A-Rod, PEDs, and a Shocking Conclusion!

As I'm sure you've heard by now, New York Yankees' third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been banned from baseball for the entire 2014 season (post-season included, if the Yankees make it that far) for cheating, lying, and being a jerk (OK, those aren't the official reasons, but they describe A-Rod in a nutshell).  Rodriguez was involved in the Biogenesis scandal where 13 Major League Baseball players were suspended last season for having used performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).  A-Rod was the only player to appeal - all others admitted their guilt, served their punishments, and moved on.  Not only did Rodriguez deny having been injected with PEDs by Anthony Bosch of Biogenesis, but he's gone on to sue everyone from his doctors to the Yankees to Major League Baseball.  It's one of those cases where the more you lie, the more you start believing that those lies are true.

What's my take on the A-Rod situation?  Honestly, I just don't care.  I have never liked "A-Fraud" (especially after reading Joe Torre's book), and I find the whole PED thing very disappointing.  I was heartbroken when Lance Armstrong fessed up to using PEDs (about as heartbroken as I was when I read that Sports Illustrated article depicting Kirby Puckett as a wife beater and women-groper).  Finding out that a previously-superhuman athlete is really a fraud is very deflating and discouraging.  I never felt like that about A-Rod (I just want him to go away), but there's a certain part of me that is expecting to feel like that in 2017 when my idol, Iván "Pudge" Rodriguez, is eligible for a Hall of Fame nomination.

While Pudge's turn won't come for another few years, this whole A-Rod thing has me thinking.  When an elite baseball player retires, the question of whether or not he will be elected to enter the Hall of Fame comes up. In the case of Pudge, the answer to that question is a bit complicated. Based on Iván's merits and statistics alone, he's a shoe-in.  He has the most games caught of any catcher, finished his career with almost 3,000 hits, won an MVP award, a World Series MVP award and was arguably the best defensive catcher of all time (go ahead, argue that one with me!).

But then there’s the PED problem (I know, I hate talking about Pudge and his possible use of PEDs!).  As we’ve seen in recent years, players with any PED associations are basically blackballed from Hall of Fame consideration no matter how strong their on-the-field performance was throughout his career.  No Bonds, no McGwire, and no Sosa in the Hall, but yes to Frank Thomas, who was never implicated in any PED scandals despite hitting a ton of home runs.  Basically, if the members of the BBWAA have morals and think you don't, you’re not getting into the Hall of Fame.  As someone who longs to be a member of the BBWAA, I have to agree.  The Hall of Fame is for the elitest of the elite; if you did something dirty that affected your performance, you don't belong in the Hall of Fame.  Like Pete Rose, who did not deserve to be banned from baseball for life but does not deserve to be in the Hall.  Sorry; Rose also wrote a good book, and I like the guy, but betting on baseball while you're an active participant is a no-no.

So where does Pudge Rodriguez fall in the PED-scheme of things?  He was not named in the Mitchell Report or as part of the Biogenesis scandal.  He has not been revealed to be on the famous list of 103 ballplayers who tested positive during baseball’s pilot testing program in 2004 (which was supposed to be anonymous but wasn't).  He has not admitted to any PED use.  So doesn't that make him a first-ballot shoe-in?  Not so fast.  Former teammate José Canseco wrote in his book (one book I actually don't care to read) that he personally injected Iván with steroids (even though we all know that Canseco is a big fat liar).  And when asked if Canseco's statements were true, Iván just said "Only God knows!"  What's THAT supposed to mean?  Hmmm...  Then there's the first team he played for, the Texas Rangers, where he played with known juicers Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, and A-Rod himself.  Plus, those of us who have paid close attention to Pudge's body over the years (for different reasons!) noticed that he was beefier before the drug testing years and noticeably smaller once testing was implemented in MLB (not that it ever bothered me!).

All of this is circumstantial evidence at best, inadmissible hearsay at worst.  In the world of baseball, any more or less reasonable suspicions that Pudge did, in fact, take PEDs are more than enough to get writers to withhold votes.  So would I vote for Pudge if I was on the BBWAA?  I know some of my posts tend to be shallow and you all know how much I love Pudge, but since I would take my vote as seriously as everyone else, I'm not so sure I would vote yes.  At least not in his first year of eligibility.  Surprised?  I know; I shocked myself as well.  But unless something happens to change the current pattern of Hall of Fame voting or Iván does a better job of denying his use of PEDs, I think he will be on the outside looking in for some time, and I will no longer wish to join the BBWAA.  Sigh!

(I hope my priest reads this so he knows the extent to which I will uphold my morals.  Not even hottie Iván Rodriguez can sway me from trying to be fair and honest!).

Are you Hall of Fame-Worthy?

Happy new year, my friends!  2013 was a great baseball year for me, since I was able to go to 5 Major League games in 4 different ball parks.  I'm not sure we'll visit that many this year, but Fenway Park is a definite possibility, so I'm excited about that.

With every new year comes the announcement of new inductees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and this year is no exception.  Over 600 members of the BaseBall Writers Association of America (BBWAA) received ballots this year (unfortunately I wasn't one of them, since they haven't decided to allow me into their exclusive club), and all the votes have been counted.  The winners will be announced next week on January 8, and this year's list of inductees promises to be a good one.

