Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Braun Suspension Window Dressing - Baseball Drug Testing Not Improved - Nobody's Been Caught This Year








We're still not clear if #Ryan Braun is being suspended for this year or last year. As far as we know,baseball's still weak drug testing has even suspended anyone this year after only a handful were suspended last year.   We see the Braun suspension as more of a political play by Selig and Co to try to scare other players by suspending one of the biggest names for something he did LAST YEAR! Old news. Get the many culprits still out there cheating and ruining the game! Two of the last three World Series winners got there through because of PEDs.
There are a number of players who have been suspended and come back with no scorn, such as  Bartolo Colon, who is doing as well as ever. Not sure that lots of fans  really care about PEDs... though many do like us.
Even though good 'ol #Bud  Selig and others think they're cleaning up the PED mess, testing has   hardly changed, as we explain here @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio.blogspot.com with probably as many players still using PEDs as last year. One must look to telltale signs beyond beyond just homeruns as we explain.
Selig, who we like as a person, is nearing retirement and certainly wants to go out on a positive note. Braun and Biogenesis is old news... What's being done about rampant PED use this year?
There are many more players out there who aren't being caught due to ineffective drug testing as per none other than #Victor Conte, in our opinion...http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio.blogspot.com/

Commissioner of Baseball, #Bud Selig did a number of interviews during the All Star break, including appearing on Late Night with David Letterman. He expressed is pleasure in how , in his opinion, how improved #drug testing  has been cleaned up  baseball 'more than ever' and how attendance has been up, except this year, due to a lot of 'rainouts,' according to Selig



We counter this by asking Mr Selig, 'How many players were caught this year? '
Zero is the answer


Mr Selig, we like you . Youre an old school guy like us and want to see baseball cleaned up but
We don't think  testing has improved . Last year at least you nabbed four  or maybe seven including a few marginal/minor league players. And we know there are still plenty of users especially with the new synthetic testosterone which can be out of one's system in hours .  Nothing has changed about this with your drug testing. Yes, you test for HGH now, but your tests still are not fool proof as even #Victor Conte explained to us earlier this year (which can be found in these pages)where players can have testosterone out of their system within hours - and usually players are given ample notice prior to testing.


And just how many tests have been done this year? Maybe one? None.  Haven't heard of any or anyone getting caught. You and the players union agreed on a minimum of only one mid-season test, which is the only real change, along with the HGH test, in the past few years. 


You say you've tested players over and over - primarily in the minor leagues
yet nobody's been caught - not surprising as  the drug tests have not improved, other than
the addition of the HGH test. You say the owners are not to be blamed , despite teams like the
Giants, who seem to repeat the same 'mistakes' over and over (four  players caught and suspended in three years - Cabrera, Mota twice, Guillen ) which enabled them   to go to the World Series. Without those players the Giants would  not have even made it to the Series.


We have outlined how certain players on one team in particular have continued to play  over their career numbers - and this for several well beyond their prime having had career years last year, ie Scutaro, Sandoval, Blanco, Pagan, Vogelsong, Castilla, Mijares. Yes, we're talking about the San Francisco Giants here, who have been leaders in the field of PEDs, in our opinion. Certainly many other teams are implicit as well.  The Giants are down now but think where they might be without a little help from their 'friends.'


Last year Melky Cabrera single handedly made the difference in bringing the Giants to the World Series. Scutaro,  a mid season acquistion ,  picked up where Cabrera left off, post suspension,. with a unlikely .350 average since coming to the Giants (after never hitting over .299). That's but one example. You can see more examples elsewhere in these pages. (Our main site was inexplicably removed by Google/? earlier in the year and this one may, too, soon, so read it while you can). At least four other Giants have suddenly been hitting    30 points or more above their career averages or pitching well under their career ERAs. 


We are pointing all this out to help you, Mr. Selig. The numbers are there. We know it's hard dealing with the Baseball Players Union but we must 'tell  it like it is,' as Howard Cosell liked to say. All the research is
available on the internet. Just look at pitcher FX velocity and other stats and hitters higher averages and
lower strikeout totals, indicative of PED usage - as compared to previous seasons  and career numbers.


