Friday, July 31, 2009

Steroids can hurt those not taking them

It takes a lot to lose a persons respect, but in the case of David Ortiz, I really have no other feelings.
You take a guy, who just a few years back suggested a full-year ban, has reportedly been linked to a 2003 report from a former political leader, and you link his name to taking banned supplements by Major League Baseball.
SportsCenter found that Oritz had just 38 home runs in 1200 at bats with the Twins prior to him joining the Red Sox. The next few years, Ortiz hit more than 40 home runs while contributing to two World Champion Red Sox teams.
It really takes a lot for someone to take a piece of paper, and say that this man cheated. But did he? Look at the rules. They are constantly changing.
And as a player, especially one who might not completely understand, you are surrounded by such vices.
With Manny Ramirez recently serving a 50-game suspension, rumor spread that if one teammate tested positive during that time, maybe another would. In walks Ortiz.
Ramirez was a good young player with the Indians before signing a huge contract with Boston.
Ortiz probably didn't have any protection. And the Twins, after Ortiz left, built their way up.
The Twins are still building, but they are doing it right. Trade away Johan Santana and still be able to get players who will contribute and add to a lineup that thrives on speed and gap hitting.
But Ortiz went on to thrive in BeanTown. Along with Manny, they teamed up to form a very scary 3-4 setting.
And now lets turn our heads BACK to steroids.
Why? Because we must? Who says that any of these players really had no clue what they were taking? Who says the person giving it to them claimed it to be something else?
These players, especially foreign-born players, normally had an interpreter or a "friend" to help them through the transitions required in America.
And coming from another country, you had no idea what any of this stuff was, unless you did all of your homework.
Don't get me wrong, I am not sticking up for people who knowingly take steroids. But stuff like this breaks my heart.
Those were some VERY GOOD Red Sox teams. Pitching, hitting and defense were all there. The best thing about the first Red Sox team was having fun while they did it. Look at how Johnny Damon use to look, before shipping out to the Evil Empire Yankees. Comparisons to Jesus.
Damon came alive in the last four games of the 2004 ALCS, and that hair was flowing, as Boston became the first team to ever come back from a 3-0 deficit and win the series.
And the biggest part of the Red Sox winning the championship that year, was shipping Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs for Doug Mientkiewic and Orlando Cabrera, who both thrived in Boston, just like Ortiz and Ramirez.
That team got hot, and they stayed hot.
With pitchers from the names of Schilling, Pedro, Wakefield, Arroyo and Lowe, with Keith Foulke closing the bullpen out, they figured out what to do.
But now, that cannot be looked at as true. Ramirez and Ortiz were apparently juiced, and you cannot feel any worse for the game of baseball right now.
Just think, Ted Williams may have turned over in his grave. Oh, wait, he is frozen in Arizona.
Oh yeah, let me remind you, while I am an Atlanta Braves fan, I still LOVE baseball, so I care. I would love to become a baseball historian. Just go to games, watch them, keep stats at every game. Witness history one game at a time. For a true baseball fan, there would be nothing better for me.