Late to the Party, ESPN Steals My Article

Eight days ago after, A-Roid was exposed, I wrote an article (HERE) about baseball MVP's in the steroid era, and re-awarded many of them to the non-alleged-cheaters. Albert Pujols got four to add to his two, Moises Alou got one, Frank Thomas another, and so on.

Today, ESPN's Rick Reilly was given a front page article on their website - one that says the exact same things. Its in their magazine too. It proclaims him as being special for looking back and taking away those awards wrongfully given to those we now call cheaters (Bonds, Juan Gone, A-Rod, etc.). Hundreds of thousands of people are going to read this column, between the website and the magazine - hell maybe even a million or two. It'll probably get talked about on Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight and that thing they show in the daytime with pizza or whatever.

So kudos to you Rick Reilly and your massively heightened exposure, because without you I might not have gotten worked up and suddenly a quest to find you in a dark alley behind the seediest strip club in the most drug-riddled town in America - and smack you in the face.

Here's the link, Rick: http://www.dirtysouthsports.com/2009/02/dirty-stats-delves-into-mvp-voting-in.html

Here it is again: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/122301-dirty-stats-delves-into-mvp-voting-in-the-steroid-era

Written and published February 10, 2009. I'll take your article as a compliment to the strength of my ideas. Thank you.
Read Full Article!

Dirty Stats Delves into MVP Voting in the Steroid Era

Its our second edition of Dirty Stats and this week we tackle steroids. With all the talk swirling around A-Rod's allegations and subsequent confessions, I think its safe to say most people are going to write off that 2003 MVP award. The man admitted he was taking banned substances, and he was awarded for doing so. Shouldn't Carlos Delgado (MVP runner-up) be incredibly upset? Shouldn't we look back and say that the Blue Jays slugger (unless any new allegations come out) rightfully deserves the award? What about in the NL that year, when Barry Bonds topped Albert Pujols in the voting. Surely these runners-up have a case to make that they are the rightful MVP's of their league in 2003, right?

Let's look back at the steroid era as a whole (1995-2004), and see how different some players' Hall of Fame credentials might look if these awards were re-awarded.


National League Most Valuable Players
1995: Barry Larkin (CIN) 11 first place votes
He's clean. Moving on.

1996: Ken Caminiti (SD) 28 first place votes, unanimous
Caminiti admitted using, so lets give it to Mike Piazza, the runner-up with 0 first place votes, 36HR, 105RBI, .336AVG.
Re-Awarded to Mike Piazza (LAD)

1997: Larry Walker (COL) 22 first place votes
Walker is a very open advocate against steroids use in baseball, was inducted into Canada's Baseball Hall of Fame, and was the first Canadian to win the MVP. Too bad for Piazza, runner-up again.

1998: Sammy Sosa (CHC) 30 first place votes
Though never proven to be a user, the amount of speculation around Sosa, McGwire (runner-up) and the 1998 home-run chase is enough to bump them both off the list, giving Moises Alou the award: 3rd place, 0 first place votes, 38HR, 124RBI, .312 AVG.
Re-Awarded to Moises Alou (HOU)

1999: Chipper Jones (ATL) 29 first place votes
If he's not clean, then no one is. As far as baseball goes, at least.

2000: Jeff Kent (SF) 22 first place votes
Again we have a middle infielder winning the award, and its hard to believe Kent bested teammate Barry Bonds (49HR) in the voting, but Kent was as solid all-around as anyone that year. No steroids allegations or speculation though, again too bad for Piazza (finished 3rd behind Kent and Bonds).

2001-2004: Barry Bonds (SF)
Now this gets fun. Bonds won four straight MVPs to round out the steroid era, beginning with his monstrous 73HR season in 2001. He never hit more than 46HR after that, but he still took home the hardware and the all-time home-run record to boot. Clearly there's plenty of reason to knock these four (what about his other three?) awards off the mantle, so here's who we are left with:

In 2001 Bonds was followed by Sammy Sosa, Luis Gonzalez and Albert Pujols in the voting. Now let me say up front that Luis Gonzalez has never tested positive, despite multiple allegations of using. Let me also say that Gonzalez' 57 home runs that season was more than he hit in the following two seasons COMBINED. Something is clearly wrong here. I'm giving it to Pujols (4th place, 37HR, 130RBI, .329AVG, won Rookie of the Year) - although I'm sure people will come out accusing him soon enough, but until then...

