Void the Mets, Not K-Rod

I know its been a while but very few things draw my ire more than an angst driven fan base that just doesn't get it. Every blog & sports radio show in NY is a buzz at the last news coming from Flushing. Francisco Rodriguez, out for the season with a torn ligament in his thumb, stemming from the attack of his father in law last Thursday.

Now mind you the Mets aren't in contention (regardless of what its most optimistic fans tell you). The reality is this makes bigger news fantasy wise since K-Rod is an elite closer & many owners who are actually in contention just lost him. But I digress, the Mets simply don't need Rodriguez this season anymore anyway, so his injury as far as the 2010 season is irrelevant. Now word is out of NY is the Mets, are trying to void the rest of the contract. Sadly, theres no word yet on whether MLB will void the rest of the franchise. The Mets have again managed to take a humiliating situation, & make it worse. This incident would have been out of the news by now. Instead, the Mets make it news worthy with talk of voiding a deal. Something the MLB Players Association will NEVER ALLOW! What's worse is the media has jumped on this (as well as every blogger) making it the over blown spectacle its going to be for the near future.

Voiding K-Rod's deal will accomplish nothing for the Mets. Other than it basically it makes the franchise less attractive to future free agents. It would also put a legit closer in his prime out on the market for say the Phillies, Braves, or Marlins (among others) to sign. Now the worse part of this is Met fans in general are ready to jump on the same boat as their misguided franchise & exile K-Rod. Let me be the voice of reason here for you less educated fans. Francisco Rodriguez while volatile is one of the most talented players the Mets have. He also isn't signed to a ridiculously over bearing contract for the next 20 years. He is making market value for a player at his position, has 1 year left with a team option that was never going to be picked up. So what's the problem? Why is the team looking to void one year of a contract that compared to others on the team is a relative bargain. The Mets front office again, is wasting time not looking at the real team issues, instead are concentrating on shit that simply doesn't matter & won't make a difference in the near future, if ever. This void contract talk is not going to accomplish anything to turn around the franchise's sad fortunes.

In short K-Rod is simply being used as a scapegoat, for another epic failure on the field with a team full over overpaid wash outs that they have no chance at getting rid of. The contract isn't going to get voided, the Union simply isn't going to allow it. But even if the Union did allow it, how would the Mets be better off without his services or talents going into 2011?

We Were All Witnesses...

To what may have been the Lebron James curtain call in Cleveland. For all intents & purposes, last nights 32 point home playoff loss may be the last time Cavs fans get to watch Lebron James wear their uniform in their arena. & by the crowd body language & silence, they all know it. Now they have to pray, that their one man show can go to Boston for an inspired performance, so they can get 1 more look at James before he exits stage left.

Make no mistakes about it, Lebron James is leaving Cleveland this summer. His entire body language this post season screams it from his nagging elbow to how he looked at his talentless roster on the floor during last nights game. Undoubtedly once the Celtics close them out Thursday night James will start fielding the questions, "Lebron what are your thoughts on your free agent status this summer?" James of course will say something along the lines of "I have to get over this inept group of rejects letting me down again before I can decided that. I'm sure I'll figure it out by July." For James, the most talented basketball player in today's game, its about winning & he isn't going to do it with Shaq, Mo Williams, & Jamison. He has no desire floating around an organization with 2nd & 3rd rate talent with virtually no shot at beating a team like the Orlando Magic & in this case an aged Boston Celtics team. Don't kid yourself into thinking the Cavs have a good roster outside of Lebron. Mo Williams is again pulling his annual post season disappearing act. & while Jamison is still somewhat productive, he's not the type of fit James needs to win with this team. If winning with this team is even possible. The Cavs just need too much help, much more than James can provide them as is evident by the 2 games they have won in this series. James has been superhuman while winning. In the Game 1 win Lebron had 35 pts 7 board & 7 assists. In Game 3 the line was 38/8/7. In the games he doesnt score 25, the Cavs lose. A bad shooting night from James like last night & they get BLOWN OUT at home by 30 plus.

