Amazing how quickly the perception of a team can change. The Yankees were potentially in major trouble this offseason, as C.C. Sabathia had an out clause in his contract, and the rest of the starting rotation appeared to be in serious trouble. The lineup was old, and it appeared that the Yankees’ run may, in fact, have run it’s course.
Fast forward to January 23rd. The Yankees locked up Sabathia, providing them with a legitimate anchor for the rotation. Sabathia is, despite concerns about his weight, extremely durable and consistent. The Yankees then traded for rising star Michael Pineda, giving them a much needed young potential stud for the rotation. Three days later, they signed dependable veteran Hiroki Kuroda to a one year contract. Suddenly, the rotation, which looked like a severe weakness, had become a strength. 16 game winner Ivan Nova holds down the fourth starter slot, and despite the expected regression he will have this season, is a solid piece. The fifth starter will be either Phil Hughes, who imploded last year, or Freddy Garcia, who put up a surprisingly solid year. A.J. Burnett was traded to the Pirates, which will improve the Yankees’ rotation simply by his absence. The rotation, once a weakness, is suddenly a strength.
The bullpen is solid, with future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera returning to lock down the ninth inning. Even at age 42, he shows no signs of wearing down, and looks as dominant as ever. David Robertson may have been the top set up man in baseball last year. Despite his wildness (35 walks in 66.1 innings), he was virtually unhittable, holding the opposition to a .170 batting average against while striking out over one-third of the hitters he faced. Boone Logan, Rafael Soriano, and the recently signed David Aardsma provide excellent bullpen depth, and give the Yankees plenty of options should Robertson stumble or if Rivera gets hurt.
The outfield returns intact, with Nick Swisher in right field, Curtis Granderson in center, and Brett Gardner in left. Gardner is a solid player, capable of providing a bit of power, excellent speed, and a decent glove. Granderson had a career year last season, as he finally figured out how to hit left handed pitching. His 41 home runs were far and away his highest total, and he actually drew a solid amount of walks, showing an improved batting eye. While regression is expected, he may finally be past the possibility of being a platoon candidate. Swisher is a solid left fielder, able to get on base at a good rate, hit the occasional home run, and play decent defense. Even if the outfield is not spectacular, it is a solid group.
The infield for the Yankees is a solid group, although there are concerns at shortstop and third base. Derek Jeter returns at shortstop, but one has to wonder how long he will remain an effective major league player. 2010 looked like the beginning of the end, but Jeter returned with a solid 2011, particularly in the second half when he posted a .327 batting average and .811 OPS. Alex Rodriguez has been plagued by injuries over the past couple of years, and looks like he is nearing the end of the line. If he can stay healthy, Rodriguez can still produce at a level just below elite. The question is, how many games can he play? Otherwise, Eduardo Nunez may see a lot more playing time than a team with this payroll should allow. At second base is the dependable Robinson Cano, who is one of the top two or three second basemen in the game. While known primarily for his offense, Cano has won a Gold Glove, and is one of the best at making plays at his position. First baseman Mark Teixeira has seen his batting average on balls in play dip over each of the past five seasons, but remains a solid power hitter in the middle of the lineup. Teixeira is also a very underrated defensive player, having won four Gold Glove awards.
Russell Martin had a career rennaisance last season, and was rewarded with a $7.5 million dollar deal. While his batting average suffered a bit, he regained a power stroke, and showed flashes of his former ability. Francisco Cervelli is a capable backup, and may be one of the better backup catchers in the game. At DH, the Yankees finally put Jorge Posada out of his misery. Look for a platoon with Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones to take over the position, as they finally get some production from the position over a full year.
The Yankees are poised to make a deep run this season. After having problems in the playoffs due to their pitching staff, they may return to the World Series again this season. At this point, they are the favorites to represent the American League in the Fall Classic.
Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Rodriguez. Show all posts
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Tiger Woods Did PEDs
The evidence is circumstantial at best, but where there is smoke, there is usually fire. Let's connect the dots here.
We have here a person the likes of which his sport had never seen before. A person who could, seemingly without exerting any effort, could drive a ball to incredible distances. A person who would seemingly win an event that he showed up for, just based off of his intimidation presence alone. A golfer who was built more like a linebacker. A golfer that actually lifted weights, as opposed to being the out of shape hobbyists that the rest of the PGA Tour consisted of. An actual athlete that happened to play golf. That person was Tiger Woods.
