Fantasy Baseball Bible

Maddux got off to a hot start in 2006, but has been below average since May. But, in what could be his last season, we could be see the future Hall of Famer receive a lot of interest from contending teams.

It is rumored that multiple teams have already contacted Cubs management in regards to Maddux, most notably the Dodgers, Yankees and Red Sox. Of the Cubs top starters, Zambrano is actually the only one who is considered “off the table’. The Cubs may want to move Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, but their history of injuries make them untradable becasue the Cubs are not going to “give them away”.

Maddux is well respected within the Cubs organization and will only trade him to a certain team if Maddux gives the team his blessingto do so. Being that this could be Maddux’s final season, he would be likely to okay a trade to a contender, but may prefer to go West, so he could very well end up with an AL or NL West club.

Neither Maddux, nor General Manager Jim Hendry have publicly indicated a trade is either eminent at the moment. Maddux currenlty has a 7-8 record, with an un-Madduxlike ERA of 5.00, so his trade value won’t be what it would have been five years ago when he was pitching for the Atlanta Braves.

But in a league where most teams are iffy once you get past #1 and #2 in the rotaion, Maddux could definitaly be a difference maker down the streich becasue of his experience in pitching in big games.

By: John Onan

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As Barry Bonds comes ever closer to breaking the National Pastime’s hallowed home run record, currently held by Hank Aaron at 755, the controversy regarding illicit performance enhancing drug use, which may forever taint Bond’s entire career, does accomplish taking the focus off of Major League Baseball (MLB) and its own shortcomings.

The scrutiny which has been paid, in only just the past two years, over drug use among MLB players, while having been a black eye for MLB, is also convenient as Commissioner Bud Selig need not address myriad other issues which also play their part in preserving the integrity of the game.

For example, MLB has done little exploration into the variations in equipment over just the past 10 years or so and more specifically the wooden bat itself. A number of questions come to mind. Is it just coincidence that Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001 after he switched his bat’s wood from that of ash to a hand-lathed maple? Is the accelerated breakage of bats over the past 5 plus years due to an acutely thinning bat handle with a larger barrel and lighter weight or is it the non-discriminate MLB approval process of the making and even storage of bats that makes them more vulnerable?

Is it a coincidence that prior to 2003, MLB welcomed smaller bat makers as suppliers to MLB players but suddenly instituted an exorbitant certification fee with nearly impossible to acquire insurance liability policies for smaller operations, costing thousands upon thousands of dollars? And is it not worth taking a look at why there is such a difference in the quality of bats Hillerich & Bradsby Co., the manufacturer of Louisville Sluggers, provides only specific big leaguers, but does not do so for others? In fact, the company proudly admits it.

Preserving the sanctity of the game is multi-faceted. Although technology and safety standards over time have essentially been a beneficial reward for players, it is hard to measure the consistency of the game of MLB if issues such as bat manufacture and its own baseball operations are done on a selective and arbitrary basis. And when it ultimately impacts the way the game is played and its future records, it should be routinely examined.

Hillerich & Bradsby, although deemed the official bat of MLB, is not the exclusive supplier of bats for its players. However, it is still the number one provider to MLB with about a 60% share of its bats supply and curries favor and power, due to its longevity and stature in the history of the game, not to mention the power which is bestowed upon it by MLB, which few other manufacturers enjoy.

In 2002, there were 48 MLB bat manufacturers, and surprisingly little thought was put into the verification process in order to become a bat maker supplier of MLB bats other than for the supplier to provide a sample bat made out of a single piece of wood. But in 2003, MLB went to the other extreme. In a form letter sent to all bat makers in December 2002, MLB stated it would start requiring that they carry $10 million worth of liability insurance, and indemnify MLB, its shareholders, directors, officers, employees and agents attached to various product liability issues.

In addition, the certification fee was increased to $10,000.00 per year, necessary to provide bat makers with the privilege of selling their bats to MLB players. Since that time, although the liability coverage has been reduced to $5 million per year, it still remains prohibitively expensive for boutique manufacturers, or most other domestic suppliers other than Hillerich and Bradsby, to do business with MLB.

MLB also requires that the insurance carrier providing coverage to bat makers must have a “best rating of A-8 or better.” Carolina Clubs, a MLB certified bat maker from Florida, was nearly denied doing business with MLB, as to find a guaranteed insurance carrier of any kind in the hurricane-ridden state of Florida in the post-Katrina era is nearly impossible. However, virtually overnight in 2003, bat suppliers were whittled down to a mere 14 for that season. In 2007, there are supposedly 20-25 suppliers, although MLB makes it difficult to even corroborate such information.

