Making sure the deal today doesn't bite you tomorrow

The balancing act when trading for now but not getting burned in the future

There is always a risk when making a trade in any sport, especially baseball. It is usually less risky when making a player for player deal as, for the most part, with established players you have a pretty good idea what you are giving and what you are getting. Also there is less of a financial penalty because there is no salary cap. A deal may hurt your budget but not necessarily cripple the team. Of course injuries that may crop up are out of anyone's control. The Ian Kinsler/ Prince Fielder trade between the Texas Ranger and the Detroit Tigers is evidence of that. Tigers look to come out way ahead of that one so far with Fielder possibly out for the season with neck surgery.

 

Where deals are a little more cloudy is when you start throwing prospects into the mix. This happens a lot near the trade deadline for teams that look to get an established arm or bat to help in a push for the post season or for a World Series run. Eliminated teams will often deal top end players that will not help them in the short term and get top end prospects to help them get better in the long term. It is a tough balancing act on how much teams are willing to give up in terms of the future for players that can be dropped into the line-up right away.

Every team has stories about winning and losing deals with this practice. As a Braves fan I know all to well that one can hit a huge home run when the prospect that you trade for becomes a soon to be Hall of Fame member. It started with the Braves trading Duane Ward to Toronto for Doyal Alexander. Then Alexander was traded to the Tigers for Prospect John Smoltz. Not a bad deal, Alexander went 9-0 and helped the Tigers win the AL East, Smoltz went on the be part of one of the best rotations ever assembled in the last 50 years. There is also trades that looking back involving prospects that look less then favorable as a Braves fan. 1 Career year for JD Drew and Eli Mararo to the Braves for competent reliever Ray King, Jason Marquis (who was still decent at the time) and, this is where it hurts - prospect Adam Wainwright (he turned out pretty good). The other prospect trade that looks bad now was the deal that brought Mark Texteria and Ron Mahay to Hot-Lanta for  Beau Jones, Elvis Andrus (Starting SS-close to 30sb per yr), Neftali Feliz (40 saves in 2010), Matt Harrison (won 18 in 2012) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

 

The best trade of late that was not made was the deal that would have sent Randall Delgado to the Cubs in a deadline deal that would have seen Ryan Dempster sent to the Braves. Thankfully Dempster vito'd the trade and the Braves retained the rights to Delgado. Delgado was then used as a key piece that brought Justin Upton to The ATL with 3B Chris Johnson for  Nick Ahmed (minors), Brandon Drury (minors), Randall Delgado, Martin Prado and Zeke Spruill. Had Delgado been traded to the Cubs for 1yr of Dempster the Braves may have had to include Julio Teheran as part of the Upton deal. Not something the Braves I imagine would have either wanted to or would have been willing to do.

Baseball's Hall of Fame

Voting is a privilege not a right. 

A few voters in baseball need to remember or be reminded of that.

When the Hall of Fame ballots are finally all counted up and announced on Wednesday we should hear the names of Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine announced.  Both of these former Braves pitchers should be locks to make it on their first go around.  In the case of Maddux he should be a unanimous choice... He should be the first unanimous choice ever... however he won't be.  It has already been reported that at least one writer has left him off their ballot. 

Voting for awards, and not unlike speculating who will make a certain country's national hockey team can and will be very subjective.  One's person's list likely differs from the next, but only moderately. Can you imagine a Team Canada roster that does not include Sidney Crosby on it?  Probably not. Why? Common sense, he's the best player in the world how could he not be included? The same thing applies to Maddux? The greatest pitcher in his generation, over 300 wins, no suggestions of steroid abuse, just a great pitcher with great numbers, gold gloves, All-Star selections a World Series title and a professor like mentality every time he takes the ball on the mound. Sounds pretty much like Hall of Fame credentials doesn't it?  And yet he would not be unanimous decision because some fool decided he wanted to be the story he wanted the limelight.  In actuality he has brought shame and disrespect to the Hall of Fame the American Baseball Writers Association and himself.  For that he should have his vote taken away and anyone else who decide to use their position to make a silly statement and clearly not take this more seriously should lose their vote too.

This is not an open vote, this is a particular honor given because of his job title. You would like to see a media member, a journalist show some integrity when given an opportunity such as this. When they teach sports journalism one would think that the first lessons would be let the story be the story, don't you be the story. Be objective, be critical if it is warranted but be fair, be honest do not show a bias. 

Now as it relates to the Hall of Fame voting, if this is going to continue to happen reform needs to be made to either the voting process or the members who vote or the criteria required.  If some idiot who covers the Dodgers can make a mockery of the system he should lose his vote, Vin Scully does not even get a vote and I think most will admit he has probably forgot more about baseball that a lot of people know. Dan Shulman, the leading broadcaster on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, does not have a vote. You're giving guys way too much power who probably do not deserve it.  Ever seen or been in a newsroom before? There are usually a lot of people who are severely under qualified to be given this much responsibility. 