Speaking of Pujols, he finished second in the MVP voting the following two seasons. But wait there's more! In 2004 the runner-up was Dodgers' third-baseman Adrian Beltre. Beltre's league-leading 48HR was 25 more than his previous season best (23HR in 2003 and he played in more games). Also it was a contract year, which won him a handsome multi-year deal with Seattle netting him $11-13M per season. He's averaged about 24HR and 88RBI in four years with the Mariners. Its the same speculative logic that knocked Luis Gonzalez off our 2001 list, so guess we'll have to move down the list to third place: Albert Pujols.

Effectively we've just awarded Albert Pujols four MVPs to go along with the trophies he won in 2005 and 2008. Six MVPs in eight major-league seasons ain't too shabby - unless any new allegations start to spring up...
Re-Awarded to Albert Pujols (STL), all four of them

Moving on to the American League, we now have a new man to knock off the list in Alex Rodriguez. Despite not having the notable names like Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire, there's a heck of a lot of reshuffling to be done here, almost every single year has to be re-examined.

American League Most Valuable Players
1995: Mo Vaughn (BOS) 12 first place votes
Vaughn popped up in the Mitchell Report, which we are hereby using as grounds for award redistribution. Runner-up Albert Belle may as well have been a juicer for how much people disliked him, but until anyone implicates or accuses him, enjoy the trophy: 2nd place, 11 1st place votes, 50HR, 126RBI, .317AVG.
Re-Awarded to Albert Belle (CLE)

1996: Juan Gonzalez (TEX) 11 first place votes
He's been implicated by a few people as to have a juicer, including being on Jose Canseco's list of 'people he personally injected'. A-Rod was the runner-up in his rookie season, and despite claiming he only used from 2001-2003, I don't believe he's earned our trust yet. So in third place is that sketchy Albert Belle character again, same logic applies - another trophy for Belle.
Re-Awarded to Albert Belle (CLE)

1997: Ken Griffey Jr. (SEA) 28 first place votes, unanimous
No way, no how this goes to anyone else.

1998: Juan Gonzalez (TEX) 21 first place votes
Juan Gone again. Moving down the list to 2nd place we have Nomar Garciaparra, who's horrific legacy of injuries and early deteroriation might lead the cynics to speculate that Nomar was using. I just say he's a heck of a ballplayer. Nomar was 2nd place with 5 first place votes, 35HR, 122RBI, .323AVG.
Re-Awarded to Nomar Garciaparra (BOS)

1999: Ivan Rodriguez (TEX) 7 first place votes
Pudge never tested positive and is likely immune from any steroid talk when the Hall of Fame voters examine his career. Nonetheless he was mentioned in Juiced (honestly, has Jose Canseco been wrong yet?) and in Game of Shadows and had quite a jump in his numbers this year, thus its enough speculation and uncertainty to move down the list to the runner-up: Pedro Martinez. Actually Pedro got more first place votes than Pudge, which tends to happen when you're the unanimous choice for the Cy Young, go 23-4 with a 2.07ERA and 313Ks. He may have been robbed anyway.
Re-Awarded to Pedro Martinez (BOS)

2000: Jason Giambi (OAK) 14 first place votes
He was caught, he admitted, etc. etc. The runner-up was Frank Thomas, a two-time winner already. Giambi edged The Big Hurt in the voting, who received 10 first place votes and totaled 43HR, 143RBI, .328AVG.
Re-Awarded to Frank Thomas (CHW)

2001: Ichiro (SEA) 11 first place votes
I think we can safely skip this year...