James isn't dumb, he knows that both Jamison & Mo Williams, under average NBA players are under contract for 2 more years in Cleveland. Shaq is on his way out the door. Varejao is due a huge contract (or be let go). Ilgauskus is finished a serviceable NBA player, & the the rest of the rotation that won the Cavs 60 plus games the last 2 seasons, just isn't good enough to beat teams that have multiple scoring options, especially since the opponent only has to stop their 1 option. If you look at this series with the Celtics, its inarguable that after James, the Celtics have the 4 next best players with Garnett, Rondo, Allen, & Pierce & i can make an argument for Rasheed Wallace as the 5th before selecting another Cav after James. It's just too much for ANY player to overcome...even for Lebron.

I said this last season, take Lebron James out of Cleveland & what the Cavs have is a 20+ win team similar to the NY Knicks. So the decision is to come. Does James have enough faith in Cleveland management to come up with the changes needed to make them a winner? Or does he chase the greatness he feels he warrants & gives another franchise the opportunity to make him a winner. The Magic reached the Finals last year & this year look even better after sweeping past their first 2 opponents in impressive fashion. Dwight Howard is only going to get bigger, better, & stronger & as long as he is there, James will never get to an NBA Final. Not with that Cleveland roster. If you ask me, it's over. WELCOME TO NY LEBRON!!! Get those #6 NY Knicks James jerseys printed now.

5 Fantasy Players Who Will Outperform Their ADP

Every year in fantasy you struggle with decisions on when to draft certain players. Is the 3rd round too early to draft say a Derek Jeter or a Dustin Pedroia? For me it is more psychological than just picking the right player. Reaches really depend on 2 things. Position depth & the player's individual draft value (as opposed to their performance value). Here are the players that I feel you can go a round up to get:

5. Alcides Escobar of the Milwaukee Brewers. He has a great glove & with JJ Hardy traded to Minnesota, he will stay in the lineup. Like many youngsters, Escobar doesn't walk a lot, 4 times in 134 PA (Plate Appearances). But he does run, Alcides had 42 SB last year in the PCL (Pacific Coast League) & 34 the year before that. If your league counts OBP or SLG, you should pass. But in a normal 5X5 league he is Jose Reyes with less power (& hopefully less injury risk). His runs will depend on where he hits in the Brewers lineup, but worth the risk in the ultra thin SS position.

4. Brian Matusz of the Baltimore Orioles. He's having a good spring, yet by the looks of his ADP* (Average Draft Position) of 219, no one is noticing. Matusz is a ROY (Rookie of the Year) candidate that could surprise. Matusz will be an excellent source of Ks during the season (has a 18 K to 2 BB in 14 1/3 IP in the spring thus far) & for a young pitcher he doesn't walk an astronomical amount of hitters. If you are thinking of drafting Andy Pettitte, roll the dice with Matusz instead. In limited time last year, Matusz had a higher K rate (7.67 to 6.84) & a lower BB rate (2.82 to 3.51)than Andy. The risk may be worth the potential reward with Matusz.

3. Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies. I absolutely love this guy. While he only has 4 extra bases so far in the spring, he is FLYING up the draft boards. & why wouldn't he? Gonzalez is a legit 5X5 fantasy option even in a 12 team leagues. Gonzalez's only issue is going to be playing time. The Rockies OF is pretty crowded at the time being. He likely will not play against lefties even though he hits them pretty well. His home numbers obviously carry the typical Rockies' player road/home differential (hitting over 40 points higher on the road). But he gave the Phillies nightmares in the playoffs, & went 13/16 in HR & SB respectively in 317 PA last season. That means he's 20/20 material with 450 PA.

2. Garrett Jones of the Pittsburgh Pirates. While many owners will jump on popular "fantasy sleepers" like Jason Heyward, I'll be chuckling & draft Jones 3-4 rounds later. This isn't a diss on Heyward who is doing exceptionally well this spring, but Heyward's ADP is in the 166 area. Meanwhile Garrett Jones is in the 208 range. That's 42 picks later for a proven ML player who hit 20 HR/10 SB last year in 358 PA. Jones is also a Pirate, making him easily forgettable on draft day. But it also makes him the perfect post hype candidate.