Each ballot should be reviewed upon completion by some sort of 'quality control' group or committee and any questionable ballots should be set aside and those who sent it in should be called in and ask to rationalize and defend their decisions, explain why they made the choice they made and if they can't do so that either revoke their right to vote and have the vote completely discounted and then lose their right to vote in the future or perhaps give them the opportunity, a second chance, as it were to make it right going forward.

The other issue in the Hall of Fame voting as to whether or not to allow players from the steroid era to be inducted.  This is an interesting dilemma because it also takes in not just numbers or even perception but also more only issues.  Does Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa or Rafael Palmero deserve to be in the Hall of Fame?  Based on what they do on the field the answer's yes. What they did off the field to make themselves better, that is a different question. There were no rules of the time or testing that prevented them from taking any questionable substances nor did they test positive.  It is naive to think that they were clean, but whose responsibility was it to ensure that they were.  Major League Baseball clearly turned a blind eye to the rampant drug use among their players.  The players association fought tooth and nail to keep drug testing it out of the game.  The baseball writers, the same ones that have the final vote of who is hall worthy did not do anything about it either.  If they are so ethical now and they suspected there was wrong doing at the time either should have done some investigatory journalism and exposed the players or the culture at that time.  They were writers during the steroid era, so by extension shouldn't be subjected to the same standards that they're holding the players to.  Because they were writers during the steroid era all their Hall of Fame votes should be discarded under the same cloud of suspicion and speculation, maybe 87% of the writers were `juicing too`.
Clearly a new system used to be put in place where there is a committee made up of baseball professionals former players and managers and executives something needs to be done.  It is sad when politics and greed and indeed for attention enter into sports and corrupts it. Leave politics to the politicians.


As a side note it is probably about time to open up the doors for Pete Rose.  Sure he is probably not a great guy but the hall is filled with probably not great guys.  But what he was able to do between the white lines is clearly Hall of Fame worthy.  You want him out of baseball, not be able to work in baseball that's fine keep him banned from the game, but a Hall of Fame without the all time hits leader just does not make sense. Not from a game that holds numbers in such high regards. You can have it both ways. 

Thank You Chipper

Today, pitchers and catchers report to spring training along with some position players that are eager to get a jump on the season and put them in a position to come out of the gate as strong as possible. For the first time since the mid 90's there will be no Chipper Jones in the dugout. It is clearly the end of an era. The Braves have done a good job at re-tooling the roster in the absence of their recently departed future Hall of Fame third baseman. In honor of Spring Training opening it seems appropriate to thank Chipper for what he has done for the Braves and all the fans of the Braves over his career. Three Cheers! 

In five years time there will be a ceremony held for Major League Baseball and that of course is the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. At that time, baring something outlandish and crazy, will be when the great Chipper Jones' road to greatness should be complete. Chipper should be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee and there should be no question about that. At least there will not be any controversy on what hat he is going to be wearing when he is enshrined in Cooperstown  As a player who was drafted by Atlanta, moved up through the organization, World Series Champion in 1995, won an MVP in 1999, 8 times All-Star, 2008 batting champion and stayed there right to the end- 19 consecutive seasons, 14 of which resulted in consecutive division titles.

The Braves have seemingly known when to cut bait with players just as they have peaked and then parted ways to get younger or restructure...that didn't happen with Chipper. The Braves knew he was the face of the franchise and his production never warranted them to think otherwise. The only reason for any decline in production was from injury and no one could disagree that when Chipper was on the field that he was going to make the team better, more feared and had a leader out there with them.

Maybe at some point Chipper will make his way back into the game. Maybe in the Braves front office or maybe in some sort of player development role like a hitting coach (sorry Greg Walker). Imagine having Chipper Jones as a batting coach, it would be like talking hitting with Ted Williams. How could a player not get better?

The stats clearly support that honour. A .303 batting average, 468 Home Runs, 1623 RBI, and 2726 hits...as a switch hitter. If that isn't impressive enough he did it all with one team. It pains one to think what kind of numbers he would have had he been able to stay healthy towards the end of his career. Had he been able to play in 1994 as well would have added to his overall stats. The Braves were the team that drafted him, the team he played his entire career with, he is and was the face of the franchise. Jones was an unselfish player in a time that was and is know for players being selfish. He never came that close to becoming a free agent and test the market, remarkable in this day and age. After being an All-Star 3rd baseman whom had already won a World Series a batting title and an MVP made the move to left field so the Braves could add Vinny Castilla. He also unselfishly re-did his contract so that the Braves could free up some $15 million to be able to go after and sign other players that would be able to help the Braves win. Again, not something that you will see from very many athletes is just about any sport.

