LIAR!
Sunday, February 8
A-rod: A cheat and a liar...
Yesterday's somewhat shocking news that A-rod tested positive for steroids back in 2003 forced me to dig out this video. Keep in mind this is from just after the Mitchell Report was released back in 2007....
Saturday, February 7
Arod Tests Positive for the Juice
"Oh crap" That's what Arod said when he woke up this morning, reached over Madonna for the remote control and turned on Sportscenter.
A new report released this morning by Sports Illustrated reveals that in 2003, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for the steroid Primobolan, as well as testosterone. 2003 was A-Rod's final year with the Rangers in which he won the home run crown and the American League MVP.
The testing was part of a league-wide sample designed to determine whether tougher rules were required. There was no penalty for a positive test, and approximately 5% of players tested positive. 104 players tested positive for steroids, all of which were notified after failing the drug test. So to answer your next question, yes Arod and others have known since 2003 they tested positive for steroids.
ARod did not respond to SI's request for comment, saying only, "You'll have to talk to the union." When asked if he would discuss testing positive for steroid Arod said, "I'm not saying anything." Doesn't sound like the comments of an innocent man.
Did baseball just lose the next home run king of baseball to steroids? Coupled with this story is Barry Bonds in court for allegedly lying under oath about taking steroids, and not far back in car number 7 is Roger Clemens, who's DNA was recently linked to needles used for injecting steroids. Arod is the latest car to be hooked up to the steroid train.
A number of questions are being asked now, but we don't have answers yet. Is Arod still on the juice? Has he tested positive since 2003? Who leaked the supposedly sealed information? (SI is saying they have 4 separate sources) What will baseball's response be, what will Arod say?
I know what I would do if I were Arod; go the Andy Pettitte route and come clean.
Somewhere in a swimming pool in America Michael Phelps has a smile on his face, his famous bong hit has finally been bumped from the top story.
ITM will have more on this story as it develops, as well as reactions and opinion.
Friday, February 6
Moneyball---coming soon to a theater near you?
While there isn't a lot of information out there on this story, this might be enough to pique your interest:
Reports emerged today that Steven Soderbergh may be taking on the reigns of the movie adaptation of Michael Lewis's bestseller, Moneyball. Soderbergh is the director of the Ocean's 11 series, Traffic, and Sex, Lies, and Videotapes. And also the 6 part Che epic now playing downtown at the IFC theaters, if you have, you know, 6 hours to spare. (Also, he's had a producer credit on nearly every cool movie of the last two decades---see Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, etc.)
The same reports also indicate that Brad Pitt has expressed strong interest in starring. A bit of a typecast, since Beane is also aging backwards, but just so long as this gets green lit.
We won't go into detail explaining the book, since it's safe to assume our audience has a dog-eared copy somewhere on the bookshelf. Suffice it to say, the Soderbergh and Pitt team definitely has the potential to make this one of the cooler sports movies of all time. Yeah, that's right, throwing out the all-time label already. Just picture a beefed up Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a young Youkilis. Enough said. Let's just hope it's 6 hours.
Reports emerged today that Steven Soderbergh may be taking on the reigns of the movie adaptation of Michael Lewis's bestseller, Moneyball. Soderbergh is the director of the Ocean's 11 series, Traffic, and Sex, Lies, and Videotapes. And also the 6 part Che epic now playing downtown at the IFC theaters, if you have, you know, 6 hours to spare. (Also, he's had a producer credit on nearly every cool movie of the last two decades---see Syriana, Good Night and Good Luck, etc.)
The same reports also indicate that Brad Pitt has expressed strong interest in starring. A bit of a typecast, since Beane is also aging backwards, but just so long as this gets green lit.
We won't go into detail explaining the book, since it's safe to assume our audience has a dog-eared copy somewhere on the bookshelf. Suffice it to say, the Soderbergh and Pitt team definitely has the potential to make this one of the cooler sports movies of all time. Yeah, that's right, throwing out the all-time label already. Just picture a beefed up Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing a young Youkilis. Enough said. Let's just hope it's 6 hours.
Thursday, February 5
Kotsay on the Shelf Until May
My boy, Mark Kotsay, will be sidelined until at least May after having back surgery to remove a displaced disc fragment on January 29th. Health is a concern for the Sox heading into the season, perhaps why they signed Brad Wilkerson to a 1 year deal yesterday.
David Ortiz and Mike Lowell are both coming off injuries, and you never know with JD Drew and Rocco Balldeli; it's certainly conceivable that Kotsay could have seen some serious playing time early in the season. However, the word out of Red Sox camp is Lowell and Ortiz are on track to be ready for the season, but of course they are saying that.
