Entries Tagged 'George Mitchell' ↓

The Mitchell Report is a good start to understanding the depth of steroids in baseball over the previous two decades. In his speech, he mentioned that he knew that there were many, many others who had been involved and not named.

It’s not surprising, but it really does keep the black eye going for a while. Mitchell is right in saying MLB needs to step it up and get an outside agency involved in the testing and disciplinary recommendations surrounding the illegal use of performance enhancing drugs.

How often have you wondered whether or not your favorite player would end up on a list? What do you think of the fact that you’re not seeing more names than you do? Is it fair that Mitchell was a director of the Red Sox and chose not to relinquish that post before taking on the investigation?

This, sadly, is still just the tip of the iceberg and will continue to work its way through the next five to ten years.

Papelbon has done something no other closer in the history of the Red Sox has done: Recorded back to back seasons with 30 or more saves. This stat is odd to me in that I couldn’t believe that it hadn’t already been done. Tom “Flash” Gordon didn’t do it (46 amazing saves in ‘98, but only 11 in ‘99 in split closing duties with Wakefield). Heathcliff Slocumb didn’t (31 in ‘96 and only 17 in ‘97).

Dick “The Monster” Radatz came closest to hitting this milestone when he had 29 saves in ‘64 and followed with 22 saves in ‘65. I find some baseball statistics downright ridiculous, but this one for Papelbon is impressive due to how many dominant pitchers there have been in and out of the Sox historic bullpens.

Notes:

• Dice-K gets a chance to slap around the Rays tonight. Let’s hope the new icing techniques and lower pitching counts help him and not hurt him. Tom Verducci of SI.com thinks the Sox are already babying him. Maybe.
• It looks as if George Mitchell has some of the names he needs to continue the steroids investigation. I assume that since it’s so close to the end of the season we won’t hear anything about this 12-month book report until after the World Series.
• Papi has wheels. First, he’s selling his $169,000 custom ride on eBay, and then uses his manuals to take a triple last night. Go Big Papi, Gooooo!
• The Sox are back to a 6 game lead after the Yankees got beat up in LA. Nice. The fact that our schedule seems lighter than theirs for the stretch run makes me extremely happy.
• I missed half the game last night due to a reunion with some former cow-orkers. Nice time had by all. Special note to the wait staff at the Not Your Average Joe’s in Burlington, Massachusetts: You guys were awesome. Nice job.
• Spinners are 2.0 games back in the division. C’mon, guys! You can do it! Oneonta wants to be owned. I can tell.
• I would love to see all farm clubs and the major league team win their perspective divisions. I wonder if that’s ever happened for the Sox in the same year.

Do you realize that Josh Beckett is 8-1 on the road this year? Do you know that he’s 3-0 in Baltimore lifetime? This dude loves to pitch there, and who could blame him? Going to work in Fenway South is not a bad deal. Camden fans are pretty annoyed. So annoyed that they don’t show up? So be it. We’ll take the home crowd any day.

Notes:

• The Yankees are just not going to go away. They’re a ridiculously hot 22-8 since the All-Star break. Five games back.
• George Mitchell has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and has said that it will not impact the investigation. Good luck to him and Bud.
• Barry is obviously more comfortable, moving the record to 758 (so far).
• Does it feel like we still haven’t hit that powerful stretch yet where we see half the lineup smacking balls around like they’re made of rubber? If one thing can be said this year, it’s that our power numbers stink.
• If it weren’t for Gagne’s changeup, he wouldn’t be doing as well as he is. So far, he’s been so-so and somewhat hittable. I would say that not being in the closer’s role has “something” to do with it, but Sox fans everywhere are pulling for this guy to kick some buttocks.
• Okajima is probably getting a little too much work.
• Paps is definitely not.
• Enjoy the game today (1:35 EST). Schilling is set up for a marshmallow today as he faces Steve Trachsel, who’s 5-7 and looks like he should be 1-12.

Barry is the Home Run record holder. Not the King, just the person who holds the record.

There’s not going to be an asterisk either. The record watch is over. Please go back to whatever you were doing before and enjoy the fact that you aren’t anyone directly involved in this disaster. Let’s take a look at what lies ahead for these people:

Bud Selig

Bud was meeting with George Mitchell (we’ll get to him in a few) yesterday and out of the spectacle at AT&T Park. But his future is going to be stressful and will no doubt supersede his previous good and bad decisions in his role as Commissioner. How he chooses to handle the statements, press releases and public debate will, I’m sure, be centered around one thing: his investigation is ongoing and he’ll address it when he has all the facts. For now, he’ll recognize that Barry Bonds has broken the home run record; one of the most hallowed records in professional sports. Today is not the end of the story.

Barry Bonds

There you go, Barry. You got your wish. You should, however, be careful of what you wish for. This thing has brought you (in your own words) “rashes on my head and constant loss of sleep and endless days”. I think those things will continue now that the focus stops being about your home run chase and starts to focus on your “alleged” use of performance enhancing drugs. You’re about to go through a whole new level of hell. Not only that, but it may be all for nothing. Many, many people will be left disappointed when they realize that there probably isn’t much they can do to you. My personal opinion is that while I think you cheated, lied and did anything and everything to artificially collect a record, you didn’t have to. You had enough talent to get to the hall and you blew it. Idiot.

George Mitchell

Ok, George. Your turn to shine, and you better do it quick. The public is going to turn the focus to you and they’re waiting for an answer. You see, they’ve been waiting for an answer for over a year, but now they’ll REALLY be waiting. You had Barry to take 80% of the focus from you during that time and now you’ll have to answer some questions yourself. Let’s hope you have enough to feed the appetite of the American public. Otherwise, you’ll forever be titled as a lame duck.

Mike Bacsik (SP, Nationals) 

Someone was going to do it. Look at it this way: You can either take the fame and go with it or you can let it kill your career. Let’s see what you’re made of.

Matt Murphy (Fan)

Dude, do the right thing. Fame is fleeting. Money doesn’t last.