Many people will compare him to other great switch hitters throughout history, Eddie Murray and Micky Mantle. That is a little unfair as he truly is his own man. He holds his own and can stand alone. He has earned that.

On June 13, 2008 Chipper was hitting .419 

and there was talk that maybe he could be 

the first player since Ted Williams to 

end the season over .400

From 1995 on there was a consistency Braves fans from the US and Canada could expect and enjoy. The Braves continuing to tack on division titles, Chipper Jones evolving to become the face of "America's Team" everyday, and on TBS (except during rain delays when we could be re-acquainted with The Andy Griffith Show). In addition, to get the feeling of a family and friendly atmosphere with the announcing team, led by Skip Carry, with Pete Van Wiren, Joe Simpson and Don Sutton. That was the perfect storm and a great time to be not only a Braves fan but also a baseball fan.

Not since Cal Ripken Jr. has a player announced his final year of play and enjoyed a farewell tour to the extent that Chipper enjoyed. Just about every team he visited, his last time into town, honored him and his career and more often then not passed along a nice thoughtful gift on behalf of the opposing franchise. Teams would not do that for a ballplayer that was just a good player, or a great player...but they sure would, and did, for a Hall of Fame player.

There will be a lot missed by Braves fans with a loss of the magnitude that is the loss of the face of your franchise both on the field and off. From a strictly on field view, the loss of a corner infielder. One who, for the majority of his 19 year MLB career, put up good solid defense and contributed offensively as not only the 3rd bat in the lineup but the backbone to the lineup but also the spark plug. Off the field, I am sure that he will still be the community minded guy who is involved in various charities. From a more indirect view, not getting to see Chipper and follow him and being inspired by him and his play will be a loss for the young kids. The average fan can see what impact Chipper has had on the growth of baseball in Georgia and the players that are being produced from those youth systems. Jeff Francoeur and Brian McCann are just 2 examples already.
Fans will remember seeing that switch hitter with his Blond Bat from the left side and the Black Bat from the right side, that smooth swing that reminds you of Ted Williams and the bull dog look on the field and in the dugout.

It is an old joke but as many Braves fans have said and will continue to say: Thank You Todd Van Poppel! Van Poppel appeared as a tough player to sign and made it a no brainer for the Braves to take Chipper as the first overall pick in the Free Agent Draft. The rest is history!

There are probably rules that need to be adhered to, but would it not be fitting after whom-ever is selected to provide the introduction speach at the Hall of Fame (maybe his father, maybe Bobby Cox) in 5 years time to announce: "Please welcome this years inductee, Larry Wayne 'Chipper' Jones" and then hear it---

`All aboard! Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaa! ( dum-dum...dum-dum, dum-dum, dum-dum)

Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay` -  Crazy Train by Ozzie Osbourn

Would that not just be amazing? Just imagine the goose bumps and chills!!

Thank you Chipper for all that you have meant to The Braves, The Fans, and to Baseball. 
All the best in retirement and a hope to see you back in the game in one way or another.

Head of the Class- 2013

The 2013 Hall of Fame class for baseball should prove to be a very interesting one. As in all Hall of Fame ballots and voting there are always questions and great debate on who is deserving, why this guy and not that guy and then a lot of stats to prove or disprove whatever argument you feel is correct. This next ballet is no different and is actually more controversial then ever before. This is the first year that the wave  from the  'steroid era'. Today, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa are set to show up on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza and Curt Schilling are certain to be among the other first-time eligible  Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines are the top holdover candidates.

There are a lot of the writers/voters that are going to be hardliners and not vote for some or all of the big 3 on 'principal'. Writers tend not to like jerks and that will be 1 strike against the top 3 guys. That should not way into the discussion but it does. Just ask Jack Morris. He is a prime example of old school baseball guys holding a bad attitude over the head of a potential candidate. Because of the new names going on the ballot this year might just open the door for Morris and Tim Raines to slip in. That is one thing I do not understand is how guys that have done nothing in the last year to increase the chances of getting into the hall but because of who they are up against this time around make them more deserving. Their stats have not changed and they did not win a championship but NOW they are worth of Hall of Fame Status? That is just the way that it is under the current system and is that way in most leagues.
 
It is notable to know that Mark McGwire is 10th on the career home run list with 583, but has never received even 24 per cent in his six tries. Big Mac has admitted using steroids and human growth hormone and recently was on the Dan Patrick Show and stated that he himself did not deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

I can see  Craig Biggio and Mike Piazza being worth to get in. Piazza was one of the most feared offensive catcher of all time and when you have power numbers that are in the same range as Johnny Bench it is hard to ignore. He was the best at his position when he played and there is not a lot more that you can ask for. As for Biggio he was productive at the top of the order, he got his 3000 hits and was a leader on Astro teams that were very good for the many years he was there. His versatility also is impressive to move positions the number of times he did to not only help his career length but showed he was a team guy and would do whatever was best for the team. To go from a catcher to second base and then to center field. Teams always like to be strong defensively up the middle and he ended up moving to 3 of the positions up the pipe.