1. Francisco Liriano of the Minnesota Twins. Last year I went a round early on Ubaldo Jimenez & it paid dividends. This year Francisco Liriano wears the crown of an arm I'm taking a gamble on by selecting him well ahead of my peers. I saw him pitch in the Dominican Republic...in person. He was simply DOMINANT, throwing 5 shutout innings while striking out 10 in the Dominican League title game. Liriano CARRIED Escogido to it's first Caribbean World Series title since 1990. His fastball was back to 2006 speed & he had devastating control of his nasty slider. Thus far in spring training, he has 16 Ks in 10 IP. Combine that with his winter league stats & his K rate is at a semen spilling 11.75 K/9IP ratio, with a K/BB (Strikeout to Walk) Ratio of 8.75. His ADP is 209. That's like in the 17th round (in a 12 team format). Do not let him get that far. You'll be sorry. Also, ignore the reports that say Minnesota will put him in the pen. He's going to be a starter.

You can safely go a round or two early on any of these guys. They will perform past their draft values.

*ADP is an average draft position may differ per site.

Top 5 Fantasy Baseball Draft Day Don't Do's

It's my favorite time of the year. It's baseball season & with it, FANTASY BASEBALL!!! I don't care what anyone says, fantasy baseball is the best fantasy sport out. A season long daily roster change & standing flux drama. Weather you are in a Roto or a Head to Head, if you draft early or late, make sure you don't make draft day mistakes. Here are the top 5 I expect to see in most drafts & the ones you should avoid.

5. Don't reach for players switching teams expecting a big boost in production.
In other words, don't think Adrian Beltre is going to go 25 HR/100 RBI because he went to Boston. He is a good late round pick up sure, I'd agree. But he isn't going to have the huge bounce back year nearly every expert is predicting. In fact, if he does it can hardly be considered a "bounce back." A bounce back from what? Beltre has 1 season with 100 RBI (of his 12 in the Majors). So you can immediately rule out 100 RBI's. The 25 HR? Well that's about his average anyway, so you really aren't gaining anything production wise compared to his career norms (which is .270/24 HR/87 RBI). Those are the numbers you should expect. In a league I've been in for about 9 years Beltre went 136th overall last year. That was too early then & would be too early in 2010. The owner (sorry Chris) was likely using the infamous "he's in a contract year so he's due for a big season" theory. Which brings me to my next point.

4. Don't draft a player in a contract year expecting a big boost in production.
You wouldn't believe how many people buy into this year in & year out. Remember when 30 year old Andruw Jones was a pending Free Agent in 2007? Everyone told you "he's in for a HUGE year." That year in the same league, I drafted him in round 3 (34 overall). Somehow I managed to trade him at mid season for reasonable return...& that was only because this was at the time unforeseen territory for Jones, who came of a 41 HR season. But in 2007 he ended the season with an abysmal .222/.311/.413 AVG/OBP/SLG line. The rest is history. This years candidate? Carlos Pena. I know you love the power (who wouldn't). But his batting average (the most underrated category in fantasy especially in roto leagues) was unbearable last year. The last 3 years it has plummeted from .282 to .247 to .227. His K rate has gone up, his BB rate has gone down. Sound like disaster to me.

3. Don't draft Johnny Damon.
Read why here. Seriously, just stay away from him.

2. Don't draft Stephen Strasburg.
Listen, if you are in a keeper league, go ahead & knock yourself out. But if you are in a regular yearly league, DO NOT BOTHER...he isn't going to play in the majors this year. You'll draft him in the middle rounds instead of drafting a serviceable pitcher & end up dropping him in May. Next year consider it. This year just pass & laugh at the guy or girl who drafts him.

1. Don't draft Joe Mauer in the 1st round.
I wouldn't even draft him in the 2nd round. Unless you are in an extremely deep league (like 20 plus) don't buy into "Mauer Power" in round 1 or 2. First he's a catcher...extremely too much risk (injury & otherwise) involved drafting that position in the 2nd round, let alone in the 1st. Not even Mike Piazza in his prime was regularly drafted in the 1st round when he dominated the position in the 90's & early 2000's. And Piazza had a much higher pedigree than Mauer entering their 7th season. Secondly, before last year Mauer had exactly 1 double digit HR seasons (in 2006 with 13). In my opinion, there isn't enough of a track record in the power department to draft him that high. I know he's the reigning AL MVP, but are you really going to draft him as high as 14th his ADP (Average Draft Position)? If he duplicates last season, he will be worth it. But are you going to gamble that he duplicates that? Go ahead...I won't

So there you have it. Remember, that while you can't win your league on draft day, you can sure lose it making any of these mistakes. Draft wisely.

