Kuzul

Albert Pujols has won the MVP Award three times. He should have won it three other times, but in each of those three seasons, he finished behind players who either benefited from using performance enhancing substances or were suspected of using such substances.

Bud Selig should give Pujols those three awards.

In his rookie year of 2001, Pujols finished fourth in the MVP voting, behind winner Barry Bonds, runner-up Sammy Sosa and third-place finisher Luis Gonzalez.

The Bonds saga is still playing out, Sosa tested positive for using a banned substance in 2003 and Gonzalez was allegedly on the same list as Sosa.

In 2001, Pujols hit .329/.403/.610 with 37 home runs and 130 RBIs.

The next season, Bonds repeated as the MVP winner. It was the fifth time in his career that he won the award. Pujols finished a distant second.

In 2002, Pujols hit .314/.394/.561 with 34 home runs and 127 RBIs.

Bonds wasn’t finished winning the award. He was voted the MVP in both 2003 and 2004.

In 2003, Pujols finished right behind the convicted perjurer and in 2004, he finished third, behind Bonds and Adrian Beltre.

In 2003, Pujols hit .359/.439/.667 with 43 home runs and 124 RBIs. He won the batting title.

In 2004, Pujols hit .331/.415/.671 with 46 home runs and 123 RBIs. He won the slugging title.

Bonds was unable to play much in 2005. Pujols won his first MVP award. He won it again in 2008 and 2009.

If Bud Selig and those whom he serves were sincere when the claim they are concerned about baseball’s records, they would declare Pujols the MVP in each season from 2001-04.

Of course, that could never happen. The excuse would be that there is no precedent in baseball for taking away an already presented award or championship. So what?

No one will ever know if the 1919 World Champion Cincinnati Reds would have won the World Series if they hadn’t received help from some of their opponents.

What would have the result of the 1951 National League pennant race if the New York Giants hadn’t stolen the opposition’s signs by unapproved methods?

In 1947, Ted Williams finished within one point of MVP winner Joe DiMaggio in the balloting, but one Boston writer left him off the ballot. Even a ninth place vote would have given Williams the award.

Albert Pujols has accomplished his feats without cheating. Those who attempt to denigrate his accomplishments quickly shut up because it is impossible to substantiate anything negative.

Albert Pujols‘ own statement magnificently explains the man and many in the media who can’t stand players such as Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols.

“I can understand why people don’t know who they can trust or their hero was caught. I want to be the guy people look up to. But I want to be the person who represents God, represents my family and represents the Cardinals the right way.

“So many people can’t wait until I do something negative. I can’t understand it.”

If Bud Selig cared about baseball and wasn’t concerned with getting fans to forget the steroid problem, he would give Pujols the MVP Award he earned.

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The New York Yankees signed 17-year-old Frank Leja on Oct. 1, 1953 for a reported $45,000. He became, and still remains, the youngest player to appear in a game in a Yankees uniform.

In those days, there was a “bonus rule” in effect, which required that players signed in excess of $4,000 had to remain with the major league team for two seasons. The rule was created in order to discourage teams from paying untried youngsters large sums of money. If a team violated the rule, the player could be lost on waivers. The rule existed from 1947 to ’65.

Some bonus babies became outstanding major leaguers. Sandy Koufax and Harmon Killebrew head the list. Paul Krichell, who discovered Lou Gehrig, believed that Leja had a chance to become the next Lou Gehrig. Even Krichell could be wrong.

The Yankees were always involved in a pennant race, which meant that there was no way Leja was going to play very much. In 1954, Leja appeared in 12 games, batted five times and hit safely once. The following season, he played in seven games and was hitless in his only two at-bats.

The Yankees sent Leja to the minors to learn his trade after he completed his two seasons with the club in 1955. He never batted more than .269 or hit more than 29 home runs in any season. In his minor league career, Leja batted .248/.317/.445.

On Oct. 4, 1961, in a minor league transaction, the Yankees sent Leja to the St. Louis Cardinals.

It will never be known how missing two seasons so early in his career affected Leja. His development had to be affected negatively.

Leja never came close to Krichell’s predictions in his minor league career, which leads one to speculate that he might have become a serviceable major league first baseman if he had gone directly to the minors when he was 17. But one good thing did happen, because Leja was forced to stay with the Yankees for two seasons after signing.