When it comes to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa the debate is there on should they or shouldn't be put in the Hall. Bonds and Clemens are known for not being the most congenial of characters and Sosa has been known to forget how to speak English when asked questions on performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). What people have to remember is that despite the fact that there is all kinds of evidence and seems to be the consensus that all have done some kind of PED's over some time during their career, they were never proven to have done anything wrong. They did not violate any rules that Baseball had in place, did not fail any test while playing and even if they did do something they were, for the most part, facing opponents that themselves were on something at that very same time. That is the thing, the number of guys that were playing were on something probably outweighed those that were playing clean.

Worst case, lets say that these guys were juicing.  They still outplayed the competition and were arguably the best players of all time. One might suggest that it was more ego enhancing drugs rather then performance enhancing  Sure the numbers may be skued but these were still some of the best talents of all time. In the case of Bonds and Clemens, the body of work they had with their original teams, Pirates and Red Sox respectively  a case could be made that both players are deserving based on that time alone. It was then, when both were skinny and ``appeared`` that they were...more clean.  Bonds landed in San Francisco and Clemens landed in Toronto those are the times that most believe that they, at least ramped up whatever they may be on and both got bigger and better.

I do not condone the use of drugs to play better or get stronger but if baseball did little to do anything about PEDs until forced to by the government (granted the players union did everything they could to allow players to get away with it), had no method to test or prevent or rules against PEDs then you should not be able to penalize player for something the may or may not have (but almost guaranteed did) done during their career. Drugs or no drugs it still talks a lot of skill to take a round ball a round bat and hit it square. These drugs seem to be more beneficial for recovery so when guys work out they can rebound better and quicker and can then train harder and more often. But they are still training  still working out. All these legal supplements like Whey, Protein  Creatine, Flax Seed whatever you want to add to your morning shake are OK? Where is the line? Even a shot of cortizone is performance enhancing  how many guys get a shoulder or knee shot up to be able to play? How is that not performance enhancing? What is the difference between medicine and dope? All are valid questions with a lot of Grey in terms of answers.

All in all, writers will hid behind the well 'we voted their conscious  excuse and say they are doing it for the integrity of the game and to honor the Hall but their excuse, when you look at it seems awfully thin. Let the players in, drugs or no drugs they were the best when they played, possibly the best of all time and were never convicted.

Retirement Tour Has At Least 1 More Date

Tonight marks the last regular season game for one of the best third baseman the game has ever seen. At PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Chipper Jones will throw on the Atlanta Braves uniform for the last time after a Hall of Fame career.

At the beginning of the season Chipper announced that this was going to be his last season playing, no matter what. He stated that it was time for him to move on and do something else and that although the mind was still sharp and that he still had a passion for the game the same could not be said about the body. For anyone who does not know Chipper has had to fight through numerous injuries throughout the years most being related to his legs and knee. In 1994 he missed the entire season after tearing up his knee resulting in surgery. As he got older the injuries became more frequent. When in the lineup he almost always produced (as seen by his notorious assault on the New York Mets over the years and his 1999 NL MVP award).

As the year went on his numbers, when in the lineup were stellar and it seemed that when he was in the game they won more often then not. Obviously people would ask are you sure you are done after this year, you are having a great year? Every time that was asked the answer was the same, I'm sure. He said from the beginning that he has already made spring break plans and summer vacation plans with his kids and that was not going to change. To his credit he has stuck to that and in a strictly selfish way I wish this time he would have been lying to fans and that he could give is one more season. He clearly still has the passion and the skill but I guess when the body is ready to tap out there isn't much you can do about it. 162 game seasons is a grind for any player, especially one over the age of 40.

The one benefit Chipper had about announcing his retirement was that he gave, not only himself but the fans in all the cities a heads up that this was it and that he was about to embark on what I suppose could be considered the Chipper Jones Farewell Tour. Not since Cal Ripkin Jr.'s final season has baseball seen a player been so widely acknowledged by every team in every city that he has gone to. Being a Brave was all Chipper has been and now all other ball clubs have had pregame ceremonies to congratulate his on his career and most have given his some sort of "gold watch retirement gift". That is saying a lot when teams that you have never played for, only fought against on the field show you that much respect for your body of work.  Here is a partial list of Items that teams have given Chipper on his last tour into their cities:

