ALEX RODRIGUEZ FINALLY GETS HIS DAY IN COURT - ON TV's 60 MINUTES

ALEX RODRIGUEZ FINALLY GETS HIS DAY IN COURT -  ON TV's 60 MINUTES

Alex Rodriquez never did get the trial he probably
deserved. So, his case went before TV's 60 Minutes
Sunday night,  January 12.

Rodriquez has sued the Commissioner of baseball
calling his suspension of 211 games (later
reduced a still whopping 162) 'a witchhunt.'


When Selig is questioned by 60 Minutes whether Rodriquez
is being 'singled out' Selig simply replies
that Rodriquez'actions were 'beyond comprehension,'
without giving specifics.
Well, there certainly was no trial and
not a whole lot of justice as we could see it.


Now, mind you, we're not defending Rodriquez purported
use of PEDs, by any teams; in fact, we're vehemently against
their use , which we feel has been the ruination of baseball today.


It is our belief that Commissioner Selig,
who appears to be  a very nice man, personally, never
was able to control performance enhancing
drugs in baseball. The problem has gone on
probably as long as Selig has been commissioner -almost 
two decades-
and doesn't seem to have improved, though
he tells us that  he is now proud to have 
'the strictest drug policy in all major sports.'


As far as singling people out, others, such
as Barry Bonds, have tried to obstruct justice.
In fact Bonds was even convicted in his court
case NOT for using steroids but for OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE.
Others like Rafael Palmeiro lied under oath
during the Mitchell Hearings.
As for Rodriquez, guilty or not guilty as he
may be of steroid use there were no court hearings
of which we know.  If the man wants to appeal
that group (Biogenesis) conviction, he should be
allowed a fair trial.


With the commissioner's reign coming to an end
he no doubt wanted to finally put an end to
what has ruined baseball in the eyes of many,
including our own. He thought he could pick
on one man, Rodriquez, and scare off everyone else.
By so doing, Rodriquez has had to ratchet
up his case and say some of things that probably
should have been saved for the court room. What's 
had to come out in the media, instead, has probably
infuriated Selig, but it's his own fault for the willy nilly
way he has handled PEDs in baseball.


Sure, there's a good chance that Rodriquez
used steroids but just because he's the 'golden boy'
big name  of the 20 or so Florida lab cases, he shouldn't\
have been singled out with a stiffer penalty
(players normally get 50 games for one PED
infraction and 100 for two). 


Rodriquez, to our knowledge, has not been
personally convicted of PED usage. He was 
just one of many whose name was turned over by the Biogenesis
lab in Florida, after its owner , Tony Bosch,
was ratted on by a disgruntled employee. 
As Bosch feared for his life he came forward
to major league baseball.  There was no
court case for Bosch, either. He could be
lying for all we know. 


Selig has approached the whole matter in
a very unscientific manner. As the lawyer we 
believe him to be, he should know better,
innocence until proven guilty


And, as far as Selig being proud to have
the 'best drug testing' in baseball, there
wasn't a single PED conviction at the major league
lever this past season, to our knowledge. 
Don't tell us , Mr Selig , that the problem
is cleaned up, that nobody is still using.
Your most recently updated drug policy 
barely called for a single testing during
the regular season (2013) after testing
was only given during the preseason during
prior years - this after a decade and dozens
of PED convictions, including the Mitchell
report findings (At least the government
did a formal hearing, from which little
was done by MLB, thereafter, to change 
things , to our knowledge. What would stop
players from continuing to use PEDs -
especially the new designer, now undetectable
ones -  when they knew they were
unlikely to be tested more than once 
during the season-and normally with warning
(the latest testosterone drug can be out of
one's system and undetectable within hours)?



The main reason we make an issue of
the Rodriquez-Selig case is that it brings
to a head what's been going on for years,
mishandling of drugs in baseball to the
ruination of the game. Sure, some newer
fans, especially, have only grown up to
see baseball played one way, on steroids.
But many of us vintage fans remember when
the Golden Era of baseball when games were
played on a level playing field.  Living 
in the Bay Area and having to see an otherwise mediocre San 
Francisco Giants team, sans PEDS,
 steal two World Series in three years
with THREE CONVICTED PLAYERS doing enough
on their own to put the Giants over the top has been difficult.
(At least we had a team across the Bay, in Oakland, with only
one KNOWN user.)


ALEX RODRIGUEZ  GETS HIS TRIAL ON TV's 60 MINUTES

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

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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 


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