Thankfully it didn't hit the Cubs, but the dozen suspensions handed out by MLB on Monday serve as yet another prominent reminder of baseball's failure to properly address the use of performance-enhancing substances.
As long as there are lists of banned substances, there will be incentive to develop new ones and incentive for players to use them until they're added to the list, which could take years. It may take another work stoppage in order to set a drastically different policy, but MLB needs to address the issue from a different angle.
The real issue should be controlling who can provide treatment, medical services or supplements to major league baseball players. There's too much money changing hands, not to mention the integrity of the game, to leave things up to chance. We're talking about jocks with egos here. There may be a few Stanford men in the mix, but with 1,200 guys on 40-man rosters, some of whom signed their first contracts at age 16 or 17, there are bound to be a few meatheads who would have trouble outwitting a glazed doughnut.
The simplest solution, and the most effective, would be for all players' health care to come from MLB except for emergency services. Go ahead and provide insurance for players' families with the doctors of their choice, but if you're on a 40-man roster, every doctor you see, every specialist, every nutritionist, every trainer, should be either a full-time employee of your team or the league or a licensed partner of MLB. Every prescription, every supplement, every over-the-counter pill, every vitamin, should come from one of those sources.
That provides a chain of liability where the only questionable link is the player himself. Then if he get a test that comes back funny and there's no logical explanation based on the medical reports his team provides, which should include everything that's gone into his body except food and drinks, he has an appointment with the commissioner. The substance that caused it is irrelevant. He violated policy by using an unauthorized source.
And if they really want to be serious about enforcement, give the teams incentive to keep a closer watch on their players. Don't let the team fill the roster spot of a player serving a medical suspension. You might have enough TV-contract money to eat some salary on a guy with one strike if he gets popped again, but are you willing to be a man down for 100 games? If you're a player, are you going to take that risk knowing your shot at a nine-figure deal with a perennial contender, or maybe any contract at all, might go right out the window? For a lot more players, the answer would be no.
On the other hand, not all drugs enhance performance or are illegal. Plenty of players smoke tobacco and/or drink alcohol, which are legal and, while frowned upon, are accepted by baseball. Two major league teams play where cannabis is legal for recreational use and that number could grow, but baseball really has no business cracking down on it. Blowing a little weed doesn't compare to using steroids or human growth hormone, or to other recreational drugs like cocaine or amphetamines. It's not going to improve reaction time or make it easier to hit or catch small, fast-moving objects, and players know that.
But if baseball wants to eliminate cases like former Bears quarterback Jim Miller testing positive and claiming it was because his regular supplement was out of stock at GNC and he bought something else because it was on sale, it needs to eliminate sources of innocent mistakes. And if they want to sidestep the expenses of providing supplements and nutrients themselves, license out the logo to approved products. Team nutritionists' offices get stocked as part of the deal and the league gets some fat checks on the side. That way, if some high-schooler or college kid sees that logo on the side of a bottle, he'll know he can take it without the risk of a career-altering failed test right after signing his first pro contract. Or some 40-year-old weekend warrior can take it, knowing that logo bears a higher standard than a product that at best has a disclaimer distancing it from the USDA.
In simpler terms, think about disciplining a misbehaving child. You don't tell Junior he can't go to his friend's house, the park, the playground, the mall, the zoo, the ice cream parlor, the beach, the baseball card shop, the comic book shop, and so on, that only leaves a world of possibilities you've left off the list. You tell him he can't leave the house or there'll be hell to pay.
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Necessary post on Junior Lake
Junior Lake's had a pretty impressive first week in the majors.
Obviously he's not going to continue to bat .545 for the rest of his career, and back-to-back games with home runs won't continue to be expected on a weekly basis, but I've already found a lot to like about this kid. He's hit safely in all five games, with a pair of three-hit games and a four-hit game already under his belt.
Start with his debut last Friday. He roped the first pitch he saw down the line in left for a double and stole third on the next pitch. Monday night, he bunted for a single, followed that up with a home run, and followed that up with another bunt single.
I may have seen guys bunt for a hit and homer in the same game, but in 30+ years, I don't recall ever seeing anyone sandwich a home run between a pair of bunt singles. And better yet, one bunt was to the right side and the other was to the left. I played a little third base in my day, and that's a dangerous combination to try to defend. Play him in and he can smoke one past you for extra bases. Play back and you risk him dropping one down in front of you. As long as he can make contact, that can keep him out of extended hitting slumps. As the saying goes, "speed doesn't slump". He has power and speed, and he's actually demonstrated the ability to use them both.
But what I like the most so far is that he was expected to have a cup of coffee as an injury fill-in and go back to Triple-A after a week, and he forced the Cubs' hand to keep him with the parent club as the leadoff man. For a 23-year-old - three days younger than Starlin Castro - who was expected to maybe be a September callup, that's a very encouraging sign.
The next question is where he'll play. He's played only eleven games in pro ball as an outfielder, six in right at Iowa and now five with the Cubs in center, and made two errors. There's a learning curve involved in going from the infield to the outfield if you've never played there before, from positioning to routes to where to throw, and his defensive numbers don't favor a return to the infield to bump either Castro or Darwin Barney or jump in and split time with Luis Valbuena and Cody Ransom, who have produced a surprising amount of power this season at third.