Heading the list of new candidates are pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, as well as first-baseman/designated hitter Frank Thomas and second baseman Jeff Kent.  Maddux and Glavine both get my vote, though I know it doesn't count for anything.  Greg Maddux pitched for 23 seasons with 4 teams, most notably the Atlanta Braves (1995 World Champions).  He had two 20-win seasons (1992-93) a record 17 straight seasons with at least 15 wins (1988-2004), won four consecutive Cy Young Awards (1992-95), and won 18 Gold Glove Awards, which is the most all-time at any position.  Maddux wasn't the most personable guy - he was kind of quiet and serious and very particular about who his catcher was (I didn't like the fact that he never wanted Javy Lopez to be his battery mate), but he was a darn good pitcher, and he deserves to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Tom Glavine, also a pitcher with the 1995 World Champion Atlanta Braves, pitched for 22 season with the Braves and Mets, won the Cy Young Award twice (1991, 1998), and was pretty good with the bat.  Glavine had five 20-game seasons, 14 seasons with 200-plus innings pitched, and six seasons with an earned-run average under 3.00.  Two Braves who played together being enshrined into the Hall of Fame together would just be storybook.  And you know how sentimental I am; I'm all about storybook!

So should anyone else be inducted this year along with Maddux and Glavine?  Nope!  Here are the other names on the ballot, with my reasons why they should be excluded.

Mouses Alou, Armando Benitez, Sean Casey, Ray Durham, Eric Gagne, and Jacque Jones - All first-timers on the ballot, but not of the same super-star caliber as Maddux, Glavine, and others.  Non-nerds are familiar with the Alou name, but ask a casual fan who Armando Benitez is and he may think you're referring to the guy who mows the neighbor's lawn or the successful owner of the local Mexican food restaurant chain.  All of them were good players, but not extraordinary players.

Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio - Both of these guys played their entire careers with the Houston Astros.  Bagwell was Rookie of the Year in 1991 and NL MVP in 1994, and Biggio (who still looks like a teenager) ended his career with over 3,000 hits (3,060, to be exact, which puts him 21st in the all-time hits list).  I used to have the biggest crush on him!  Anyway, both of these guys are Hall of Fame worthy, but not yet.  They should have been picked last year, so they could have been inducted together as Astros and had a Texas-sized celebration in Cooperstown.  They won't be chosen this year either, so they may have to wait until the Veterans Committee selects them in a few years.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGuire, Rafael Palmeiro, and Sammy Sosa - NO, NO, NO!  Need I say more?

Luis Gonzalez -  "Gonzo" had a few good years, mainly with the Arizona Diamondbacks.  He ranks as the Diamondbacks' all-time leader in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, games played, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, home runs, RBIs, and walks.  I remember him best during the 2001 World Series, when he drove in the winning run in game 7 to lift the Diamondbacks to their first World Series title with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning.  It was very dramatic.  Gonzo should be in the Diamondbacks' Hall of Fame, but that should be it.

Todd Jones, Jeff Kent, and Paul LoDuca - Also first-timers on the ballot.  Jones pitched for way too many teams, Kent was a good hitter but not the best second baseman I've ever seen, and LoDuca was a decent catcher but not the greatest.

Edgar Martinez - Edgar has been on the ballot for 5 years, and while he played all 18 seasons with the Mariners and led the American League in batting several times, he was just not a very popular player outside of Seattle.  He was one of those guys who let his hitting do the talking, because no one ever heard him speak.  Good guy, great player, but he will never be elected by the members of the BBWAA.  That is the sad reality and one of the many reasons why I want to join the BBWAA!

Don Mattingly -  Poor Don has appeared on the ballot for like a hundred years now and he still hasn't made it.  The problem with Don is that he only played for 14 seasons, which is not as many years as other players on the ballot.  He was a very good hitter and first baseman, but he didn't play for the Yankees of the Golden Era of Joe Torre.  He's doing fine as a manager; perhaps he can make the Hall under that category someday.

Fred McGriff -  When did Fred McGriff retire?  I thought he was still playing!

Jack Morris and Alan Trammell - Both former Detroit Tigers have been on the ballot for over 10 years.  That makes me feel old!

Mike Mussina - Won't be selected because there are too many first-time candidates who are pitchers, and they were all better than him.

Hideo Nomo - Rookie of the Year in 1995, struck out a gazillion hitters (reached 500 career strikeouts before anyone else) and pitched two no-hitters. Hall of Fame worthy, but not as a first-time candidate.

Mike Piazza - This twelve-time All-Star and 1993 Rookie of the Year was a hell of a catcher.  If he was voted in this year I wouldn't complain.

Tim Raines - Played in the Majors for 23 years, and therefore should have had way more than 2,605 hits.

Kenny Rogers - Yes, he pitched a perfect game in 1994 for the Texas Rangers (with Iván Rodriguez as his battery mate, of course!).  No, he's not the one who knows how to hold 'em and how to fold 'em.  Yes, he was a hero in the postseason with the Detroit Tigers.  But again, he wasn't as good as some of the other guys on the pitcher-crowded ballot.

Curt Schilling - Oh, poor Schilling!  I love him!  He was part of so many dramatic moments - the Diamondbacks' World Series victory in 2001, his bloody sock with the Red Sox in 2004... I'm rooting for Schilling, hoping he makes it in next year or in the near future (especially since his video game company went bankrupt.  Curt needs some good news!).

Richie Sexson, J.T. Snow, Frank Thomas, and Mike Timlin - YAWN!  None of these guys were interesting to me when they played (except for maybe Thomas, but that was just because he looked good in his White Sox uniform - all big and manly and menacing).

Lee Smith - He's still on the ballot?  I swear he played like fifty years ago!

Larry Walker -He won a ton of Gold Gloves at right field and was the MVP in 1997.  But poor Larry is cursed with having played for crappy teams (until he reached the NLCS with St. Louis in 2004 and 2005).  He's one of those guys whose name will get lost in the shuffle.

So there you have it.  If Maddux and Glavine don't get elected into the Hall of Fame this year, I will change my Facebook profile picture to the Atlanta Braves logo for an entire month.  We'll find out on January 8th!