ORIOLES

[atomicfront]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/bravo-buck-showalter-o-manager-criticizes-advantage-yankees-143915755.html

If the Yankees sign Wieters to an Arod type contract in a few years they will be trying to taint his drug test with steroids.  He hasn't done much all season and in 2 years he will be pretty worn out from all the number of games he catches.

Maybe the money should go to charity.  A team shouldn't be able to get out of paying salary due to suspensions.

[vansmack]

Regardless of the team, it depends on the crime.

If, has been reported, that he induced others to visit Biogenesis, then the suspension might warrant a complete ban.

If, has also been suggested, that he has attempted to coerce witnesses, then he has to get something similar to Braun's suspension.

If he just simply was a client at Biogenesis, then his ban should be 50 games.

[vansmack]

If the Yankees sign Wieters to an Arod type contract in a few years they will be trying to taint his drug test with steroids.  He hasn't done much all season and in 2 years he will be pretty worn out from all the number of games he catches.

Exactly - bad example.  Why wouldn't you want to have them overpay for a catcher hitting .239 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs this year?

[atomicfront]

If the Yankees sign Wieters to an Arod type contract in a few years they will be trying to taint his drug test with steroids.  He hasn't done much all season and in 2 years he will be pretty worn out from all the number of games he catches.

Exactly - bad example.  Why wouldn't you want to have them overpay for a catcher hitting .239 with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs this year?

Wieters won't help them become a champion again.  They are only playing as well as they are now because of their pitching.  Most of their pitchers are as old as dirt.  In a couple of years they could be as bad as the Astros. 

[hutch]

all this stuff should be legalized....

baseball essentially becomes a game about who is better at masking their use......

let us remember that arod was not caught during random testing..

[shemptiness]

I think close losses hurt more then blowouts.  Easier to turn the page on a blowout.

Not really.  I was at the game last night and I left after the sixth inning.  Totally a wasted night.  Boring and no excitement.  I saw Jim Johnson blow two games in one week and at least they were exciting until the last pitch. 

Well that really wasn't my point.

[atomicfront]

I think close losses hurt more then blowouts.  Easier to turn the page on a blowout.

Not really.  I was at the game last night and I left after the sixth inning.  Totally a wasted night.  Boring and no excitement.  I saw Jim Johnson blow two games in one week and at least they were exciting until the last pitch. 

Well that really wasn't my point.

Blowout hurt worse.  Have you ever played on a baseball or softball team?  I felt much more confident after losing a close game than after getting destroyed.  How can losing as badly as last night not destroy confidence.  Especially after only getting a few hits the game before.

[K8teebug]

For once, I actually agree with atomic...

[shemptiness]

No lingering effects...

[vansmack]

Circumstances, circumstances, circumstances.

The O's checked out of the blowout by the 5th inning.  It will only have a lingering effect if it becomes a pattern for Gonzalez or if Oberholtzer continues to dominate them - which, not being in the same division, won't really matter.

A couple of back to back one game losses where your closer blows it means every time your closer comes in, you have it in your head until he rights the ship.

Thus there is no right answer as it all depends on the circumstances of the loss and how likely it is to repeat itself.

[vansmack]

I did enjoy this in the A-Rod saga:

If Major League Baseball were to ban Alex Rodriguez for life because of performance-enhancing drugs, the New York Yankees would get off the hook for nearly $100 million in future salary.

The Rangers would not be so lucky.

The Rangers still owe Rodriguez approximately $40 million (which will grow to nearly $50 million by the time it is paid) in deferred money from his original contract. That money was later deferred even further to accommodate his trade to New York. It is to be paid from 2016-2025.

[atomicfront]

I think they will have a hard time suspending ARoid for life.  He has 100+ million dollars coming to him in the coming years... you can buy a lot of lawyers for that kind of money.  Maybe they settle on 100 games. 

[K8teebug]

I ran the Orioles 5K on Saturday and it was awesome.  Finish along the warning track and got to hang out at the stadium afterwards.

There's another 5K on November 2nd, this one sponsored by Buck and registration includes a ticket to the september 26th game.

[atomicfront]

No lingering effects...

Lost two straight to the lowly Mariners.  I don't think I will buy season tickets next year.  I wasn't really excited about going to that game last week and then losing 11-0 and my ticket representative was rude to me when they shorted me a ticket.  I don't think I need to go to the 16 games like I am doing this year ever again.  Maybe 5 games a year makes it more fun.   Baseball season is way long. 

[K8teebug]

I went to 16 games last year and will go to around that many this year.  I love going to games.  Win or Lose.  Being a fan who watched them lose for 14 years, I'm happy they are still having a winning season, and will continue to support the team, no matter what!