Attendance in baseball HAS been up in recent years as there's more population in the country and   the many new ballparks are  magnets for attendance  the first few years plus a new era  of promotion and extraneous peripheral activities and free tickets given away.  Just because homeruns aren't up as in the Bonds era, things are different now. Look at Melky Cabrera, for example.  Low homerun numbers but high average and RBIs.  Different PEDs and emphasis today. It's no longer as much about homeruns as hand-eye coordination and not striking out . With more balls in play there will be more hits.


So, you're an old school guy, Mr. Selig. Good, so our we, though we have adapted to email and use of the computer, which we find critical in doing our research. A little worried when we read that people in important places, like yourself, and Homeland Security Chief Napolitano don't use email.  http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-16/mlb-s-bud-selig-proudly-joins-the-executive-no-email-crowd Hope we've been of some help in your efforts to stamp our drugs in baseball. That's why we write this 


Pick One:


Like this if you agree with above:



Sunday, July 14, 2013

How Did 4.26 ERA Little Timmy Lincecum Possibly Pitch a 148 Pitch No Hitter for the Giants?


The will of the person to succeed is strong, but sometimes the body is not as strong, and a little boost is all they need to get to the top. Perhaps this is a struggling person, who is looking for some sort of big breakthrough to live out his dream and take care of his family, is he evil if he were to give in to temptation that are performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? - Jay Nault, from 'Train Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: The Many Effects of PEDs in Baseball, NETWORKS, Cornell University
Lincecum says he wasn't tired after 148 pitches

Sorry but something, again, doesn't smell right with the #San Francisco Giants. As in the past,after a bad streak, the #Giànts suddenly and magically get better. The team starts hitting , the pitchers pitching - and now a #no hitter from #Tim Lincecum, his first, on an astounding 148 pitches! This from a little guy who couldn't normally get past the sixth inning. When was his last complete game? And he says he wasn't even tired after this historic game, the first no hitter ever pitched in San Diego Petco Park on this July 14.

Sure you can say the Padres are a patsy and have lost 14 of 15, but these were all on the road except for the three latest with the Giànts- and San Diego had most of its injured regulars back in the lineup . And it's  middle lineup has a .300 lifetime average against Lincecum. Sure the Giànts get a lot of fans in San Diego but that's still not a home field advantage. Even Hunter Pence, cold as ice the past three weeks had five RBIs and Sandoval is suddenly hitting. No doubt Tim Lincecum, who's never been adverse to using artificial stimulants, was pissed off at their losing streak, along with his fellow Giants, as well as recently being no hit themselves, so Tim probably got in his head that  he could throw a no hitter himself, whatever it takes, even   in a season where he has a   4.26 ERA and  not even  complete game or much  more than 100 pitches pitched.


And it's very interesting that this no hitter occurred on a day then Giants latest  acquisition, Jeff  Franquer came in from - you guessed it- Kansas City. Kansas City has long been #Brian Sabean's favorite team (almost the exclusive team) with which he deals. Virtually every new player in recent years has come to the Giants by way of or thru  KC. One-fifth - 11 - of all player suspensions since 2005 are   Venezuelans (Wikipaedia)    - and these  are   players who've been having career years as soon as coming to Giànts, namely Blanco, Mijares, Machi and, especially Scutaro, who has hit well over .300 since coming to Giànts and has cut his strikeouts in half, even whole being injured. Scutaro is 37 and never hit above .299 even in his prime until meeting up with his countrymen like Cabrera , before he was suspended from the Giants. Sandoval went on an amazing streak the end of last year with seven - many massive - homers the last few weeks after Scutaro , Mijares and Blamvo and Mijares came along . Even shortstop Crawford started hitting well above his average after Scutaro joined the team and playing next to him.  Scutaro.  Sandoval, along with Pagan, Casia and others ,while maybe not ALL coming over from KC have perhaps benefited from their new friends.

Much like Bonds and friends a decade ago, and still under Sabean's watch, it all seems very incestuous . Remember  Bonds years where guys like Aurilea, Williams, Alfonzo and Santangelo, Santiago, Estrella and Bernard all benefitted - and were later indicted (not suspended)  in the Michell report- for what was their  likely association with Bonds. I even recall an interview -which most forget or never heard when it didn't mean much - with Bonds back   around 2002,  when he promised to pass on his 'secrets' of his new found success to fellow players. Wish  I could find that tape.


