Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

I'm mildly surprised at the lack of chatter about the latest suspensions in the forums. But, on second thought, I'm not. Guess it's true that silence sometimes speaks louder than words.

My guess, Tom, is that most people are sick of the topic, and talking about it. I know that I'll be happy when I don't have to hear A-Rod & A. Hernandez leading the nightly news. It will be nice when we can just focus on the athletic accomplishments of the athletes we follow (revere?) and not their failings as human beings.

There's not much more to say that hasn't already been said over and over.

I think the 2013 cards for these players should have a high injury rating. It kind of stinks that for the 2012 set Melky Cabrera is a stud (although I'm guilty of using him too).

modmark46 wrote:

My guess, Tom, is that most people are sick of the topic, and talking about it. I know that I'll be happy when I don't have to hear A-Rod & A. Hernandez leading the nightly news.

I think the people (like myself) who think these players should be banned for life are sick of being shouted down by the apologists. Every time this topic comes up the apologists berate the people who are against against roids and apologize for the Fathead etc. and say things like "Ruth would have used them if he could" and blah, blah .... This is a straw man argument. Well there is right and wrong in the world and people should be punished for breaking the rules. This is why I recently said, in this very forum, that Bud Selig ruined baseball, because he has enabled this whole thing and turned a blind eye. He is still ignoring it because these suspensions are a joke. Too little to late. Baseball RIP.

I'm sick of the topic, too, Mark, but as lanier writes, I'm also sick of baseball's response to it. Selig should have manned up years ago.

If what MLB/Selig is saying is true about A-Rod not just using put also pushing the PEDs, it kind
of makes A-Rod look like the modern version of Hal Chase.

I concur with the "Sick of hearing about it" group. When Selig and baseball needed to emerge from the strike in the 90s they were quite willing to let the Sosa/McGwire "Juicestakes" take center stage and then they turned a blind eye as Bonds grew his head and his HR totals through the virtue of chemistry.

With these recent suspensions, what is the message or lesson? Just keep on doing it. Look at Braun; he gets suspended for the rest of the season, so with his team hopelessly out of it it amounts to a nice summer vacation. He then resumes his career next spring, as he begins to pocket the rest of the 120 million or so that his contract will pay him - a contract signed because of his PED numbers at the plate.

All of the noise about this business has helped obscure some actual baseball stories of interest - the Dodgers 14 game road winning streak, the Braves huge lead in their division and the Pirates 24 games above .500 after 20 years of misery - and others.

Whatever they failed to do in the past they clearly are working hard to set it right now. I find it hard to forever hold the past against anyone. Beyond that I have not said much for a couple reasons. First just about everything that can be said has been said. Second this topic has a way of turning antagonistic quickly as emotions get involved and reason takes a holiday. And yes, I plead guilty there myself.

There is one new twist on this round of suspensions. The talk on local Dallas sports radio has amazed even a jaded person like myself. The media and sports fans around here are actually making the argument Cruz should have done the honorable thing and appealed the suspension so he could stay and help the Rangers. Really? Fighting your suspension and claiming you are innocent is the honorable thing? The decision to appeal or not appeal should have nothing to do with impact on team's chances of winning this year or future contracts. For me it is a simple equation. Guilty you just say guilty, did it, offer any explanation you wish, and pay the penalty. Innocent you appeal and fight.

Seems like everyone is opposed to them. Until it is someone on your favorite team. Until it is one of your teammates/friends. Nobody in the Dallas media seems to care now whether Cruz is guilty. Everything being said seems geared toward what will give Rangers best chance of winning this year. Same media members who wanted Bonds tossed from an airplane, Clemens tossed in the ocean, Arod drawn and quartered now only care that the team might miss the bat that is now gone.

these guys are skating compared to the grief johnny manziel is about to catch. the name list reads like the Hispanic mafia from Scarface. that's the baseball part. I don't know other sports players linked to BIO? was braun part of this group?

As I understand Braun was linked to the Biogenesis group.
It is difficult for me to believe the guy was operating this type clinic and baseball was the only source of clients.
My guess is there were football athletes but nobody cares about that.