Braves Pennant (Cubs)
Stan Musial Jersey (Cardinals)
Third Base (Reds, Yankees, Pirates)
Bat, Base & Photo (Nationals)
Fishing Gear (Marlins)
Artwork (Mets)
Painting (Phillies)
The #10 (Red Sox)
Pool Table & Hawaiian Vacation (Braves)
Cowboy Hat (Astros)
Hunting Bow Camera (Todd Helton)
Surfboard (Padres)
Year's Supply of Sausages (Brewers)

There are probably even more but just those alone show just what an impact Chipper has had on the game of baseball and just how respected he was and is. The State of Georgia had awarded September 28 “Chipper Jones Day.” and a Georgia farmer even made a giant "Chipper Jones Corn Maze" in his honour.
The Braves made the playoffs as the first Wild Card team so that extends Jones' career by at least 1 game and ensures that he will be going out an a somewhat high note and getting back to a place that he and the Braves are so familiar with - Post Season Baseball.

I am sure to have another blog after the Braves are eliminated (or are victorious) to give a final salute to Chipper and his outstanding career.

Robbie Alomar- Fact or Fiction?

I am sure that many sport and Blue Jays fans are familiar with former second baseman, and Hall of Fame member Robbie Alomar. He was a great player for the Jays and also for many other teams including the Orioles and the Indians.

Alomar was known as being a versatile player with a solid bat, good speed and spectacular range and defensive prowess. He was what every team would love to have at the top of a lineup and up the middle. He hit for average, had some power at the plate and could turn a double play as well as just about any other player to ever play his position. A truly deserving inductee to the Baseball Hall of Fame and a key member to the Blue Jays World Series Championship teams. He can be put right up there as one of the best second basemen of all time with the tools he had in his prime.

All of this is common knowledge and known by most, that is far from the interesting part. I am sure that both sports fans and regular people are at least familiar with hearing that back in 1996 Alomar was involved in a spitting incident involving an umpire.  Alomar got into a heated argument over a called third strike with umpire John Hirschbeck and spat in his face. He defended himself by saying Hirschbeck had uttered a racial slur and that Hirschbeck had been bitter since one son had died of ALD and another had been recently diagnosed as well. Upon hearing this public disclosure of his private life, Hirschbeck had to be physically restrained from confronting Alomar in the players' locker room.

This is where the un-proven and never verified part comes into play, and is part of a bigger part of the story that I had not heard before just a few days ago. Like I said before, I remember the story but never this version and now that it was mentioned it kind of makes sense and is a very interesting theory. This is all just alleged but is a somewhat plausible explanation. It was said that Alomar had heard a racial slur from Hirschbeck. Perhaps it was not a racial slur but maybe it was a sexual preference slur. If this was the case it would help validate the second part, the part that was a little more interesting.

Alomar joined the Mets in 2002 and it was in this time period that It was during this era that the "Mike Piazza is Gay" rumors began -- somewhat as a result of comments that Bobby Valentine made about Major League Baseball being ready to accept an openly gay athlete. This was a big deal at the time, so much so that it forced Piazza to hold a press conference to make a formal announcement with his model girlfriend saying he was not gay, that he was heterosexual. No active player has come out as being openly gay and to have to hold a press conference to state your orientation was big news. It was because of this that many still believe that Piazza is gay and he was just trying to get get ahead of a possible story. What was news to me was the possibility that Valentines comments were possibly made in regards to another prominent Met at the time...Robbie Alomar. He too had a prominent, beautiful, and famous girlfriend in tennis player Mary Pierce. Apparently there were whispers for years about Alomar's "preference" but it was Piazza who bore the brunt of all that crap at the time. Most people now have no issue with a persons personal preference, but in pro sports, especially team sports, there is still a stigma and an announcement of that nature would be a very difficult to do. There is also allegations of HIV and AIDS linked to Alomar (which do not help by any means either) and has been sued by a former girlfriend and his wife.


Weather or not any of this is true or not is up for debate, but because I had not heard this theory/story before I found it interesting that a lot of these pieces fit together and is at least plausible. It is up to the reader to decide what they want to believe. To many Alomar is and always be that Blue Jay who was a vacuum at 2nd to others he will be that Mets player who's skill almost disappeared overnight and was more of a train wreck then a ballplayer. It just makes it more interesting that it was his time in New York that all this happened and at the same time his play began to erode.

Big Mac Himself, Who’d Of Thunk It?

Yesterday was the day that we all figured would come at some point, we just didn’t know when. Former Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire finally admitted in a phone call with the Associated Press and followed by an interview with Bob Costas that he had in fact done steroids as well as HGH on and off over the course of his career. SHOCKER. This was not news to anyone. He was always suspected to have been involved in performance enhancing drugs but never admitted it nor did he ever test positive for anything. It is like a girlfriend accusing you of cheating ‘I know you did it, just admit it, I know you did it, just admit it, It’l be ok if you just admit it ’. Then you admit it and they flip out and start yelling at you saying ‘I didn’t believe it until I heard it come from you!