And now, it's almost like Francoeur brings SOMETHING to  the team - literally- and they're off and running again ala 2010 and 2012  .  Hopefully, we're wrong about this - and Francoeur isn't from Venezuela - but why would the Sabean sign a guy who hit only .208 last year and .235 the year before to the World Champion Giants unless he had some ulterior motives up his sleeve, ie  Remember the Giànts were just treading water around .500 and the Guillen came over with his 'package' and the Giànts had their best month before MLB comvinced the Giants to keep the once convicted Guillen off the playoff  team. But by now seemingly everyone was benefiting from Guillen!s likely gifts . There was Ross hitting his eight homers and guys like Uribe  and Renteria suddenly becoming world beaters.  suddenly the pitching staff got hotter. In 2012 the pattern was the same when Mijares and Scutaro came in mid season , the  latter to hit over .350 , which suddenly triggered Sandoval and the Giànts
to have their best month in September.


And now just when the  Giants are having their worst streak in years they suddenly and magically bounce back again. Whether Francoeur really had anything to do with it is questionable but by now the Giànts have become    infested  with PEDs, after a decade of deceit, just  like   #Victor  Conte  warned  us - in this permissive era where 'new ' MLB drug testing hasn't busted a single player this year after only busting two Giànts , one Athletic and one other  last year.


Then Giants won their two World Series in three years with virtually two completely different teams but lots of ex -KC / Venezuelan players and the same system of bringing in 'infected' players of questionable backgrounds, Pitcher #Chad Gaudin is just the latest such example - and besides his newsworthy 'hospital visit'  suddenly pitching way below his lifetime 4.0+ ERA.   It will be interesting to see if Sabean can dig up any more 'Gaudins' or  Scutaros  Watch your eye on Francouer and if he improves on that .225 average of the past two seasons at Kansas City. .But perhaps there's already enough ' juice' flowing in the Giants clubhouse.




Now, for the final 'Connect the dots....'  We didn't want to have to go into this, hoping things would get better and the Giants would finally clean up its PED act...but it's already been in the news yet few probably saw this just like the implicating interview with Bonds back in 2002. We report this  just to hammer home with all the evidence  of unfair play, lest people continue to pass off the Giants as  legit. Here it is:



 A now retired Giant recently interviewed by the Salt Lake  Times told how he was encouraged by a Coach in the Giànts minor league system to use PEDs to help his flagging career.  This was no doubt an isolated incident , especially after what we've seen  ane the type of players the Giànts have brought in. o have a player , albeit ex Giant , actually admit to this is very telling. What more  do we need to connect the final dots. Baseball has devolved and San Francisco is the epicenter of devolution. If you really enjoy this type of baseball its a sad day for all concerned, at least for us fans who grew up with and remember the 'Golden Era' of baseball and the Mays and McCoveys when we didn't have to try to figure out who was or who wasn't taking #PEDs. We thought there was still hope but  it doesnt look like the 'Win at all costs' Giànts are going to go anything about it. Afterall, they've been at their shenanigans for so long, and the folks in liberal San Francisco, or the MLB powers aren't doing anything about it. Certainly Larry Baer  doesn't want to break  that consecutive  sellout  streak... which might have been in jeopardy after these past few weeks . (In fact I noticed large blocks of empty seats but the Giants have continued to calling all the games 'sellouts.') It will take  a move now from above now , it would appear,, ie the commissioner, which may be a long shot. It's been over 10 years and ,yes, we believe , in our opinion #PEDs are now as rampant as ever on the Giànts.  So, stand up  local sportswriters or just keep living the lie you   know and saw manifest  itself again in Lincecums unlikely 148 pitch no hitter.*


*Last guys to pitch no hitters with lose to this many pitches blew out there arms, one being Johann Santana with 136 pitches. Perhaps the onc e fragile Lincecum is now bionic and the giants untouchable.