The Yankees lost the 1955 World Series in seven games to the Brooklyn Dodgers, but in the past, players on the losing World Series team received a ring for winning the pennant. Leja received a ring, but instead of “NY” on the front, the Yankees’ hat-and-bat logo was inscribed.

Yankees players were accustomed to their rings having “NY” on the front for winning the World Series.  In 1956, things returned to normal for the Yankees.

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At the age of 29, Joel Hanrahan has almost arrived.

Given the opportunity this year to be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ closer, Hanrahan has responded with a performance that has both surprised and delighted fans.

Hanrahan currently ranks seventh among National League closers with 33 saves.

Despite slumping somewhat in August, the big right-hander is in the process of finishing a season that portends well for the future.

Since Aug. 24, Hanrahan has made four appearances without giving up a run.

More and more “experts” are realizing that the number of wins a pitcher earns is not the best method of evaluating his effectiveness.

The second greatest closer in MLB history, Trevor Hoffman was just 61-75 over his 18-year career. However, Hoffman is also the all-time saves leader with 601.

In 2006, Hoffman finished second in the Cy Young Award voting without winning a single game. In that season he had 46 saves with a 2.14 ERA, a 190 ERA+ and a 0.968 WHIP.

Currently, Hanrahan is 0-3 with an excellent 1.66 ERA, a 235 ERA+ and a 0.989 WHIP, statistics comparable to what Hoffman accomplished as a Cy Young Award challenger.

Of course Hanrahan is no Mariano Rivera, but to contrast the two, this season Mariano is 1 -2 with 37 saves, a 2.04 ERA, a 213 ERA+ and a 0.925 WHIP.  Additionally, Mariano is 41-years-old, giving 29-year-old Hanrahan hope for staying power.

CBSSports.com ranks Hanrahan as the major league’s fourth most effective closer behind Craig Kimbrel, John Axford and Jose Valverde. That puts Hanrahan in some pretty good company.

However, after surprising everyone for almost two-thirds of the season by contending for a playoff spot, reality set in for the Pirates.

Entering play on Sept. 3, the Pirates had won 63 games. Craig Kimbrel’s Wild Card leading Atlanta Braves have 81 wins and John Axford’s Central Division leading Milwaukee Brewers have won 82 games. In the American League, Jose Valverde’s Detroit Tigers have 76 wins.

The Pirate’s lack of consistency further emphasizes Hanrahan’s achievement of 33 saves on sub par ball club. Hanrahan is making $1.4 million this season and is scheduled to remain in Pittsburgh next season.

The Pirates have certainly made progress this season and with Brewers’ first-baseman Prince Fielder eligible for free agency next year, the future is unclear for the NL Central.  With Hanrahan already in place, a few additional moves could help push Pittsburgh into serious playoff contention in 2012.

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Mickey Mantle was criticized severely for striking out so much during his career, but in the 1950s and 1960s, the “experts” didn’t know that a strikeout was merely an out.

Players of Mantle’s era considered striking out an embarrassment. After striking out, many players would hang their heads as they returned to the dugout.

Mantle struck out an average of 115 times over a 162-game season, which was more frequently than Willie Mays (83), Hank Aaron (68), Ralph Kiner (82), Roger Maris (81), Frank Robinson (88), Harmon Killebrew (113) and Ernie Banks (79).

What made Mantle great was that in his career he walked (1,733) more times than he struck out (1,710).

Among the above players, only Ralph Kiner and Hank Aaron walked more than they struck out.

Modern “experts” have concluded that it is relatively unimportant how often productive hitters strike out.

In 2011, American League MVP contenders Curtis Granderson and Adrian Gonzalez have struck out 147 and 112 times, respectively, in 135 games each.

Mark Reynolds has 31 home runs to go with his 166 strikeouts, while Ryan Howard has 30 home runs and 153 strikeouts. Mike Stanton, who may set a new rookie home run record, has hit 31 home runs with 146 strikeouts.

Mickey Mantle no longer holds any New York Yankees single-season strikeout records.

In 2000, Jorge Posada struck out 151 times, the most by any Yankees switch-hitter. Alfonso Soriano’s 157 strikeouts in 2002 is the most by any Yankees right-handed hitter.

Reggie Jackson struck out 133 times in 1978, which was the most by any Yankees left-handed hitter until Granderson this season. Granderson has already broken Reggie’s record in only 135 games, and he will add to his dubious distinction.

