MLB 2017 Season

[cheebs09]

Reds pitching might just be a natural PED. Thames has more homers against the Reds than any player has in MLB right now.

[wadesworld]

Reds pitching might just be a natural PED. Thames has more homers against the Reds than any player has in MLB right now.

http://deadspin.com/cubs-pitching-coach-comes-very-close-to-accusing-eric-t-1794508875

Depends who you ask.  Oh the irony of Bosio talking about PED users and body transformations...

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

http://deadspin.com/cubs-pitching-coach-comes-very-close-to-accusing-eric-t-1794508875

Depends who you ask.  Oh the irony of Bosio talking about PED users and body transformations...

Wades when PEDs are mentioned in this thread 

[GB Warrior]

Wades when PEDs are mentioned in this thread 

Let's just universally agree that Lackey is an asswipe.

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

Let's just universally agree that Lackey is an asswipe.

I have no room to talk about Lackey. I still defend AJ Pierzynski.

[GB Warrior]

I have no room to talk about Lackey. I still defend AJ Pierzynski.

Did AJ divorce his cancer-stricken wife too?

[wadesworld]

Wades when PEDs are mentioned in this thread 

Lol this is awesome.

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

Did AJ divorce his cancer-stricken wife too?

He is surprisingly less hated for not doing that.

[Plaque Lives Matter!]

Lol this is awesome.

Ha I had hoped you'd take it in good humor.

[GGGG]

I'm not trying to diminish any accomplishments at all.  I've said it everywhere that I wish the Brewers, Bucks, Packers, etc. would get all of their players on PEDs.  There's no coincidence that the best players in the history of sports are the ones who have used PEDs.

Name a Wisconsin athlete who you think is on PEDs.  Chances are I'll probably agree with you, and with the exception of Braun (because he's an idiot and tried to claim he didn't use them and the only reason his test failed was because it was tampered with rather than just accept the consequences) I probably cheer for them.  Couldn't care less.  MLB players have such a gigantic uphill battle if they haven't used PEDs to get to where they are because everyone else does.

I don't understand this logic.

So because you don't care if they use PEDs, you don't think it is wrong to accuse players of using PEDs without evidence?  Yet because Lackey thinks it's wrong, he is a douch-bag for doing so?

It's either wrong or it isn't.  If I accuse someone of having an affair on their spouse without evidence, that is wrong whether or not I believe having an affair is OK.

[wadesworld]

I don't understand this logic.

So because you don't care if they use PEDs, you don't think it is wrong to accuse players of using PEDs without evidence?  Yet because Lackey thinks it's wrong, he is a douch-bag for doing so?

It's either wrong or it isn't.  If I accuse someone of having an affair on their spouse without evidence, that is wrong whether or not I believe having an affair is OK.

If I were an MLB player who, without a doubt, shared a locker room with those who used PEDs, I wouldn't go throwing shade at other ball clubs for having a player that probably used PEDs.  It's pretty simply as stupid as it gets.

Unfortunately for me I'm not being paid millions of dollars to play a child's game and get other PED users out.  If I was being paid those millions and sitting in those same locker rooms/clubhouses, I would certainly be keeping my mouth closed about players for other teams that might be using PEDs.  Not only might I end up in the same locker room as those players I am accusing someday, but I also would then have to sit up on the podium and talk about scratching my head when Kris Bryant or Kyle Schwarber or Anthony Rizzo hit good pitches out of the park, or how head scratching it is that a guy who can't stick on an MLB roster suddenly became the best pitcher on the planet at the age of 28 years old.  And I don't think doing that would sit well in my own clubhouse.

John Lackey and I are in very different positions.  I'm not sitting around other PED users and saying to the world that someone else's team has PED users on it.  I'm saying it to 50 other Marquette basketball fans while surrounded by no other PED users.  And unlike Lackey, apparently, I couldn't care less that Thames is using PEDs.  Good for him.  It's working out well for him.  He's getting $15M that he otherwise most likely wouldn't be getting.  Lackey appears to have a problem with it, I think it's smart.  Good for Arrieta for using them too.  He could've been out of baseball by now but instead he's a Cy Young Award winner.  Smart move.

And comparing PED use in sports to affairs is silly at best.

But if people want to believe that nobody has ever used PEDs unless they failed a drug test then be my guest.  Beyond naïve if you ask me, but more power to you for believing in the goodness and honesty of human beings.  I am more of the opinion that just about everyone in baseball uses PEDs because history has shown this to be more true than not, so an MLB player accusing another team of having one is pretty stupid because his own team undoubtedly has them as well.  But if you want to believe that Ryan Braun never touched a PED in his life until 2011, good for you.

[GGGG]

But if people want to believe that nobody has ever used PEDs unless they failed a drug test then be my guest.  Beyond naïve if you ask me,

I never said that.  I just think it is hypocritical for you to accuse whomever you wish, but then get on Lackey when he does the same thing.  (Your five paragraph response notwithstanding.) 

[wadesworld]

I never said that.  I just think it is hypocritical for you to accuse whomever you wish, but then get on Lackey when he does the same thing.  (Your five paragraph response notwithstanding.)

Please let me know what the word count limit is on my response.

[🏀]

Please let me know what the word count limit is on my response.

GIFs only or GTFO.

[DegenerateDish]

Tommy Kahnle has been ridiculous, maybe I haven't paid close enough attention, but man is he bringing heat. He made Adam Jones and Machado look lost on back to back strikeouts. He should close once they trade Robertson & Jones. 21K's in 11 IP, -.17 FIP.