Business As Usual

When it comes to sports economics fans typically are on management (owners/teams) side of the squabble. You hear it everywhere, even the educated sports fan will foolishly tell you, "these players are TOO GREEDY, what's the difference when you make THAT MUCH!!!" People will tell you a few millions here & there might not make a difference to a player, but why is the same mentality not used when it comes to team or the owners? Aren't the team owners also making millions? I for one, have always sided with the player when it comes to labor disputes, especially when it comes to football. After all, they are the product. But most importantly, they are the ones taking the risk & placing their respective bodies on the line. I know what your thinking, "you can't compare the money we make to the amount they make...they get paid millions to play a game." They also limp home, have concussions, blow out knee caps, & break bone at the end of the "work day" while you stroll in & eat your dinner.

I could be one of these uninformed fanatics who sees a sports labor headline & instantly thinks, "these damn players are greedy." Yet when they see a player like LaDainian Tomlinson, crying uncontrollably like he did at his press conference, it's nothing more than another overused player that has worn out his welcome in the game. In 2006, Tomlinson won the leagues MVP in a season where he touched the ball over 400 time (404). Marking the 6th straight season LT had over 390 touches. Mind you, that these touches are in a 4 months span, not including the playoffs, which amounts to nearly 100 blows a month from 270 pound linemen. This is why, when players hold out for more money I say one thing... GET YOUR MONEY!!! Cause when you're all used up, this is where you'll be. On the unemployment line.

I'm not saying I feel sorry for sports athletes, they know the risks of the game. What I'm saying is I understand them & their desire to be compensated to a level they deem fair. We all work, we all make our money & likely work for people who make more money. If that's the case, if you are an asset making your owner richer, wouldn't YOU want your cut? Why would you take a dime less? Fans OFTEN speak out against players due to their jealousy. There really is no other reason to care who makes what. You call players "mercenaries" selling their service to the highest bidder. I call it securing a financial future.

Damon's Dash

Finally it's over!!! Never in my wildest & most imaginative dreams would I ever think, that a washed up 37 year old player who can no longer play the OF, would DOMINATE the baseball free agency period. I give you 2009/2010 & the curious case of one Johnny Damon. If you thought you missed the early signings of Jason Bay & Matt Holliday, it was probably just overlooked because of the media suffocation around Damon, the prize outfielder during the FA (free agency) period this year...apparently. Previous to this weekend Johnny was still not signed. He wass still the most coveted free agent outfielder since Barry Bonds. Unlike Bonds though, no one will confuse Johnny for a future Hall of Fame caliber player. Yet the media (& myself since I am blogging about this), continue to clamor, over a player towards the end of his career.

Now I know in the opinion of some that I (Russ Rosario), am being somewhat harsh on Damon. But am I the only one who seems to think this guy is getting a little too much attention? I think we can all agree Johnny had a good baseball career with the best season arguably coming last year. It was a good swan song IMO & teams need to check his vitals before jumping the shark on this one. The Yankees (who I have often & openly been critical of various times in the past) thought so much of Damon, that they replaced him with Nick Johnson (who has spent 1/3 of his career on the DL) & Randy Winn. This isn't a diss on Johnson, who is a very good player. He is however as injury prone as they come. & while Randy Winn is the only player in baseball history to be traded for a manager, there is a reason why baseball's best run franchise gave him a non-guaranteed minor league deal.

But any baseball related site you visit, you see the headlines. "The Braves & White Sox can't afford Damon." My question is WHY WOULD YOU WANT TOO? First of all, if you're the Braves (or ANY NL team) why would you have a slow defensive liability in your OF? An OF who besides that, no longer steals & won't hit for power outside the friendly confines of a stadium tailor made for his swing. Reportedly, the Detroit Tigers had offered Damon a 2 year deal for $14M...a similar contract to that offered by the Bombers. Miraculously, Damon DID NOT sign the deal. There are only two theories feasible enough to explain as to why. The printers at Yankees Stadium or Comerica Park ran out of toner, paper, or both. Or the fax machine was stolen right out of Scott Boras' office. For the Tigers, this is inexplicable. To trade Curtis Granderson, a 29 year old All Star OF, with 3 years & $25M (including a $2M buyout) left on his contract, then turn around & sign a Johnny Damon to 1 year at $8M makes ZERO sense. The average annual pay out is VIRTUALLY the same. The contract value for Damon is more questionable to that of Granderson's considering Damon's age & skill set at this point of his career. This is again, why bad teams STAY BAD. I'm sick & tired of teams complaining about competitive balance & owners wanting caps. You want to be a better team? Try making better decisions. This was a step in the wrong direction for Detroit.

