Kuzul

Alex Rodriguez can’t catch a break.

After the national media had a field day with him, many fans have attempted to get the best of the Yankees slugger as well.

According to Eric Randall of Boston Magazine, Boston Sports Club (a Boston-area gym) decided to get in on the action and take a shot at A-Rod with an ad on the front page of the Boston Herald.

The ad says, “Alex, losing $34 million? don’t miss our summer sale. Join today and keep that A-bod.”

The $34 million is in reference to the amount of money A-Rod will lose if he is suspended the full 211 games MLB suspended him for his role in the Biogenesis scandal.

While you do have to admire the gym’s love at bashing New Yorkers (as evidenced by their Anthony Weiner ads), this was a fail in my book.

It was a failed attempt at humor where they really missed the boat.

The gym could have hit upon the time off Rodriguez would have, and how they could keep him in shape without the aid of PEDs. Or their personal trainers can give customers a body they’ve always wanted without the aid of PEDs.

Randall thought it was a good ad, giving the club “extra points for the ‘A-bod’ pun.”

Of course, Bostonians love any time you can put down the Yankees or a player on the Yankees, so it was likely a hit in Boston.

In the end, advertisers know their market, and that’s what they aimed for in this ad.

The bottom line is, we’ll continue to see a lot more stories, ads, columns, etc., that bash Rodriguez. Until there is a final solution to this matter, Rodriguez will continue to be at the forefront of the national media.

And that’s just exactly what we wanted to see…right?

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Jacoby Ellsbury will no doubt be one of the top free agents available this offseason.

The Boston Red Sox outfielder is represented by Scott Boras, which means Ellsbury’s services will likely go to the highest bidder.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports the Seattle Mariners could be that team to get Ellsbury:

The M’s are deep in young, affordable position players, with a mere $33.257 million committed to their 2014 payroll, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Ellsbury, who is from Madras, Or., and attended Oregon State, could fill two voids, leading off and playing center field.

If this were to come to fruition, how would Ellsbury fit in with the Mariners lineup and Safeco Field?

Inside the Numbers

There’s no doubt adding Ellsbury to the leadoff spot and center field would benefit the Mariners, both offensively and defensively.

For starters, let’s look at the numbers over the last three years (through Monday):

The numbers clearly show Ellsbury would provide the Mariners an upgrade on offense at both leadoff and from center field.

While the Mariners haven’t been known as much of a running team this year (50 stolen-base attempts), that doesn’t mean their philosophy won’t change in the future.

All it takes is a speedster at the top of the lineup, and everything changes.

Safeco Field

The place where Ellsbury would play also could play a large role.

Safeco Field is almost similarly shaped as Fenway Park is. Batting left-handed, Ellsbury will be able to take advantage of the deep gaps in left-center. 

The main difference is he’ll have 15 feet less to hit it if he gets a hold of one, as the deepest part of Safeco is 405 feet, compared to 420 feet at Fenway.

One advantage Fenway does have here, however, is the various nooks and crannies along the outfield wall. 

The Key

While having Ellsbury would be a nice addition, the Mariners must also ensure there is power in the lineup behind him.

Michael Morse and Kendrys Morales are both free agents, and re-signing at least one is a must. 

There are no great offensive prospects coming up from the minor leagues, so the Mariners are going to have to look to spend on a few more free agents as well.

With multiple holes on the diamond, just Ellsbury and one of Morales or Morse won’t do the trick. A good No. 2 hitter will be huge, as will the continued progression of Kyle Seager. 

If all of those pieces can fall into place, the Mariners just might make some noise in 2014.

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Don’t look now, but the Atlanta Braves are on an 11-game winning streak. And it’s all thanks to Waffle House.

You’re probably wondering how in the world Waffle House can have anything to do with a winning streak.

Well, on July 26, the Braves officially opened MLB‘s first Waffle House at a ballpark. According to NESN.com’s Stephen Hewitt, Waffle House at Turner Field features a scaled-down version of the restaurant menu:

It features a scaled-down menu compared to the regular-sized restaurants, but all the essentials are there, including classic, peanut butter or chocolate chip waffles. Fans can also order plain or “All The Way” hash browns, which includes onions, cheese, chili, ham and peppers, and in true ballpark-style, costs $9.