According to the head of MLB Baseball Operations at the time in 2003, Sandy Alderson, “The administrative fee was originally intended to help us defray the costs of inspecting bats, approving bats and for all administrative work and testing.” MLB needed $140,000.00 to approve the bats of 14 companies?

In 1862, MLB first restricted the diameter of the barrel, requiring it not exceed 2.5 inches. It was increased in 1895 to 2.75 inches in diameter, as it remains today. 1868 saw the limit put on a length of 42 inches, as it also remains today. No weight requirements, either minimum or maximum have ever been required. With those parameters, combined with improvements in technology and players’ bat speeds, it could be argued that it is a far different game than even Babe Ruth played. For example, the Babe used a 42-ounce bat as opposed to the average weight of 32 ounces used by today’s MLB players.

Ash bats were exclusively used for decades, after hickory was phased out, until 1997 when Sam Holman of Ottawa, Canada and his Sam Bat caught the attention of then Blue Jays star player, Joe Carter. He then supposedly talked up Holman’s bats which eventually in 1999 found their way into the hands of Barry Bonds. Bonds went on a tear hitting 374 of his total home runs with the sugar maple bats from Sam Holman and broke Mark McGuire’s 1998 home run season record of 70 by besting him with his 73 in 2001.

Holman’s bats have been used by over 500 MLB players and he is expected to furnish Bonds with the bat used for his number 756. Given the proximity of Holman to some of the best maple tree forests in North America in Ottawa, Holman’s business has thrived over the past ten years, although he is selling his business in order to retire. Ash trees also hail from a northern climate, and are harvested primarily from the New York-Pennsylvania area.

The arguments over the consistency and flight of the ball with either wood are never-ending, but there are distinct differences between the two woods. Ash supposedly has more flex, but is not as heavy a wood as maple, producing a bit less flight of the ball upon impact. Additionally, ash bats have less longevity than maple bats and break more frequently and are more apt to shatter, flake and splinter upon breaking.

Sugar or rock maple, considered the finest maple for bats, are more expensive, and range in price from $70.00 -$130.00 while ash bats range between $50.00 and $75.00, yet need to be replaced more frequently than maple. Most players using maple claim that the ball travels farther off of the barrel’s “sweet spot” as opposed to ash. But because the wood itself is a heavier grade, the barrels are made slightly narrower than the ash bats in order to accommodate a lighter weight comparable to ash. And when maple bats do eventually break, they do so in large pieces as opposed to splinters.

The lack of restrictions on weight or the lack of prescribed storage care of bats by MLB, could have a profound impact on whether or not a bat breaks or explodes upon impact. Such endangers its players and spectators. Players go through an average of 60-70 bats a season. But the moisture content of the wood upon manufacture as well as in storage, whether the bat is hand-lathed or completely machine made, as well as the bat’s weight and handle diameter, could all alter the bat’s ultimate performance and longevity. Seattle Mariner, Ichiro Suzuki, for example, has his own humidor for his entire bat supply.

And why should a bat maker, such as Sam Holman, who produces several thousand bats each season to MLB as opposed to Hillerich and Bradsby’s 750,000, foot a bill of $65,000.00 per year for liability insurance? The supposed interest in increasing liability insurance fees by MLB for bat makers is an easy way for MLB not to address the incessant breakage of its bats. Perhaps it is the quality of MLB bat inspectors, or a lack of a minimum quality standard of wood or the non-requirement of prescribed weight ratio of bat barrels to handles. But instead of MLB looking for a better standardization process for its bats, it would rather thrust the responsibility onto the bat makers, and thereby still leaving players and spectators at risk.

Also of note, according to Hillerich and Bradsby’s Chuck Schupp, head of its professional division, “We have a priority list of players. A lot of it is based on a personal relationship. If someone is loyal to us, we’ll take care of them.” And although players are not required to sign exclusivity contracts with bat makers, as individual teams assume all costs for players’ bats, Schupp says there is a “Louisville Slugger ‘A’ list.” It includes Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi, Carlos Delgado and Ken Griffey, Jr., among select others.

If star players are treated preferably by Schupp for their Louisville Slugger bats, does that mean that average or up and coming players are at a distinct disadvantage while not getting the best product from the same manufacturer? Should not MLB perhaps look into that?

And finally, unless MLB and its Commissioner is willing to look at all matters of inequity in its sport, whether it be an issue between players, between equipment manufacturers and its players, between baseball operations and its suppliers or a lack of standardization when it comes to equipment, MLB should not be permitted to point the finger exclusively at the use of performance enhancing drugs as the sole threat to the sanctity of the game. For that is far from the only difference-maker in varying performance results in the game of MLB today.

And if MLB wants to be taken seriously in preserving the integrity of the game, it must do a far better job of it rather than its present lethargic effort. For certainly, they are not fooling the fans and the fans and the players deserve better.

