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Saturday, January 19, 2008

SF Gate: Jenkins: Don’t blame Sabean, situation was too far gone

A Little Touch of Gordon Jenkins’ Son in the Night.

In the wake of Clemens’ inclusion in the Mitchell Report, a noted baseball writer said we’ll “never look at him quite the same way.” What? That’s exactly how we always looked at him - at least around the Lounge. He was a psycho who couldn’t beat Dave Stewart, in a million years, and knew it. He lost his composure in an idiotic tirade against umpire Terry Cooney, getting himself tossed out of a crucial playoff game in Oakland. He once baffled manager Joe Morgan and his Red Sox teammates by angrily punching a wall with his pitching hand, nearly breaking it. He was completely out of his mind during the Mike Piazza incident during the World Series. Steroids? Not necessarily. But it was reasonable to assume he was always high on something ...

... No quarrel here with the A’s deals; they weren’t going to win anything if they brought back last year’s roster. Just remember that they lost five guys who epitomize the true spirit of baseball, and how it should be played: Mark Kotsay, Jason Kendall, Dan Haren, Marco Scutaro and Nick Swisher. They’ll need more than a few of their incoming prospects to fit that bill ...

Repoz Posted: January 19, 2008 at 12:02 AM | 16 comment(s)
Related News: General, History, NY Yankees, Oakland, San Francisco, Steroids

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1. Justin T Posted: January 19, 2008 at 12:13 AM (#2671662)

I've been on board with the A's maneuverings until now. An endorsement from Jenkins is enough to make one wonder.

EDIT: Now that I think about it, since the local media has been ripping the A's for not wanting to be the Pirates, I suppose Jenkins is just succumbing to his belief that he is smarter and cleverer than anyone else and thus taking the contrary position.

2. flournoy Posted: January 19, 2008 at 12:21 AM (#2671664)

What I take from the snippet is that last year the A's had at least five guys who "epitomize the true spirit of baseball, and how it should be played," and yet "weren’t going to win anything if they brought back last year’s roster."

3. Bhaakon Posted: January 19, 2008 at 12:26 AM (#2671667)

"The True Spirit of Baseball" is .500.

4. Johnny Clash Posted: January 19, 2008 at 01:24 AM (#2671677)

Somewhere, within the confines of every clubhouse, lurked at least one reliable source for steroids.

Evidence, Mr. Jenkins?

5. JMM Posted: January 19, 2008 at 04:19 AM (#2671691)

Somewhere, within the confines of every clubhouse, lurked at least one reliable source for steroids.

Evidence, Mr. Jenkins?

Are you actually going to argue that isn't the case?

6. Justin T Posted: January 19, 2008 at 08:47 AM (#2671708)

Depends on what you call a source, I suppose. Was LoDuca a source for Dodgers players because he could refer people to Radomski? If there was a person who could fill orders like Radomski in every clubhouse, why did guys go to him for shipments?

There might be very simple answers to that, I haven't kept my finger on the pulse of the issue, but that's how I see it.

7. Edmundo is Super Average Man

Posted: January 19, 2008 at 10:39 AM (#2671760)

true spirit of baseball

30 years from now, when Dan Haren is the marginal HOF candidate of the era, will bad analysts be trotting out that Dan Haren in his day had the "true spirit of baseball" and thus should be elected?

8. jwb Posted: January 19, 2008 at 10:50 AM (#2671768)

No, bad analysts don't even remember their own quotes (scroll down to Devin McCullen at #18) regarding borderline HOF candidates. Good analysts will look back for contemporary quotes, but will regard this one very lightly.

9. robinred

Posted: January 19, 2008 at 01:19 PM (#2671851)

He's the GM, for Christ's sake. If not him, then who?

Jenkins needs steroids on the Giants to be about Bonds, not about executives and systemic issues, although he does point the finger at New York teams after the Report. Plus, Sabean is probably nice to Jenkins and reasonably accessible, as well as being quotable.

10. Alberto Gilardinho Posted: January 19, 2008 at 02:06 PM (#2671884)

The biggest reason why Sabean should be accountable is that the head of his medical staff came to him, told him about what's going on and requested that people who were bringing steroids into the clubhouse should be let go. Sabean did not do anything despite this.

Every clubhouse had problems with steroids. Some problems were obvious and should have been addressed. However, if there is documented evidence that the head trainer is requesting the GM to rid the clubhouse of the drug dealers and the GM ignores that, how can anyone not hold the GM accountable? I don't care if the GM is from the Giants, Dodgers, Red Sox or Yankees... it's one thing to turn a blind eye, but this goes beyond that. And it's unbelievable that people can still defend that.

11. Craig Calcaterra Posted: January 19, 2008 at 02:11 PM (#2671887)

Sabean did not do anything despite this.

Worse (at least in terms of approach) was that he said "if you have a problem with it, medical staff, you should fix it." Then medical staff said "you got my back?" And Sabean made it clear that he did not.

Maybe that's a distinction without a difference, but I'd think better of him if he simply appeared to exercise control and failed to actually do so as opposed to just leave someone dangle like that.

12. Walt Davis Posted: January 19, 2008 at 03:15 PM (#2671904)

I'll go out on a limb and say that every clubhouse had a source for greenies.

For about the last 50 years.

Not that anyone noticed. :-)

13. David Nieporent (now, with child) Posted: January 19, 2008 at 03:17 PM (#2671905)

The biggest reason why Sabean should be accountable is that the head of his medical staff came to him, told him about what's going on and requested that people who were bringing steroids into the clubhouse should be let go. Sabean did not do anything despite this.

Every clubhouse had problems with steroids. Some problems were obvious and should have been addressed. However, if there is documented evidence that the head trainer is requesting the GM to rid the clubhouse of the drug dealers and the GM ignores that, how can anyone not hold the GM accountable? I don't care if the GM is from the Giants, Dodgers, Red Sox or Yankees... it's one thing to turn a blind eye, but this goes beyond that. And it's unbelievable that people can still defend that.

The problem is that this narrative simply isn't in the Mitchell Report. Re-read it. It was Stan Conte, not "the head of his medical staff," and (according to the report) he never mentioned steroids at the time. He just complained about Anderson's lack of credentials.

It was two years later that Conte told Sabean that he suspected Anderson was dealing steroids, and then Sabean asked him if he could verify this. Conte contacted a DEA friend, who checked into Anderson and said they didn't have any information about Anderson.

14. Runscreated Posted: January 19, 2008 at 05:07 PM (#2671971)

Doesn't Jenkin's article read with local bias? With Clemens, it was reasonable that he was high on something. With Bonds, he was the lifeblood of the team the man who guaranteed sellouts.
Come on Bruce, stick to tennis.

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

SF Gate: Jenkins: Don’t blame Sabean, situation was too far gone

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