I don't expect the Sox to rush Lowell or Ortiz out on the field in spring training, it's far more important that these guys are healthy for the season then to get 2 at bats against the Twins for the Mayors cup.
With Kotsay out I assume that means Brad Wilkerson makes the team as the back up first baseman, unless another deal is made. Wilkerson hit a Varitek-like .220 last year between Seattle and Toronto with 4 home runs, however he has hit 20 taters in a season in 3 or his 7 years in the bigs, not that the Sox are signing him for his bat.
That said, the search for my Mark Kotsay t-shirt jersey continues...
This pic should make us all feel a little better.....
It's cold as hell here in Boston today.....my hair froze while waiting for the subway this morning...and I don't think it was even wet......anyways, I figured this picture would stir a little optimism into a frozen Red Sox Nation. Ortiz has clearly been working hard in the off season....he's showing off the guns in this picture from Boston.comI'm glad to see he didn't just eat salsa and subway cookies in the off season. He looks ripped up and ready to blast 40+ taters again....I'm knocking on wood right now, you should be too.
Wednesday, February 4
Trick Question, Theo is God....
With not much going on within Red Sox Nation, here are some of the better tidbits from Theo's candid conversation on WEEI's Dale and Holley show earlier today:
On the Yanks signing Teixeira:
"We're not building this organization through free agency. I don't think that's an intelligent way to build an organization. We're building it through drafting players, signing players internationally, developing a homegrown core from within, and complementing it with trades and free agents. So I always assume if the Yankees want a player, they're going to get him, so that's why it can't necessarily be a part of our business model to assume we're going to land the big-ticket free agent. With respect to this particular negotiation, I don't think we were swimming upstream because he could always go back to the Yankees again [in the end]. I don't necessarily feel that way, I know it can be interpreted that way."
In a paragraph, Theo articulately details why the Sox have enjoyed recent success, and the Yanks haven't.....but Theo's not trying to tell Hank/Cashman how to do their job or anything...
On the off season signings of Dusty and Youk:
"With Pedroia and Youkilis, we knew that they were among the players that we wanted to sit down and have multi-year conversations with. And, you know, they were really reasonable. And so we were able to work something out. I hope we will look back and say that was an important part of our offseason, being able to lock Pedroia up for the length of time that we did, six years and an option, and then Youkilis for four years and an option. We get these guys through their prime years, get the club option . . . they get a lifetime's worth of security, we get cost-control, affordability, and the knowledge that we'll keep a good part of our offensive and defensive core intact. So it's a win-win there for all sides."
Pretty much saying these guys are real Sox players...putting winning above money. Manny, not so much.
On Youk's ability to be a clean-up hitter:
"Oh, yeah. And it's not my responsibility. I think Tito [manager Terry Francona] is open to hitting him all over the lineup. When people say that Youkilis isn't a traditional cleanup or middle-of-the-order hitter, I think they haven't quite noticed how he's evolved as a player. When he first came up, his clear strength as a player was plate discipline, he had a way above-average walk rate . . . and only had power sporadically, only on certain pitches he could drive. He's really changed, you've probably noticed, over the last couple of years, last year in particular. He's still got an above-average walk rate, he's still got above-average plate discipline. But he's sacrificed a little bit of that patience to drive the ball earlier in the count. He's adjusted his approach where there are a number of different places in the strike zone he can drive the ball."
Well said and great point in regards to sacrificing patience to establish early in the count power. I don't know why Theo continues to impress me, he is our GM, but he manages to do so every time.
On Mike Lowell's health:
"..he’s started swinging the bat and doing some agility work so he’s on schedule to be available by the end of spring training. And that’s really what we’re focused on, what he’s going to look like at the end of spring training rather than the beginning."
Can't help but be encouraged by this news, alongside Ortiz, Lowell is the biggest offensive question mark going into the season.
On any other off season moves:
"I think we’re probably done. There is always something else that might fit as we round out our spring training roster and there’s always trade discussions as well, so I wouldn’t rule anything out. But nothing is that hot or active right now. I think most teams are packing up and heading down to spring training seeing what they have the first few weeks of camp then trade discussions will pick up from there."
I think we all know how ITM feels about acquiring a long term catching solution, but like we always say, in Theo we trust.
To see the entire transcript from today's meeting click here.
On the Yanks signing Teixeira:
"We're not building this organization through free agency. I don't think that's an intelligent way to build an organization. We're building it through drafting players, signing players internationally, developing a homegrown core from within, and complementing it with trades and free agents. So I always assume if the Yankees want a player, they're going to get him, so that's why it can't necessarily be a part of our business model to assume we're going to land the big-ticket free agent. With respect to this particular negotiation, I don't think we were swimming upstream because he could always go back to the Yankees again [in the end]. I don't necessarily feel that way, I know it can be interpreted that way."
