Baseball is at the outer limits now, a dark universe where everyone cheats and lies. Let us join hands and admit we’re down to the last player we can trust — Derek Jeter.
If I found of Jeter did steroids that would be the icing on the cake. I don't know if I could watch the game ever again, at least I couldn't look at it the same way.Pity this sport if the Yankee captain falls into the abyss, too. With Alex Rodriguez now exposed as a steroid fraud, baseball turns to Jeter as the last outpost of honesty. Someone has to be beyond suspicion; someone has to care enough to say “no” to the syringe.
It’s Jeter, it has to be. Indeed, most Yankee fans will take his shrinking power numbers over the artificial A-Rod’s. Now we know how a man could hit 50 home runs and play Gold Glove middle-infield defense at the same time.
But give A-Rod this much credit: His fall from grace has legitimized Jeter’s decline. We can take comfort in the fact that the captain is aging before our eyes; it assures us that he’s clean.
Jeter’s home runs are down, his slugging percentage is shriveling, he’s hardly steals bases anymore. And that’s how it should be for a 35-year-old. Though it may create a public-relations nightmare for the Yankees in 2010 when Jeter’s contract expires, his lowered profile has turned him into the anti-Alex Rodriguez.
Which is why he cannot fall, not now, not even retroactively. If Jeter’s name is among the 103 players who failed drug tests in 2003, we might as well turn off the remote this summer and start watching the Newark Bears or Jersey Jackals. Or maybe it’s time to surrender to the WWE.
Jeter has become the face of what was right about baseball during the steroid era. He's been one of the few shining lights.
Another player that comes to mind is Pedro Martinez. He was the most dominant pitcher during the steroid era, and by all accounts he did it the right way. Mariano Rivera is another. He was the best closer of the era, and maybe all-time, and apparently has also done it the right way.
... Unless you listen to this talent major-league talent evaluator that Klapisch spoke to:
“If you want to start taking a hard look at everyone, and I mean everyone, then look at the year Rivera was in the minors and all of a sudden goes from 91 mph to 95-96 mph [on the radar gun], in just one start,” he said. “If I’m going to be suspicious of everyone, that’s one thing that would jump right out at me.”While it is suspicious, I'm going to have to believe (or hope) that the increase in velocity was due to a change in mechanics.
22 Comments:
Was the talent evaluator at both games or was he going off of reports? When was the last time we have seen an accurate radar gun reading? especially in the minor leagues. Phil Hughes was supposedly throwing 97-98 when he made rehab starts in Charleston.
It's pretty well know that Month had a jump in velocity, and it happened in the blink of an eye. But that doesn't mean he cheated. At least I hope it doesn't.
We as Yankee fans need to support A-Rod, we need him to lead us to the WS.
I don't think we owe A-Rod anything.
Greg, your right, we don't owe A-Rod anything, but if we want him to perform with Teix, we need to get off his back.
This steroid thing didn't change my opinion about A-Rod. I still think he's a great player.
let me add one thing...at the time it was not illegal. was it wrong to take? YES!!!!! but if someone came up to you while you were at work one day and said i can give you this pill or drink and it will make you perform better at work. you will be more alert, you can get more done,and help you make more money. You and i both know you would take it..because i sure as hell know i would
He is a great player but he's a cheat, he's a Barry Bonds. I hope he helps the Yankees win but I can't be happy he's on our team.
A-Rod has been given enough by this game and has repaid it with selfishness and commitment only to himself and his numbers, not contributing to winning. Fans don't owe him anything.
With that said though, didn't the Yankees used to be a team that prided itself on giving second chances with an owner who took pride in watching someone succeed with his second chance.
I'm not sure because of his attitude if A-Rod even deserves ones of these chances or if he's really even sorry.
Though I still feel weird about just jumping on the whole kick him out the door and banish him band wagon, when he's obvious got serious problems.
I'm not excusing A-Rod and I think he's getting what he deserves, but the Yankees on a human level might need to at least try to reach him and put him on the road to righting himself instead of just looking to throw him out with bath water.
No, players should absolutely not be making excuses publicly for this, but the organization needs to internally try to solve this guys pyschological problems as person not just a ball player, much like a player with a substance abuse problem.
I don't know what else he might have taken over those three years but it is kinda funny and should be noted that what he tested positive for does not really improve your preformance. It is used by body builders to increase definition not mass or streingth. It is possible that the he don't even know how to cheat right.