Copyright © 2007 Diane M. Grassi
Contact: dgrassi@cox.net

By: Diane M. Grassi

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After the MLB labor dispute in the mid 1990’s, many people think that Major League Baseball has been in the “Steroids Era” ever since. Numerous high profile MLB players have been accused of steroid use and a few, like Jose Canseco, even admitted it openly, crediting the use of steroids for his entire career. In fact, Conseco wrote a book called “Juiced” which documented the use and impact of steroids in baseball.

According to Canseco, up to 85% of MLB players currently playing today are using performance enhancing drugs. Jose’s book titled “Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big” names many well-known players who have used steroids during their professional careers.

Another player, Ken Caminiti, came forward about his steroid use and detailed the damage the drug has done to his body. Caminiti admitted that his body had mostly stopped producing testosterone and that his testicles have gotten much smaller. As a matter of fact, his body only had 20% of the normal level of testosterone. And although Ken Caminiti clearly knew the damage it did to his body, he still confessed that he would have done it all over again if he had another chance. Ken eventually died as a result of his steroid use. (from Wikipedia)

Several beloved MLB players have stood accused of using these performance boosting drugs. Names like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and Jason Giambi have been tarnished by the claims. Their records and awards have all come under question since they were not achieved naturally, but with chemical assistance banned by MLB commissioner Bud Selig.

A company known as BALCO, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative has been cited as a central source of steroids to athletes in many sports. BALCO was an American based nutritional supplements company run by Victor Conte.

BALCO made and marketed a steroid dubbed “The Clear”, also known as THG, or tetrahydrogestrinone, which was created by a BALCO chemist named Patrick Arnold (from Washington Post)

In 2003, the company’s role in a drug sports scandal was investigated by two journalists; Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada. The scandal was referred to as the BALCO Affair and focused on the distribution of the Clear to several high profile athletes in America and Europe over a period of several years by Conte, Greg Anderson, a weight trainer and Remi Korchemni, a coach.

The investigation was aided by a tip from US Olympic sprint coach Trevor Graham in 2003. Graham supplied a syringe containing traces of the substance known as “the Clear”. A test to detect the Clear was developed and some 20 Olympic class athletes tested positive for the drug. Marion Jones, an Olympic track star, just admitted to using steroids after years of public denial. She said she used them to prepare for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the Olympics committee has now taken away all her medals. (from the Washington Post)

Later, a search of the BALCO facilities uncovered a client list with names including Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Gary Sheffield and a few other MLB players.

Arizona D-Backs pitcher Jason Grimsley’s home was searched in 2006 by U.S. federal agents and Grimsley admitted that he had used amphetamines, steroids and human growth hormones. In the end, Grimsley was released from his contract with the D-Backs and suspended for fifty games by the MLB.

After all this time, steroid use is still a big issue in the MLB. And since Barry Bonds has been mixed up in it and he broke the home run record this year, the story continues to have legs. Perhaps the MLB should institute tougher penalties for steroid use. For example, give out suspensions when catching any player during regulated unannounced testing. If the player tests dirty again, his contract is void and he is banned from Major League Baseball for life.

The penalty has to be severe enough to detract these players from using performance-enhancing drugs. Indeed, baseball has been criticized for being so lackadaisical about steroid use and for not handing out stiff enough penalties. But it is not just the players and their families who get hurt. It’s the fans and children who look up to these players as role models.

All the players in the farm leagues and minors are hurt as well. In their drive to achieve that dream of a multimillion dollar major league contract, they have to perform at the same level or better than the athletes presently playing. That creates huge pressure to use steroids that can be hard to overcome. Some say that amphetamine use is widespread among players in the minor leagues and that steroids are also used a lot.

One thing that makes sense is that if only some players are using performance-enhancing drugs while the rest are not, the former have an unfair advantage, making fair competition impossible. And sports are defined by fair competition, that’s one of the big reasons people love sports. Life is full of grays, but sports are black and white. There is always a clear winner in the end and everyone expects that the winner achieved the success in a fair and ethical way.

Either none of the MLB players should be using steroids or all of them should be to make it fair. Although many people say that achieving new records while using steroids, such as Barry Bonds allegedly using steroids while achieving the new all-time home run record, shouldn’t count, others argue that he was batting against many pitchers who were also on steroids. Therefore, it all evens out, they say. But we don’t know which pitchers were using steroids and which ones weren’t, making it next to impossible to determine what’s fair.

Unfortunately, athletes like Ken Caminiti die because of steroid use. Children lose their fathers, wives lose husbands, Major League Baseball increasingly loses its good reputation, and fans lose respect for the sports figures they look up to. There are probably many reasons why baseball players choose to use steroids. They may feel heavy pressure to be the best and win.

