Albert Pujols, The Best Ever?

For a guy that was never fortunate enough to watch the great ball players like Ruth, Mays, Aaron, and Gehrig, I would have to say that Albert Pujols is the greatest baseball player I’ve ever seen.

Of course I have seen the ol’ timers play on re-runs and classic highlight reels, but to actually sit and watch a live Cardinals’ game with Albert Pujols is awesome. Whether he’s in the field or at the plate, Pujols alone makes me sit down and watch a game.

Last night, in the bottom of the 10th inning, Pujols smacked his FIFTH  Grand Slam of the season. This led me to think that Pujols’ quick-stats need to be posted as some food for thought. I know you can find them quickly at ESPN.com, but perhaps this is for self-ammusment as well. The stats below are based on Pujols’ 8.3 years as a professional.

• Pujols has 355 home runs in his short professional career, hitting at least 32 home runs in every season.
• He has 1,074 RBI’s, including 130 in his ROOKIE season and never hitting anything less than 100 every season.
• He is a lifetime .333 hitter, recording 1,651 hits in 4,952 at-bats.
• Pujols is a .323 hitter in 53 career postseason games, including 13 HR and 35 RBI’s with a SLG% of .593.
• Per 162 games played, you can expect Pujols to jack 43 homers, hit 129 RBI’s, and have a SLG% of .628.
• He is an amazing fielder….I’ve seen it!
• And if you questioned his strikeouts: For every strikeout Pujols records, he gets an average 1.5 base on balls.

Now, I don’t know about sabermetrics and I’m no where close to that Peter Gammons dude. However, I know when a baseball player is entertaining and I know whether or not he’s decent. Phat Albert is one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player, to ever play the game.

Any takers?

Manny Ramirez Tests Positive For Banned Substance…Fertility Drug

If you woke up this morning and you don’t happen to live in a bunker in South Dakota, you probably have heard about Manny Ramirez testing positive for a banned substance.

Drug tests found artificial testosterone in Ramirez’s system along with traces of a female fertility drug, called hCG. Ramirez and his agent have stated that a doctor prescribed Manny Ramirez some sort of medication that contained the banned substance. Really? Why the hell would a doctor prescribe Manny a fertility drug? Reverse ED perhaps?

This news comes as both surprising and typical. It surprises me because Manny seems like such a laid back, go-with-the-flow, kind of guy. He seems to really love playing baseball and he has this ’aw, shucks’ attitude that you really don’t associate with steroids. Not to mention, Ramirez has passed 15 drug tests in the past several years, so it’s surprising that none of the previous tests found anything wrong.

Why is it typical? Well, all home run hitters these days are frickin’ juiced, in case you haven’t noticed. Manny is in his upper thirties and he’s still tearing the the seams off of balls. He may not have a head the size of Barry’s, but that’s not necessarily the only indication in a juice user. And it should also be noted that steroids were NOT found in Manny’s system. The odd levels of testosterone was more than likely caused by the fertility drug, hCG. And according to reports, hCG is commonly used to bring a male’s testosterone back to normal levels after taking steroids.

I actually really liked Manny because I liked his attitude and I thought he was a clean player. This just goes to show that no one can be trusted anymore. The morons that have decided to take these banned substances (Clemens, Bonds, Ramirez, Rodriguez, McGwire, etc.) have tainted the game for years and years to come. Thanks to these guys, we the fans can no longer look at even Derek Jeter anymore without just a little bit of concern.

Manny Being Manny, He’ll Stay Put In L.A.

Manny Ramirez and his hardcore agent, Scott Boras, negotiated a deal this morning with the L.A. Dodgers that will keep Manny in blue and white for next season.

The deal was a reported $45 million over two years, the same terms that have been floating around since day one. The only difference with this successful negotiation was the way the money was deferred…or something like that!

No matter how the deal looks to the accountant, all the fans need to know is that Manny is an LA Dodger. Congrats on the division.

ESPN’s “Salary Crunch” Puts Player Contracts In Perspective

Do you think athletes are overpaid? Do you gasp for air upon listening to the latest free agent signing?

Well you don’t have to wait for big contracts any longer! ESPN has a new program called “Salary Crunch” that allows you to put in your annual salary and compare it to that of BIG MONEY athletes like A-Roid, Fat Albert Haynesworth, C.C. Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira. For example, you can type in your $60,000 annual salary and discover that Fat Albert makes $60,000 after recording .04 sacks in .06 games and that it would take you 238 years to earn his annual salary.

