A Casual Fan Dips His Toe In Spring Training

Baseball has had a growing place in my life over the last few years. The casual fanhood of my youth had me attending one baseball game a year and watching when the World Series began. As my love of the game has grown I have become more and more attached each year. This year I finally reached the level that the regular season just isn't enough. As I started watching Spring Training games I learned something; just like the regular season there will be up and there will be downs.

On day one of the Spring Training games season was the Joe Torre debut as the Los Angeles Dodgers manager. The buzz around his impact on the young players was evident on the field. Just in case I had missed it every one with a microphone or a keyboard remind me how Joe Torre was going to change thing for the Dodgers who haven't seen much of the post season lately.

One day after kicking myself for missing all the things I could have learned from spring baseball all these years, I sat with anticipation as Johann Santana took the mound for the first time as a member of the New York Mets. I could hardly wait. If Torre, a big time manager, could help the Dodgers so much from the dugout; how much more would Santana, an impact player, do on the field. After watching a few innings worth of Santanna getting shelled I began to realize, maybe spring baseball is just about as valuable as the NFL preseason.

Just like the NFL preseason though, I'm going to watch. It may not be the best performances, I may not be able to learn the future of a franchise, but I still love the crack of the bat.

Alright people it's March and to us sports fans that means March Madness, Spring Training, and NFL Free Agency. To a lot of people March means March of Dimes.

My sister is walking for the March of Dimes, click on her banner below, and head to the comments section where you'll find a woman who mentions that March of Dimes helped her family care for her when she was young. That's my Grandmother. Along with beating me for my abuse of the English language on this blog, she has beaten Polio, and a stroke.

SHE DRINKS YOUR MILKSHAKE

If you can donate great if not just check out her comment

Clemens and McNamee Before Congress: Recap

I gave a little recap on the previous steroids timeline in a previous post. So I won't get too deep into the past here because the meeting today didn't really bring anything new to light.

One of the intersting choices made was that the only people present were Roger Clemens and Brian Mcnamee and Charles Scheeler, one of the authors of the Mitchell Report. First off where the hell were Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch. Second and possibly even more questionable, if the Mitchell Report needed a representative, who do you think we shoudl go with for that. Gee I just can't decide, hmmm I don't know how 'bout SEN. MITCHELL

The biggest thing I noticed was that throughout the course of the hearing the body language shifted. While Clemens seemed to grow stronger and more confident as the questioning continued. While Mcnamee seemed to wilt as the questioning went on. While Clemens certainly seemed to have some issues. Most notably the fact that the Chair of the Committee, Henry Waxman, seemed set against him. The Major set backs seemed to be on McNamee's side.The lowest point for McNamee is debatable but it was likely at the point Rep. Christopher Shays accused McNamee of being a "drug dealer," which finally got McNamee fired up.

"I only did what players asked," McNamee said, "and it was wrong."
When McNamee tried to claim that because of that he wasn't a drug dealer, Shays pounced.
"You were a DRUG DEALER," he bellowed. "You were dealing drugs."
"That's your opinion," McNamee retorted.
"No," Shays snapped. "That's not opinion. You were dealing drugs. You're telling me that as a former police officer, you weren't dealing drugs?"
"Dealing in them?" McNamee answered. "Yes."
"Were they LEGAL drugs?" Shays went on.
"No," McNamee said, almost in a whisper.
Shays shook his head, like a teacher who had just caught a kid in the back of the class trying to fake an assignment.
"Then you were a drug dealer," he said.

If that wasn't the low point for McNamee then it possible came when Dan Burton began his alloted 5 minutes

''That's a lie, right?'' he said after reading his comments back to him.
''This is really disgusting,'' Burton said. ''You're hear as a sworn witness yet we have lie after lie after lie. I don't know what to believe. I know one thing I don't believe. That's you!''

Other than a few exceptions, the attitudes ran down party lines. With the Republicans seeming to support Clemens other than notable exception Rep. Mark Souder. Souder seemed upset with Clemens as well as MLB owners and Bud Selig. Judging by Souders remarks I am guessing he is looking to make a whole new subcommittee solely for over seeing baseball. Good god let it go.

The Democrats seemed to fall in behind McNamee, with their exception being Rep. William Lacy Clay. Not only did Clay pretty much say "why don't you use my 5 minutes to give a little speach about how this is all about the children" When Clemens only used four and half minutes. Clay used the remaining 30-seconds to ask "A colleague of mine, Mr. Capuano of Massachusetts, wants to know what uniform you're going to wear to the Hall of Fame." Really!? I can't imagine why people are upset that congress is wasting time on this.

While I watched this all morning I followed along as ESPN.com senior writer Jayson Stark described all the action My favorite gem form all this was

Just a thought as the questioning of the Rocket gets rolling:
Since he's under oath, any chance one of these congressmen could ask Roger what the heck actually happened when he threw that bat at Mike Piazza?
He didn't really think that was the ball, did he?
Sorry to digress. Just thinking.