They may perceive this pressure from society, from the fans or their families and friends, or from themselves. It could be that they are driven into steroid use because of greed, or it could even be that they think all the players around them are using steroids and feel they have no choice but to partake as well if they are to successfully compete. An easy shortcut like using steroids must be very appealing to many ball players.

Because steroid use is a relatively new phenomenon, and there are numerous subjective issues that need to be hashed out, Major League Baseball is still seriously struggling with the entire subject. The MLB has not been able to stem the tide, they’ve not been able to successfully curtail its use or make it so undesirable that players choose to abstain. It has proven difficult to determine where the line ought to be drawn. After all, one could argue that equipment has improved over the years, and that things like foot wear are so technologically advanced today that they are performance enhancing too. Fairness is paramount in sports, so the use of steroids by some players continues to have a terrible affect on baseball.

By: Jason OConnor

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Another great day in the books last night as we hit both of our rated plays, nailing out BEST BET of the Dodgers and our STRONG OPINION of the Astros. Back at it again today and there are a great deal of key games to look at. We have found two huge BEST BETS for today along with another STRONG OPINION. However here we will pass along two free selections and our reasoning behind it. Good luck.

Free Picks:

1. NY Mets (+105) OVER CHICAGO CUBS: Great underdog spot here to wager on as a very solid METS team is getting the better end of the value here on the road against the Cubs. The Cubbies will start Ted Lilly today and he has been struggling mightily with a 0-3 record and 9.16 ERA. He is also lefthanded which the Mets have feasted on so far this season. This will also be a matinee game with the wind expected to be blowing out. This is bad news for Lilly because he is a fly-ball pitcher and the Mets have plenty of guys capable of getting the ball out of the park in David Wright, Carlos Beltran, and Carlos Delgado. Look for two HR’s at the very least from the Mets and a solid win behind the hot Nelson Figueroa.

2. NY Yankees (-135) OVER CHICAGO WHITE SOX: The Yanks are at a decent price here as it should be much more due to the fact they are starting their ace Chien-Ming Wang who has been absolutely lights out in three of his four starts against the truly awful Jose Contreras. Contreras has been one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball the last three years and the Yankee offense is due to erupt against his pathetic arsenal. The Yanks also are fresh after a day off and will be ready to go.

By: Michael Keneski

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In baseball lore, there legends and gods – Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Cy Young. The legacies of these men are passed on from generation to generation. But outside baseballs Mt. Olympus, there are other greats, greats who have been or will be neglected by history. Here are some of these players, disrespected and underrated.

Bill Dickey, C- Bill Dickey was born on June 5, 1907 in Bastrop, Louisiana. He played his entire career for the Yankees, from 1928-1946. Dickey won seven World Series out of the eight he played in. Following his career, he managed the Yankees for a short span and became a coach, helping Yogi Berra achieve the status as one of the greatest catchers of all time.

Dickey might be the most name recognizable name on the list, as his number is retired and he is in the baseball Hall of Fame. But people underestimate how great he was really was as a hitter and catcher, often looking to Cochrane and his successor Yogi Berra instead.

Dickey’s career line was .313/.382/.486/.868/127+ with 678 BB to 289 K. His best season was in 1936, when he hit .362/.428/.617/1.045/158+ with 22 HR. Those totals are amazing, and the fact a catcher put those numbers up is mind boggling.

However, Dickey was also a great catcher. Although CS and SB against a catcher were not recorded, many reports say Dickey had a really strong arm. In 1720 games, he had just 76 passed balls. In comparison, the best defensive catcher of all time, Johnny Bench, had 94 passed balls in 1742 games.

Johnny Mize, 1b- Mize was born on January 7, 1913 in Demorest, Georgia. The Big Cat was a slugger for the St. Louis Cardinals from the 1930’s-1950. He finished with a line of .312/.397/.562/.959/158+ and a final EqA of .330. His best seasons were 1937-1940. Over that span in his early career, Mize received MVP votes each season.

1937: .364/.427/.595/1.022/172+ with 25 HR
1938: .337/.422/.614/1.036/175+ with 27 HR
1939: .349/.444/.628/1.070/178+ with 28 HR
1940: .314/.404/.636/1.040/176+ with 43 HR

That comes out to an average line of .341/.424/.618/1.042/175+ with 31 HR

Following that “peak” Mize still put up five seasons of an OPS+ greater than 150. Mize served in the US Army from ‘43-’45, losing what could have been the prime of his career. Is that the reasons he is oft forgotten? Maybe. But Mize was an all time player.