How Did Little Timmy Possibly Pitch a 148 Pitch No Hitter for the Giants

Friday, July 12, 2013

San Francisco Giants' 'Win Now' philosophy Comes Back To Bite, Goudin No Surprise


Kids from my generation were taught to 'save for the future,'  but that philosophy  no longer seems apt today whether it be   government budgeting or a baseball team like the Giants stocking their minor leagues for the future.  



The San Francisco Giants'  'live for today' philosophy has come back to bite them.


With the return of former Giants 1st round draft pick now playing for Mets-the result of the Giants trade for Carlos Beltran in 2011 -   virtually giving away Zack Wheeler  and similar deals have not only depleated the Giants' minor league talent but the major league team has worn out its welcome, now having lost 16 of its last 20 games and vying with San Diego for last place.  Only one of two big names GM Sabean has recently signed, Carlos Beltran, was  of little help to the Giants drive towards a pennant in 2011 and he's gone now while the Giants lost that top prospect in Wheeler, who could be a much needed starter today for the Giants.  The Giants have nothing to show for the loss of Wheeler, now.  



In fact, Beltran was one of only two bonifide stars the Giants acquired in recent years and the other, Melky Cabrera , was bounced for drug  use after leading the Giants  to the playoffs despite being out the second half of season. His replacement, in effect, Marcos Scutaro, a friend and fellow countryman from Venezuela, continued Cabreras ' unlikely .350 average
after only hitting .260 first half of season at Colorado -this for a 37 year old who had never hit over .299 ; he also cut his strikeouts in half after coming to the Giants. Yes, we ARE  inferring that Scutaro was getting 'help', in our opinion,  ala Cabrera - and likely others on the Giants- as chronicled in these pages ant others that were inexplicably removed from the Internet.
Looking back at the World Series years it is very unusual to see a team go all the way with journeymen players in their twilight years brought in who suddenly hit 30-50 points above their career averages -and some with power. Remember Huff. Burl, Ross ,Renteria, Uribe, Guillen and Mota- the latter two also let go for drug use with the Giants - AND BEFORE!



The Giants had three players busted during their World Series years which makes one wonder how many more have gotten away with PED use in this permissive era with lax drug testing.
Only four players were busted last year in the majors- two of them on the Giants - for being what  Balco and PED expert, Victor Conte, calleld 'dumb and dumber' to get caught (the new designer testosterone can be gone from one's system in hours). The Giants  had no problem bringing back Mota twice and were leaning to bring back Cabrera but for negative reaction to his   'Internet' excuse for his PEDs and running out on fellow players without saying goodbye.  All above mentioned players either retired or had major  drop offs with other teams after leaving the Giants .    Start connecting the dots, er, PEDs...


The 2012 Giants basically pulled off the same stunt with an almost completely different cast of characters.   Again,  journeymen  cast-offs were brought in and had unlikely career years  -   Scutaro, Pagan,  Blanco,    Mijares- all new 'culprits'  since 2010 . Pure coincidence?  Don't think so. Only Sandoval was a holdover, among the hitters playing over their career numbers.


Other items rankle us.. .. We listen to all the major league announcers and must say Giants announcers , accross the board, are the most self serving 'homers' of all. They are constantly questioning umpire calls -  of course ,usually those   that go against the Giants. They are hired by the Giants, and obviously are part of the 'Giants defense team'  that don't dare talk against the home boys. And we wonder how much longer  we  will continue  to be told of more consecutive 'sellouts '  even as we notice  large  blocks of empty seats , more and more,  along with  stepped up advertising, half price and promo tickets.  Then there've been  the Giants ballot stuffing All Star campaigns that put undeserving players in the All Star game last year  and including effort to put   a .270 hitting Pence into the All Star game this year.


We were  really  beginning to think that the Kansas City Royals were the Giants  AAA minor league team where  Sabean and co.  would bring up  former marginal players  turned 'sluggers' from this  'Melky school'  - and wouldn't have been surprised to see another World Series this year with  such machinations (but now it  looks like the pool of  K. C.  and  Venezuelan 'talent' may have dried up. But wait . Flash. True to form,   the Giants  just picked up Jeff Franquer , a  .260 hitter from KC.   Watch him suddenly hit .290 or better with the Giants..