Is Johnny Damon completely done? I'll put it this way, if you are driving a car & the tank is on E & the warning light just came on, are you going to push it another 100 miles? If your answer is YES...don't kick yourself when you're stranded in the middle of the road. That's the exact scenario teams are facing, more so the Tigers after bidding against themselves to secure Damon. My prediction for Damon this year is simple. .270ish/10 hr/50-60 rbis/75-85 runs/8 sb, & a bunch of fly balls over his head.

Tiger Woods Reaction

Shockingly (at least to me), Tiger Woods came out & took it like a man. Not that he wouldn’t have manned up, he just simply didn’t have to & did. Tiger’s the latest athlete to crumbles under the immense media pressure that he could have simply ignored. There he stood, baring all to the entire world addressing the allegations of steroid use, the infidelity, paparazzi & the constant harassment of his family, The Thanksgiving Day incident with Elin, his irresponsible behavior, how he felt the rules of marriage & life didn’t apply to him, & lastly but likely the most astonishing, his Golf etiquette or lack there of. Woods made apologies to everyone from Elin, to parents of children who idolized him, to Accenture & the players in the Match Play.

I thought the most intriguing part of his near 14 minute speech, came where he stated, "the issue involved here, was my repeated irresponsible behavior, I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated. What I did was unacceptable and I am the only person to blame." Fully divulging his wrongdoings & taking responsibility for them. He added, he knew his actions were wrong & convinced himself that normal rules didn't apply to him. How he felt he deserved to enjoy all the temptations around him...he felt entitled. This is where I gained the ultimate respect for Tiger. My question is what athlete/celebrity DOESN'T feel & act this way? Tiger, unlike most athletes/celebrities & actually came clean.

In the end, I believe this was one of Tiger's rehab steps. Making a full contrite public confession WHILE disclosing to having extra-marital affairs. Woods never took a question & really didn’t have to. He answered them all for the exception of when he will return. Woods didn't rule out a return in 2010. Woods gave the public exactly what they wanted adding he had a lot to atone for. But it makes me wonder why the public wanted to see a Golf athlete become so intimate with personal details of his life, when we wouldn't expect that from anyone else.

Insert Generic Tiger Headline Here

I'm not as witty as those other writers who give you all those catchy headlines so excuse the header. After months of silence, Tiger Woods will finally appease the masses by reading a statement tomorrow at 11:00 AM EST, in what should be a media spectacle. He will not take questions, he will simply read a statement to selected media, in front of 1 camera, while other media members wait in a hotel conference room watching. The public is eagerly awaiting this as well as I. While the general populous wants him to be contrite, I want him to remain himself, an egotistical, self serving jerk who hid behind the word "addiction" to justify his "wrongdoings." But does your opinion of him really hinge on what he says tomorrow? Here's why mines won't.

For the record, I'm not a moralist, nor do I need Woods to be one. I've said this before, do you really care if the butcher who slices your meat or the guy changing the oil in your car sleeps around on his wife? This is why I don't think Tiger owes any one of us an explanation & I truthfully, do you want one if it's going to be full of crap? Well get ready, because that's what you should expect in tomorrow's presser. In fact, I say pay more attention to his surroundings because that might be more interesting than what he says. What I want to hear from the media personnel who were deemed worthy enough to breathe the same air as him, are answers to the following questions:

• Who will be next to him? Elin Nordegren Woods, the hotel maid he'll undoubtedly slept with prior to the conference or his agent?
• Will he be wearing his wedding ring?
• Will he cry?

Those are the only answers I need. His testimonial is inconsequential because he'll read a standard, non specific & prepared speech where he won't directly admit to any affairs. It will be carefully worded & worse of all, no one in the media can question & test the veracity of his statement.

