2009 MLB season discussion*

[Melena]

I read 1 year at 2mil + incentives? If that's the case, low risk good reward if he can be a .260/15/75 man for the year and not get hurt.

[fren.]

Sources: Ken Griffey chooses to return to Seattle Mariners - ESPN

1 year/2mil + incentives. Not a bad deal for a team that's pretty much a fucking disaster, it'll probably fill some extra seats.

[Cephius]

I was just listening to ESPN, and they said 2 years. I dunno if the guy misspoke, but it was on the screen too. If its only 1 year then at least that's not as crazy. Junior just isn't good anymore. 260/15/75 would be asking a bit much from him, IMO.

[Kang]

Hmmm Junior back in Seattle eh?

I wonder if they can lure his old man to come "play" too lol.

All kidding aside, the Mariners can't do any worse really so kudos to them for at least trying something bold.

[Byrd]

1 year/2mil + incentives. Not a bad deal for a team that's pretty much a fucking disaster, it'll probably fill some extra seats.

Consider me on board -- I don't really care if he doesn't perform, it's just going to be great to see him back in the uniform. It'd be nice if he reinvigorated and put up 30 home runs and hit .280, but at this point, I'll settle for him not dying on the field.

[Kang]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ers/index.html

SI writer rating the teams offseason dealings from 1 to 30.

Lol at the Florida Misers comment.

[Kang]

Just great. Jeff Francis is done for the season. Things not looking good for the Rockies but it's not like they have much of a chance this year without Holliday.

[Akiyama]

Well.. based on the news released this morning about A-Rod.. he is SO fucked. Not only did he lie to Katie Couric, and Peter Gammons, but he lied in his press conference the other day too considering news is coming out that A-Rod traveled with a well known steroid distributor in 2007. Four sources are reporting this. He is completely fucked now.

[fren.]

Well.. based on the news released this morning about A-Rod.. he is SO fucked. Not only did he lie to Katie Couric, and Peter Gammons, but he lied in his press conference the other day too considering news is coming out that A-Rod traveled with a well known steroid distributor in 2007. Four sources are reporting this. He is completely fucked now.

The same dealer also was affiliated with Pedro, Tejada, Vlad, Ortiz, and I'm guessing a few others.

Wouldn't say he's completely fucked, but there's gonna be a lot more digging by reporters.

[Cephius]

He's fucked anyway, the guy really can't do any right in the public eye anymore. I'm sure Yankee fans will support him (until he strikes out with the bases loaded) but it's getting to a point where you wish he wasn't even with the team, just because of all these distractions.

Also he didn't really outright lie to Peter Gammons the same way he did to Katie Couric... he just left out some things, like the details about his cousin. Either way though, you wonder why he didn't just put everything on the table once. Releasing one thing at a time like he's doing now is just outright retarded.

Though at this point if Ortiz is linked to steroids too at least I wouldn't have to listen to Red Sox fans anymore.

[fren.]

Martinez rehabs with controversial fitness guru - MLB - ESPN

Link to the trainer's involvement with some major players out of the DR.

For certain, Martinez, 35, speaks from experience about Presinal. Martinez regularly called upon Presinal's services in the offseason until they had a falling out four years ago, presumably over compensation. Presinal casts Martinez as less generous than his other award-winning clients, Gonzalez and Bartolo Colon. Presinal said Gonzalez gave him bonuses of $50,000 and $80,000 after his two MVP seasons (1996 and '98), and Colon provided a two-year-old black Hummer after winning the Cy Young Award (2005).

lolColon

[Akiyama]

Well technically, he did lie. He said he didn't remember, then all the sudden nine days later, he remembers. Maybe it's not a "I did not do steroids. Period" type of lie, but an omission of certain things is still fibbing no matter how you look at it.

I'm curious why he didn't come out and just tell all. I mean.. how much worse could it hurt him? Now if it's true that he was accompanied by this guy who's been banned in a ton of places through the MLB through 2007, and that he did steroids around then... well, then he's even more fucked and that'd explain why he didn't tell all. I think you could assume that he took steroids then, but I don't think even A-Rod is that stupid. He's just getting some awful representation by lawyers and what not.

For some reason.. I'm thinking Ortiz may have been involved too. Anyone can come out and say they believe people who use em should be kicked out.. but if he's linked, then wow.

And fren, I honestly do think he's completely fucked, because with four sources out saying he was affiliated with this guy.. and then they probe him, then who knows what will happen. I've been sick of A-Rod since he left Seattle and got so full of himself, but even I feel bad for him right now. Whoever is whispering in his ear, telling him what to do.. they shouldn't have a job. Seriously.

Would it be a coincidence that these people are of Dominican descent and what not? I'm not 100% sure that they all are (Vlad, Tejada, Ortiz, Pedro, etc), but.. it's a bit odd.

[fren.]

Well technically, he did lie. He said he didn't remember, then all the sudden nine days later, he remembers. Maybe it's not a "I did not do steroids. Period" type of lie, but an omission of certain things is still fibbing no matter how you look at it.