Career Totals:.312/.397/.562/.959/158+ and 359 HR over 6443 AB’s.

Roberto Alomar, 2b- Born in Puerto Rico on February 5th in 1968, Alomar is a funny fellow, since he had several good years spread out, not one definite peak. I will do my best to select one and show his other good seasons/career.

His 1992 and 1993 seasons for Toronto were quite good.
1992: .310/.405/.427/.832/129+ with 49 SB at a 84% clip
1993: .326/.408/.492/.900/141+ with 55 SB at a 78% clip

His next city pit stop was Baltimore, where he had two more good seasons.
1996: .328/.411/.527/.938/136+ with 17 SB
1997: .333/.390/.500/.890/134+ with 9 SB

But his “peak” was his three years in Cleveland.
1999: .323/.422/.533/.955/139+ with 24 HR, 37 SB at a 86% clip
2000: .310/.378/.475/.853/114+ with 19 HR, 39 SB at a 90% clip
2001: .336/.415/.541/.956/150+ with 20 HR, 30 SB at a 83% clip

Average line: .323/.405/.921/134+ with 21 HR, 35 SB

His final career stats were: .300/.371/.443/.814/116+ with 210 HR, 504 2B, 474 SB at an 80% clip and 132.6 WARP3

Pretty great for a 2b right? Well, not only did he hit and run, but Alomar was a premium defender. He has won 10 GG awards, and he won a GG in all seasons pointed out but 1997.

Alomar cleared 30 Win Shares in a season 5 times, and led the league on 3 occasions. He hit .313 in the postseason (230 AB). Coming into 2004, he had 373 career Win Shares, an outstanding total.

Why has he not stood out more? Well, one reason people have not had the time to soak in greatness, since he retired this decade. Moreover, Alomar faded quickly, finishing with five sub par seasons, an image fresher in fans minds than his MVP caliber seasons. Roberto was also good everything- stealing, hitting, and defense- but never stood out. Many people now may remember his name, but not recognize him as an all time great.

Barry Larkin, SS- Barry Larkin was born on April 28, 1964 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the town in which he would make it big as a professional baseball player. Larkin is the third greatest short stop of all time, second greatest if you discount A-Rod. Yet Larkin is often forgotten about and if remembered, cast aside when talking about all time greats. Barry was another middle infielder that could hit, field, and base run, all impressive for a SS.

For his career, Larkin finished with a line of: .295/.371/.444/.815/116+ with 379 SB at an 83% success rate, .291 EqA, and 939 BB to 817 K’s. Career WARP3 of 121.8

Those numbers are good, but when one considers it was done from a shortstop, it really stands out. Here is a graph showing how the short stop position exploded, once Larkin was on the decline:

During his entire career, the average shortstop hit just .256/.317/.361, while Larkin hit .295/.371/.444 – an OPS difference of 20.2%. Very few players dominate a position like that for so long and only two big-name shortstops from the past 30 years have out-performed the rest of the position offensively more than Larkin did.

Not only was his bat a bonus from a SS, but he was a quality defender, taking home three Gold Glove awards. His prime seasons were 1995-1998, with 1997 being cut short due to injury.

1995: .319/.394/.492/.886/133+ with 15 HR and 51 SB against 5 CS. Won the Gold Glove.
1996: .298/.410/.567/.977/154+ with 33 HR and 36 SB against 10 CS. Won the Gold Glove.
1998: .309/.397/.504/.901/134+ with 17 HR and 26 SB against 3 CS.

Larkin should be a HOF’er. And yes, he was better than Mr. Cal Ripken Jr. Despite having a ton more HR and 2b, Ripken’s slugging percentage is just .03 higher, while trailing Larkin in OBP, OPS, OPS+, SB, EqA, RC/G, and that’s not to mention Larkin was the better fielder.

Much like Alomar, Larkin is a recent player so his name is familiar. But he should be more than a familiar name. Larkin was a fantastic short stop who should have a plaque in Cooperstown eventually.

Frank Baker, 3b- Frank “Home Run” Baker was born on March 13, 1886 and would become a famous ballplayer for the Philadelphia A’s. Not in the same class as Schmidt, Matthews, and Brett at all, but Baker is typically a 3b that people forget because he played in the dead ball era. In fact, he was arguably the best 3b of the pre-war era.

Despite playing in a time of big ball parks and pitcher dominance because of the rules and regulations, Baker managed to hit .307/.363/.442/.805/135+. At the height of his career in 1912, Baker hit .347/.404/.541/.945/173+. That same year the AL’s ERA was 3.34 and there were less than 9 hits per game. In context, Baker was terrific and would have had better slugging stats had he played in a different era.