The most times Mantle ever struck out in a season was 126 in 1959. He followed that with 125 in 1960.

Mantle often said that the injury he suffered in the 1957 World Series, when Milwaukee Braves second baseman Red Schoendienst fell on his right shoulder, ruined his swing from the left side of the plate, which accounts in part for so many strikeouts.

But from 1955-58, again in 1961-62 and for the last time in 1968, Mickey walked many more times than he struck out, averaging 122 walks and 97 strikeouts a season.

In 1957, which might have been more productive than his Triple Crown season of 1956, Mantle walked 146 times with only 75 strikeouts. This may be more significant that anyone ever realized.

Mantle’s knowledge of the strike zone had never been as good as it became in 1957, but it was in that year’s World Series that his right shoulder was injured. How much more would he have produced with a healthy right shoulder?

The major difference between today’s free-swinging sluggers and Mantle is that among the 11 batters who have hit at least 30 home runs this year, only Jose Bautista (109 BB and 92 K), the great Albert Pujols (54 BB, 51 K) and Prince Fielder (89 BB and 88 K) have more walks than strikeouts.

Mickey Mantle has become better as the years have passed. A major reason is that his strikeouts are no longer considered much of a negative.

Some great players who followed Mantle have made his career 1,710 strikeouts seem less extreme.

Reggie Jackson struck out 2,597 times for the all-time record. Jim Thome, who is still active, has 2,473 strikeouts.

In seventh place, with a chance to break Jackson’s record, is Alex Rodriguez, who has struck out 1,904 times.

How often has A-Rod been criticized for striking out too much?

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The players eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 will include some of the greatest players in the history of the game. The list will include, in alphabetical order:

Craig Biggio, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa. 

Craig Biggio was not one of the all-time great players. He was unique, since few catchers become an outstanding second baseman, but Biggio was merely very good, not great.

Biggio played his entire career with the Houston Astros from 1988-2007. He batted .281/.361/.433, hitting 291 home runs, driving in 1,175 runs and stealing 414 bases.

The fact that he amassed 3,060 hits will be the pivotal factor that gets him into the Hall of Fame. Forget that he needed almost 11,000 at-bats to accomplish that feat, which indicates he should not be in the Hall of Fame. 

Barry Bonds hit more home runs than anyone in baseball history. He has had a Hall of Fame career.

He will not be elected to the Hall of Fame, because we live in a disingenuous society that imposes rules on its members that are inconsistent and wrong and promote an agenda that favors those who rule, usually in order to keep the population under control.

At about the age of 30, the pituitary gland’s output of growth hormone starts to decrease. Exercise still stimulates its production, but exercise is not as effective as it had been.

Society has no problems with athletes exercising vigorously to produce growth hormone, but frowns upon using synthetically produced growth hormone. The end result is the same, but injecting it instead of exercising to produce it is “cheating.” 

Many protein-rich foods contain the amino acids ornithine and arginine. Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, in their book Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach, recommended using ornithine and arginine to boost growth hormone production. Research indicates it is effective.

Ingest foods that contain ornithine and arginine, and there will be no problem. What if a player took the supplemental form of the amino acids?  Uh-oh, when MLB gets around to testing for HGH—well, you know the story.

If a player maximizes his skills using methods those in power approve of, that is fine, but if the method is not sanctioned, the player will be ostracized, fined, suspended or banned. 

Barry Bonds is a sure Hall of Famer. The only problem is that those who vote don’t think for themselves. 

Roger Clemens is allegedly a liar. He had the temerity to stand up for his reputation despite being told by some selected Congress officials that he shouldn’t because, if he gave his version of the truth, he could get into trouble.

Forget the fact that Clemens ranks among the top three or four pitchers of all time. Forget the fact that Clemens won 354 games. Forget his seven Cy Young awards.

Those who voted for him each year he won it must have been using a substance that inebriates but that is sanctioned by society.

There is no way Roger Clemens will ever be elected to the Hall of Fame. 

Mike Piazza is the greatest offensive catcher in baseball history. He was an adequate defender his first few seasons, and then became pretty poor defensively, but his great offensive ability easily overcame his later-career defensive shortcomings.

Some have snidely attempted to associate Piazza with using substances baseball and society frown upon. In this case, it will not be enough to keep him from being voted into the Hall of Fame. 

Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens were good friends. No, that won’t be the reason Schilling doesn’t make the Hall of Fame. The reason will be that he won “only” 216 games.

Piling up large numbers in selected categories has become a ticket to the Hall of Fame. Excellence over an extended period is less important. It is also patently wrong.

Schilling has an ERA+ of 128. There are 74 pitchers in the Hall of Fame. Only 22, repeat that, only 22, have an ERA+ better than Schilling’s.

If Bert Blyleven, Jim Bunning, Catfish Hunter, Herb Pennock and Don Drysdale are Hall of Famers, voters will compound their errors and elect Schilling. 

Sammy Sosa hit more than 60 home runs in a season three different times. That’s more than enough to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

He hit 609 career home runs and hit at least 50 home runs in a season four times, which is twice as many times as either Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays.

But Sammy has been linked to using substances not approved by those who decide. There is no way that he will be elected to the Hall of Fame. 

Now, for Jerry Springer’s Final Thought

There are so many factors or variables that it is impossible to determine, medically or morally, the most effective and safest ways of maximizing athletic ability.

Sugar is a nutrient that is considered harmful. As glucose it can be detrimental, but in the form of complex carbohydrates, as in fruits and vegetables, it is a vital part of a healthy diet. Significantly, the ultimate source of cell energy is glucose.

In a free society, it is wrong to impose one group’s standards on another group. The fact that baseball is a private enterprise and can dictate standards doesn’t make it right.

Take care of yourself, and each other.

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Roger Clemens reared back and fired a split-fingered fast ball. Barry Bonds swung and hit one of his prodigious home runs over the right-field wall.

Clemens’s manager ran right at the home-plate umpire, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Bonds’s bat was corked. That’s illegal. Declare a misplay.”

The home-plate umpire confiscated Bonds’s bat, after which he conferred with his colleagues for almost half an hour. Then, he summoned both managers and explained that Bonds had violated the rules.

The umpire ejected Bonds, explaining that he had his chance to hit a home run using legal methods, but he failed to do so. It would be wrong to force Clemens to face Bonds again.

Bonds’s manager claimed that Bonds’s at-bat had been going well, that it was only the first inning, and that Bonds was ready for a strong performance. He should be given another chance to get Clemens.

“There was so much going on that Bonds was distracted, and he brought a bat into the game that the umpires had told him not to use. It was an honest mistake. Barry didn’t intentionally disobey the umpires’ orders.”

The above never happened, but it is similar to much more serious situation.

Yesterday, prosecutors carrying out a vendetta asked U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton to rule that Roger Clemens must face double jeopardy.

Of course, the erstwhile prosecutors didn’t quite phrase it that way.

It’s really quite simple: The prosecutors admitted for the first time that they made a critical error in Clemens’s perjury trial when they showed jurors evidence that Judge Walton had ruled inadmissible.

The disingenuous prosecutors argued that the mistake was due to the fact that other trial matters affected their concentration and was not intentional.

Yeah, I used a corked bat, but the reason was that the crowd was so noisy that I picked up the wrong one.

The government prosecutors had their chance. They were incompetent or worse. If there is any integrity left in the system (can there be degrees of integrity?), Clemens cannot be tried again.

According to the law, the key is whether the prosecutors intentionally presented evidence that they knew couldn’t be used. If they did, there cannot be a second trial.

Is it possible that the prosecutors attempted to influence the jury by suggesting that there is more going on when they presented the evidence in an attempt to bait the defense into rebutting it?

The issue of Laura Pettitte’s disallowed testimony would be brought up in open court, thus circumventing Judge Walton’s ruling.

Nah, prosecutors would never do that, would they?

The prosecutor’s filing explained that the reference to Laura Pettitte “would have been removed had government counsel adequately focused on it.”

Well, that’s too bad. The government had its chance. It messed it up. End of the story.

Wait a minute. Let’s get really conspiratorial.

Roger Clemens wasn’t forced to testify before Congress. He wanted to ensure that his legacy would be untarnished.

Is it possible that Clemens will agree to being put into double jeopardy in order to clear his name?

Did Roger Clemens ever start a game he didn’t think he’d win?

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USA Today is polling its readers with respect to each team’s greatest player. Five “finalists” are selected and fans select the one they consider the best.