With the new Salary Crunch, you can visit the site at any time and feel horrible about what you make while wanting to murder the athlete from your computer chair. Check it out…             http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/salary/index?athleteId=3939133

Another Guy’s Thoughts On The A-Roid Apology

If you didn’t hear it live, you had to have heard about it elsewhere. Alex Rodriguez’s interview was EVERYWHERE. A-Roid sounded nervous, the reporters stumped him a few times, and he even pulled out the crocodile tears. I know everyone and their dog is posting their opinion about A-Roid and his statement, so I’m doing the same. Just a few:

1. Injected Energy? Rodriguez stated that the supplement he was taking was an over-the-counter drug that would supply his body with mass amounts of energy, yet he injected it. Aren’t their energy drinks? Energy patches? Energy pills? Why in the hell are you putting Red Bull in a syringe and shooting in your hind parts? An over-the-counter injection? Does that come with free syringes? Sketchy.
2. His Cousin. Rodriguez claimed that it was he and his unidentified “cousin” who took part in administring the juice. But let’s all remember where A-Roid was when he tested positive for steroids, with the Texas Rangers. A team that also housed Rafael Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, and Pudge Rodriguez – all of whom have been linked to banned substances. And I wonder…
3. The Young & Dumb Excuse. When Rodriguez is asked why he ever began to use steroids, he responds with the “young & dumb” response. That lame excuse is played out! You were 25-frickin’-years-old, gimme a break! He says that he didn’t go to college and therefore didn’t have the time to grow up. Get real Alex! You were in the league at 18 and started taking juice at age 25 (supposedly), that’s seven years to mature dude, please. I use the “young & dumb” excuse after a random Friday night, not after three years of secretive drug use.
4. Living Up To The Dollars. Rodriguez claims that he fealt the need to live up to the largest contract in MLB history, thus causing him to inject himself with steroids. The years you played in Seattle, prior to abusing steroids, is what earned you that $250 million, did they not? Yea, I thought so. Just continue to perform like you have been and you will improve with experience and practice, it’s called the natural way.
5. Protect Thy Brother. I commend Rodriguez for handling this embarassing situation the right way, by keeping the names of other big leaguers deep down inside. Rodriguez has yet to give out any names of other juiced athletes. He has given no hints to others and says that he has no knowledge of any other players taking, or having took, steroids. This is probably a complete crock and A-Roid is most likely lying through his biceps, but he’s protecting the baseball brotherhood. Ethical or not, it’s respectful in my eyes.

Hopefully this is a done deal. Alex Rodriguez did what he had to do, he took the criticism like a man and addressed the media the way he should have. Rodriguez has taken numerous tests in recent years and swears that every test is clean. Whether the other 103 names should be released is another story and other big-leaguers will continue to express their opinion. The important thing to remember is that the MLB and Bud Selig are not innocent here. If baseball really wanted to rid the league of steroids then they would…plain and simple.

Roberto Alomar’s Ex Claims He Has AIDS

Former professional baseball second baseman Roberto Alomar has been accused in a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfreind claiming that he forced her to have sex with him, eventhough he had “full blown AIDS”.

Roberto Alomar has AIDS? I had never seen the guy deteriorating in any way…and usually that happens with the ol’ AIDS thing. His ex claimed in the lawsuit that she witnessed Alomar’s skin turning purple, him foaming at the mouth, and having a spinal tap showing that he had “full blown aids”. All of which I find quite comical.

The Alomar family and Roberto’s lawyer have denied allegations and have said that Alomar is in good health. The ex-girlfriend, Ilya Dall, is suing for $15 million….haha. I think if Robbie Alomar had AIDS, we would have all known.

Alex Rodriguez is a cheater on the field as well as off?

Sport Illustrated has reported that Alex Rodriguez (yes, that A-Rod guy) tested positive for testosterone and Primobolan, an anabolic steroid, in 2003.

It comes as a shock to me, I’m not sure about others, because I simply viewed Rodriguez as the best player in the game due to his abilities…not because of his drug taking. Not to mention that he has stated himself in a “60 Minutes” interview that he didn’t need steroids.

Coincidentally, Alex Rodriguez won the AL MVP award in 2003. In that year, Rodriguez batted .298 with 47 homers and 118 RBIs.