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Clemens On the Hill Wed(2-12): Your Steroids Prep Guide

• June 7, 1991 - Steroids is added to the list of banned substances


• April, 2001 - Baseball implements its first random drug-testing program in the minor leagues.


• May 28, 2002 - Ken Caminiti is quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying that he used steroids during his MVP season in 1996


• December 12, 2003 - Greg Anderson(Bonds Trainer); Bay Area Lab Cooperative(BALCO) president Victor Conte; and BALCO vice president James Valente are charged in 42-count federal indictment of running a steroid-distribution ring.


• December 2, 2004 - SF Chronicle reports Jason Giambi admits using steroids


• December 3, 2004 - SF Chronicle reports Barry Bonds admits to using Clear and Cream substances but denies knowing they were steroids


• March 17, 2005 - House Government Reform Committee holds hearings about steroids, Mark McGwire is evasive, Canseco sells some more books, Sammy Sosa pretends he doesn't know english and Rafael Palmeiro gets serious with his finger wagging denials.


• April 3, 2005 - First player is suspended under the testing policy, Tampa Bay outfielder Alex Sanchez


• November 15, 2007 - Bonds indicted on perjury charges


• December 13, 2007 - Mitchell Report is Released(List of players mentioned)


• January 4, 2008 - Players Roger Clemens, Chuck Knoblauch and Andy Pettitte were invited along with trainers Brian McNamee and Kirk Radomski


• January 28, 2008 - Clemens and his people release a statistical report that attempts to show he didn't have an unreasonable increase in productivity


• February 4, 2008 - Andy Pettitte gives his deposition in a closed door meeting with the House Oversight Committee


• February 5, 2008 - Roger Clemens gives his deposition in a closed door meeting with the House Oversight Committee


• February 6, 2008 - Brian Mcnamee gives his deposition in a closed door meeting with the House Oversight Committee. Meanwhile Clemens spent the day meeting one-on-one with members of the committee.


• February 6,2008 - Brian Mcnamee and his attorneys release photo's of used needles and syringes that supposedly contain Clemen's DNA as well as Steroids


• February 8, 2008 - Brian Mcnamee claims he also injected Clemens wife prior to her appearing in a swimsuit along side Clemens in and issue of Sport Illustrated

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Finally Steroids News I'm Interested in

ESPN is reporting that John Rocker claims that MLB not only knew he used steroids. They assisted him in doing so.

For starters we are talking about John Rocker. I love a guy who speaks his mind, however that would require a mind which is not something I am sure this guy is in possesion of. After his comments in 19999 saying he would never play for a New York team because he didn't want to ride a subway train "next to some queer with AIDS." He also dropped this gem in 2005 as he was attempting a comeback "I've taken a lot of crap from a lot of people. Probably more than anybody in the history of this sport. I know Hank [Aaron] and Jackie [Robinson] took a good deal of crap, but I guarantee it wasn't for six years. I just keep thinking: How much more am I supposed to take?"

Yeah forgive me if after those brilliant statements I don't flip out over any news coming out of Rocker's mouth. I mean I would love to hear that this is true. Anything that would shine a light on the evil that is Bud Selig, is good in my book.

The basic gist of what Rocker said was the fact that in testing that ironically stemmed from a suspension he drew as a result of those intelligent statements from 1999. The league discovered he was using HGH. The players union and league doctors then instructed him and several Rangers teammates on how to use steroids more effectively.

The biggest John Rocker moment in all this though is when he gave his opinion on Commissioner Bud Selig. "Bud Selig is a clown and should do the world a favor and Kill himself. " While I definately agree with the first half of that statement the secodn half seems just a bit much.

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Being a Narc Get's Rewarded

Today was sentencing day for Kirk Radomski. Roadmoski is the former mets clubhouse attendant who is seen is the main distribution point for the steroids that we have all come to know(and be brutally bored by) from the Mitchell report. He supplied some of the steroids Roger Clemens is alleged to have used. No word yet on if he is tied to that miller lite can, I'll let you know as soon as I read the transcripts from court.

So Radomski's got his sentance today and it was a big fat goose egg, zero, nothing. That's right kids roll over on your friends, tell all, if you can, save the evidence. Because while Marion Jones got 6 months for her use and lying about it. Dana Stubblefield who plead guily recently is expected to get a similar sentance. While BarryBonds sentance could go even longer than that.

Guys like Radomski and Brian McNamee are now being rewarded for giving up the names and places of famous people. I understand that some people get a lighter sentance by way of giving up the bigger fish, but that isn't the case here. This is a matter of the bigger fish, the dealer, giving up the user. This is only happening because the users in this case are famous.