In a paragraph, Theo articulately details why the Sox have enjoyed recent success, and the Yanks haven't.....but Theo's not trying to tell Hank/Cashman how to do their job or anything...
On the off season signings of Dusty and Youk:
"With Pedroia and Youkilis, we knew that they were among the players that we wanted to sit down and have multi-year conversations with. And, you know, they were really reasonable. And so we were able to work something out. I hope we will look back and say that was an important part of our offseason, being able to lock Pedroia up for the length of time that we did, six years and an option, and then Youkilis for four years and an option. We get these guys through their prime years, get the club option . . . they get a lifetime's worth of security, we get cost-control, affordability, and the knowledge that we'll keep a good part of our offensive and defensive core intact. So it's a win-win there for all sides."
Pretty much saying these guys are real Sox players...putting winning above money. Manny, not so much.
On Youk's ability to be a clean-up hitter:
"Oh, yeah. And it's not my responsibility. I think Tito [manager Terry Francona] is open to hitting him all over the lineup. When people say that Youkilis isn't a traditional cleanup or middle-of-the-order hitter, I think they haven't quite noticed how he's evolved as a player. When he first came up, his clear strength as a player was plate discipline, he had a way above-average walk rate . . . and only had power sporadically, only on certain pitches he could drive. He's really changed, you've probably noticed, over the last couple of years, last year in particular. He's still got an above-average walk rate, he's still got above-average plate discipline. But he's sacrificed a little bit of that patience to drive the ball earlier in the count. He's adjusted his approach where there are a number of different places in the strike zone he can drive the ball."
Well said and great point in regards to sacrificing patience to establish early in the count power. I don't know why Theo continues to impress me, he is our GM, but he manages to do so every time.
On Mike Lowell's health:
"..he’s started swinging the bat and doing some agility work so he’s on schedule to be available by the end of spring training. And that’s really what we’re focused on, what he’s going to look like at the end of spring training rather than the beginning."
Can't help but be encouraged by this news, alongside Ortiz, Lowell is the biggest offensive question mark going into the season.
On any other off season moves:
"I think we’re probably done. There is always something else that might fit as we round out our spring training roster and there’s always trade discussions as well, so I wouldn’t rule anything out. But nothing is that hot or active right now. I think most teams are packing up and heading down to spring training seeing what they have the first few weeks of camp then trade discussions will pick up from there."
I think we all know how ITM feels about acquiring a long term catching solution, but like we always say, in Theo we trust.
To see the entire transcript from today's meeting click here.
Monday, February 2
It's Officially Baseball Season...
The Superbowl and it's ridiculous hype is finally over. Thank god, now we can sincerely start worrying about baseball and more importantly, the Red Sox. Not that anyone in New England really cared about last night's game, but there is something about the end of football season that officially accelerates all of us into thinking about spring training and the boys of summer. Sorry Celtics and Bruins, we love you and all, but we'll really pay attention come playoff time.
As we draw closer and closer to both the warm weather and the start of the 2009 baseball season, ITM will be taking a look at the 2009 Red Sox in closer detail. Of course we'll offer our predictions once the season is close to kicking off, but we'll also take a look at Boston's off season moves, trade deadline possibilities, and where we stand against our AL East rivals.
An intricate part of ITM's ramp up to the 2009 season is our trip down to Ft. Myers to take in some spring training baseball. We'll be headed down in early March and will likely travel with away games as well. It's likely we'll hit up every chain restaurant and bar on the way, but that's part of the Floridian experience....and there will surely be a ton of fantasy baseball trash talk between us.....but hopefully, we'll be able to provide some of you back here in New England with some thoughts, opinions and stories from City of Palms Park and beyond.
Pitchers and catchers report in just 9 days.....ITM reports in about a month...it's baseball season Red Sox Nation, get excited.
As we draw closer and closer to both the warm weather and the start of the 2009 baseball season, ITM will be taking a look at the 2009 Red Sox in closer detail. Of course we'll offer our predictions once the season is close to kicking off, but we'll also take a look at Boston's off season moves, trade deadline possibilities, and where we stand against our AL East rivals.
An intricate part of ITM's ramp up to the 2009 season is our trip down to Ft. Myers to take in some spring training baseball. We'll be headed down in early March and will likely travel with away games as well. It's likely we'll hit up every chain restaurant and bar on the way, but that's part of the Floridian experience....and there will surely be a ton of fantasy baseball trash talk between us.....but hopefully, we'll be able to provide some of you back here in New England with some thoughts, opinions and stories from City of Palms Park and beyond.
Pitchers and catchers report in just 9 days.....ITM reports in about a month...it's baseball season Red Sox Nation, get excited.
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