I am not an apologist for what he did, but what he did was perhaps not ‘legal’ but it wasn’t banned either, it was more of a moral issue then anything else. Should that exclude him from the Hall of Fame? Some say yes, some say no. I think he should be in. If there is no policy to break how can you punish him for breaking a policy...he was never suspended either. The only thing that isn’t going to help his case is the fact that he didn’t acknowledge that his use didn’t make him better. His natural talent may have been great but there was still room for enhancement and he got that from the steroids and HGH. The only thing he did was play by the ‘rules’ that were there or not there at the time. I hate to think that the idea of "if you aren’t cheating you aren’t trying" or "it is only cheating if you get caught" is true but it is hard to dispute that fact.

It is easy to sit back and judge the decision that he made, but it wasn’t just him that made that decision. If you take a serious look at it, a professional athlete will do what they need to do to become better. There were no steroids in the 1950’s, because they were not available. You can bet that if they were and it would have made a difference players then would have been all over it. Stimulants are a great example of that. Cold medication, caffeine and other like products were rampant in baseball dugouts throughout the years. Those were also performance enhancing, just not as ‘immoral’ as ‘roids and HGH, but at that point you are just splitting hairs. We now are beginning to see that this was and epidemic throughout the sport for a long time and if baseball wanted to do something about it they would have and could have done so. Truth is, steroids were good for baseball and good for the sport. After the strike in 1994 baseball’s image was in the dumps and any growth that may have come to get the game back into the good graces with fans came in the form of the Sosa/McGwire home run race of 1998. That chase of Roger Maris’ 61 home runs brought people back to the sport. From there baseball has continued to grow and has reached record attendance over the years.

It is clear that money greatly influenced the position that baseball has taken in regards to performance enhancing drugs. Even as a casual fan you can see that something wasn’t right with these players and that they were getting help from an outside source. It helped them and it helped sell the game so to turn a blind eye clearly was an easy thing to do. If you are concerned about the records that the hitters put up, just think about doing that versus pitchers that were doing the same thing. The only real issue is how fair it was for the ‘clean’ player to compete with those that were juicing. My question to that is if so many were on the juice, why would you play clean. If there was no rule to break how could you be breaking a rule? It truly was an internal code of conduct that governed the players that played clean...not baseball.

McGwire's admittance had to be done. He is looking to become the hitting coach for the Cardinals and for that to happen he had to say something before spring training to defuse the situation. Now that he has at least come out and admitted that he used, perhaps we can move on from him and any speculation. It seems like every player that has come out and admitted or have been outed for PEDs has been, not necessarily forgiven but the anger towards them has been greatly reduced. Only the ones that have continued to say nothing or deny are the one that people are still bitter at (Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds). Others such as Andy Pettitte, A-Rod...even Manny who was suspended for 50 games only last season seems to be much more accepted.

It is also interesting to mention that this is really just a baseball, track and cycling issue. This happens just as often in football but it gets nearly no play in the media. A headline that states a player in the NFL has been banned 4 games for a substance violation. They do their time and then are back and not another mention is made about it. A double standard for sure but it is what it is. You want to see bigger, stronger, faster in football and the majority of fans would be more upset if players weren’t doing everything at their disposal to become even better. Maybe it is because baseball is seen as more a game of numbers and is held in a higher regard, who knows.

NASCAR Hall Of Fame

For some reason it has taken until now for NASCAR to decide to have their own Hall of Fame. With the loyalty of the fans in that sport having a Hall of Fame say in North Carolina where most of the teams call home and host of 2 events a year the ever image conscious racing series would have been well served to have a shrine set up. You know what they say...If You Build It, They Will Come. With the way that the sport has escalated from the deep south and running moonshine and racing on beaches to the sophisticated machines you see today, drivers and fans alike have always had a soft spot for the history of the sport. The nostalgic days of NASCAR are always brought up, the old drivers are held in such high regard by all connected to the sport.

I guess it is better late then never but perhaps setting such a restricted number of inductees may have been a poor decision. When you have an entire lifespan of a sport to take from setting a limit of 5 may be a tad short sighted. The inaugural class will include: NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and Junior Johnson. All deserving and that is not an issue but it is hard to overlook David Pearson, his exclusion surprised many...including Petty. "Anybody that won 105 races and didn’t make the cut -- somebody ain’t adding right," Petty said of Pearson.

NASCAR did not release the voting totals and said the order in which they were announced did not reflect the results. A NASCAR spokesman said Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison were the next three highest vote getter's but did not reveal in what order. As in any Hall of Fame vote it is easy to question the ones who were excluded and where do you draw the line so you can only do what you can do but for the first year maybe cap it after more then only 5 people.