We hate to think where the Giants would be this year without the PEDs, in our blunt, researched opinion . (Yes, we have the numbers, even if they were taken down along with our website.)  Giants got away with two World Series , already, without nary a superstar (one questionable one for half a season before being busted) - and  two almost completely different lineups. With their 'farm teams' in KC and Venezuela drying up , things appear to have  finally caught up with Sabean and the Giants. (Sabean has had a reputation in baseball of not responding to other teams and only dealing with a few favorites, like Kansas City; he rarely makes moves during periods such as now. Of course, the team doesn't have much to offer anymore. Let's see what happens and, if he trades who it's with, eg Kansas City, Venezuela?.)



As for the latest Giants news , re. pitcher #Chad Goudin and his hospital brush with fame, it just goes with the territory (besides his sudden , elevated pitching velocity and success).  Besides Cabrera, there's a string of players we quickly forget, like Jose 'package in the mail' Guillen, who had enough game winning hits, alone, to let the Giants beat out San Diego by one game to make the playoffs in 2010. The Giants continue to bring in players with questionable backgrounds   - not all - but many like Cabrera, Mota, Guillen and now Goudin  - and those are only the ones who've been caught doing things of late...   And, this stuff isn't new. Remember , during the Bonds era going back to 2000 when  Sabean was hired -   it wasn't only Bonds but Santiago, Aurelia, Williams, Bernard, etc - over 20 indicted or associated #PED users (10 in Mitchell report, alone) , by far more than on any other team.  A simple screening of players' characters would seem a routine procedure but   that might upset the whole Giants'  scheme   and leave them with few players to draw from - and a losing team.  It's happening now, anyway.
Many are complicit today for rampant #PED use in the game, but team ownership and GMs who do the hiring and firing are most culpable , in our opinion. Many teams won't take on players with questionable pasts - but  that's   'low hanging fruit' for Sabean and the Giants. 


Even if  local sportswriters  turn a blind eye, it looks as though justice may finally win out after the Giants' decade - long run of deceit , in our  opinion. Maybe traditional, HONEST, baseball may have a chance again in the Bay Area for us old school fans (though Billy Beane and the A's are no angels,either, hiring guys like Colon and Ramirez). Sure, there are other players in the game using PEDs, but it's never been as widespread as with  the Giants, a team that has consistently gone out of its way to 'look the other way '  from Bonds to Cabrera, for over a decade.


We have some other damaging info, readily available to anyone on the internet or in the news,  where we acquire all of our information. We will hold   back on this for now hoping things will improve now but  it's VERY discomforting to us old time fans brought up on Mays, McCovey and baseball cards.  We write these words in hopes that things are finally changing back to more like they used to be,  pre PEDs . Perhaps there will be a silver lining to the Giants recent misfortunes - and everyone will benefit from  some 'housecleaning' , including the Giants.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

10 Years of Charmed Lies Finally Catching Up with Giants?

Walk off a hero sign with melky

Kids from my generation were taught to 'save for the future,'  but that philosophy  no longer seems apt today whether it be   government budgeting or a baseball team like the Giants stocking their minor leagues for the future.  


The San Francisco Giants'  'live for today' philosophy has come back to bite them.

With the return of former Giants 1st round draft pick now playing for Mets-the result of the Giants trade for Carlos Beltran in 2011 - Zack  Wheeler has made that trade and similar deals look bad for Giants .  Only one of two big names GM Sabean has gone after, Carlos Beltran, was  of little help to the Giants drive towards a pennant in 2011 but he's gone now  and the Giants lost the top prospect who could be a much needed starter today - and have nothing to show for the loss of Wheeler, now. This and similar deals have left their minor league resources in shambles.

In fact Beltran was one of only two bonifide stars the Giants acquired in recent years and the other, Melky Cabrera , was bounced for drug  use after leading the Giants  to the playoffs despite being out the second half of season. His replacement, in effect, Marcos Scutaro, a friend and fellow countryman from Venezuela, continued Cabreras ' unlikely .350 average
after only hitting .260 first half of season at Colorado -this for a 37 year old who had never hit over .299 ; he also cut his strikeouts in half after coming to the Giants. Yes, we ARE  inferring that Scutaro was getting 'help', in our opinion,  ala Cabrera - and likely others on the Giants- as chronicled in these pages ant others that were inexplicably removed from the Internet.
Looking back at the World Series years it is very unusual to see a team go all the way with journeymen players in their twilight years brought in who suddenly hit 30-50 points above their career averages -and some with power. Remember Huff. Burl, Ross ,Renteria, Uribe, Guillen and Mota- the latter two also let go for drug use with the Giants - AND BEFORE!