The Chicago White Sox have had many great stars. The five finalists for the greatest White Sox player are Luke Appling (.310/.399/.398),  Eddie Collins (.333/.424/.429), Nellie Fox (.288/.348/.363), Frank Thomas (.301/.419/.555) and Ted Lyons (26.-230, 3.67 ERA).

Conspicuous by his absence is the greatest of all Chicago White Sox players, Shoeless Joe Jackson (.356/.423/.517).

Why was Jackson not included? One can only speculate.

It is probably as simple as the fact that he played for the White Sox for only four complete season in his six years with team.

Jackson was accused of not doing his best during during the 1919 World Series, which is a gentle way of stating that he was brought to trial for helping to fix that Series.

In 1921, a Chicago jury acquitted Jackson and his seven “conspirators” of any wrongdoing, but that was not good enough for baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis.

Landis banned all eight acquitted players from baseball for life, claiming that the game had to clean up its image.

His position was that baseball’s image took precedence over legal judgments. Doesn’t that sound a lot like the American government today? You betcha.

I think that I have just made what a consider an extremely disturbing discovery. If I am wrong, please, please correct me.

MLB.com does not list Joe Jackson among the all-time career leaders in batting. Is MLB rewriting history? 

Jackson is listed as the White Sox career batting leader (.340/.407/.499) when one filters the statistics at MLB.com according to team leaders.

Barry Bonds, the disgraced and generally despised all-time home run leader is listed as are all the players who used performance enhancing substances. Gambler Pete Rose is listed as the career hits leader.

The other seven acquitted White Sox players are also listed on MLB.

If not listing Jackson is an oversight, it is as egregious an error as possible for any statistical baseball site, especially for MLB.

When one reads baseball articles and books, Bonds is referred to as the all-time home run leader. Pete Rose is referred to as the career hits leader. Joe Jackson is credited with the third highest batting average behind Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby.

Joe Jackson has been honored with the Joe Jackson Museum in Greenville, South Carolina. He was respected by some of the greatest players of all time.

Ty Cobb once told Jackson “Whenever I got the idea I was a good hitter, I’d stop and take a look at you. Then I knew I could stand some improvement.”

Ted Williams and Bob Feller supported Jackson’s reinstatement fiercely. They stated, quite logically, that Jackson’s ban should have ended when his life ended.

The issue is not if Jackson took part in fixing the 1919 World Series. The point is that his accomplishments must be acknowledged, and in almost all instances, they are.

Check the MLB.com site. Go to statistics, batting statistics and all-time leaders. It is believed that a correction must be made.

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It is a dubious distinction, but someday it will be “underpassed.”

The 2005 National League Western Division Champion San Diego Padres are the only division winners to finish the season with a below .500 record. It wasn’t easy.

The Padres finished the season at 82-80, five games ahead of the runner-up 77-85 Arizona Diamondbacks.

Manager Bruce Bochy did a tremendous job with a team that scored 684 runs—while allowing 726 runs—which calculates to a Pythagorean expectation of 77-85.

On July 31, the Padres and Diamondbacks were tied for first. But the Padres played a little better, while the Diamondbacks played a little worse. It was almost a contest of futility—Arizona was more futile than San Diego.

In 1973, the New York Mets won the Eastern Division with 82 wins, but they lost “only” 79 games—the last game of the season against the Chicago Cubs was canceled because the Mets had clinched—and won a best of five playoff series against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Padres faced the Cardinals in the first-round of the 2005 playoffs. The Cardinals had won 100 games. It wasn’t close.

In the first game at St. Louis, the Cardinals roughed up Padres ace Jake Peavy for eight runs in four and one-third innings, as they coasted to an 8-5 win.

The Padres overall 2005 record was now 82-81.

The next day was an off day. When the series resumed, Mark Mulder bested Pedro Astacio, 4-2.

The Padres were now 82-82 on the season, with the series moving to San Diego where Woody Williams would face the Cardinals’ Matt Morris.

The 2005 Padres were, as is the case with most Padres teams, offensively challenged.

Former Atlanta Braves slugger Ryan Klesko led the team with 18 home runs. Brian Giles, the only .300 hitter, was the top RBI man…with 83.

Peavy had won 13 games while losing seven, with a 2.88 ERA and a 134 ERA+. No other starting pitcher had an ERA below 4.27 (Adam Eaton).

The Cardinals averaged just under five runs a game. Led by Albert Pujols (.330/.430/.609) and his 41 home runs, the Cardinals had a potent offense. Jim Edmonds hit 29 home runs and Reggie Sanders chipped in 21.

