Costas, Baseball and Beer

Costas continued: “Texas didn’t win anything during that period of time, and it’s pretty clear that Texas might have led the league in massive steroid use. So I don’t know how you evaluate or devalue championships during that period of time.”

Bob Costas was quoted by the New York Times saying the above. I think it's spot-on. If I wasn't posting via phone, I'd link up the article. Alas, check the Times website and you can find the article with the headline about championships and astericks.

Look, I've discussed Costas on here before, particulalry because of his coverage of all sports (including figure skating), but primarily for his disgust for, and unwillingness to accept blogs. In an effort to avoid digressing, I will avoid such tangents.

Costas' comment made me chuckle. I don't know where I stand in this steroid mess. In fact, I don't think I can make an argument for the purity of baseball because it seems that baseball as I remember it was the steroid era. Cansecos 40/40 season? Likely tainted. The dingers of McGwire? Roids most likely. And years later the Bo Sox 04 championship has the stench of roids as manny and big papi were named in the 2003 Mitchell report that leaked yesterday.

I'm not going to condem nor condone steroids. I will say this, it's mlb's fault. They failed to regulate it then and thus players didn't see a need to refrain. Call it what you will, right or wrong, the infamous gray area...but it happened. The two aren't the first, nor will they be the last, to be outted.

I'm of the shared notion that the names all need to come out. Give the reporters one big stockpile of names rather than allowing them to be leaked, and thus periodically rationed out. I'm tired of steroids. The game was polluted with them. C'est la vie. Time to move on.

Now here's to hoping for a clean slate for baseball and a beer for me at lunch. Today is Fun Lunch Friday (FLF). Since have the office has today off we go to lunch and enjoy ourselves with some fermented beverages (or so I'm told - this is my first). Here's to hoping there's a beer in my future.


-- Post From My iPhone

Pitchers in the A.L. vs. Pro Golf

Okay I grew up loving baseball. I loved the As and I loved the Giants. Then the mid 90s strike happened (93 or 94?) I lost that love. In fact, I despised it. Still went to games but it wasn't anything i followed (in fact I didn't really follow any sport through the mid 90s until 2001 or 2002.

My friend Mike, whom I worked this loved the Angels while the other two guys, Jason and steve, liked the Giants. Somehow, I grew to despise the giants, and more importantly the national league. Really, aside from the giants when I was growing up I hates every other NL team. The Expos, the Phillies, dodgers (who beat the As in the world series), the padres, pirates, the cardinals....I hated every NL team.

I found my love in 2004, when the red sox made the ultimate comeback and beat the Yankees. See, I'd had yankees hats, but only because the NY was iconic - it was hip hop, and I loved hip hop. So I put up with the fact I didn't like baseball much and I hated the Yankees. Yeah, confusing I know. But that was the year for me (it should be noted I had a Boston hat sometime in the late 90s or early 2000s. It was even fitted, meaning I shelled out legit dough for it. But kyles little brother borrowed it and managed to get paint on it and that was the end of that).

Anyway, I've always loved the AL. Sure it's got the DH spot and that might not be as pure, but I could care less. Sports are so specialized now that the pitcher batting is basically an out. Blah blah strategy, blah blah. I'd rather have a hitter than a lame pitcher who can't bat (zambrano being an exception to this rule).

I've been lpoking at pitchers lately and realizing how fat they are. It's ridiculous. Chamberlain, penny, beuhrle (sp), jenks, sabathia. These guys are pretty friggin huge man. Can we really call these dudes athletes? They throw a ball. That's about it. Clearly there's not a lot of running in these guys' regimens. People always whine about golfers not being athletes. Well hitting a ball with a club then walking doesn't really seem too different from being a pitcher who throws a ball then walks into the dugout (granted there is running to back up home or cover a bag or chase down a bunt, but come on, the afforementioned are grossly overweight).


-- Post From My iPhone