Braves Skipper Set To Retire In 2010

For the second time in about as many weeks there has been news out of Atlanta that another prominent member to the Atlanta Braves family is having thoughts of retirement. This time it is a definite farewell tour for one of the games best, most successful and long lasting managers in baseball.

Bobby Cox, 68, announced that he had signed a 1 year contract extension that will take him through next season at which point he will step down and take on a 5 year position of consultant to the team. What that means isn’t clear other then he will still be part of the organization. After 50 years in baseball and still a passion for the game and what he does. He has said that the only way he would be able to leave and stick with it was to announce it publicly - to give himself a deadline of sorts. "I’ll believe it when I see it," Braves slugger Chipper Jones said. Cox is the only manager that he has known as a pro, and both were at the heart of the Braves historic run during the 90’s and early 2000’s.

A cigar-smoking baseball lifer, Bobby managed the Braves from 1978-81. At that time he left to head up north to manage the Toronto Blue Jays from 1982-85, the first time that expansion team began to become a serious contending team. In 1986 he returned to become GM of the Braves, when in June 1990 He fired the coach and appointed himself. He led the Braves to five NL pennants and a record 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005. He is a true great without a doubt Hall of Fame caliber. One of his greatest records is being the all-time record holder for ejections with 159.

It is great that Bobby will be going out on his own terms and not be the guy who hangs in too long and is just there because he is who he is and can not be moved out. It also gives the Braves a full season to find a suitable replacement.

It will be hard to see the Braves without Bobby in the dugout and even more so if Chipper isn’t there either. I knew this day may come eventually but it will still be strange.

Chipper Ponders Future

I have just recently seen some very unsettling news in regards to my favorite player in baseball. Atlanta Braves 3rd baseman and probable Hall of Fame inductee Larry Wayne “Chipper” Jones. Chipper has hinted that if he does not have a good year and play up to his standards he may choose to retire following the 2010 season.

Chipper, 37, signed a three-year, $42-million contract extension in March that runs through 2012. He hit a career-best .364 last year, his third straight season over .320. But he has fallen to .269 this year. Injuries have been an issue over the last several years, he has reached 500 at-bats only once in his last six seasons, due to a long list of injuries. It began with constant foot problems then this year there have been issues with oblique muscle and lower back pain. "If I back up this year with the same kind of year next year, I don't want to play the game," Chipper told The Associated Press. "The game is not fun to me when I'm not playing up to my standards.
Jones ranks among the baseball's top switch-hitters. His 424 career homers rank third all-time for switch-hitters, trailing Mickey Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504). His career batting average is second to Frankie Frisch's .316 mark. He was also the NL MVP in 1999.

Jones has only 16 homers, 64 RBIs and a career-low .435 slugging percentage this season. But he says he believes he is physically capable of delivering the power he showed in 2007, when he hit 29 homers with 102 RBIs.

I have been a Braves fan since 1990 and enjoyed the great and historic run of 14 straight division championships and the World Series victory in 1995. I have followed Chipper’s career since he was drafted, come into the Braves system, and then become the back bone that Bobby Cox counted on for so many years with this great team. He is one of a very small number of players who look like they may just end their career playing for one team. Not something that you see too often in any sport anymore in the era of free agency. That will surely be the case if he does decide to hang it up after next year. Although he has never seemed to be the warmest of players but you never hear that he has trouble or issues with any of his teammates or coaches. Plus he and I have something in common...we both like going to the local Hooters.

A true team player he has done just about anything to help the team. He has restructured contracts to free up money so the team can either retain or sign other players that will help keep the team a winner. He came up as a short stop but moved to 3rd to sure up that spot. When they had the opportunity to get some big bats he made to shift to Left Field even though he was an All Star at Third. He then made the shift back into the infield when that proved to help out the team. Not a lot of All Stars would be willing to make that personal sacrifice for the good of the team. He is confident but not cocky, he is truly a winner and a leader and I only hope that he has a great year next year and decides to play out his contract. It is a special thing when your favorite player plays on your favorite team and stays there for the long haul. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. Chipper will go down as one of the most celebrated Braves of all time. The always say that Derek Jeeter is a true Yankee...Chipper Jones is a true Brave

Good Luck Chipper lets keep it going for just a little bit longer.

Another Arms Race For The Braves

John Schuerholz may not be the GM of my favorite team, the Atlanta Braves, anymore but he is now even higher up in the organization and his ideals have seemed to filter down to current GM Frank Wren. Schuerholz the architect to the record setting Braves team of the 90’s and early 2000’s who won 14 consecutive division titles and a World Series in 1995. How did he do it? One of the main things was building the team with pitching...sure it is one thing to have good pitching but quite another to have 3 future Hall of Famers tossing every 5 days for you (Maddux, Smoltz and Glavine). Throw in there 2 very good guys in the 4 and 5 spots (like Neagle, Schmidt, Smith, Avery, Millwood ect..) and every night the team was in a great position to win.

