Former All-Star Talks Steroids, "Greenies"

Thanks to Jose Canseco’s bestselling book Juiced and its follow up “The Mitchell Report”, Major League Baseball may never get out from under the steroid cloud.

It seems that virtually every lengthy discussion about baseball ends up touching upon performance enhancing drugs.

That being said…I’ve never had the cajones to, in all my dealings with baseball players (past and present), ask anyone flat out if THEY did anything illegal.

I guess that’s where the anonymity of the internet comes in.

Over at Morgan Ensberg’s blog, “Stuart” threw out the following question: “Did you use PED’s and did you see others using them? A simple yes or no will not do.”

Yikes! Pretty ballsy “Stuart”.

More ballsy however…the former All-Star’s reply.

Stuart I am pumped up that you asked me that! I didn’t use steroids or anything else that helped build muscle.

The only thing I saw in the clubhouse was “greenies” which I have done about 10 times. Greenies are basically “uppers” and they didn’t do anything to me. I am not sure if that is a good thing.

I drink a ton of coffee and would drink something like 2 redbulls before a game if I felt sluggish.

I always use this analogy. In Hermosa Beach, where I grew up, there were a bunch of kids who smoked weed. I was asked if I wanted to smoke, but I said no and that was the end of it.

I eventually smoked in college about 30 times and I liked it. But I noticed that it made me eat a lot and I didn’t need any help in that department.

Back to the point, I didn’t smoke so I wasn’t in “that club”. If you are not in the group then you have no idea what guys are doing it. The same thing happened in college with cocaine. I have never done cocaine, but some of my buddies did and I had no idea. I just thought that they were really hyper.

My opinion is this. I can’t fault anyone for doing steroids because they are trying to do everything they can to get to the big leagues. I played in the Dominican and Venezuela and nothing you say will change my opinion on a guy making a decision to feed his family. This isn’t apples and apples.

I don’t even think that those guys who did do steroids pushed me out of the game. I had the ability to play the game at the highest level and that is really cool to me.

Amazing. An honest reply from a Major Leaguer to a fan.

In a time where agents and career politicking sometimes gets in the way…it’s refreshing to see Ensberg’s opinion on things.

Plus, dude’s got the makings of a decent site.

Check it out!

2010 Milestone Preview: National League East

Last year at this time, the big question was…can the Phillies repeat?

And they did.

Kinda.

They won the National League pennant, but as anyone with a pulse knows…they lost the World Series to the New York Yankees.

Along the way, Philadelphia saw their young superstar Ryan Howard add two new achievements to his already growing resume.

First, he became the youngest player in Major League history to reach 200 home runs when he went deep against the Marlins on July 16. Three months later, in his final at bat of the Fall Classic, the 2006 MVP set a record when he went down swinging for a World Series record 13th time.

And with that…here’s the NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST.


ATLANTA BRAVES

Long gone are the days of Greg Maddux (now in the Braves front office), Tom Glavine (finally, officially retired) and John Smoltz (whereabouts unknown). Thankfully, Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox are still drawing a paycheck in “The ATL”.

Jones is looking at eclipsing a couple benchmarks this season…2500 hits, 1500 RBI and 450 home runs are all in his sites. The first two being the easiest to accomplish given he is sitting at 2406 hits and 1445 RBI. But with 426 home runs, reaching 450 might be a stretch.

Any way you slice it, the Braves third baseman will be adding to his already Hall-worthy resume as he is the only switch hitter in Major League history with a career batting average better than .300 (.308) and more than 400 home runs.

He’ll enter the season 14th all-time among switch hitters on the career hits list, but should end up ninth. And with a mere 64 RBI, he’ll surpass Mickey Mantle and move into second place on the all-time list of RBI by a switch hitter.

Manager Bobby Cox enters his last season as a big league skipper fourth all-time in wins with 2413. He won’t leap frog Tony LaRussa (2552), but if Atlanta should make the playoffs…it will be a record setting 16th appearance for Cox.

In 2007, the fiery manager became the all-time leader in ejections (he now has 151) and was the last manager to get the boot from a World Series game back in 1996. Incidentally, he is also the only skipper to have been kicked out of two World Series games for arguing.

After a 2009 season that saw him bounced from his closer role in New York to setting up Jonathan Papelbon in BeanTown, Billy Wagner is being looked at as the every day closer for the Braves.

Should “Billy the Kid” do the expected and notch at least 15 saves, he’ll reach 400 for his career…something only four other relievers (Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Lee Smith and John Franco) have done.

Not bad for a “rat” who was run out of Philadelphia following the 2005 campaign.


