http://deadspin.com/5180679/mike-piazza-the-back-acne-was-the-least-of-it
This story isn't necessarily anything new, but I think that's the whole point. If the best evidence of Mike Piazza's steroid use is:
1) Reggie Jefferson believing so.
2) Back acne (a symptom of steroid usage, but males can have back acne long past their teen years)
3) An anonymous MLB player saying "Everyone knew it" and is sure of it, even though no one has claimed to have witnessed nor injected him...
4) This quote from the book: "According to several sources, when the subject of performance enhancing was broached with reporters he especially trusted, Piazza fessed up. "Sure, I use," he told one. "But in limited doses, and not all that often."
Except it doesn't say WHAT he uses. Was it simply andro? Protein shakes? Or something more?
Someone's going to need to build a much stronger case instead of pure conjecture.
With the beginning of fantasy baseball upon us, I participated in a mock draft, and here's what I ended up with.
2. Manny Ramírez (LAD - OF)
3. Aramis Ramírez (ChC - 3B)
4. Brandon Webb (Ari - SP)
5. Jacoby Ellsbury (Bos - OF)
6. Adam Dunn (Was - 1B,OF)
7. Brad Lidge (Phi - RP)
8. Jhonny Peralta (Cle - SS)
9. Scott Kazmir (TB - SP)
10. B.J. Ryan (Tor - RP)
11. Brian Fuentes (LAA - RP)
12. Jorge Posada (NYY - C)
13. Derek Lowe (Atl - SP)
14. Orlando Hudson (LAD - 2B)
15. Xavier Nady (NYY - OF)
16. Chien-Ming Wang (NYY - SP)
17. Mike Pelfrey (NYM - SP)
18. Joe Saunders (LAA - SP)
19. Plácido Polanco (Det - 2B)
20. Casey Blake (LAD - 1B,3B)
21. Daniel Murphy (NYM - OF)
Dodgers say they've pulled latest offer.
I've heard Dodgers Owner Frank McCourt on local radio here in Los Angeles, and he's clearly unhappy about all the negotiating tactics of Scott Boras / Manny Ramirez.
And it's not like the Dodgers aren't making pretty much every effort to come to an equitable deal, but this could potentially backfire on Manny in a couple of ways.
For one, the die-hard Dodger fans are seeing Manny for a money-hungry mercenary instead of someone who wants to win. And this sentiment can be seen on multiple message boards and Dodger blogs. It's not that Manny isn't worth a lot of money. It's that the Dodgers ALREADY offered him a ton of money, and he wants more more more.
At what point does Manny Ramirez circumvent his agent the way A-Roid did last year when he put together his new contract with the Yankees? The feeling is that Manny isn't nearly as savvy as A-Roid (who got that advice from Warren Buffett) and that if Boras/Manny keep trying to play chicken with the Dodgers, it's only going to make him look worse and worse, and perhaps keep him out of ANY uniform in 2009.
Where are the other offers coming from? The San Francisco Giants are the only ones who have even been rumored to be in talks, and no offer has ever been made. If the Dodgers become fed up with Manny and move on, what kind of money is going to be left for Manny to take? There aren't exactly many teams with room under their respective budgets to meet his demands. He COULD see himself having to take a $10-15 million range yearly salary if the Dodgers back out.
But even if Manny ends up signing with L.A., will Dodger fans welcome him with open arms, thankful to have him in LF? Or will they boo him for being a world-class greedy asshat in a time where the economy for most people isn't all that rosy, and to turn down all the money that the Dodgers have offered him because he wants even more...
Plus, the Dodgers will just pass on those costs to the fans, one way or another. They WERE going to raise ticket prices this season, but decided not to due to the recession. But that doesn't mean Dodger fans won't see increased prices at the beer lines or the parking lots.
I don't blame the guy for trying to maximize his earning potential and getting the most money he can. That's the essence of capitalism, is it not? But at this point, it's less about making a comfortable living and more about being a greedy dick.