Looking at the rotation as it stands right now that same idea is being used. The Boston Red Sox, when healthy may have the best rotation with Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, Penny and Smoltz...oh and throw in a kid that has already thrown a no-hitter in the majors in the minors that they can call upon in Buchholz. Atlanta has got to be near that level with the arms that thew can throw on any given night. Right now the Braves mound can have any of Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens, Kenshin Kawakami, and rookie phenom Tommy Hanson. They too have a bit of an ace up their sleeve that they are hoping to have Tim Hudson return from injury at some point. Not too shabby. It is clear that this was a priority since the pre season when they took a run at the big name free agent pitchers, especially AJ Burnett.

Granted it seems like the offence may be a bit of a weaker spot but looking at the lineup they should be more consistent then they are. Even with future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones in the lineup the team seems to be very streaky as far run production and wins are concerned. As a team the regular lineup boasts an average of .293 (not including the pitchers spot)..that is fairly decent. I guess it is just a matter of being more clutch and/or consistent. The mid season acquisition of Nate McLouth, Adam LaRoche's return and the Franceour/Church deal may help that a lot too.

A slow first half have put them behind early but with that pitching and if Rafael Soriano can be a good closer they that have a decent chance of taking a run at the Phillies for the East title or possibly the Wild Card. Don’t give up on the ATL too soon.

And Then BOOM! - Retirement

John Madden has announced his retirement from broadcasting NFL games on NBC’s "Sunday Night Football". Madden has been in the booth since 1979 after leaving the Raiders and joining CBS. He worked at all 4 major Networks over his career in broadcasting. Madden will leave the booth and be replaced by Chris Collinsworth.

Madden, the former coach of the Los Angeles Raiders and Hall of Fame member may well be regarded as one of the best football minds in the NFL. Though his delivery may have been the but of some jokes almost like a Harry Carey. John may not have had the polished delivery that Al Michaels Pat Summerall or Joe Buck may have but he did have a style truly his own. Madden was known for stating the obvious with his calls which was part of his charm - (Here’s a guy who see’s the ball better when he has his contacts in). Often in many parodies of him there would be a mention of Brett Favre. He probably didn’t say that much about him as people may believe but there is just something funny about the way that Madden would say his name.

Madden could not be accused of talking down to people, he would talk as if he was right there explaining it to you.
He seems to be a good guy, as he has sent me his autograph so he is A-OK in my books!

With Collinsworth taking the reigns the broadcasts will take on a very different feeling. Al Michaels is a pro and could probably work with a monkey and still make it look seamless and not at all out of place so chemistry should not be an issue. Early on I had little or no use for Collinsworth when he was on ESPN but he has really grown as both an analyst and as a color commentator to the point that he is actually one of the best in the business. He is still a little stubborn at times but he knows the game and has a good sense of humor.

Maddux Was A Master

He ended his career similar to the way that he played throughout it, quiet, professional and classy. Most players that are not only the best at their position during their time in the game but one of the best of all time would announce their intentions up to a year before so they can get all the fanfare they can and be in the news as a final Harrah! Greg Maddux is not that type of person or player an announcement at 6pm on a Friday night is about as obscure a time as one could ever choose. But that is the most fitting way for this 4 time Cy Young, 18 time Gold Glove winner, 3,000+ strikeout, 355 game winner.

Maddux was one of the least imposing superstars ever to play. A man who looked more like an accountant then a pro ball player was for the majority of his career like a surgeon on the mound. Now a days a pitcher like this probably would never get a chance to get to the majors let alone become one of the best ever. Scouts won’t even give you a look if you can’t hit 90mph on the gun. Maddux learned early that it was more about movement, location and changing speeds then velocity and that was how he became the master.
There is little doubt now that he will be the face of pitching during this era. Maybe it would have been Roger Clemens before his recent troubles but not it almost has to be Maddux. In the steroid era he was never linked or suspected of any improprieties and will possibly be the last pitcher to achieve that many wins in the new age of pitching with 5 man rotations and the way bullpens are used.

In his prime he anchored one of the greatest pitching staffs ever assembled with himself Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz with the 14 time Division Champion Atlanta Braves and was the ace of the staff in 1995 when the Braves were World Champions.

I got the pleasure of watching him pitch in Montreal during an Expos game and saw in person just what a special player he was. Hopefully in 5 years I will get to see him where he belongs…in the Hall of Fame and going in with an Atlanta Braves hat (and not a Cubs one).

Congrats on a great career and for the great memories during your time in Atlanta.