Fast forward to October of 2009. Dr. Anthony Galea, who just so happened to be the personal doctor of Tiger Woods, was charged in federal court for bringing Human Growth Hormone and similar substances into the United States, as well as lying to border guards to avoid being caught. Now Dr. Galea, who plead guilty in court on Wednesday, admitted that he brought these substances in to treat athletes.
Woods claims that HGH and steroids were never a part of any treatments that he received from Dr. Galea. So, we are to believe a guy who is a known liar and cheat when he claims that he never took or received any of these drugs from this person, who is an admitted that such things were a part of his healing medicine? Or is it just coincidence that the other athlete from the list of 20 golfers, baseball players , and football players that he treated just so happened to be Alex Rodriguez? Oh, and by the way, A-Rod is an admitted PED user, only he claimed his cousin got them for him. Sure, cousin. That cousin wouldn't have happened to be a disgraced Canadian doctor now, would it? Wait, we understand you won't answer honestly - don't want to blow up your golden goose now.
Now, let's look at the Tiger Woods timeline here. The last tournament he won was back on September 13, 2009, at the BMW Championship, were he defeated the field by eight shots. Now, on Thanksgiving of that same year, he crashed his SUV into a shrubbery (the Knights Who So Formerly Said Ni! were not pleased with this development), a fire hydrant, and finally a tree. He then conveniently removed himself from any other tournaments for 2009.
Now, let's look at 2010. Zero victories. In fact, he even failed to make the Ryder Cup team, an event for which his name had previously been penned in. He would skip events. He would claim his equipment was hindering his performance. Meanwhile, the rest of the tour was mysteriously starting to catch up to him, to the point where he finally relinquished control of the top ranking in the world of golf, dropping to second. Did the effects of all of those golf courses 'Tiger Proofing' themselves finally start to work all of a sudden? Or was it that Woods no longer had the PED advantage he previously had, now that his doctor was busted?
So, we move forward to 2011. Once again, Woods has not won an event. In fact, he has barely been able to finish an event he appeared in, leaving twice due to 'injuries'. Recently, he announced that he would not return until he felt right. Now, HGH and other PEDs can not only help one accumulate muscle mass and strength, but they also help decrease recovery time from various injuries and surgeries. Suddenly, Woods seems to have a lot of 'minor injuries' and other ailments that he never had before. He has been having issues with his Achilles tendon and his left anterior cruciate ligament, which is ironic since steroids have suggested to increase the risk of tendon tears and injuries in athletes.
With everything added up, and with his sudden fall from the pinnacle of his 'sport', there is plenty of evidence suggesting that Tiger Woods has done PEDs. Just because no one has actually seen him get injected means absolutely nothing. Now, the PGA Tour does have a PED testing policy, and a player was caught under the system. However, the PGA Tour is run by THE PLAYERS, and since it is, how serious are they about actually testing for such things? They are smart enough to know that if one of their cash cows got caught, it would ruin golf's image. So, point to the fact that Tiger Woods has never tested positive for PEDs all you want. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettitte never tested positive for them either.
Tiger Woods did PEDs. It is just that no one wants to admit it.
We have here a person the likes of which his sport had never seen before. A person who could, seemingly without exerting any effort, could drive a ball to incredible distances. A person who would seemingly win an event that he showed up for, just based off of his intimidation presence alone. A golfer who was built more like a linebacker. A golfer that actually lifted weights, as opposed to being the out of shape hobbyists that the rest of the PGA Tour consisted of. An actual athlete that happened to play golf. That person was Tiger Woods.
Fast forward to October of 2009. Dr. Anthony Galea, who just so happened to be the personal doctor of Tiger Woods, was charged in federal court for bringing Human Growth Hormone and similar substances into the United States, as well as lying to border guards to avoid being caught. Now Dr. Galea, who plead guilty in court on Wednesday, admitted that he brought these substances in to treat athletes.