Ralph Kiner, OF- Ralph was born in October of 1922 was a baseball legend for the Pittsburgh Pirates before retiring due to injuries. Currently he is a broadcaster, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975.

Kiner is forgotten because he only played ten seasons, nine with 500+ AB’s. Yet he was one of the greatest mashers of his generation, and surely would have hit 500-600 HR’s had he been able to play into his thirty’s.

Kiner finished with the line of .279/.398/.548/.946/149+ with 369 HR’s. But check out his three best seasons.

1947: 51 HR, .313/.417/.639/1.056/171+, 9.9 RC/G, .343 EqA
1949: 54 HR, .310/.432/.658/1.090/186+, 10.7 RC/G, .351 EqA
1951: 42 HR, .309/.452/.627/1.079/184+, 10.7 RC/G, .355 EqA

Average Line: 49 HR, .311/.434/.641/.1075/181+, 10.4 RC/G, .350 EqA

Simply amazing. Ted Williams created a listed using his secret formula, and concluded Ralph Kiner was the 20th best hitter of all time. It’s a shame he does not receive that type of accolade.

Harry Heilman, OF- Born in 1894 in the town of San Francisco, the man known as ‘Slug’ was one of the best sluggers in baseballs history, yet many people do not even recognize his name. He played for Detroit through the dead and live ball eras.

His final career stats are just amazing. He hit .342/.410/.520/.930/148+ with 856 BB to 550 K. Heilman’s best season came in 1923, at the age of 28. Heilman hit .403/.481/.632/1.113/194+ with 44 2b, 18 HR, and almost twice as many BB as K’s.

Why was he not known? Maybe it was because he played long ago, but Heilman is someone who should be revered as an all time great.

Al Simmons, OF- On May 22, 1902, Simmons was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Sporting News once ranked him as the 43rd greatest player of all time.

He was not a great base runner or fielder, but Simmons is a name that never comes up when talking about all time greats. Simmons starred for Oakland in his hey, hitting to an average of .376/.419/.639/1.058/165+ with 25 HR and a .322 from 1927-1931. Over that span, he slugged over .600 three times, including .708 in 1930.

Simmons sizzled down to a career line of .334/.380/.535/.915/132+ with 539 2b and 307 HR.

Nasty.

Addie Joss, SP- Joss was born in 1880. The reason Joss is forgotten is because he played in the dead ball and died early, at the age of 31. But if not for the tragic death, he might be considered just as good as Christy Mathewson.

In 2327 innings, Joss gave up 1888 hits, 19 HR, 364 BB, had a 1.89 ERA, 142 ERA+, and 0.968 WHIP.

He posted an ERA under 2.00 in five of his eight full seasons. He was the All-time career leader in WHIP with .9678. He had the Second best all-time ERA of 1.89. Joss pitched a perfect game in 1908 and another no-hitter in 1910. Won 160 games in less than 9 full seasons. Would have had a longer career but illness cut his life short at 31. Think about that again. Finished his career with a 1.89 ERA and a 0.9678 WHIP! That coming over 2300 career innings. And in a time of spit balls, Joss achieved his success without altering the baseball in any way.

Check out his peak years-
1906: 282 IP, 1.72 ERA, 220 H, 43 BB, 151 ERA+, 0.93 WHIP
1907: 338 IP, 279 H, 54 BB, 1.83 ERA, 137 ERA+, 0.98 WHIP
1908: 325 IP, 232 H, 30 BB, 1.16 ERA, 205 ERA+, 0.80 WHIP
1909: 242 IP, 198 H, 31 BB, 1.71 ERA, 149 ERA+, 0.94 WHIP

And oh yeah, in 1904 he also had a great season:
192 IP, 160 H, 30 BB, 1.59 ERA, 160 ERA+, 0.98 WHIP

Look at his 1908 season again. Over 300 IP yet just 30 BB and he kept a 1.16 ERA! It was so good that he was able to put a 205 ERA+ when the league ERA was 2.39, the best league ERA during his career.

These men were all giants of the game and should be recognized as giants of the game.

By: Kimbo Nyce

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Spring Training has just started for professional baseball, while college baseball teams have been at work since January. It is time to get in shape for the 2008 baseball season.

I love baseball – always have. I was an “All Conference” pitcher and Captain of my college baseball team. I coached at a University for four years and have coached at the High School level for four more. I was a “bird-dog” scout for the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers for a few years, and I have coached Little League teams forever. My nephew is a pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization, and a legitimate prospect. Really, I love baseball.

But there is a strange and perhaps disappointing story about ADHD and MLB that has come out since the release of the Mitchell Report.