Chris Carpenter won 21 games with a 2.83 ERA and a 150 ERA+. Mark Mulder and Jeff Suppan each won 16 games.

The third and final playoff game was over almost before it started. The Cards jumped all over Williams, touching him up for five runs, five hits and two walks in one and two-thirds innings.

The Padres trailed 7-0 before scoring a pair of runs in the fifth inning, but it was too little too late.

The Padres finished the season at 82-83.

Many baseball “purists” have criticized baseball for having a structure that could allow a team that loses more games than it wins to become division champions. This is a valid point, but it also creates a situation in which a team could be embarrassed.

The Padres won two more regular season games than they lost, but when they were swept in the playoffs, they finished the season at 82-83, becoming the only playoff team to lose more games than they won.

Of course one never knows. A baseball axiom is that anyone with a bat in his hands is dangerous, even Preacher Roe or Bob Buhl…but the 2005 Padres didn’t belong on the same field as the Cardinals.

In contrast, the 1998 Padres, a solid team that included Tony Gwynn, Greg Vaughn, Ken Caminiti, Kevin Brown and Trevor Hoffman, were swept in the World Series by the New York Yankees. But the Padres were far from embarrassed by a team that many consider to be the best of all Yankees teams.

The Padres might have won the first game if Mark Langston had gotten the call on a 2-2 pitch to Tino Martinez. The only game they didn’t have a chance to win was the second game.

In sharp contrast to all of the above, just one year later the Cardinals again won the Central Division, but this time they had only 83 wins.

What did the Cardinals, who won only one more game than the 2005 Padres, do in the post season?

Why, they won the World Series.

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Baseball is the great American game. How fitting it is that almost one year ago, baseball’s all-time hit leader gave advice to the pitcher many considered to be the greatest right-hander of all time?

Roger Clemens‘ trial for perjury is scheduled for July 6, 2011. Clemens is accused of lying to Congress, which is a terrible thing to do.

Of course, those who have the right connections or have an agenda that those in power must have executed can lie to Congress with impunity, as Glenn Greenwald revealed in a 2007 article (Lying to Congress).

At an autograph show, which included baseballs inscribed, “I’m sorry I bet on baseball,” Pete Rose told the media he had some simple advice for Clemens. The best thing Clemens could do is to come clean. Rose explained his position.

“I wish I had come clean the day they had called me into the [commissioner’s] office in 1989—I do, because I would’ve saved myself a lot of grief, a lot of everything. Money, you name it,” Rose said.

”The thing that was so hard for me is I had a lot of respect for the game, and I was respected for that while I was in the game. And I miss that, you know? But I messed up, I messed up!”

Rose thinks that Clemens’ competitive spirit might cause his downfall.

“When I look at Roger, I just think Roger is a competitor, and he’s got it in his craw that he’s gonna go to his grave saying he didn’t do this,” Rose said.

One of the greatest of all competitors, Rose wouldn’t acknowledge that he bet on baseball for 15 years. He finally admitted his transgression and has stated he wishes he had told the truth sooner or immediately upon being confronted.

Rose said that Andy Pettitte is the key that may decide the trial’s outcome.

He believes that Andy Pettitte would not lie, which bothers him. Pettitte testified that Clemens spoke to him about using performance enhancing substances.

Pete Rose besmirched the game. What he did is inexcusable, but there is a double standard. Just as one cannot be a little pregnant, one cannot limit the potential consequences of gambling by betting selectively on certain sports.

The Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball, Joe Torre, owns race horses.

Baseball executive and former Houston Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker owns race horses.

The Steinbrenners, owners of the New York Yankees, Clemens favorite organization, own race horses.

Players Brad Penny, Mark Loretta, Yorvit Torrealba and manager Jim Leyland own race horses.

All agree that a major reason for being involved in horse racing is the competition, which many liken to baseball competition.

You tell me. Let’s say any one of the above bets a large amount of money on his horse and loses.

How is that not creating a situation in which an owner, a general manager or manager or a player might compromise the game?

A player who is a high stakes gambler loses $1 million in bets. Is it possible that player might seek some “sure bets” to recoup his losses?

The solution is to ban anyone associated with baseball from gambling. Owning race horses is fine, but betting on them is not. That will never happen.