Woods claims that HGH and steroids were never a part of any treatments that he received from Dr. Galea. So, we are to believe a guy who is a known liar and cheat when he claims that he never took or received any of these drugs from this person, who is an admitted that such things were a part of his healing medicine? Or is it just coincidence that the other athlete from the list of 20 golfers, baseball players , and football players that he treated just so happened to be Alex Rodriguez? Oh, and by the way, A-Rod is an admitted PED user, only he claimed his cousin got them for him. Sure, cousin. That cousin wouldn't have happened to be a disgraced Canadian doctor now, would it? Wait, we understand you won't answer honestly - don't want to blow up your golden goose now.
Now, let's look at the Tiger Woods timeline here. The last tournament he won was back on September 13, 2009, at the BMW Championship, were he defeated the field by eight shots. Now, on Thanksgiving of that same year, he crashed his SUV into a shrubbery (the Knights Who So Formerly Said Ni! were not pleased with this development), a fire hydrant, and finally a tree. He then conveniently removed himself from any other tournaments for 2009.
Now, let's look at 2010. Zero victories. In fact, he even failed to make the Ryder Cup team, an event for which his name had previously been penned in. He would skip events. He would claim his equipment was hindering his performance. Meanwhile, the rest of the tour was mysteriously starting to catch up to him, to the point where he finally relinquished control of the top ranking in the world of golf, dropping to second. Did the effects of all of those golf courses 'Tiger Proofing' themselves finally start to work all of a sudden? Or was it that Woods no longer had the PED advantage he previously had, now that his doctor was busted?
So, we move forward to 2011. Once again, Woods has not won an event. In fact, he has barely been able to finish an event he appeared in, leaving twice due to 'injuries'. Recently, he announced that he would not return until he felt right. Now, HGH and other PEDs can not only help one accumulate muscle mass and strength, but they also help decrease recovery time from various injuries and surgeries. Suddenly, Woods seems to have a lot of 'minor injuries' and other ailments that he never had before. He has been having issues with his Achilles tendon and his left anterior cruciate ligament, which is ironic since steroids have suggested to increase the risk of tendon tears and injuries in athletes.
With everything added up, and with his sudden fall from the pinnacle of his 'sport', there is plenty of evidence suggesting that Tiger Woods has done PEDs. Just because no one has actually seen him get injected means absolutely nothing. Now, the PGA Tour does have a PED testing policy, and a player was caught under the system. However, the PGA Tour is run by THE PLAYERS, and since it is, how serious are they about actually testing for such things? They are smart enough to know that if one of their cash cows got caught, it would ruin golf's image. So, point to the fact that Tiger Woods has never tested positive for PEDs all you want. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Andy Pettitte never tested positive for them either.
Tiger Woods did PEDs. It is just that no one wants to admit it.
Monday, March 7, 2011
LeBron James - Basketball's A-Rod
They began their careers as two 'can't miss' prospects. Talents that would transcend generations and be the faces of their respective franchises for years to come. From the time they arrived on the scene, they were compared to the all time greats of their sport. So, is it any wonder how closely the careers of Alex Rodriguez and LeBron James mirror each other at this point?
Rodriguez spent the first seven years of his career in Seattle, where he was a four time All Star, and finished as high as second in the MVP voting. He then left Seattle as a free agent, signing what was the richest contract in MLB history with the Texas Rangers. Along the way, the left the fans in Seattle feeling betrayed, and the animosity towards him began to grow.
LeBron, likewise, spent his first seven seasons in Cleveland. There, he was a six time All Star, and a two time MVP. Being from the area (he grew up in Akron), he quickly became the face of the franchise, the savior that could lead the team to prominence. However, like A-Rod, after his seventh season he left, spurning the city of Cleveland in a nationally televised production for the Miami Heat. This departure began to fuel anger towards LeBron.
Both have serious questions about their abilities to perform in the clutch. A-Rod is remembered for his atrocious showings in the playoffs from 2004 through 2007 for the Yankees, and the infamous 'glove slap' as he attempted to evade Bronson Arroyo's tag attempt. LeBron infamously quit on the Cavaliers last postseason, as though he had mentally left there following Game Four, and was protesting the perceived 'lack of talent' surrounding him.