Since then, the Braves have gone 11-0.

Coincidence?

I think not.

There is even a Twitter account attached to the Waffle House at Turner Field.

Dan Oshinsky of BuzzFeed even wrote about 11 things that have happened since a Waffle House opened at “The Ted.”

Well…it was hardly writing because there are only 11 pictures with winning scores by the Braves in the past 11 games. During that stretch, they’ve outscored their opponents 68-27. Talk about scattering and smothering.

Braves players didn’t hold back on their reactions, either. While Dan Uggla, Alex Wood and Jordan Schafer talked about their favorite types of hash browns, Craig Kimbrel talked about Waffle House in the minor leagues.

And what does Braves Country have to say about all of this?

Whether or not you believe it’s a coincidence, the Braves and their fans are running with it.

You can’t fully expect the Braves to win the rest of their games this year, but it does make for an interesting story.

Now, let’s see if they can break the 1935 Chicago Cubs NL record for most consecutive games won without a tie (21).

They’re more than halfway there.

Regardless of your belief as to whether or not Waffle House is truly making a difference, one thing is for sure: Waffle House is now forever entwined with the Braves.

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On a day when MLB announced its PED suspensions, one of the biggest names to admit steroid use sat down to talk.

Mark McGwire had a great career, but in an interview with ESPN Los Angeles’ Arash Markazi, the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ hitting coach said he wishes he was never part of the steroids era.

“I wish I was never a part of it,” McGwire said. “Just get rid of it. If it’s better to have bigger suspensions, then they’re going to have to change it.”

“I wish there were things in place earlier,” McGwire said. “They were put in in 2003 I think. I just really hope and pray that this is the end of it. Everybody, especially the players, don’t want any more part of it, and I hope this is the end of it. … I wish I was never part of it.”

McGwire admitted to steroid use in 2010 before becoming the hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Now with the Dodgers, McGwire has another chance to reflect on how performance-enhancing drugs are ruining the game.

But is McGwire being sincere or is he just trying to save his dreams of making it into Cooperstown?

The Steroids Era

There are some that argue that you vote players into the Hall of Fame based on if they were one of the best players of their era.

When guys like McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and Rafael Palmeiro played, it was the steroid era.

Despite the fact that it was cheating, it was still a part of the game and something that gave baseball fans a lot to be excited about.

Was McGwire one of the best players of his era? Absolutely.

He batted .263 with 583 home runs and 1,414 RBI. I’d say those numbers, under normal circumstances, would be Hall-worthy.

He and Sosa gave fans an exciting home-run chase in 1998, helping bring baseball back to relevancy in American households.

So, the numbers are there, but the prevailing attitude that cheaters must be kept out of the Hall, no matter what era, remains. Just look at Pete Rose, who was banned from the game for gambling on baseball.

McGwire Doesn’t Think He Should Go In

The biggest tell here is that McGwire has already said he doesn’t think he would vote himself for induction into the Hall of Fame.

During an interview on The Dan Patrick Show in 2012, McGwire said, “No, not by the guidelines they have now,” McGwire told Patrick. “I’ll never fight it. I totally respect the Hall of Fame. I have never fought. They have rules and restrictions, I totally abide by them.”

So if McGwire is saying he wouldn’t vote himself in because of his past, then there’s no reason why voters should.

McGwire understands the need to respect the integrity of Cooperstown.

Voters Are Speaking

When you look at the 2013 Hall of Fame voting results, a lot of voters are showing they aren’t tolerating steroid users.

McGwire was 15th in the voting, receiving 16.9 percent of the vote. That was down from 19.5 percent the previous year.

In fact, of the players on the ballot involved in steroid speculation, only Roger Clemens had half of the 427 votes needed for election. And he only beat that by one vote (214). Bonds had 206 votes, while Sosa had 71 and Palmeiro had 50.

Regardless of what players linked to steroids say now that their careers are over, the voters will continue to speak with their votes.