The current times in baseball are difficult to understand and questionable to watch. The ENTIRE era has been plagued with the “sport cancer” that is anabolic steroids. When watching a game, one has to wonder who is cheating and who is honest. For me, I visually judge each and every player that steps to the plate. Is is head like a Macy’s float? Are his arms like the Hulk? Are his quads ripping through his uniform?

It’s not fair to the fans and it’s not fair to the game. An entire era of America’s Greatest Pastime will go down in history with a giant *asterisk* nex to it. And now, whether you agree or not, the greatest player in the game today is a tested-and-proven cheater.

Yankees may offer bogus contracts

It has been reported that the New York Yankees are thinking about putting a clause in the future contracts of their players and coaches that would restrict them from saying anything negative about the team and/or organization. Although it may sound like a crock, making you ask yourself “can they really do that?”, it is all in response to Joe Torre’s new book (recalling the 12 years he spent with the Yankees).

I believe the New York Yankees called it a “confidentiality clause”, but we all realize the sole purpose of the idea. The Yankees want to buy up everyone in the free agent pool, buy all the best coaches and managers, and now they want to make sure that the team ONLY gets positive publicity. What the hell does that say about the Yankees organization? To me, the Yankees are banking that someone who leaves the organization would most likely have negative things to say, and the Steinbrenner’s don’t want any part of that.

Just another great reason to root for the Yankees.

The damn Yankees, they’re at it again…

The New York Yankees is the new name being thrown around in the Manny Ramirez Sweepstakes, offering a reported 3-year deal worth somewhere around $75 million. The Yankees have also made their name known in the potential signing of Mark Teixeira, another free agent that will certainly become rich very soon.

We all know how I feel about the Yankees and their enormous amount of spending, but is it poissible to NOT hear their name as a possible landing spot for a big-time free agent just once? Manny is certainly a hot player, putting up the 37 homers and 121 RBIs last season, but I hope he stays with the Dodgers. The problem? Many Dodgers supporters are venting and letting the team know that signing Manny for around $30 million a year is ridiculous. It has been reported that Manny and his agent are looking for a 4-year $100 million contract – nice try guys. Manny will probably end up in New York…damn Yankees. Can Manny keep the hair?

Mark Teixeira, a guy from my hometown, is also on the Yankees’ list. Teixeira has been getting offers from all over but many teams have dropped out of the running or taken their offers off the board, including the Angels and Red Sox. However, analysts are continuing to report that Boston is in the front-running for the offensive juggernaut. The Nationals have a pretty big offer on the board, but Teixeira doesn’t turn that ball club around. The Orioles threw out a generous offer but it wasn’t as generous as others – labeling the O’s as non-contenders. HOWEVER, the O’s are in Teixeira’s home state and he has always wanted to play at home. Although my opinion is extremely one-sided because I want Teixeira to come back home, I still would not count out Crappy Angelos and the Orioles as a potential home for the young star.

The Yankees could very well not sign either of these guys, and hopefully they don’t, but the point is that they can. The Yankees have the deep pockets, they have the name to brand, they have it all. Think of a monopoly…Walmart, Windows, ExxonMobil…that’s the Yankees.

Sabathia to the Yanks, say it aint so…

Why are you surprised? The Yankess buy another high-profile free agent, no shocker here. Did some of us think he would stay West Coast? Sure, I thought he was going to the Angels without question. But once again, the Yankees and their demon leader, Steinbrenner (no disrespect by the way), offer a guy so much money that no one can complete. And how important was it to C.C. to play in Cali? Apparently not that important. The Yankees had an offer on the table of somewhere around $140 million and C.C. and his agent contemplated with C.C. saying that “he wasn’t sure about playing in New York”. Then, the Yankees outbid themselves (intelligent right?) by offering another year to C.C. and giving him a contract of $160 million. Hmm, shall we think? Was C.C. chasing the money? Ummm, I think so. “Well honey we were going to go live in sunny California but for $160 mil…we’ll be looking for private schools in New York”.

I’m a little irritated because its the Yankees being the Yankees and I’m an O’s fan (sad I know). But I am not surprised and I cannot honestly say that I thought the Yankees wouldn’t some how pull this out. I had just hoped that Sabathia went and played for Mike Sciosca in his home state back in California. Well, actually, I wanted him to come play in Baltimore but I just don’t think that would have worked out….