We'll be seeing more prospects moved away from their natural positions over the next few seasons as infielders like Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Mike Olt, Dan Vogelbach and hopefully others force promotions up through the system, but for the time being at least, Lake's bat has to stay in the lineup.
Good for you, Junior. I'm anxious to see how you pan out once you and the league know each other better. Keep them on their toes and you'll be around for a long time.
Obviously he's not going to continue to bat .545 for the rest of his career, and back-to-back games with home runs won't continue to be expected on a weekly basis, but I've already found a lot to like about this kid. He's hit safely in all five games, with a pair of three-hit games and a four-hit game already under his belt.
Start with his debut last Friday. He roped the first pitch he saw down the line in left for a double and stole third on the next pitch. Monday night, he bunted for a single, followed that up with a home run, and followed that up with another bunt single.
I may have seen guys bunt for a hit and homer in the same game, but in 30+ years, I don't recall ever seeing anyone sandwich a home run between a pair of bunt singles. And better yet, one bunt was to the right side and the other was to the left. I played a little third base in my day, and that's a dangerous combination to try to defend. Play him in and he can smoke one past you for extra bases. Play back and you risk him dropping one down in front of you. As long as he can make contact, that can keep him out of extended hitting slumps. As the saying goes, "speed doesn't slump". He has power and speed, and he's actually demonstrated the ability to use them both.
But what I like the most so far is that he was expected to have a cup of coffee as an injury fill-in and go back to Triple-A after a week, and he forced the Cubs' hand to keep him with the parent club as the leadoff man. For a 23-year-old - three days younger than Starlin Castro - who was expected to maybe be a September callup, that's a very encouraging sign.
The next question is where he'll play. He's played only eleven games in pro ball as an outfielder, six in right at Iowa and now five with the Cubs in center, and made two errors. There's a learning curve involved in going from the infield to the outfield if you've never played there before, from positioning to routes to where to throw, and his defensive numbers don't favor a return to the infield to bump either Castro or Darwin Barney or jump in and split time with Luis Valbuena and Cody Ransom, who have produced a surprising amount of power this season at third.
We'll be seeing more prospects moved away from their natural positions over the next few seasons as infielders like Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Mike Olt, Dan Vogelbach and hopefully others force promotions up through the system, but for the time being at least, Lake's bat has to stay in the lineup.
Good for you, Junior. I'm anxious to see how you pan out once you and the league know each other better. Keep them on their toes and you'll be around for a long time.
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Promise fulfilled, eventually
"You'll see all the parks in the other league", they promised us when interleague play was proposed.
Tonight, in the seventeenth season of interleague action, the Cubs will play their first-ever game in Oakland.
Tonight, in the seventeenth season of interleague action, the Cubs will play their first-ever game in Oakland.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Anthony Rizzo, one year later
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of Anthony Rizzo's debut with the Cubs. So how have things worked out for the guy they extended through 2019 with club options through 2021?
He's had his ups and downs, hot streaks and cold, but averaged out, the overall numbers look good. His day off last Wednesday was his first of the year, and with one day off last season after his callup, he's played exactly 162 games going into today's action. A nice, "round" number in baseball terms.
So here are the totals: 622 at-bats, 84 runs, 169 hits, 37 doubles, 2 triples, 27 home runs, 94 RBIs, 60 walks, 8 stolen bases in 13 attempts with a slash line of .272/.342/.468 as a Cub. That's a lot of run production for a team that's struggled offensively.
His numbers are comparable to Prince Fielder's first full season with the Brewers, with slight upticks in runs scored, extra base hits and steals, and with four fewer errors and 13 more RBIs. Fielder had a couple of spike years in terms of home runs and RBIs, and quickly learned to draw a lot of walks - as has Rizzo in the past month, with 18 through 22 games in June - but his career averages of 36 homers and 108 RBIs with 33 doubles, 91 runs scored and a .286 average don't seem at all out of the realm of possibility for Rizzo, and Fielder is signed to a nine-year deal worth $214 million.
Meanwhile, Yonder Alonso, the guy whom the Padres thought made Rizzo expendable, has only 15 home runs, 91 RBIs and 69 runs scored for San Diego after more than 200 games.
So far, so good.
He's had his ups and downs, hot streaks and cold, but averaged out, the overall numbers look good. His day off last Wednesday was his first of the year, and with one day off last season after his callup, he's played exactly 162 games going into today's action. A nice, "round" number in baseball terms.
So here are the totals: 622 at-bats, 84 runs, 169 hits, 37 doubles, 2 triples, 27 home runs, 94 RBIs, 60 walks, 8 stolen bases in 13 attempts with a slash line of .272/.342/.468 as a Cub. That's a lot of run production for a team that's struggled offensively.