And if 2013’s vote says anything, that doesn’t look good for the likes of McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Palmeiro and Clemens.

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Over the last 24 hours, fans, players and announcers alike have had their say concerning the suspensions handed down in the Biogenesis scandal.

But none were heavier than the words of San Francisco Giants announcer Mike Krukow during Monday’s broadcast.

According to the CSN Sports broadcast (h/t Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Kaduk), Krukow states Nelson Cruz has “taken a dump on the Texas Rangers.”

“…Well maybe this is the best time because Nelson Cruz has taken a dump on the Texas Rangers. How do they feel down there, the Texas faithful. They’re great fans. They don’t deserve this. So I’m sorry this has to happen to them and to that organization and to that fanbase…”

Those are some strong words from the announcer.

But does Krukow have a right to feel that way? And what about his past transgressions and those of Giants’ players?

The Past

Digging deeper into Kaduk‘s column, he noted that Krukow furiously defended Barry Bonds in 2007, even calling Curt Schilling a “horse’s ass” when Schilling accused Bonds of steroid use.

A blog posted on the San Francisco Chronicle‘s website by a writer with the name “Betting Fool” shows Krukow didn’t hold back when talking about Schilling:

Krukow essentially said that Schilling is a blowhard, calling him an “idiot” who always seems to pop off about things he doesn’t need to comment on and saying “a little knowledge goes a long way. He thinks he knows a lot about everything.”

One has to wonder why he said nothing on Bonds, despite a reported failed amphetamine test in 2006, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). 

Then there’s this interesting bit:

During an interview with Gary Radnich on KNBR radio (9:36 mark), Krukow admitted to taking amphetamines during his time playing professional baseball. 

“I did take amphetamines. There towards the end I couldn’t lift my arm up. I had a guaranteed contract. I wanted to make that contract good…”

“I felt an obligation there to justify that contract…”

“I justified it because it was a part of the game…”

That sounds like the pot is calling the kettle black.

Still Needs to Be Said

Regardless of Krukow‘s history, it’s still something that needs to be said.

These players are ruining things for their teams. But Krukow might not have been the best person to speak out on it.

Players like Evan Longoria, who tweeted this out yesterday, need to be the ones speaking up:

You wouldn’t have Mark McGwire or Rafael Palmeiro speak up about players involved in the Biogenesis scandal would you? What about Jose Canseco?

Players who have been clean need to be the ones ultimately speaking out about performance-enhancing drugs. 

Someone who used amphetamines to prolong his career and make good on his contract is no better than Cruz, Alex Rodriguez or any of the other players involved in the Biogenesis scandal.

Cruz did take a dump on the Rangers. But Krukow did the same to baseball when he violated the integrity of the game just so he could “make that contract good.”

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Is one great year enough to call someone an ace?

That’s what the Arizona Diamondbacks are banking on as they look to move Ian Kennedy prior to the trading deadline.

The Diamondbacks are looking to move Kennedy, while also seeking to acquire Jake Peavy. But would it be a smart move for the Los Angeles Angels?

After all, is Kennedy ever going to return to ace status? 

One Great Season

After one great season in 2011, Kennedy immediately got the title of ace.

He may have gone 21-4 with a 2.88 ERA and 198 strikeouts, but since then, he’s 18-19 with a 4.45 ERA and 288 strikeouts. Before that he was 10-14 with a 4.33 ERA.

One great season was all he had.

A discussion could be started about Tim Lincecum as well, but there’s a major difference between the two. Lincecum proved himself more than one year, while Kennedy hasn’t.

Lincecum was a true ace and just ended up losing it, while Kennedy was a No. 3 pitcher (at best) who had the best season of his career. Mark Fidrych anyone?

Luckily for the Diamondbacks, Kennedy wasn’t in a contract year. If he had been, he’d be making eight-figures every year.

The Problem Being in Los Angeles

If Kennedy is ever going to be called an ace again, he can’t go to a place that already has two aces on staff.

Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson may not be the best pitchers in baseball, but both know how to get the job done.