2002: Miguel Tejada (OAK) 21 first place votes
He was implicated by Canseco, Mitchell, and my word does Oakland have a tainted history of juicers. Yikes. A-Rod was the runner-up, and Alfonso Soriano finished third (the two were actually swapped in a blockbuster trade after the 2003 season). Soriano is a stud, and clean - give it to him: 3rd place, 2 first place votes, 39HR, 102RBI, .300AVG.
Re-Awarded to Alfonso Soriano (NYY)

2003: Alex Rodriguez (TEX) 6 first place votes
Finally we come back to what prompted the discussion, A-Rod's juicy MVP. As previously stated, Carlos Delgado was the runner-up this season despite driving in more runs and posting a higher batting average and OPS than A-Rod. Basically, he's earned it: 2nd place, 5 first place votes, 42HR, 145RBI, .302AVG.
Re-Awarded to Carlos Delgado (TOR)

So what are we left with? Instead of Barry Bonds dominating the era, it was Albert Pujols. Instead of Juan Gonzalez winning two MVP's that most people forgot about, it was Albert Belle. Pedro Martinez became the 19th pitcher in history to win the MVP. And Mike Piazza scratched his way to finally have something for the mantle. It all sounds great doesn't it? No asterix, no complicated debates over Hall of Fame credentials. These men played the game the right way, the clean way, and as such should not be punished for playing during an era destroyed by the poor decisions of few.

*In case you're wondering who would take Clemens' Cy Youngs...
1986: Teddy Higuera (MIL): 20-11, 2.79ERA, 207Ks
1987: Jimmy Key (TOR): 17-8, 2.76ERA, 161Ks
1991: Scott Erickson (MIN): 20-8, 3.18ERA, 108Ks
1997: Randy Johnson (SEA): 20-4, 2.28ERA, 291Ks
1998: Pedro Martinez (BOS): 19-7, 2.89ERA, 251Ks
2001: Mark Mulder (OAK): 21-8, 2.45ERA, 153Ks
2004: Randy Johnson (ARI): 16-14, 2.60ERA, 290Ks
It would be a shame for Randy Johnson if he didn't win 5 Cy Youngs on his own.
Read Full Article!

A-Rod Used Steroids in 2003, Another Legacy Tarnished?

UPDATE (2.09): A-Rod, speaking with Peter Gammons of ESPN, admitted that he used PEDs from 2001-2003 while with the Texas Rangers. He cited excuses like having enormous pressure after signing that $250M contract as well as being young, stupid, and very sorry.

Now THIS is a bad day for baseball. Alex Rodriguez, the game's best active player, reportedly tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003. The test came as part of a survey screening of all players so that if enough players tested positive, it would warrant the start of random/program drug testing beginning in 2004. All this means is that the results of those tests in 2003 were (1) not meant to be leaked to ANYONE and (2) there are no penalties associated with them. There's nothing MLB can do to punish A-Rod for this test.

So even though he was with the Rangers at the time (and in 2003 he won the AL MVP lets not forget), will the Yankees take it upon themselves to punish A-Rod in any way? Its doubtful, and is likely to washed over and forgotten by midseason. If A-Rod and the Yankees are smart, they'll keep their mouths shut, never bring this up, and go out there and win ballgames. Because one more thing was leaked - Rodriguez already knew he tested positive. Supposedly he was told he tested positive (as all 104 players from that survey were), and what's the first thing you're likely to do when you're caught - stop doing it. Its probably a safe bet that A-Rod got away from the stuff, especially by the time he landed in New York the following offseason. But these days, you never know. Everyone assumed he never took steroids at all, and that when he passes Barry Bonds' all-time home run record that once again the record would be untarnished. Well now what?


Is A-Rod's legacy ruined? Are Yankees fans going to erupt, calling for the head of the cheating 28 million-dollar man? Let's compare this situation to Roger Clemens - don't make things worse by blaming your wife, ending up in court, or making yourself look ridiculous. Either apologize or say nothing. Or compare to Jason Giambi - apologize vaguely, get off the stuff, rehab and start producing again. Andy Pettitte? Apologize directly, prove you never needed it. A-Rod can take a hint from his former teammates on the best way to handle this situation, but as we've seen with a number of players in the steroid era that all you need to tarnish a legacy is allegations and hearsay. And we definitely have that.