I am absolutely in love with the fact Tiger Woods did this during the Accenture Match Play, being that Accenture was one of the sponsors that dropped him. Because as opposed to the majority of the world, I'm ok with Tiger being a self absorbed asshole. & tomorrow, I hope we get more of that Tiger. I don't want to see him humble himself because in all reality, I gain nothing from it & neither do you. All these media guys like Rick Reilly saying he has to win women back is NONSENSE. He only has to win 1 woman back & that's Elin & that's if he cares enough to do so. If you are a woman, does Tiger really need to win you back? Why does he have to? His vows were to his wife, not to any of us. You are still going to watch him, listen to him, & idolize him for his play. So your opinion on a Golfer shouldn't change based on what he says. If it does, you really need to look in the mirror at your own hypocrisy.

Kurt Warner Retires

From bagging groceries to Hall of Fame Quarterback. No, this isn't a fairytale, this is the story of Kurt Warner. We've all heard the story before & what Kurt Warner was doing before he elevated himself into a Hall of Fame NFL QB. He was stocking shelves at the Cedar Falls Hy Vee grocery store for $5.50 per hour. & in 5 years, he will cement his name in the annals of football lore.

I can go all day taking about his stats. How Kurt Warner has the 2nd highest passing yard per game average, how he has the most passing yards in Super Bowl history (single game & career), how he's tied with Joe Montana for the most TD in one postseason (11), or how he's the only QB to throw for 14,000 yards for 2 different franchise. It's not only the stats that make Warner HOF worthy. It was the fact that he took 2 of the NFL's worst run franchises & turned them from laughing stocks, to Super Bowls, making one of them a champion. Think about that for a minute.

The Chicago/STL/Arizona Cardinals had a total of 2 post season wins (spanning back to 1947) before Warner. He collected 3 in one season & came within seconds of delivering the pathetic franchise a Super Bowl victory. The LA/STL Rams, were coming off a 4-12 season led by Tony Banks in 1998, before the grocery bagging QB changed the fortunes of the franchise seemingly overnight. The Rams went from ZERO playoff appearances in 10 years, to the Greatest Show on Turf & winning Super Bowl 34. Stats aside he changed the culture of 2 losing franchises making them into winners. That's IMPACT!!!

Lane Change

Before everyone decides to crucify Lane Kiffin for taking the USC job, ask yourself this...would you have hung up the phone without accepting what you deem a better career opportunity? So where is this "he's a traitor/he betrayed us" talk is coming from?

When news came down of Lane Kiffin shockingly leaving Tennessee last night there was the immediate overreaction by the populous. "How could he do this 3 weeks before National Signing Day?" Easy...by answering the phone & saying "I accept your job offer USC." I can understand being upset, but lets not make it sound like this is a Jesus & Judas situation & that Kiffin sold out Tennessee for 30 silver pieces. He left "Rocky Top" the #6 recruiting class, when Tennessee hasn't been part of the relevant college landscape for the majority of the decade. In other words, an improvement.

Sure you'll lose some recruits, but you aren't losing them all. One recruit they are losing is Brandon Willis. Willis, a top 50 high school recruit (according Rivals.com), was expected to start school early, but upon hearing the news said, "I am not going to Tennessee, I am not sure what I am going to do now. I am going to sit down with my dad and talk about it." However, Willis' high school teammate, Corey Miller (who is a higher rated prospect than Willis) is still headed to UT. & before you react & say "Kiffin left them high & dry." think about it this for a second...aren't these recruits going to leave college (in some cases early) to pursue better career opportunities in the NFL? So stop the hypocritical outrage.

Even though I would have thought twice about taking over head coaching duties in a school that may face NCAA probabtion (like USC may face), Kiffin thinks he has a better opportunity in Southern Cal than in Tennessee. & let's face it, location is a big deal to recruits. If someone is trying to get you to commit to their school, who do you think will have an easier time doing so? Tennessee or Southern California? It's not even a contest.

Of course if USC is sanctioned, Kiffin will have a lot of egg on his face. Steve Spurrier once said "you can spell Citrus (as in the Citrus Bowl) without the UT." Maybe Lane Kiffin thought you couldn't spell success, without USC.

McGwire's Admission

Well you knew sooner or later. That another athlete would crack under the immense pressure of the media's "come clean" campaign. The latest admission came from Mark McGwire yesterday, when he revealed he used steroids on & off for most of the decade in the 90's. Now since its been a while, I'll remind the audience who Mark McGwire actually is. He's the Cardinals first basemen who broke Roger Maris' 37 year old single season HR record in 1998. No, I'm right about the year, 1998. So this news comes a decade too late & when no one any longer cares. It's just another name, on top of the pile of embarrassment for MLB.