It seems that in 2006 there were 28 major league players who had diagnoses for ADHD, and were receiving treatment with stimulant medication during the season. They were permitted to receive such treatment with stimulants through MLB’s “Therapeutic Use Exemption” program. Now, there is no story here – at least not yet. There was no story until MLB placed the use of amphetamines on their “banned substances” list. Then things changed.

In 2007 the number of TUEs requested by major league players jumped from 28 to 103 for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This increase was so startling that even some sleeping Congressmen woke up and decided to make it an issue for the media as a part of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearings on the abuse of performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball.

Other “experts” jumped into the media conversation as well. “This demands an explanation. There’s something fundamentally wrong them going from 28 to 103,” said Dr. Gary Wadler, chairman of committee that determines the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned-substances list. “If we had this percentage increase in the general population, it would be on the evening news as a national epidemic. It’s an outrageous number.” Wadler said the ban on amphetamines in 2006 appears to be tied to the increase. No kidding. “I can’t prove anything. Certainly you put all the facts together, I think that’s a reasonable explanation,” he said. “Might there be others? I guess so. It could be an anomaly year of some sort.”

Even ADHD guru Russell Barkley, a well-known ADHD expert, was interviewed on the topic. He said that while children with ADHD are often drawn to sports, which could explain the relatively high number, the sharp increase in one year is more difficult to explain.

Note to Dr. Barkley: In the average baseball game there will be less then 18 minutes of “action” per 150 game. Baseball does not draw ADHD kids to it, except perhaps for pitchers and catchers. Most ADHD kids who play the outfield will quit by the age of 12. Try martial arts, swimming, tennis, soccer, basketball, or hockey instead.

There are 30 Major League teams. They each have a 40 man major league roster, and a 25 man roster for “active players” during most of the season. As players came and went off of major league rosters there were 1,354 athletes who were subject to random drug testing during the course of the 2007 major league baseball season. That means 8.2 percent received permission from their team physician and Dr. Bryan Smith, baseball’s independent program administrator, to use Ritalin and Adderall, stimulants better known as treatments for hyperactive kids.

Baseball already has made changes in the TUE process for 2008. Before a player will be allowed to use a drug, the team physician must send the prescription to the independent administrator for approval before the player uses the substance.

So should Ritalin, Adderall, or other stimulants be viewed as “performance enhancing drugs” as steroids and HGH now are?

No. Ritalin, Adderall, and other stimulants are treatments for a real medical condition called ADHD. If the condition exists with a player, and he has been diagnosed by a real medical doctor, and that player goes through the MLB exemption process, then he should be allowed to receive his prescribed treatment.

This is not to be compared to an athlete taking illegal or controlled substances, without a doctor’s prescription, to make that athlete bigger, stronger, faster, and more competitive.

I have seen Ritalin improve reaction time in subjects, improve time on task, and improve focus. During the course of a long season these would be valuable to any professional athlete. But Ritalin and other stimulants also decrease appetite and may cause difficulty sleeping, two problems for any athlete. But the way, I have seen Attend improve reaction time in college athletes whose baseline reaction times were much better than the “middle of the bell curve” too. Perhaps these MLB players ought to look into Attend instead.

I have also seen major league players who certainly had ADHD. One player that I am thinking of pitched for me at the University that I coached at, and went on to play in the majors for several years. He was clearly ADHD, and I knew it before I ever heard of ADHD. Easily distracted, he couldn’t focus for more than five innings without some kind of stimulation, like being yelled at. One baseball writer describes him this way, “(He) soon learned to harness his fastball, completing his array of pitches, but became known as somewhat of an underachiever. Despite winning 15 games for (his first team), just a year and a half after his debut, he never really achieved his full potential… He was also suspended for ten days in 1987 when he was caught using sandpaper to scuff the ball on the mound. Though the incident cost (him) some respect, it ended humorously three years later, when he called the commissioner’s office to ask for his glove back.”

If this player had known about ADHD, and legitimate treatment available for it, he would have been really good – perhaps even great. But instead he is described as an “under-achiever.”

So, for what it is worth, let the players who have legitimate medical diagnoses for ADHD use whatever treatment they feel will benefit them the most during the course of their season and their career. Isn’t that what any adult with ADHD wants? Doesn’t every adult with ADHD want to be able to choose the best treatment intervention for their particular type of ADHD?

But for the players who want to “get an edge” by using stimulants without legitimate medical reasons, let me suggest that you just use our ADHD eating program plus a cup of coffee before the game. You will get much the same benefit, but without giving a bad name to the players who actually need the treatment.

By: Douglas Cowan, Psy.D.

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If you’ve been following the news lately, no doubt you’ve heard about the new MLB drug testing policy. While you may have heard about the policy you might not understand the specific implications of the policy and how it may affect your favorite players and teams.