Los Angeles also might not be the place Kennedy wants to be, especially considering the events of the Diamondbacks-Dodgers brawl on June 11.

While it’s true he would be playing for the cross-town rival, fans from the city won’t ever forget him throwing at Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke.

Los Angeles would be the last place I’d want to be if I were Kennedy.

Verdict

Kennedy does have a lot of talent and can be a good No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher in the big leagues.

However, to call him an ace would be a disservice to guys like Clayton Kershaw, CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander.

There are only a few players outside of those three that I would consider true aces. 

Would you call Bud Norris an ace? He started Opening Day.

Just because you start the first game of the season doesn’t mean you’re an ace.

It just means you’re the closest thing to an ace.

Trading for Kennedy would be a decent move for the Angels as it would add depth to their starting rotation. However, to think Kennedy will ever be an ace is simply laughable…at least until he proves otherwise.

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Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons has more than just a good glove on him.

As if his walk-off triple on Monday night wasn’t enough, new video surfaced of Simmons pulling off his best Tiger Woods impression, juggling a baseball with his bat instead.

The video doesn’t start off too well, as reliever Luis Avilan and third baseman Chris Johnson attempt to perform the stunt unsuccessfully. In fact, both should keep their day jobs.

Utility infielder Paul Janish comes up next and does rather well, but ultimately loses control.

I will give Janish credit because he wasn’t hitting the ball with short strokes, instead putting a little more lift on it, which makes it harder to control.

Then, Simmons stepped up and really impressed.

Notice how Simmons keeps the bat close to his body, maintaining perfect balance. That allows him to have more control over where the ball goes off the bat.

Now, compare that to Woods’ video with Nike:

The major differences between the two are Woods went between his legs and behind his back, while Simmons played a little hacky sack with the baseball.

Of course, both ended the exhibition nicely by hitting their respective ball after bouncing it one last time off the club or bat.

It would be interesting to see how far each ball flew, however. 

There’s no real way to tell, but it’s a fair guess to assume Tiger’s went farther.

With 162 games in a season, sometimes players have to find new ways to entertain themselves.

Who knows what other feats they pull off away from the cameras?

Maybe next time we’ll see a video catching a player doing a trick shot where he hits a baseball into a garbage can 250 feet away.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have a hate-hate relationship. And it just got worse on Tuesday.

According to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, free agent relief pitcher Brian Wilson agreed to a minor-league contract with the Dodgers.

The move immediately makes him a villain in San Francisco, where he pitched for seven seasons.

So, who are the winners and losers in the Wilson deal?

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Yasiel Puig can do no wrong.

At least that’s what some folks in the media and Los Angeles Dodgers fans thought when he broke into MLB.

But now one has to wonder if the Puig honeymoon is over, and if he’ll start to be seen as someone who may not be the next greatest thing.

There’s no doubt Puig came into the big leagues on a tear. After all, he was batting .474 with five home runs and 11 RBI after 15 games.

In fact, his play through the first month earned him a spot on the final player All-Star fan vote.

Multiple writers across all media, including here at Bleacher Report, thought Puig deserved to win the final vote despite his lack of experience.

However, the fans thought otherwise and voted in the Atlanta Braves Freddie Freeman.

When all of that died down, Puig got back to the business of baseball, and he has had many issues over the last month.

The Stats

For all the talk of Puig‘s stats to begin his career, fans are forgetting to look at what he’s done lately. After all, this is a “what have you done for me lately” society.

Since July 3, Puig is batting .220 with no home runs, three RBI and 21 strikeouts.

That’s not exactly the second coming is it?

I know the proverbial “haters gonna hate” line is going to come from many, but you have to look at the stats to see he’s not getting it done at the plate.

Sure, he’s been great in right field making a ton of great defensive plays, but so did Jeff Francoeur early in his career. Bottom line, Puig has to do more than just play defense.

Some People Just Don’t Like Him

There’s no question some people just don’t like Puig. Whether it’s because he was overhyped when he first got to Los Angeles or the fact that he plays for the Dodgers, we don’t know.

Some players don’t like him because of his perceived arrogance.