The Giants had three players busted during their World Series years which makes one wonder how many more have gotten away with PED use in this permissive era.
Only four players were busted last year - two of them on the Giants - for being what  Balco and PED expert, Victor Conte, calleld 'dumb and dumber' to get caught (the new designer testosterone can be out of one's system in hours). The Giants  had no problem bringing back Mota twice and were leaning to bring back Cabrera but for negative reaction to his   'Internet' excuse for his PEDs and running out on fellow players without saying goodbye.  All above mentioned players either retired or had major  drop offs with other teams after leaving the Giants .    Start connecting the dots, er, PEDs...

The 2012 Giants basically pulled off the same stunt with an almost completely different cast of characters.   Again,  journeymen  cast-offs were brought in and had unlikely career years  -   Scutaro, Pagan,  Blanco,    Mijares- all new 'culprits'  since 2010 . Pure coincidence?Not. Only Sandoval was a holdover, among the hitters playing over their career numbers.


Other items rankle us.. .. We listen to all the major league announcers and must say Giants announcers , accross the board, are the most self serving 'homers' of all. They are constantly questioning umpire calls -  of course ,usually those   that go against the Giants. They are hired by the Giants, and obviously are part of the 'Giants defense team'  that don't dare talk against the home boys. And we wonder how much longer  we  will continue  to be told of more consecutive 'sellouts '  even as we notice  large  blocks of empty seats , more and more along with  stepped up advertising, half price and promo tickets.  not to mention  the Giants ballot stuffing All Star campaigns including effort to put   a .270 hitting Pence into the All Star game.
 

I really was beginning to think that Kansas City Royals were the Giants  AAA minor league team where  Sabean and co.  would bring up  marginal players  from this  'Melky school'  - and wouldn't have been surprised to see another World Series this year with  such machinations but now it  looks like he may have run out of   K. C.  and  Venezuelan 'talent'. But wait . Flash. True to form, looks like the Giants  just picked up Jeff Franquer , a  .260 hitter from KC.   Watch him suddenly hit .290 or better with the Giants..


We hate to think where the Giants would be this year without the PEDs, in our blunt, researched opinion . (Yes, we have the numbers, even if they were taken down along with our website.)  They got away with two World Series , already, without nary a superstar - and  two almost completely different lineups - and it's finally caught up with them



As for the latest Giants news , re. pitcher Chad Goudin and his hospital brush with fame, it just goes with the territory (besides his sudden , elevated pitching velocity and success). The Giants continue to bring in players with questionable backgrounds   - not all - but many like Cabrera, Mota, Guillen and now Goudin  - and those are only the ones who've been caught doing things of late...   And, this stuff isn't new. Remember , during the Bonds era it wasn't only Bonds but Santiago, Aurelia, Williams, Bernard, etc - over 20 indicted or associated PED users (10 in Mitchell report, alone) , by far more than on any other team.  A simple screening of players' characters would seem a routine procedure but   that might upset the whole Giants'  scheme   and leave them with few players to draw from - and a losing team.

Even if  local sportswriters  turn a blind eye, it looks as though justice may finally win out after the Giants' decade - long run of deceipt , in our  opinion. Maybe traditional, HONEST, baseball may have a chance again for us old school fans. Sure, there are other players in the game using PEDs, but it's never been as widespread as with  the Giants, a team that has gone out of its way to 'look the other way '  from Bonds to Cabrera, for over a decade.

We have some other damaging info, readily available on the internet or in the news,, where we acquire all of our information. We will hold this back for now but  it's VERY uncomforting to us old time fans brought up on Mays and McCovey and chewing tobacco. 


san francisco giants, #Giants PEDs, sf giants, #PEDs, steroids, baseball PEDs, cheating in baseball, drugs in baseball, brian sabean