The new policy was brought about by threat of legislation from Congress. Under the policy tougher penalties for steroid use are implemented. Under the new policy the players are to be tested during their spring training along with at least one additional test during the regular season as well as being subject to random testing throughout the regular season.

Under the previous policy, penalties were much less severe. For example, for a first offense a player would be subject to a 10-day suspension and then 30 days for a second offense. A third offense would rate a 60 day suspension. The new policy calls for a 50 game suspension for the first offense and a 100 game offense for the second offense. For a third offense the player will receive a lifetime ban. Additionally, after the first offense the player will be subjected to amphetamines testing as well as steroid testing. This is the first time the problem of amphetamine use will have been addressed by a policy with MLB. Under the old policy a player could not receive a lifetime ban until he had been hit with at least a fifth offense.

Under the previous policy testing was also conducted on a much less frequent basis. Testing was conducted at the beginning of spring training with no additional testing through the regular season other than random testing. Under this policy, it was quite possible for a player to only be tested once from the beginning of spring training throughout the regular season.

The policy stipulated that players who tested positive for steroid the year prior to the new policy taking affect would be treated as first time offenders under the new policy if they should test positive again.

It should be noted that in the event a player is banned for life after a third offense under the new policy, a player can apply for permission to return to the game two years after receiving the ban. An independent arbitrator can be assigned for the purpose of reviewing the Commissioner’s decision in this instance.

The policy also takes a stab at possession of illegal steroid use in addition to use of illegal steroids. Players convicted for the possession of illegal steroids are subject to a 60-80 game suspension for the first offense and 120 games to one year for a second offense. A lifetime ban is on the table for a third offense. Players who are convicted of steroid distribution face tougher suspensions for the first offense and are subject to a lifetime ban after the first offense.

Penalties for amphetamine use are slightly less severe than for steroid use. Mandatory follow-up testing is dictated for the first offense with a 25 game suspension for the second offense. An 80 game suspension will be given for the third positive test and at the fourth offense the penalty is left up to the Commissioner, which could include a lifetime ban.

By: Joseph Kenny

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One of the best pitchers in the league this season has been Carlos Zambrano of the Chicago Cubs. Even without great run support, Zambrano has been able to get the job done time and time again. This is saying a lot for a guy that is pitching for a team that has been out of the playoff race for quite a few months.

At only 25 years old Zambrano is one of the best up and coming pitchers in the league. He stands at 6′ 5″ and weighs in at 255 pounds. It is safe to say that this helps him a lot when on the mound. Not only does his size give him more power, but it also allows him to last longer into the game as well.
Zambrano currently has a record of 14-5; the best in the National League. In addition he has an ERA of 3.31 to go along with 180 strikeouts. All of this adds up to Zambrano being one of the best pitchers in the league. When Cy Young voting comes around at the end of the season Zambrano will probably get a lot of consideration; especially if he can keep up at the pace he is going at.

Zambrano is one of the young guns in the game of baseball. Being that he is only 25 years old, Zambrano will be around for quite a bit longer. This is good news for the Chicago Cubs and their fans; that being if they can sign him long term.

By: Pauline Go

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If you’re into the NBA, MLB, or even the NFL then you probably wish you could pick this week’s upcoming winners and losers and actually get paid from it right? Well, have I got the thing for you. You see, sports betting is very popular, but many people do it just for fun. The bad side of that is that you end up losing tons of money. Fortunately for you, there is a system out there where you can win about 97% of your sports bets, and it’s called the Sports Betting Champ.

In summary, a Cornell University graduate with a PhD in Statistics and a sports lover himself, John Morrison, has created an amazing system where you consistently win money from betting on sports. He has spent months and probably even years going over data and statistics. What a nerd. Well I’m glad there are nerds out there that do that stuff and I’m glad he is one of them.

The reason why I’m writing this today, is because the MLB season is about a month into the season, and due to the unique criteria of the system, it usually takes awhile to get some bets going. There has only been one MLB bet so far this season, and of course I won. It was the Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners on May 1st. The Athletics were underdogs by 1.5 runs, meaning they would win if they lost by one run, or if they won the game. I actually watched the game, and the A’s were ahead most of the game and the Mariners came back at the end and won by 1 run in the bottom of the 9th inning. However, it didn’t matter to me, because I won the bet.

The next bet will be on May 25th, 2009 so if you’re interested in this sports betting system I strongly suggest you get it soon, because once the bets start coming in, it’s like a snowball effect. There will be days where you have more than one bet, so I say get it now so you don’t miss out.

If you don’t get it by then you’ll probably be missing out on a pretty nice chunk of change, but don’t worry there is plenty more in the future to be yours.

By: Joseph Daneault

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