Roger Clemens allegedly lied to Congress. He should be punished if it’s true, but the entire matter is debased by the fact that so many others, including exalted leaders of the country, have done what Clemens is accused of doing and were never brought up on charges.

One parting note.

Rose has done his penance, which is what those in power require. The time has come for him to be voted into the Hall of Fame.

Even if Clemens is found guilty, his career before he alleged used performance enhancing substances warrants his inclusion in the Hall of Fame.

Neither Rose nor Clemens will ever be voted into the Hall of Fame. Ask Joe Jackson’s relatives.

References:

Pete Rose Discusses Roger Clemens

Baseball and Racing Horse Owners

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During the 1995 offseason, New York Yankees general manager Bob Watson and new manager Joe Torre made some bold moves. They allowed free agent catcher Mike Stanley to sign with the Boston Red Sox and acquired Joe Girardi from the Colorado Rockies.

Stanley was an offensive force that Girardi couldn’t come close to matching.

In his three seasons as the Yankees’ regular catcher, Stanley batted .290, hit 61 home runs, and drove in 224 runs. Girardi, in seven years with the Chicago Cubs and then the Rockies, had hit .269 with 18 home runs and 190 RBIs.

Torre told Murray Chass of the New York Times why he was pleased to acquire Girardi.

“It depends on what’s important to you,” said Torre at the time. “My priority is a catcher…When a pitcher has confidence in a catcher, he pitches better…Hopefully we’ll have enough offense. We could make up elsewhere what we’re going to lose behind the plate.”

In his first season with the Yankees, Girardi turned some heads, as he batted .294/.346/.374 and did an outstanding job behind the plate. The Yankees, led by Torre, beat the highly favored Atlanta Braves in the World Series to win their first world championship since 1978.

Girardi shared the regular catching job in 1998 with a young future Hall of Famer named Jorge Posada. Following the 1999 season, the Yankees allowed Girardi to become a free agent. He signed with his old team, the Chicago Cubs.

As everyone knows, Girardi is a shrewd individual. He realized that Posada was being groomed as Thurman Munson’s successor in the long line of great Yankees catchers (Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, and Munson).

In an interview during spring training of 1999, Girardi discussed his plans for the future.

Girardi told sportswriter Buster Olney that general manager Brian Cashman often joked about Girardi becoming the Yankees general manager with Cashman serving as his assistant. Girardi admitted that he was fascinated by the possibility of becoming a general manager.

“It’s something that intrigues me. I want to stay in the game. I’ve been on the field and I want to see what an off-the-field position would be like. I’ve told some of the general managers I’ve played under I have an interest in doing that.”

Cashman told Olney he thought Girardi’s ability to deal with people was a great strength that would help him become an outstanding general manager.

Of course, Girardi eventually did replace a member of the Yankees management team, but it wasn’t Mr. Cashman.

On Oct. 30, 2007, Girardi succeeded Joe Torre as the Yankees manager. In many ways, Torre was Girardi’s idol.

When Girardi was hired to manage the Florida Marlins in 2006, he told Charles Noble of the New York Times that Joe Torre influenced him more than any other individual.

“Joe Torre taught me how to get the best out of your players,” said Girardi. “Know the personality of your players and how the personality affects them on a day-to-day basis. His communication skills with his players are unbelievable. Instead of responding to what a player might say, he thought it was more important to understand why he would say it.”

In his first year at the helm with the Yankees, Torre led them to the world championship. In his first year at the helm with the Yankees, Girardi’s team failed to make the playoffs for the first time since the strike-shortened 1994 season, when no team made the playoffs. Going back one year, the Yankees weren’t in the playoffs in 1993.

In 2009, Girardi’s Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, but in 2010, the Texas Rangers soundly defeated the Yankees to win the pennant.

This season, Girardi has his work cut out for him. His team lacks reliable starting pitching, has one ineffective left-hander in the bullpen, and lacks a consistent offense.

Brian Cashman’s contract expires at the end of this season. It has been rumored that he might consider offers from other teams. It would not be wise to dismiss Girardi’s feelings about becoming a general manager.

References:

By, M. C. (1995, Nov 21). Yanks acquire girardi to fill stanley’s spot behind plate. New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. B11-B11. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/109483524?accountid=46260

By, B. O. (1998, Mar 19). Girardi sees his future as a general manager. New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. C4-C4. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/109907704?accountid=46260

Joe Girardi

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