Are we seriously supposed to believe that A-Rod stopped taking performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 – the last year before testing was introduced? What about 2007, the last year of his contract. Wasn't he tempted to take a little booster or two that year to push up his numbers? I've watched the clip on ESPN and I can't help but think it's just another academy performance from one of baseball's greatest actors. He chokes up at just the right moment and is sufficiently contrite. I'm sure he was advised by Boras and the Yankees to pick his poison carefully. Peter Gammons is a seasoned baseball reporter but with all due respect, he's not going to ask the difficult questions that would be posed by a news reporter. Questions like how could A-Rod look Katie Couric straight in the face on 60 Minutes in December 2007 and vow that he had never even been tempted to try performance enhancing drugs. Never again will I be able to believe a word he says and I've lost what little respect left I had for the guy. He cheated on his wife (allegedly). Now he's cheated on Yankee fans and the sport of baseball.
if jeter cheated i won't watch baseball for ten years... mariano hopefully did not cheat. i am disappointed for Arod but not surprised... hopefully Jeet and Mo are clean
if Jeter cheated i would not watch or even say the word baseball ever again
I think it highly plausible that he stopped taking after 2003. Testing with punishments meted was to begin the next year; he got word that he very well may have failed the (supposedly anonymous and sealed) test he took in 2003. Given his concern about image, it is highly plausible that the close call made him scared to death of being caught. Plus, it is plausible he realized he succeeded without the durgs before, and so he reasoned it was safest to just stop.
Now, his admitting to three years of use means the he is denying use in other years. I hope he is honest about that, b/c if evidence emerges that he has used at other times, and esp. more recently, he will be in much worse shape than he is already in.
But as of right now, he has a good chance to salvage his career and perhaps eelveate his name, esp. if he becomes an active spokesman against steroids, etc.
Rivera also went from being a starter to a reliever. Joba routinely threw in the high 90s as a reliever but as a starter, he dials it back (most of the time) to pitch longer. I would imagine that could be the same thing with Rivera.
The improvement in velocity came as a starter.
"Rangers owner Tom Hicks said Rodriguez's admission caught him by surprise."
Shocked! I am shocked to find gambling going on here!
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So ARod feels so bad he's going to give his 2003 MVP record back to MLB right? He's also willing to have is image, name, and number banned from any products that will be manufactured as he nears Hank Arron's all time home run record since his stats from 2001 - 2003 should not count. right? And he won't make any claim or acknowledgement of achieving a record until his life time stats sans the 2001-03 seasons are enough to set any record.
right? he feels bad right?
Greg - a proposal - do a post for readers to brainstorm how arod saves his career e.g. is respected, even admired, again.
As a bonus challenge ask readers to also figureout how rodriguez saves baseballs image at the same time - cleans it up once and for all.
I would suggest that for yankee fans to get enjoyment out of any worldseries wins over the next three years arods salvation must happen. So what is it going to take. Can yankee fans come up with a path for him. My suggestion is in five years we want to be able to say "wow, arod really turned it around and baseball too". What's the path?
Hey Will,
I'm definitely down to do something like that.
Since it's your idea would you like to author it, or propose the question?
if we found out that derek jeter ever took steroids, i would honestly cry...i would not know what to think of baseball, or if i would ever watch it again...
Cool - ill just throw a few morw thoughts here if you can then some how make these paragraphs work with the above. I'm again typing on the phone so editing isn't easy at the moment.
I think its really hard project but a cool one since the image of arod the yankees and mlb, and home run records, are all inextricably intertwined. And it let's us turn this positive so we can try to find a way to love arod again, because I think we would all really like to.
Arod was supposed to be the bridge to baseball's renewal via his virgin status - a litteral pure/clean body sent by god to the yankees to return the home run title to its origin and cast baseball forward into its mythical romantic past. Arod's story was to be one that was no less than biblical in symbolic power to baseball.
My proposal is to suggest that arod can still be that bridge, but he now needs to live a completely different narrative - one of corruption and then salvation. This is a much harder path, but potentially also a much more exciting one than just him bashing more homeruns for the fabled ny yankees. He will still hit the home runs. The question is how does he bring himself and baseball home. The salvation must be meaningful, contrition is not enough. I sense the most powerful path will require controversy and real sacrifice - it must. Fans who follow the yankees and mlb will have the best ideas of what can and must be done. Arod today lies defeated on the floor, the best place from which to stand up.
So, how is he going to do it?
(I love the long tradition of mythology in baseball - what a great opportunity to create an new epic story)
Ill make fun of myself here too...
Or in other words? What would brian boitano do?
he juiced then.
he doesn't now (i gotta assume he's been tested since the rules have been in place).
production hasn't really changed that much.
move on.
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