Also let's not forget the quotes of a couple of guys named Chipper Jones and Jose Canseco. In August of 2007 Chipper Jones told a newspaper that he thinks when A-Rod approaches the home run record, he'll have to answer to steroid allegations just like Barry Bonds. He cited Jose Canseco's list of allegations and how they had all turned out true. What did Canseco say about A-Rod? That he's a "hypocrite" and "was not all he appeared to be". Though he didnt' specifically accuse Rodriguez of anything, we all know what Jose meant. When asked flat out if Chipper thought A-Rod used steroids, he responded, "I'm going to reserve judgment. Let's put it that way." This made big headlines in New York, but none bigger than what we're seeing today.

At this point is anyone surprised when new names come up? When we find out that this player and that player used steroids at some point? Clearly it was something that was accepted among the players (as was lying about it), and only until it became a punishable offense in the league did anyone care about it. And as far as I can tell, the Mitchell Report, Bonds, A-Rod, none of this has hindered anyone's viewing or interest in baseball. Do you really think that A-Rod's extramarital affairs, divorce and steroids admission will do anything except spark greater interest in the freakshow that is the $28M Man?
Read Full Article!

Perjury, Bonds, Law, and the Court of Public Opinion

UPDATE: Alex Rodriguez was found to have tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2003, when he won the AL MVP with the Rangers. A-Rod apparently was informed about the results, along with the other 103 players who tested positive that year. The 'survey tests' of 2003 carry no punishment, as they were meant to help decide whether mandatory random testing would be necessary. Obviously they are. More on A-Rod HERE.

Big news yesterday. Court documents linking bond to steroid use have been unsealed by the federal court in San Francisco that is hearing Bonds' perjury case. To get you caught up, some years ago the government went after BALCO, the notorious steroid distributor for not only baseball but other sports as well. During the grand jury testimony, notable ballplayers were called to the stand. Among them were Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi.

Giambi seems to have told the truth during the grand jury and in the course of his public statements. Who can forget his 2007 comments, "I was wrong for doing that stuff," that set off a small firestorm in New York. But then the Mitchel report was released, and new names emerged. The likes of Andy Pettite and Roger Clemens, as well as Bonds, were squarely in focus. Meanwhile, the BALCO case continued, and it seemed more and more likely that Bonds did knowingly lie in his grand jury testimony.

Yesterday, the government's case was unsealed. There is sworn statements, recorded conversations, and most damning of all, positive drug tests. This may seem like the end for Barry, but let me propose this, physical evidence is good for both sides. Remember this is a perjury case. The government most prove byond reasonable doubt that Barry Bonds knowingly and wittingly lied under oath. Physical evidence is extremely daunting to overcome when presented in the court of public opinion, but in federal court, it can be attacked. Did Barry Bonds know that he tested positive? Maybe he never got the results of the test. Were the test compromised? Were they tainted? What was the chain of custody? All of these things can come into question.

No matter the trial, guilty or innocent, one thing is clear. Bonds definitely used steroids for his most productive years, knowingly or unknowingly. Even if the evidence is thrown out in court, it doesn't make it not true in the court of public opion. The question that interests me most is how will this effect Bonds' chances at the Hall? McGwire has had trouble and has fallen off the face of the earth. Sosa is due up soon, and we can't forget about Clemens. Will any of these people now be worthy of the Hall?

The voice I am waiting on is Bud Selig's, 18 million dollar Bud. At some point he needs to speak up. We need him to say it was wrong what happened, and that he feels personally responsible. But most importantly, there is one thing that Bud can do to make things right, fix the records. Aaron is the HR king at 755 and Marris is the single season champ at 61. Toss out Sosa's 60+ HR's seasons and McGwires as well. Get rid of bonds homers. Get rid of them all. Fix this mess, and bring closure to the worst scandal (yeah i said the worst) in baseball history. Steroids have fouled the game, cast doubt over a 20 year period, and it is time to finally put it all to rest.

It doesn't matter if Bonds is guilty by law, the public has decided. The entire baseball establishment was guilty, but now is our opportunity to make things right and move the game forward into the 21st century. All eyes are not on Bonds, they are on you, Bud Selig. It is time for you to talk, and it better be sooner rather then later.

Read Full Article!