The Baseball Thread

Manny is likely coming to KC...

"The Oakland Athletics still have strong interest in signing slugger Manny Ramirez, who presents a low-risk investment for the rebuilding franchise.

If things come together, the 39-year-old would sign a deal for slightly more than the league minimum of $480,000.

He first must serve a 50-game suspension without pay for violating baseball’s drug policy for the second time. With no rainouts, the first game Ramirez would be eligible to play is June 2 at Kansas City..."

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AtCDGzcpxhqGCpVL7b3sT.URvLYF?slug=ap-athletics-ramirez


they'll be sorry before its over.

even for minimum wage.

< nods >

will not end well...

Nah, Jamie Moyer is about 65 years younger than Wakefield.

I hear Always Jumpy (AJ) already gave up his first HR for the Pirates.

I actually enjoyed it while Burnett was with them Yanks.

so you'd be happy if he was a Cardinal?

I sure don't want him hitting any of my young Royals with cream pies...

moyer is actually 4 years older than Wake.

and has something resembling a fastball...

I understand he's recovered from Tommie John surgery. He will get a 'look-see' with Rockies and signed a contract with one of their minor league teams.

and y'all wonder why Roy is my favorite hurler...

Roy Halladay’s classic hot rod

"Pitchers and catchers are reporting all over Florida and Arizona this weekend, but it's hard to imagine anyone making a cooler arrival than Roy Halladay. The Philadelphia Phillies ace sped into Clearwater on Saturday in a classic hot rod and, according to Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the throwback pitcher enjoys restoring throwback cars about as much as he enjoys dominating the National League. (Check out the grin on his face, because it's possible it's the last time you'll see one from him all year.)"...

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/create-caption-roy-halladay-classic-hot-rod-143734602.html;_ylt=AgQs1Pk2rzZtfbAtfU8L6fURvLYF

if i was billy beane, i wouldn't let manny anywhere near cuban import Yoesnis Cespedes...

hmmmmmmmmmmm...

Ryan Braun’s 50-game suspension overturned

but...

"Major League Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision rendered today by arbitrator Shyam Das.”

is it over?

and will gargamel finally emerge from his closet and bathe regularly now?

it's never really gonna be over for braun.

if i'm reading the story correctly, he tested positive, but has been exonerated because the urine sample wasn't handled correctly...

Did he ever?

he got married, I think. so yeah.

unless she's a goth chick. then who knows...

stick a fork in Elijah, he's done now...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Troubled former Major League Baseball player Elijah Dukes has been arrested again, this time on drug charges.

Tampa police say the 27-year-old was arrested during a traffic stop early Thursday after officers noticed a small bag of marijuana on his lap. Authorities say he then tried to stick the drug in his mouth as if he were going to ingest it. They also noticed a marijuana cigarette tucked behind his ear.

The former outfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays and the Washington Nationals faces charges of tampering with physical evidence, possession of marijuana and possession of a drug.

He’s being held on $4,750 bail at the Hillsborough County Jail. It’s unclear whether he’s retained an attorney.

Dukes has been arrested five times in the past year, mostly on driving offenses.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ah1JG_vcdj.58Q3Hvy5qvc4RvLYF?slug=ap-dukesarrested

there is no known cure for stupid...

gonna get messy...
(espn)

I can't see that happening. MLB has always been hesitant to set foot in a courtroom for fear that its antitrust exemption would be challenged. And the whole issue of Braun's suspension is covered under the collective bargaining agreement with the players' union, so I can't imagine that the players will be terribly happy about a lawsuit.

I agree Joe. I think the sources are a bit inaccurate in this instance. MLB is bound by the CBA and it gives players the right to appeal a positive drug test suspension to a panel made up of a union rep, a MLB rep and an independent judge. MLB cannot even think about suing in this situation just because they didn't like the outcome of something they agreed to in the CBA. Would not be smart.

Bottom line, Braun will have the suspicion of the positive test follow him the rest of his career, whether he was guilty or not of taking the banned substance.

On a side note, I'm glad it came out this way. But that is because Braun is on my fantasy league team and I really would have missed him those first 50 games. Plus I was hoping to get to see him play in person when I am up in the Milwaukee area in June.

I'm sure that the arbitration process (including the appeal that Braun took after the initial drug test) is covered under the CBA, and it is extremely difficult to get a judge to overturn the decision of an arbitrator when both parties have agreed to arbitrate their disputes. MLB would either have to say that the arbitrator acted contrary to the manifest weight of the law or else that he was impermissibly biased. I just can't see that happening in this case.

If you're in Milwaukee in June, you should swing by Chicago. You can meet the Windy City A2K contingent.

Yeah, that might be fun. We will actually be just outside Chicago for one day at least. We are staying one night with my wife's aunt in Waukeegan (I think that is where she lives.) So maybe when I firm up plans I will drop you a note about possibly getting together with the Chicago a2k'ers.