I just hate everything about this whole trend. More than anything I hate the fact it continues to get drawn out. I am right now hearing that McNamee injected Clemens wife. Is there some reason McNamee can't just tell us everything at once. It just seems more and more like PR to save himself every time the next little bit leaks out.

McNamee Evidence: Chain of custody?? How bout that Miller light can

Brian McNamee's attorneys showed pictures of evidence today. I mean there were some questions on chain of custody. I guess we have those answered.

Apparently what happened was, Clemens had put his needles in a crushed Miller Light can. Then that was placed in a trash can. Apparently McNamee went digging through his friends trash to collect them. Some of the other items that were photographed, Clemens had on him as he was a bout to fly to Houston. He then gave them to McNamee to dispose of.

Sounds totally reasonable, I got through my friends trash all the time. I also frequently take a hold of their drug paraphanelia in the event they forget to empty there pockets of syringes before they take a flight. I know they usually want me to dispose of it but I like to keep it. You know, I am sentimental that way.

When McNamee's attorneys were questioned as to why he hadn't turned this evidence over in the begining stages of the Mitchell investigation, they responded by saying that McNamee had made some "Omissions". Omissions that were necessary in order to keep from "burying Roger Clemens". Everytime I hear something from McNamee and his camp he sounds less credible. Also this pretty much invalidates the claims of Senator Mitchell that we should believe McNamee because he was testifying to stay out of jail. Really if I was trying to stay out of jail I wouldn't be sweating how much damage I did to Roger Clemens' public image.

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Knoblauch in Hiding?

In what has to qualify as just plain wierd, Chuck Knoblauch is missing. Not missing exactly, I mean he isn't a 5-year old who wandered away from his mother.

According to ESPN Federal Authorities have been unable to locate him to serve him with a subpoena. The subpoena realtes to the Senate investigation od the Mitchell report.

Way to go with that third grade logic. If thay can't find you then you don't have to show up. Don't worry the Fed's love it when you have them doing extrawork and try to outsmart them. Way to best foot forward. Say Hi to Michael Vick for me.

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How Much is Bud Seligs soul worth

So Bud managed to wrangle a new contract yesterday, taking him through 2012 as the commissioner. This comes days after he faced congress in relation to MLB’s involvement in steroids. A showdown which featured Selig admitting to his responsibility in the steroids scandal. It also comes a year after the fact that he said he wasn’t interested in continuing past 2009.
I could live with him going back on what he said, I mean this is professional sports. I even understand them extending his contract, who else is going to take that job right now. What I can’t deal with is the raise, somewhere in the 2 million a year range which would bump him up to 16.5 million.
Are you serious!? Don’t start rattling off about increased revenue, and the popularity of the sport. If you want to hand out 2 mil a year for that go ahead and address that check to former Balco boss, Victor Conti. The man who skyrocketed the use of performance enhancers in baseball. I don’t know his address but you can send it to the Federal Prison system and I am sure they will get it to him.
Just curious Bud, when you sold your soul to the steroids devil, did even you think that came with a raise.

Buffalo Bills Offseason

Outside Shot

Next time someone tells you they are a real fan ask ‘em if they have one of thesehttp://www.eternalimage.net/mlb_page.html

Buffalo Bills - So MR. Buffalo Bills, Marv Levy just walked out the door. What to do, what to do? Well, somebody slam it shut before J.P.Losman gets out the door as well. He has asked to be traded rather than playing out the last season of his contract in Buffalo. I actually say trade him, you aren’t exactly knocking on the door to the Superbowl. Unless you are prepared to commit to him as your starter, which you can’t do with Edwards there as well. Instead go out and get some help for your various needs. Losman, still a reasonable quarterback prospect, should garner some decent offers in the Quarterback poor state that the NFL is now.

The Bills Offense is strong at big play receiver, with Lee Evans. A position that is in great need on several teams. They also are getting strong play at running back from Last years draft pick Marshawn Lynch. They do however have needs as far a Tight End and a possession type receiver. They have a few very good 3rd receivers but none I would really consider a true #2. Though we could see Roscoe Parrish in that role. Offensive Coordinator Steve Fairchild is gone off to Colorado St. It will be interesting to see what the Post Levy team does about this opening.
Their Defensive front is serviceable, but needs improvement. This will come with the return of John McCargo who was injured this year and the front will be freed up by the return of Linebacker Paul Poslusnuzy from his season long injury. While these additions will help, the biggest positive for the Defense will be continuity. Safety Jim Leonhard is the only starter going into free agency. Since they have a general balance of good not great across the board on defense I think they would be smart to look to get a bigger more physical presence on the Defensive line since they were a sieve against the run.

You couldn’t help but pull for these guys this year. If you weren’t pumped when you saw Kevin Everett walking into that locker room, you need to get back to your coffin(just kidding Joe Pa)