[buckchuckler]

Tommy Kahnle has been ridiculous, maybe I haven't paid close enough attention, but man is he bringing heat. He made Adam Jones and Machado look lost on back to back strikeouts. He should close once they trade Robertson & Jones. 21K's in 11 IP, -.17 FIP.

Looks like a completely different guy from last season.  Throwing strikes makes a big difference. 

[tower912]

Tigers season being derailed by worst bullpen in baseball.   

[#UnleashSean]

Will the cub game end?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Will the cub game end?

I made the mistake of staying up to watch that debacle. Cubs not clicking early. Heading to Colorado, the bullpen is spent (19 innings over the past two days), and Rizzo and Baez are banged up.

Rizzo is lucky Chapman didn't break his wrist.

[Lennys Tap]

MLB record 48 K's for the two teams (26 by the Cubs). Boring, bad baseball.

[DegenerateDish]

Kudos to Anthony Rizzo for the $3.5 mil endowment he and his foundation are making to Lurie's. No one should ever become part of the pediatric cancer fraternity as a child or parent, but I can tell you from first hand experience that Rizzo is at the hospital as much as any athlete or celebrity I've ever seen. In my time going to Lurie's, it's funny (to me) that he & I never crossed paths. A month after Bradley was in treatment, his Foundation (specifically his agent) got a hold of me asking for our contact info (unprovoked mind you) and Anthony sent a nice letter, autographed picture and (in my mind) a substantial check...totally out of the blue. That $3.5 mil is huge for where it's going to, even something that seems trivial like parking fees, we were paying at least $500 a month to park our car at the hospital.

We're Sox fans in our family, but the only jersey my son owns and wears is Rizzo's #44. Great ball player, HOF human being.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Kudos to Anthony Rizzo for the $3.5 mil endowment he and his foundation are making to Lurie's. No one should ever become part of the pediatric cancer fraternity as a child or parent, but I can tell you from first hand experience that Rizzo is at the hospital as much as any athlete or celebrity I've ever seen. In my time going to Lurie's, it's funny (to me) that he & I never crossed paths. A month after Bradley was in treatment, his Foundation (specifically his agent) got a hold of me asking for our contact info (unprovoked mind you) and Anthony sent a nice letter, autographed picture and (in my mind) a substantial check...totally out of the blue. That $3.5 mil is huge for where it's going to, even something that seems trivial like parking fees, we were paying at least $500 a month to park our car at the hospital.

We're Sox fans in our family, but the only jersey my son owns and wears is Rizzo's #44. Great ball player, HOF human being.

Already know that Rizzo is a legit good guy but love hearing first-hand stories like this to reinforce it.

[Lennys Tap]

Kudos to Anthony Rizzo for the $3.5 mil endowment he and his foundation are making to Lurie's. No one should ever become part of the pediatric cancer fraternity as a child or parent, but I can tell you from first hand experience that Rizzo is at the hospital as much as any athlete or celebrity I've ever seen. In my time going to Lurie's, it's funny (to me) that he & I never crossed paths. A month after Bradley was in treatment, his Foundation (specifically his agent) got a hold of me asking for our contact info (unprovoked mind you) and Anthony sent a nice letter, autographed picture and (in my mind) a substantial check...totally out of the blue. That $3.5 mil is huge for where it's going to, even something that seems trivial like parking fees, we were paying at least $500 a month to park our car at the hospital.

We're Sox fans in our family, but the only jersey my son owns and wears is Rizzo's #44. Great ball player, HOF human being.

Great story, Dish. I'm also a Sox fan but Rizzo just became my MLB favorite player.

[wadesworld]

Kudos to Anthony Rizzo for the $3.5 mil endowment he and his foundation are making to Lurie's. No one should ever become part of the pediatric cancer fraternity as a child or parent, but I can tell you from first hand experience that Rizzo is at the hospital as much as any athlete or celebrity I've ever seen. In my time going to Lurie's, it's funny (to me) that he & I never crossed paths. A month after Bradley was in treatment, his Foundation (specifically his agent) got a hold of me asking for our contact info (unprovoked mind you) and Anthony sent a nice letter, autographed picture and (in my mind) a substantial check...totally out of the blue. That $3.5 mil is huge for where it's going to, even something that seems trivial like parking fees, we were paying at least $500 a month to park our car at the hospital.

We're Sox fans in our family, but the only jersey my son owns and wears is Rizzo's #44. Great ball player, HOF human being.

Very cool. Obviously a cause close to him.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/107677800/anthony-rizzos-triumph-over-cancer-featured-on-mlb-network/

[Jockey]

To me?  Yup, there's very little doubt in my mind that Thames and Clay have used some sort of PED in their lives.  So has Jake Arrieta. 

Another possibility? Among all qualified hitters this season, Thames has the lowest out-of-zone swing rate at 17.6% entering play Thursday. Thames had an out-of-zone swing rate of 35.6% in 2012 and 36.8% in 2011. If a major league hitter is only swinging at strikes, he will be successful. Any major league hitter.

As far as Arrieta is concerned - has he stopped taking the PEDs that you say he is taking or did they just stop working.

And even after making this argument Wades, I have no idea if these two or any other players are doing this. I assume some are, but unless they test positive, who knows.

One final question. What is the cutoff line as to saying who is or isn't taking them? Every player who hangs around for a while will have a career year. Do they take PEDs for that year and then quit? If Jake is on the sauce, why is it not working? Did he quit in a contract year who juicing makes the most sense for any player?

Sorry that was 4 final questions