Both players are exceedingly image conscious, to the point of narcissism and egomania. A-Rod infamously has a picture depicting himself as a centaur hanging over his bed. There was the picture in Details Magazine where he was kissing himself in the mirror. He interrupted the 2007 World Series to announce that he was going to opt out of his contract and file for free agency. LeBron did manage to upstage A-Rod's announcement by having his one hour special called 'The Decision', where he ripped the heart out of Cleveland in front of a national audience. LeBron is considered to be egotistical to the point where someone actually created a Twitter account that claims to be LeBron's Ego.
And yet, despite how image conscious these two are, they are completely incapable of understanding why people dislike them. A-Rod does not understand why people consider him to be a choke artist, a fraud, an egomaniac, and a mercenary. LeBron is unable to understand why people turned on him for going to Miami, why Cleveland burned his jerseys in effigy, and why he is also thought of as a fraud and choke artist. For the money these people spend on promoting their 'brand' and trying to, in their mind, do the right thing, it would make sense to have someone there to tell them when a concept is simply a terrible idea. Yet, they continue to surround themselves with 'Yes Men', and refuse to accept the consequences of their actions.
Along the way, A-Rod has managed to pick up a championship with the 2009 Yankees. Despite actually having a good run through the American League playoff series, he is still considered to have picked up his ring by riding the coattails of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and other True Yankees. LeBron may, in time, gain his own championship in Miami. However, like A-Rod, he will be considered to have ridden the coattails of someone else to get there.
These are two all time greats in their respective sports. Yet, they are completely unable to be identified with anything tangible other than their own egos and the hatred that fans everywhere have for them. This could have all been prevented, if they only could get out of their own way.
Rodriguez spent the first seven years of his career in Seattle, where he was a four time All Star, and finished as high as second in the MVP voting. He then left Seattle as a free agent, signing what was the richest contract in MLB history with the Texas Rangers. Along the way, the left the fans in Seattle feeling betrayed, and the animosity towards him began to grow.
LeBron, likewise, spent his first seven seasons in Cleveland. There, he was a six time All Star, and a two time MVP. Being from the area (he grew up in Akron), he quickly became the face of the franchise, the savior that could lead the team to prominence. However, like A-Rod, after his seventh season he left, spurning the city of Cleveland in a nationally televised production for the Miami Heat. This departure began to fuel anger towards LeBron.
Both have serious questions about their abilities to perform in the clutch. A-Rod is remembered for his atrocious showings in the playoffs from 2004 through 2007 for the Yankees, and the infamous 'glove slap' as he attempted to evade Bronson Arroyo's tag attempt. LeBron infamously quit on the Cavaliers last postseason, as though he had mentally left there following Game Four, and was protesting the perceived 'lack of talent' surrounding him.
Both players are exceedingly image conscious, to the point of narcissism and egomania. A-Rod infamously has a picture depicting himself as a centaur hanging over his bed. There was the picture in Details Magazine where he was kissing himself in the mirror. He interrupted the 2007 World Series to announce that he was going to opt out of his contract and file for free agency. LeBron did manage to upstage A-Rod's announcement by having his one hour special called 'The Decision', where he ripped the heart out of Cleveland in front of a national audience. LeBron is considered to be egotistical to the point where someone actually created a Twitter account that claims to be LeBron's Ego.
And yet, despite how image conscious these two are, they are completely incapable of understanding why people dislike them. A-Rod does not understand why people consider him to be a choke artist, a fraud, an egomaniac, and a mercenary. LeBron is unable to understand why people turned on him for going to Miami, why Cleveland burned his jerseys in effigy, and why he is also thought of as a fraud and choke artist. For the money these people spend on promoting their 'brand' and trying to, in their mind, do the right thing, it would make sense to have someone there to tell them when a concept is simply a terrible idea. Yet, they continue to surround themselves with 'Yes Men', and refuse to accept the consequences of their actions.
Along the way, A-Rod has managed to pick up a championship with the 2009 Yankees. Despite actually having a good run through the American League playoff series, he is still considered to have picked up his ring by riding the coattails of Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and other True Yankees. LeBron may, in time, gain his own championship in Miami. However, like A-Rod, he will be considered to have ridden the coattails of someone else to get there.
These are two all time greats in their respective sports. Yet, they are completely unable to be identified with anything tangible other than their own egos and the hatred that fans everywhere have for them. This could have all been prevented, if they only could get out of their own way.
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