Random Thoughts
*** According to some armchair doctors and detectives, the most damning evidence that Sammy Sosa is a juicer is the fact that his career flamed out so quickly. Yes, just a few years ago he was an All-Star. But a sudden onset of injuries resulted in the crashing and burning of his career.
Just like what’s happening to Barry Bonds now – first it was his knee, now it’s his elbow.
The premise is that steroid use will always end in a sudden, catastrophic collapse of players’ bodies. That may very well be true. I’m not smart enough to speak about it one way or another, and I’m not foolish enough to pretend I am (unlike some BBWAA members).
Anyway, using that logic, I have to ask: is Jeff Bagwell a juicer?
From 1996 to 2004, the fewest games he played was 147. He played 160 or more games in five of those years, so he sure wasn’t a malingerer. In 1999, he had perhaps his finest year, posting a 1.045 OPS.
But his OPS has dropped every year since then. In his last full season (2004), it was a mere .842 – more than 200 points short of his peak.
Last year, he managed only 39 games, and a pedestrian .738 OPS. This year, he’s facing more surgery and rehab in an effort to rescue his career.
If we can accept that the injuries and ineffectiveness that ended Sosa’s (and perhaps Bonds’) career are because of steroids, shouldn’t we consider that steroids may be the root cause of Bagwell’s woes?
I have no proof one way or the other…I merely present it as food for thought…
*** The Cubs revealed last week that reliever Roberto Novoa has Valley Fever, and not pneumonia as they had previously thought. Just another example of how the Cubs can’t tell us the truth about their pitchers’ health…
*** When the Cubs traded Hee Seop Choi for Derrek Lee a few years ago, one esteemed baseball writer said that it was one of the costs of having Dusty Baker for a manager. Now that the Dodgers dumped him (and the Red Sox have picked him up via waivers), I look forward to the column saying that having Nomar at first base is one of the costs of having Ned Coletti as GM.
Just like what’s happening to Barry Bonds now – first it was his knee, now it’s his elbow.
The premise is that steroid use will always end in a sudden, catastrophic collapse of players’ bodies. That may very well be true. I’m not smart enough to speak about it one way or another, and I’m not foolish enough to pretend I am (unlike some BBWAA members).
Anyway, using that logic, I have to ask: is Jeff Bagwell a juicer?
From 1996 to 2004, the fewest games he played was 147. He played 160 or more games in five of those years, so he sure wasn’t a malingerer. In 1999, he had perhaps his finest year, posting a 1.045 OPS.
But his OPS has dropped every year since then. In his last full season (2004), it was a mere .842 – more than 200 points short of his peak.
Last year, he managed only 39 games, and a pedestrian .738 OPS. This year, he’s facing more surgery and rehab in an effort to rescue his career.
If we can accept that the injuries and ineffectiveness that ended Sosa’s (and perhaps Bonds’) career are because of steroids, shouldn’t we consider that steroids may be the root cause of Bagwell’s woes?
I have no proof one way or the other…I merely present it as food for thought…
*** The Cubs revealed last week that reliever Roberto Novoa has Valley Fever, and not pneumonia as they had previously thought. Just another example of how the Cubs can’t tell us the truth about their pitchers’ health…
*** When the Cubs traded Hee Seop Choi for Derrek Lee a few years ago, one esteemed baseball writer said that it was one of the costs of having Dusty Baker for a manager. Now that the Dodgers dumped him (and the Red Sox have picked him up via waivers), I look forward to the column saying that having Nomar at first base is one of the costs of having Ned Coletti as GM.
posted by Bob at
7:13 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home