BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Acorn: Dorman: So Manny reasons to cheer baseball’s non-cheaters

Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Acorn: Dorman: So Manny reasons to cheer baseball’s non-cheaters

Association of Community Organizations for Refills Now!

There are players who didn’t cheat Major League Baseball during its lie to our faces performance-enhancing drug era, and on this Fourth of July weekend we should take a minute to honor those brave ballplayers instead of hailing the return of a fake like Manny Ramirez.

...Second base: David Eckstein

The 2006 World Series MVP with St. Louis looks like your younger brother and has probably never shaved.

The guy’s career-high RBI total is 63 as a member of the 2002 Anaheim Angels, and he’s never hit more than eight roundtrippers in a season. Others have put up better numbers than Eckstein, but he’s the prototypical overachiever, and every team needs a guy like that.

On the bench: Chase Utley and Ryne Sandberg.

Center field: Willie McGee

Have you ever seen Willie McGee play? Is there any doubt that his 6-foot-1, 175-pound thin-as-a-rail frame was all natural?

This speedster was a National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985, a fourtime All-Star and two-time batting champ. Oh, and he hit a grand total of 30 home runs in the 1990s.

If McGee, who retired after the ‘99 season, was dirty, then everything we know about performance-enhancers must be a lie.

On the bench: Ken Griffey Jr. (only because McGee was less obvious).

Repoz Posted: July 02, 2009 at 03:15 AM | 14 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
Related News: General, History, Rumors, Steroids

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

Page 1 of 1 pages

1. Crashburn Alley Posted: July 02, 2009 at 03:44 AM (#3240006)

Let's say, for argument's sake, that the performanceenhancing drug era began around 1990, a nice, round number. That was, after all, the season Jose Canseco, Mark McGwire and the rest of the Oakland Athletic Bash Brothers made their third consecutive World Series appearance.

If a blogger wrote this, instead of what appears to be a "professional" journalist, this guy's head would have been ripped off by Ken Rosenthal.

That's ignoring the awful, inaccurate assumptions.

2. Athletic Supporter leads the nation in drifters Posted: July 02, 2009 at 05:01 AM (#3240033)

Acorn: Dorman: So Manny reasons to cheer baseball’s non-cheaters

I see what he did there.

3. Bitter Calculus Instructor Posted: July 02, 2009 at 05:26 AM (#3240038)

Manny's suspension is over.

4. JoeHova Posted: July 02, 2009 at 05:29 AM (#3240039)

I see what he did there.

I was going to say the exact same thing. Funny.

Also, I think I'm either Jason Kendall's #6,530,420,770 fan or Jason Kendall's #6,530,420,772 fan, depending on what you would do if you saw Jason on fire on the side of the road.

5. David Nieporent (now, with children) Posted: July 02, 2009 at 07:07 AM (#3240046)

I was going to say the exact same thing. Funny.

Me three, when I saw it in the sidebar.

6. Craig Calcaterra Posted: July 02, 2009 at 08:47 AM (#3240059)

Position by position, however, I'll take my chances with the following players and hope they don't eventually let us down by being named in a leaked steroid document somewhere, like so many other fanfavorites have already done

The Padres announced last night that Friday's game against Manny and the Dodgers is a sellout. Seems like nobody feels particularly "let down."

7. Rafael Bellylard: Built like a Molina Posted: July 02, 2009 at 09:51 AM (#3240065)

Where the letdown will happen is if Manny returns and hits 220/320/360 for the first month.

8. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: July 02, 2009 at 11:14 AM (#3240077)

if Manny returns and hits 220/320/360

Yes! All or nothing! A thousand knock-em-out baseball columns are depending on it!

If Manny bats .290 with pretty good power, baby Jesus' bitter tears will rain upon us.

9. Dunn Deal Posted: July 02, 2009 at 01:02 PM (#3240158)

Wait - Manny was suspended? When did this happen? Why wasn't I notified?

I also liked learning that only musclebound power lifters like McGwire use PEDs, and that speedsters like Willie McGee and Alex Sanchez are clean.

10. The Essex Snead Posted: July 02, 2009 at 01:08 PM (#3240164)

and that speedsters like Willie McGee and Alex Sanchez are clean.

You picked Sanchez because of his PED suspension, right? (I loved it when Sanchez came back after the suspension and started batting 3rd for Tampa Bay -- Lou Piniella knows what's what!)

11. Davo the Magnificent Posted: July 02, 2009 at 02:05 PM (#3240254)

I can prove that everyone on his Clean Team used steroids:

C: Craig Biggio. Used steroids because... He set a career high in homeruns at age 39.

1b: Albert Pujols. Used steroids because... He just joined Barry Bonds, Luis Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa as the only NL players with 30 homers by July 1st. You don't want to be on a list with them.

2b: David Eckstein. Used steroids because... He went bald young and got injured constantly.

3b: Chipper Jones. Used steroids because... Career-high OPS at age 36.

Ss: Ozzie Smith. Used steroids because... Career-high SLG% at age 41!

Lf: Rickey Henderson. Used steroids because.... Teammate of Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco and, at some point surely, every player on the Mitchell Report. Increased homerun total from 1 to 28.

Cf: Willie McGee. Used steroids because... Doubled his HR/PA total in 1994, the one year he was a teammate with Barry Bonds. Also, ugliest player of all-time.

RF: Tony Gwynn. Used steroids because... Like Barry Bonds, set a career high in homeruns at age 37. On pace to set new career-high at age 38 before injuries. Also, had a high-pitched voice.

12. Dunn Deal Posted: July 02, 2009 at 02:17 PM (#3240270)

You picked Sanchez because of his PED suspension, right?

Indeed I did. (Maybe I should have included Chris Truby also.)

I was just trying to point out that you can't simply look at someone and say "Nope, he didn't use PEDs!" Not that I'm really concerned with this witch hunt, but it irritates me that Willie McGee "HAS" to be clean because he's 6'1", 175lbs. Ryan Franklin is listed at 6'3", 165lbs.

13. tribefan Posted: July 02, 2009 at 02:18 PM (#3240272)

On the bench: Chase Utley

wait, so Myoplex Muscle Armor is cool but steroids aren't?

14. Davo the Magnificent Posted: July 02, 2009 at 02:21 PM (#3240277)

I was just trying to point out that you can't simply look at someone and say "Nope, he didn't use PEDs!" Not that I'm really concerned with this witch hunt, but it irritates me that Willie McGee "HAS" to be clean because he's 6'1", 175lbs. Ryan Franklin is listed at 6'3", 165lbs.

I would add to that ...Especially because the David Eckstein's and Willie McGee's of the world have much more to gain from steroid use than the Bonds's and McGwire's.

Page 1 of 1 pages

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

<< Back to main

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Acorn: Dorman: So Manny reasons to cheer baseball’s non-cheaters

Reader Comments and Retorts

Support BBTF

Bookmarks

Hot Topics