FLORIDA MARLINS

Take a quick glance at the Marlins 40-man roster and you’ll notice one thing…only THREE of their players (Wes Helms, Brian Sanches and Dan Uggla) were born prior to the Reagan Administration.
Simply stated, they’re young, gang, and if you’re expecting some sort of Braves-like write up here…you’re sadly mistaken.

All that aside, third baseman Jorge Cantu is only ten long balls away from 100 home runs for his career.

Shrug.


NEW YORK METS

The Mets, on the other hand, are looking to stay healthy. Last season, the Amazins saw their players spend a league best (worst?) 1480 days on the disable list.

One of the guys who spent the most time on the DL is former All-Star Carlos Beltran who opens the season 27 home runs away from 300 for his career.

And while it isn’t likely he’ll reach the plateau in 2010 (he’s starting the season, where else…on the disabled list), every swing of the bat inches him up another rung on the “Puerto Rican Born Major Leaguers” ladder.

In New York’s bullpen, Francisco Rodriguez is sitting at 243 saves. Now, on the all-time list, that’d put him smack dab between Dan Quisenberry (244) and Sparky Lyle (238), but considering this cat is only 28…we’re going to witness the youngest reliever ever to reach 250 saves and could be looking at someone to challenge Trevor Hoffman’s career numbers.

At the same age, Hoffman had yet to save 100 games…but from age 29 to 41, dude added close to 500 more.

Before last season, former Royals closer Jeff Montgomery told The Hall that he wouldn’t “be surprised if K-Rod blows out his arm next year”…and he didn’t. I’m sure the Mets are hoping Monty’s bold prediction never comes true.

But since we’re supposed to be talking tangible milestones here, let me throw this one at ya. Did you know that Rodriguez is 45 games finished behind fellow Venezuelan (and convicted murderer) Ugueth Urbina on his countries all-time games finished list?

No?!?

Yeah, something tells me that that won’t be the lead on SportsCenter when it happens come late-August.


PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

As if you needed to be reminded of this…but Jamie Moyer is old.

How old? He is the one player out there that can tell you where he was when JFK assassinated. And not only is he the oldest player out there…he bests John Smoltz (should he end up somewhere) by close to four and a half years!

So, given he’s older than a number of managers out there, it makes sense that, with 258 wins, Moyer is the active leader. Unfortunately, with 195 losses…he’s tops among active pitchers there as well. If/when Moyer loses his 200th game, he’ll be the first pitcher to hit that mark since Glavine lost his 200th April 13, 2008.

But back to victories. As far as wins go, the next in line is Andy Pettitte with 229 and before anyone starts to wonder aloud about Moyer’s Hall of Fame chances…it’s not going to happen. However, there are only two lefties (Jim Kaat and Tommy John) who have more wins and won’t see their ticket to Cooperstown punched anytime soon.

All others have been or will be enshrined.

An interesting sidenote on Moyer…dude is just 14 bombs (491) behind Robin Roberts total of 505 when it comes to home runs allowed. Should he get the opportunity, he’ll tick closer and closer to Hall of Famer Roberts and, hopefully, surpass the one-time Phillies hurler on the all-time list.

Also of note…closer Brad Lidge is a handful of saves (five) away from notching 200 for his career.


WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Prior to 2009, Ron Villone was looking to get some time with his record tying twelfth team. On May 7, “Suitcase” found his way to the mound for the Nationals and tied pitcher Mike Morgan as the game’s most traveled player.

This year, Matt Stairs is looking to get some playing time in San Diego (coincidentally, his twelfth team)…so let’s all hope that Villone finds his way to lucky number 13.

With only three home runs in his last 30 games, Adam Dunn topped out at 38 home runs last season, failing to become only the second player with more than 40 home runs (or more) in six straight seasons.

Only Babe Ruth did it more (seven times), but here’s the big question…isn’t six seasons of 38 or more home runs in a season an accomplishment?

Someone should look that up!

Now with his fifth different team in the last three seasons, 14 time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez is looking to secure his spot as the greatest catcher ever.

It’s true.

The 1999 American League MVP has 13 Gold Gloves behind the plate, has appeared in more games than any other backstop (2288) and also leads all catchers in hits.

Lastly, the Nationals are looking to be the first National League team to lose 100 or more games in three straight seasons since their rival 1962-1965 Mets did it for four straight seasons.

Ouch.

The American League East is next on the slate.

Bob Uecker Hall-bound...Again

I'm generally not one to surf around the interwebs looking for wrestling stories, but when I saw the words "Bob Uecker" and "Hall of Fame"...I had to stop and look.