McGwire, took it a step farther, & stated, "Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era." Well Mark, this is similar to Christopher Columbus wishing he never discovered the Caribbean Islands after he raped & pillaged it. Being a willing participant, no wait, one of the original Godfathers of this steroid era, you have very little room to complain about the circumstances you find yourself in. Big Mac went on to dispute how much of an effect steroids had on his 70 HR season saying, "I was given a gift to hit home runs." Telling Bob Costas of MLB Network, that studying pitchers and making his swing shorter led to his increase in home runs, and that he could have hit them without PEDs. AMAZING...the man has lied to himself so much over the last 10 years, that he actually believes this. Mark, they are called performance enhancing drugs...in other words, they are specially manufactored drugs to enhance your performance. If they didn't do anything...why take them? Oh yeah that's right...to stay healthy (the Andy Pettitte excuse)...like healthy enough to stay on the field & play enough games that allowed you to hit the home runs & eventually break the record. Personally, I feel this admission negates his career to the BBWAA (Baseball Writers Association of America), who will now never vote him in to the Hall of Fame, after admitting use during the majority of his career.

Like most players who came forward after the exposure McGwire said "the truth will set you free." Then why does every player give us the same story? That they took it for injuries, made a mistake, didn't know what they were doing, it was a bad decision on their part or everyone else was doing it? Just once, I wish an athlete would come out & say, "I was in a contract year & I wanted to get a huge payday. That's why I did it." or "I wanted to be the greatest player who ever played & this drug took me a step closer to that." or "I knew it was wrong, but I didn't care. I wanted the fame that came along with the historic performance I was about to embark on & I don't regret it one bit." Any of those statements would be more truthful, than the alligator tears segment we get from every player, every time there name is mentioned in the same breathe as "steroid user." The only reason they are sorry & they cry, is because they are being exposed to the public. Nothing more nothing less.

Let me be the first to officially name a fantasy baseball team Big Mac Special Sauce for the upcoming 2010 fantasy season. It'll be the next team name to catch on.

Trouble In Trojan Town

It may not rain in Southern California, but it's about to pour on USC. Pete Carroll is the first College Coach teams in the NFL think of when they make a firing. That didn't change when the Seahawks fired Jim Mora Jr. on Friday. Pete Carroll, an underachiever as an NFL Head Coach (at least compared to his USC success), was again the first person mentioned for the Seattle Seahawks opening, mere hours after Mora's dismissal. If Carroll leaves USC & takes the Seattle offer, it can only mean one thing...how long before the proverbial shoe drops, & the Trojans of USC are placed on probation?

No official offers have been made to Carroll & no one has confirmed that both sides have even talked. But a source close to Carroll said, "You're about to see a big headline that shakes up the major college football world, " referring to the Seahawks sudden opening. Chris Mortensen of ESPN has stated Carroll is choosing his eventual staff for Seattle. The current headlines will likely be how Pete Carroll will be offered a Head Coaching Position (& what will likely be the VP of Player Operations opening along with it) of the Seattle Seahawks. But afterwards what will be the next domino to fall? My prediction is USC, so prepare yourself for the headlines. "Trojans stripped of national titles, forfeit wins, sanctioned, & placed on probation until year X." The basic death nail to a football program that enjoyed a quick rise into prominence during the early 2000's, ever since Carroll was hired. With him leaving (if he eventually is offered a position & does leave), it will signal an even more rapid fall from grace, than the last empire fooled by the Trojan horse.

This week USC put their own basketball program on probation over OJ Mayo's relationship with Event Promoter Rodney Guillory. The sanction includes a post season ban this year as well as forfeited games when Mayo played. Then you add the recent Joe McKnight SUV situation & the fact the NCAA is still looking at them for Reggie Bush's alleged violations from a few years ago, & its easy to see the end is near for the USC football program. McKnight has already declared for the NFL draft & Carroll is scheduled to meet with Seattle this weekend & is expected to accept the offer according to various league sources. What this spells is the end for USC as an elite college program.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Jon Alba of Sports Full Circle for being the main source to The Skinny Post Blog concerning this news story, when it originally broke.