His numbers are comparable to Prince Fielder's first full season with the Brewers, with slight upticks in runs scored, extra base hits and steals, and with four fewer errors and 13 more RBIs. Fielder had a couple of spike years in terms of home runs and RBIs, and quickly learned to draw a lot of walks - as has Rizzo in the past month, with 18 through 22 games in June - but his career averages of 36 homers and 108 RBIs with 33 doubles, 91 runs scored and a .286 average don't seem at all out of the realm of possibility for Rizzo, and Fielder is signed to a nine-year deal worth $214 million.
Meanwhile, Yonder Alonso, the guy whom the Padres thought made Rizzo expendable, has only 15 home runs, 91 RBIs and 69 runs scored for San Diego after more than 200 games.
So far, so good.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Marmol, Stewart say goodbye
The Cubs designated Carlos Marmol for assignment today, marking an end of the longest tenure in the organization. Marmol was signed in 1999 as a catcher/outfielder and was converted to a pitcher beginning in 2002.
The Cubs tried to fix what wasn't broken in Marmol, turning an all-star setup man into a shaky closer, and he never really recovered. I'm confident he'll turn things around, though once you lose the fans in Chicago, winning them back is no simple task, so it's best for both parties that he do it elsewhere.
He leaves with a career ERA of 3.50, with high totals in strikeouts and walks but holding opponents to a .185 batting average and .301 slugging percentage over eight seasons. Like Mariano Rivera, the numbers are inflated by a few starts early in his career. As a reliever, despite the rocky outings that punched his ticket out of town, he had an ERA of 3.15 while batters hit .176 and slugged .273 against him. Not too shabby.
Former Astros outfielder Brian Bogusevic got the call to fill Marmol's roster spot after batting .319 with 10 homers at Iowa. Despite the numbers, I don't see a major role for him unless the Cubs are looking to move an outfielder. Even with David DeJesus on the DL with a separated shoulder, his addition gives the North Siders six outfielders on the active roster. That's a lot of outfielders when none of them can fill in at first or third.
I was less disappointed to read that Ian Stewart was given his unconditional release. Stewart wasn't expected to fill the shoes of Aramis Ramirez at third, but Tyler Colvin wasn't going to turn things around with the Cubs and D.J. LeMahieu wasn't slated to be a starter anyway. I can't blame the Cubs for rolling the dice with Stewart even if it just didn't work out. He didn't win a roster spot out of spring training and was batting .168 at Iowa after hitting .201 last season.
So who's next? I keep hearing Scott Feldman's name in trade rumors, and I'd rather see them extend his one-year deal than send him packing. I'd rather see Matt Garza go if they have to deal a starter. There's no question of Garza's stuff or his makeup, or his trade value and potential upside for that matter, but if the Cubs' chances rely on him getting 32 starts a year, that's a big risk.
Meanwhile, based on the big names in the farm system, I don't see any outfielders on the active roster whom I consider part of the big picture. Nate Schierholtz is having the best season of his career, and that could bring a basket of goodies from the right team. Maybe with one-plus seasons left on his deal, this is the year somebody takes a chance on Alfonso Soriano.
In any case, changes are coming.
The Cubs tried to fix what wasn't broken in Marmol, turning an all-star setup man into a shaky closer, and he never really recovered. I'm confident he'll turn things around, though once you lose the fans in Chicago, winning them back is no simple task, so it's best for both parties that he do it elsewhere.
He leaves with a career ERA of 3.50, with high totals in strikeouts and walks but holding opponents to a .185 batting average and .301 slugging percentage over eight seasons. Like Mariano Rivera, the numbers are inflated by a few starts early in his career. As a reliever, despite the rocky outings that punched his ticket out of town, he had an ERA of 3.15 while batters hit .176 and slugged .273 against him. Not too shabby.
Former Astros outfielder Brian Bogusevic got the call to fill Marmol's roster spot after batting .319 with 10 homers at Iowa. Despite the numbers, I don't see a major role for him unless the Cubs are looking to move an outfielder. Even with David DeJesus on the DL with a separated shoulder, his addition gives the North Siders six outfielders on the active roster. That's a lot of outfielders when none of them can fill in at first or third.
I was less disappointed to read that Ian Stewart was given his unconditional release. Stewart wasn't expected to fill the shoes of Aramis Ramirez at third, but Tyler Colvin wasn't going to turn things around with the Cubs and D.J. LeMahieu wasn't slated to be a starter anyway. I can't blame the Cubs for rolling the dice with Stewart even if it just didn't work out. He didn't win a roster spot out of spring training and was batting .168 at Iowa after hitting .201 last season.
So who's next? I keep hearing Scott Feldman's name in trade rumors, and I'd rather see them extend his one-year deal than send him packing. I'd rather see Matt Garza go if they have to deal a starter. There's no question of Garza's stuff or his makeup, or his trade value and potential upside for that matter, but if the Cubs' chances rely on him getting 32 starts a year, that's a big risk.
Meanwhile, based on the big names in the farm system, I don't see any outfielders on the active roster whom I consider part of the big picture. Nate Schierholtz is having the best season of his career, and that could bring a basket of goodies from the right team. Maybe with one-plus seasons left on his deal, this is the year somebody takes a chance on Alfonso Soriano.
In any case, changes are coming.
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