Sure, Uecker is already enshrined in Cooperstown as a broadcaster (he received the Ford C. Frick Award in 2003), but who'd have ever thought that he would be forever linked to such legends as "Nature Boy" or "The Hitman".

"It's going to be a hoot," Uecker told the Journal Sentinal, "I'm already shopping for tights."

Reportedly, that WWE has wanted to induct the two-time WrestleMania announcer for a while now, but his duties with the Milwaukee Brewers have caused scheduling conflicts. Chairman of NBC Universal Sports (and the guy who helped launched Saturday Night's Main Event) Dick Ebersol is set to induct Uecker.

This isn't exactly the first time the WWE Hall of Fame has had baseball on its mind. In 2004, they welcomed all-time hit king Pete Rose into their hallowed halls and in 2007, baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs inducted his longtime friend "Mr. Perfect" Curt Henning.

Let's see...wrestling, baseball, Hall of Fame. There's a steroids joke to be made here somewhere...but I'm going to tap out before I go down that road.

Former Big Leaguer Finds a New Home

I know it doesn't fit The Hall's niche, but if I fail to talk about the team playing in my backyard...I feel as though I might as well check my fandom at the door.

That being said, the Rockford Riverhawks have signed their second former Major Leaguer to a deal.

Back in January, the 2004 Frontier League Champion Riverhawks (they're now in the Northern League), inked slugger Randall Simon and today...it was pitcher Mike Wood.

Wood is a five-year big league veteran (having played with Oakland, Kansas City and Texas) and if you listen to RiverHawks co-owner and director of baseball operations Dave Ciarrachi...he's got the stuff to make it back to the show.

“There is every possibility that if he throws well for us, he could sign a major-league contract and move right back up,” Ciarrachi said. “To get a guy who has pitched as many years as he has in the big leagues is a real plus for us."

Wood said this was the first time in his career he didn’t have at least a spring-training invitation from a Major League team.

“It’s new to me (in) ten years playing ball, but I’m excited to be with a team again,” he said. “I’m going to give it all I’ve got for this team.”

Wood was the A’s tenth-round pick out of the University of North Florida in 2001 and after pitching in just seven games for them in 2003...was dealt to the Royals. The Rangers picked Wood up off waivers following the 2006 season and used him primarily out of the bullpen. In 115 major-league appearances, Wood is 16-22 with a 5.49 earned-run average and two saves.

In 2008, he spent the season in Japan’s Central League with the Yokohama BayStars, where he was 3-12 with a 4.69 ERA in 26 starts. Last year, Wood was back in Triple-A and in ten combined appearances with Florida’s New Orleans affiliate and the Rangers’ Oklahoma City farm club, both in the Pacific Coast League, Wood was 0-2 with a 9.49 ERA and one save.

Wood has earned at least 10 wins in four of his nine professional seasons. In 104 minor-league appearances, Wood is 49-22 with a 3.41 ERA and a save. In 1,039 2/3 total innings among the majors, minors and Japan, he has walked just 306 batters and struck out 656.

An interesting sidenote...the first two outs that Wood recorded were both strikeouts. He got both Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez to go down swinging in consecutive at bats.

Not a shabby debut.

Nomar Signs with Red Sox, Quits

After spending a season vacationing in Oakland as their "veteran back up" (a la Mike Piazza and Frank Thomas)...Nomar Garciaparra has decided to take it all back to where it started and sign with the Red Sox.

So he can retire.

"My tank's empty," the grinning future ESPN employee said at a press conference this morning after signing a one-day minor-league contract with the team.

For his career, the six time All-Star batting .313, with 1747 hits. However, those totals don't even compare to the mark he left on the Boston landscape.

Beloved in BeanTown until he, well, fell out of favor and was traded prior to the Red Sox championship run in 2004, Garciaparra hit .323 and collected 178 home runs and 690 RBI while with Boston.

The 1997 American League Rookie of the Year finished second a year later in the MVP voting of when he hit .323 with 35 home runs and 122 RBI. In 1999 and 2000, the shortstop led the American League in hitting while batting .357 and .372 respectively and, in the process, became the first right-handed hitter to win back-to-back batting titles since Joe DiMaggio did it in 1939-1940.

And lastly, from the Wikipedia file...Garciappara is also one of 13 players in Major League history to hit two grand slams during a single game, and the only player to achieve the feat at home.

If only I had known that back in 2005 when I met him, I wouldn't have had to bust out the "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Joint" reference.

Oh well.