I'm curious why he didn't come out and just tell all. I mean.. how much worse could it hurt him? Now if it's true that he was accompanied by this guy who's been banned in a ton of places through the MLB through 2007, and that he did steroids around then... well, then he's even more fucked and that'd explain why he didn't tell all. I think you could assume that he took steroids then, but I don't think even A-Rod is that stupid. He's just getting some awful representation by lawyers and what not.

For some reason.. I'm thinking Ortiz may have been involved too. Anyone can come out and say they believe people who use em should be kicked out.. but if he's linked, then wow.

And fren, I honestly do think he's completely fucked, because with four sources out saying he was affiliated with this guy.. and then they probe him, then who knows what will happen. I've been sick of A-Rod since he left Seattle and got so full of himself, but even I feel bad for him right now. Whoever is whispering in his ear, telling him what to do.. they shouldn't have a job. Seriously.

Would it be a coincidence that these people are of Dominican descent and what not? I'm not 100% sure that they all are (Vlad, Tejada, Ortiz, Pedro, etc), but.. it's a bit odd.

Gonzo is from PR, but the rest are all from DR. The trainer didn't have HGH nor anything that couldn't be traced by drug tests, so unless he was fucking stupid enough to be using some traceable shit while the Bonds/Clemens/McGwire fiasco was going on, then yea..he's fucked.

[Viq]

It sucks that I'm conditioned to have this reaction, but I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out that Ortiz was on something. Don't get me wrong, I hope he's been clean, but it's naive to think that a predominant power hitter could never do anything wrong in this era.

Something that I haven't really seen talked about anywhere (although, honestly, I've spent my attention on actual spring training stuff instead of chowing down on steroid stories) is how corrupt the entire pipeline of Dominican players could be. While this is clearly all anecdotal, think about how long the odds are of such a small nation filling out more and more roster spots on MLB rosters. Is DR so far advanced that it can mass produce top tier baseball talent, or are players raised in Dominican baseball academies getting chemical advantages that players in the rest of the world either aren't taking, or are being tested for? Again, I certainly don't have anything to back this up other than basic opinion, but it just smells fishy.

[Akiyama]

That's what I was saying about it being a coincidence or not. It just seems a tad strange that they can chug out these athletes that fill MLB rosters, while the American rosters (not saying we are superior, mind you) have a little more trouble to catch up/keep pace.

[fren.]

It sucks that I'm conditioned to have this reaction, but I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out that Ortiz was on something. Don't get me wrong, I hope he's been clean, but it's naive to think that a predominant power hitter could never do anything wrong in this era.

Something that I haven't really seen talked about anywhere (although, honestly, I've spent my attention on actual spring training stuff instead of chowing down on steroid stories) is how corrupt the entire pipeline of Dominican players could be. While this is clearly all anecdotal, think about how long the odds are of such a small nation filling out more and more roster spots on MLB rosters. Is DR so far advanced that it can mass produce top tier baseball talent, or are players raised in Dominican baseball academies getting chemical advantages that players in the rest of the world either aren't taking, or are being tested for? Again, I certainly don't have anything to back this up other than basic opinion, but it just smells fishy.

DR is just a honeypot for controversy. Like the international "kid" the Nationals signed 3 years back, who they just found out lied about his age and name. They thought they had a 19 year stud prospect tearing up the GCL when instead he was a 23 year old playing in a league for fucking 17-19 year olds.

Can't do much about it either as it's the biggest international market out there, especially considering which country the top 4 players in the game come from (Pujols/ARod/Manny/Hanley)

If it's found out that this guy supplied ARod shit after '03, then Ortiz, Pedro and the rest aren't so safe.

[Akiyama]

Yeah really. It sucks that some guys who come from DR may be dirty, especially with the talent that comes from there. Leaves you to wonder.

On another note, while I hate Colin Cowherd a lot of the time, he just had me cracking up laughing as he ripped a guy who tried to compare the Michael Phelps story with the A-Rod story, lol. He's like "It's swimming! It's floating so you don't end up at the bottom of the pool! No one cares about swimming!" which is so true.

[Viq]

DR is just a honeypot for controversy. Like the international "kid" the Nationals signed 3 years back, who they just found out lied about his age and name. They thought they had a 19 year stud prospect tearing up the GCL when instead he was a 23 year old playing in a league for fucking 17-19 year olds.

My memory might be hazy on this, but didn't it come out last year that Tejada had lied about his age for years too?

[Orph]

My memory might be hazy on this, but didn't it come out last year that Tejada had lied about his age for years too?

Alfonso Soriano lied about his age too, although im not sure where he is from

[fren.]

My memory might be hazy on this, but didn't it come out last year that Tejada had lied about his age for years too?

Yea, Tejada lied. Sori is from the DR also.

Which only cements the fact that Albert Pujols is a fucking alien. His name isn't linked to any of these things; the dude is the best hitter in the game by a wide margin, he'll probably go down as one of the top 5 hitters EVER.

..and he's not lying about his age (I thought he was) until I saw his high school yearbook photo

http://stlsportsmag.hostirian.com/wo...highschool.jpg

Fuck that guy.