lets face it. The whole nation is now watching our boys. The spotlight is on us and it is nice to see our guys play well. That's par for the course though isn't it? You have to outwardly act like it's just like any other series when you know inside it's not. And that game sure felt like the playoffs because of the way it unfolded. Moronotti noted it too in his feelgood column today.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 9, 2005 -> 07:03 PM) Corpse ball is back in swing! Yay!I thought corpseball was when the offense didn't do anything. Or are you faulting Iguchi for driving a pitch over the wall? I bet you're pissed now about Konerko walking since he'll never make it around the bases.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Aug 9, 2005 -> 04:38 PM) Yes, but without the talentHis career minor league numbers, sadly, said otherwise.

I'm sorry we have no chance today. Jose is a Nervous Nelly on the mound against a normal team, so against the uber-patient Yankees he will likely walk 9.

yeah the offense blows right now. seems like every thread has been coming back to this point. eerie. It's as if people are just posting the same thing over an over again while they wait for the game to start.

not gonna happen. sorry.

Some of the stuff being said in this thread could be interpreted as negativity. Watch out, guys.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Aug 9, 2005 -> 01:36 PM) Team is doing well....shhh. Team is playing like s***....complain. Most sports lists/boards I'm on are like that. Who wants to read a bunch of cheerleading posts? "Yeah, I love these guys!" No, really?

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 9, 2005 -> 01:27 PM) Oye ve... Close the entire site down for a day. I think everyone needs a break. It's Oy Vey. Get it right, for God's sake! Continuing the Negativity, Aaron

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 9, 2005 -> 12:58 PM) Wow, another negative thread from "Greg Hibbard", why am I not surprised? 11 of your last 15 topics have been negative. You'd think we were 13.5 Games back instead of 13.5 games up.STOP THE PRESS! We're slumping offensively? Looks like it's time to engage in a time-honored Pale Hose tradition and fire the hitting coach.

QUOTE(ScottPodRulez22 @ Aug 6, 2005 -> 12:44 PM) I think were flat because our team is playing small ball in a long ball park seriosly we only struggle at home. It also could be that there not used to playing in the huge crowds we are getting now a days. Last Pods needs to heat up right away 1 time on base each game in 2 out situations in not cutting it.We're not playing smallball. Smallball would have gotten a leadoff double home in the game the other day.

QUOTE(HoosierSox @ Aug 6, 2005 -> 11:05 AM) Youve seen Blum play 3 games and you already come to the conclusion that Blum cant hit. Let him play a few more games before you pass judgement. 10 ab is hardly a sample. Believe me im the biggest Gload supporter out there. There just isnt any room for him right now.Stupid clutch Timo. We can never get rid of him. Gah!

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 4, 2005 -> 05:45 PM) I don't really care what the so-called experts think about our team. They have been wrong from day 1. All we do is win games. More than any other team in MLB. Oh...and doesn't El Duque give us a little bit of post season experience? Yeah and weren't you one of the guys advocating we trade whatever it took to get AJ Burnett?

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 4, 2005 -> 05:40 PM) How bout you do that starting now? I'll do that when your content to sig ratio approaches .25

QUOTE(knightni @ Aug 4, 2005 -> 05:38 PM) Why the hostility? 8 posts in and you are giving people attitude. Cmon man. How was that hostile? My "poo" and "$%*^" were not directed at the person to whom I was replying. And for all you know my 8 posts have been made over years of avid lurking. This team right now is very frustrating.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 4, 2005 -> 05:34 PM) We're 13-8 since the All Star Break. We're 5-2 in our last 7 games. We lose 1 series and people say we're slumping... :headshake I guess you didn't watch or listen to the game today. We looked like poo. Also, as has been cited ad nauseam, we've lost 9 of 12 of our last home games. Guess what? We're likely going to have home field advantage in the playoffs. If we win 4 of 6 in NY and Boston I'll shut the $*&%^ up I promise

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 4, 2005 -> 05:27 PM) Who are these elite teams you are referring to? The only team we haven't played are the Yanks and they aren't exactly elite these days. :finger The A's have risen to the ranks of the elite teams with their play in the last few weeks, and the Red Sox are obv the world champs and still the team to beat. Face it, the Sox are slumping at the moment and have a horrible record in the postseason. BTW you can edit your posts so there's no reason to post twice in a row, doofwad.