564 replies to this topic

[Lex]

Yes, when people think of a bulked up major leaguer David Wright comes to mind.

[Steve R.]

From today's Daily News -

The San Francisco fans knew what to do. They managed to vault an inferior player, Pablo Sandoval, over Wright — despite him trailing the Mets’ third baseman by approximately 465,000 votes last week. Sandoval ended up winning, 5,743,542 votes to Wright’s 4,133,380, and will start for the National League on July 10 in Kansas City.
...
Wright is enjoying a better year than Sandoval in nearly every way. Batting .355, with a .455 on-base percentage, and nine home runs, he leads the National League in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits, doubles, and runs. Sandoval is batting .300, with six home runs, but he apparently ran a better campaign.

It's just the way things work.

I honestly thought Yankee fans make A-Rod an All Star - they did it last year when he was hurt. I think that fact that he's playing a lot this year and has only produced decent numbers worked against him.

"It's just the way things work" when your team's fans (which in this case reside in a very large city compared to SF) aren't yet sure about you. Another vote for "a half year doesn't a career make". If he keeps up this pace and then starts next year well, maybe folks will come out and vote for him.

[Lex]

Mean spirited, aren't we?

The All Star game is held in the middle of the year. By definition all the votes are based on half a season. Yet that's a telling criticism of David Wright alone? Good God.

You'd have an argument if you made the same point about RA Dickey, a first time All Star, but this is the 6th time Wright has gone to the All Star game. That doesn't happen to Three Month Wonders.

[joethefoodie]

That early picture of Wright is hardly comparable to the other "before" pictures, which were all taken when those players were major leaguers. Even I got bigger since I was 18 - though mostly around my waist.

[Wilfrid]

It's not supposed to be comparable. It's called "trash talking." Anyone notice Chuck Knoblauch bulking up? The idea you can reliably tell who took PEDs -- or more importantly, who didn't take them -- by comparing photos taken years apart is stupid.

I was carrying it to its absurd consequence.

But it all goes back to my very first post, in the very first steroids thread here. Everyone was astonished at the news that steroid use was common in baseball. Eight years on, everyone's a hawkeyed judge who can read PED use from a six pack.

Really? Get over yourselves (or award yourself a gold star if you were picking these cheats back in 2004).

[joethefoodie]

It's not supposed to be comparable. It's called "trash talking." Anyone notice Chuck Knoblauch bulking up? The idea you can reliably tell who took PEDs -- or more importantly, who didn't take them -- by comparing photos taken years apart is stupid.

I was carrying it to its absurd consequence.

But it all goes back to my very first post, in the very first steroids thread here. Everyone was astonished at the news that steroid use was common in baseball. Eight years on, everyone's a hawkeyed judge who can read PED use from a six pack.

Really? Get over yourselves (or award yourself a gold star if you were picking these cheats back in 2004).

I don't really trash talk - sorry...I think that's best left to the participants.

In any event, yes, I could pick out Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa.

[Wilfrid]

I don't really trash talk - sorry...I think that's best left to the participants.

It's always the Mets fans who start it.

In any event, yes, I could pick out Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa.

Fair enough. And Mark McGwire?

But after the likes of Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch 'fessed up, being confident that anyone -- anyone -- was clean throughout this period based on remote observation and/or character assessment is living in a fool's paradise.

We still don't know who used.

And as for these "bulked up" pictures, does anyone really think A-Rod is still using? Has his muscle mass dwindled over the last few years (as Sosa's did; and let's not even mention David Ortiz)?

Clemens is probably still taking them for fun.

[joethefoodie]

Yeah, Clemens is probably still shooting into his neck, like before the Piazza incident!

[Lex]

Clemens is probably still taking them for fun.

He wants to be ready just in case he runs in to Mike Piazza one more time.

[Lex]

At the All Star break the A-Rod / Wright comparison looked like this -



Wright's lead is growing - he's now ahead by 21. This horse has been dead for so long that even *I* am tired of beating it. I'm going to retire the Lex-o-Matic stats until mid August.

[Wilfrid]

Meantime, you can continue considering my question -- has A-Rod:

(1) Noticeably withered in stature?

(2) Continued taking steroids?

or (3) Maintained his physique through conditioning?

[Lex]

Oh, what the hell. It's the All Star break. Lets have some fun.

Awhile back you pointed out that Rodriguez tied Lou Gherig's record for grands slams. Lets compare the two.



Lou Gherig was known to his teammates and friends as the "Iron Horse" because of his durability and consistency. A Hall of Famer.


And now we have Alex Rodriguez.



Alex Rodriguez is known affectionately in the Yankee clubhouse as "Bitch Tits" because he developed womanly breasts over the 2005 off season. I'll let ESPN describe it - "Yankees teammates ... nicknamed Rodriguez "B---h T--s" in 2005 because he put on 15 pounds in the offseason that resulted in round pectorals, a condition called gynecomastia that can be caused by anabolic steroids."

I have no idea if Rodriguez is still using but I'm pretty sure he was taking some type of PEDs when he had that monster contract year. Since then his numbers have fallen off a cliff. Maybe the PEDs bottle is empty.

Hall of Fame for Rodriguez? Lets see what Reggie Jackson has to say -

Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson doesn’t believe New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez belongs in Cooperstown, where baseball's Hall of Fame stands.

“Al’s a very good friend,” Jackson told Sports Illustrated. “But I think there are real questions about his numbers. As much as I like him, what he admitted about his usage does cloud some of his records.”

In 2009, Rodriguez admitted that he used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-03 while with the Texas Rangers.

Jackson added that if a player suspected of using PEDs is elected to the Hall of Fame, no current Hall of Famers will attend the induction ceremony.

[Wilfrid]

I'm not sure if that was (1), (2), or (3).

Thanks, by the way, for discussing the Yankees here on the Mets thread. How are the "Amazin's" doing, anyway?

NB: Not just trash talking. Ask any Yankees, and they'll agree that the Rodriguez contract is stupid. Expect Yankees fans to be rending their garments and eating ashes about it when the franchise shows signs of being unsuccessful on or off the field. The scary thing for you guys (and everyone), is that the Yankees just eat it and carry on rolling.

[Lex]

Bitch Tits. Mmpff.

[Rich]

So Dickey's not starting the All-Star game because of the concern Posey can't handle the knuckleball!!! Really??? Seriously???

Please - that's up there with the worst excuse ever. Let Posey catch Dickey in the bulpen for ten minutes and he'll handle it - he's a talented major league catcher.

It's typical LaRussa - just over-thinking things. That's why for the talent he managed during his career, he should have many, many more rings. Please Tony, you're a lawyer, you are trained to make up better stuff than that.