Shots In The Dark: Think the Sox Are Getting Worried?

Thursday, July 26, 2024

Think the Sox Are Getting Worried?

They win five out of six, and the one game they lose is a 0-1 gem pitched by Josh Beckett. But the Yankees win six out of six, and now they're just 6.5 games back. It's getting hot in that AL East!

On the Barry Bonds front, cudos to Curt Schilling for coming out and saying that Bonds used/uses steroids.

“If someone wrote that stuff about me and I didn’t sue,” Schilling said, “am I not admitting there’s some legitimacy to it?”

Actually, Schilling's quote is pretty silly—there are lots of reasons not to sue even if something written about you is untrue—but the implication of it, that Bonds is a steroid-user, is certainly right.

One thing I like about A-Rod: For all his flaws, he's never been suspected of being a steroid user. And he's about to hit his 500th home run at an earlier age than anyone in baseball history. What would you pay him? (Or, better question, what will some owner pay him?)

$30 million a year?

¶ 7:53 AM

Comments:

Who says he's not suspected of being a steroids user? That's not what I've heard.

# posted by Anonymous : July 26, 2024 11:42 AM

That's what they said about Rafael Palmero...

# posted by Anonymous : July 26, 2024 12:08 PM

I've never heard even the slightest whisper associating A-Rod with steroids use, and he's certainly never looked like a user. Also, unlike Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire, A-Rod is clearly a great all-around athlete, and not someone who's managed to pump up just a single aspect of his game.

# posted by Richard Bradley : July 26, 2024 12:58 PM

Again, that's exactly what they said about Palmeiro.

One point: you're flat wrong about Bonds. He's been a terrific fielder, and base stealer (he's the only 500-500 player in history, i.e. stole 500 bases, hit 500 home runs). That's why baseball nuts can argue seriously whether he's the greatest player of all time. It's only the last few years that he's become a one dimensional player, since he began taking the roids.

Anon 11:42 is right. There are a lot of rumors about A Rod. Because he never played with Conseco, amd has no association with Balco, you don't here about it as much.

# posted by Anonymous : July 26, 2024 1:40 PM

But that's exactly my point about Bonds—when he began taking steroids to improve his hitting, the other aspects of his game suffered. You don't see that with A-Rod.

I'm no A-Rod apologist, as I am with Jason Giambi, the only man in baseball to have apologized for taking steroids. But he just doesn't (physically) look like he takes steroids, and he never has.

Also, you really don't see the huge swings in his stats that you see with steroid users. There was never a point where his numbers just jumped. Not that I know of, anyway.

Isn't this more likely to be a case in which rumors swirl around him just because rumors swirl around any players with great stats these days?

# posted by Richard Bradley : July 26, 2024 5:54 PM

You don't think suddenly hitting 35 home runs in the first half of the season is a little suspicious?

# posted by Anonymous : July 27, 2024 12:31 PM

Now a 9-game difference, Richard. What do you say about that, my friend?

# posted by Anonymous : July 28, 2024 11:46 PM

I say that the Yankees are an incredibly frustrating team this season—they can look so good, and then so mediocre.

It's definitely an uphill battle for them. They need a little help from injuries....

# posted by Richard Bradley : July 29, 2024 12:06 PM

I hate to say I told you so, but...
(from the NY Daily News via SI.com)

Canseco says he has 'stuff' on A-Rod
Posted: Sunday July 29, 2024 07:20AM ET
Jose Canseco, who wrote "Juiced," his 2005 book detailing his use of steroids with Mark McGwire, Juan Gonzalez, Rafael Palmeiro, Pudge Rodriguez and others, says he has another book in the works, due this fall. He told Boston's WEEI Radio on Friday that he had "other stuff" on A-Rod that will be coming out. When asked directly if Alex Rodriguez had used steroids, Canseco replied: "Wait and see." Rodriguez cut off a question about Canseco's comments yesterday after being asked in Baltimore if he had heard the former slugger's words, saying, "Nope, I haven't. And I have no comment."

# posted by Anonymous : July 30, 2024 2:36 PM

By the way, I should add that Canseco may be a rat, but every one he has "outed" has been shown to be guilty, except for Pudge and the circumstantial evidence on him is pretty strong (he looks like he's lost about 50 lbs, since it seems he's off the steroids now).

# posted by Anonymous : July 30, 2024 2:43 PM

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