According to a report by ESPN Los Angeles, Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero and pitcher Ian Kennedy consider his style of play arrogant, and they consider his actions on the field stupid.

This is how Puig responded:

“That’s my game,” Puig said Thursday. “I’m going to play my baseball the way I play. We don’t like the way [Gerardo] Parra plays or the way Montero plays, but we don’t go to the press or anybody and talk about how we don’t like it, because we’re more reserved.”

The last part of the quote isn’t what people are focusing on. Instead, they’re looking at his first sentence, “That’s my game.”

Those words aren’t exactly a way to gain respect around the league.

Other On-Field Matters

Two on-field matters have set many in baseball afire.

The first was during the brawl between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks.

As you can see in multiple incidents in the video, Puig is seen going crazy throwing punches. Ironically, MLB didn’t suspend him for his actions.

The second on-field incident was when he ignored former Arizona star Luis Gonzalez when Gonzalez approached him during batting practice.

According to Dan Bickley of USA Today, this is how it went down:

During batting practice before Monday’s game at Chase Field, Puig was approached by Luis Gonzalez. The former Diamondbacks star introduced himself, and began relating how his family also had roots in Cuba, just like Puig.

Except Puig wouldn’t even look up or acknowledge his visitor. And for the record, Gonzalez was speaking Spanish, so nothing was lost in translation.

Thankfully, Los Angeles hitting coach Mark McGwire admonished Puig after seeing his actions.

But is it something that should have even needed to be addressed? Shouldn’t Puig have had a little more respect?

Honeymoon Over

Fans and players defended Puig for his actions when he was producing.

Now it will be interesting to see how they react now that he’s not doing so well at the plate.

He was great the first month, but now he must prove he was worth the hype over the rest of the season.

If he doesn’t, then he goes down as another overhyped prospect by the fans and the media.

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Pittsburgh Pirates closer Jason Grilli was placed on the disabled list, but his absence won’t derail the team’s playoff chances.

Grilli left in the ninth inning of the Pirates game against the Washington Nationals Monday with a right forearm strain.

While it’s not thought of as anything major, any arm injury tends to worry fans. 

In response to the move, the Pirates called up Victor Black, who is a ridiculous reliever prospect. In 2013, he has a 2.31 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 35 innings for Triple-A Indianapolis. He also is averaging 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.94 strikeouts for every walk.

According to ScoutingBook.com, Black has filthy stuff and is a future closer.

But the fact that Black is being called up is not the only reason why the Pirates’ playoff chances aren’t derailed.

Deep Bullpen

The Pirates have one of the deepest bullpens in all of baseball.

They have a record of 21-11 with 36 saves, a 2.77 ERA and 303 strikeouts in 341 innings pitched.

Those numbers are among the top in the league with only Baltimore ahead in saves (39), Atlanta ahead in ERA (2.66) and Arizona ahead in wins (22).

One way they’re reaching those numbers is by keeping opponents to a .212 average and only allowing 21 of 109 (19 percent) inherited runners to score.

Of the 45 save opportunities, the Pirates have only blown nine for an 80 percent success rate. They lead the league with 60 holds. Combine that with the 36 saves and you have 96 of 105 save situations (91 percent) converted.

Mark Melancon has been leading the charge everywhere with 26 holds and a 0.97 ERA.

Add in Justin Wilson’s six wins (all in relief), eight holds and 1.86 ERA, and you have the makings of a good bullpen.

The loss of Grilli hurts a little, but not as much as one might think, especially considering what the Pirates still have.

What They Must Do

While no changes are needed for the bullpen, the Pirates still have to look for a little more offense.

According to Bleacher Report writer Benjamin Klein, Pittsburgh should target a player that can “…preferably play first base and hit with power and consistency…”

Maybe someone like a Paul Konerko or Justin Morneau, although there are no rumors linking either to Pittsburgh.

Regardless, the Pirates need a little more help in the power department as Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez can’t be the only ones hitting bombs.

If the Pirates can bolster their offense—combined with their excellent starting and relief pitching—there’s no doubt they’ll be a favorite in the playoffs.

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