Below is an update from a previous post relating to 'New' drug testing changes in baseball last year, but more importantly, what's STILL going on in with PEDs in baseball and why they're still prevalent, despite all the denials and belief by many, including the commissioner of baseball, that baseball has 'cleaned up'it's act. As for 2014, the only thing different in the drug tests are new tests for HGH, but nothing to on the most popular culprit the not-so-new anymore, undetectable designer testosterone and other drug use - only undetectable since MLB has not upgraded to to the test that WILL detect these PEDs, ; baseball has added an additional incident - now a total maximum of two tests for PEDs are allowed during the season, but, again of little consequence.
The fact that the tests are usually announced ahead, giving players plenty of time to go off the drug if they're using - and new designer drugs can be out of the system in a matter of hours once a player stops using them - is why you'll see players such as the San Francisco Giants' PABLO SANDOVAL suddenly going on extreme hitting surges after slumping for months. Once a test is given, a player can assume there won't be another for some time and can go right back on the drug and we see the cartoonish results, just as we saw back in the playoffs and World Series of 2012 when Sandoval hit 3 homers in one game against Detroit in the playoffs and seven homers in the month of October, matching his homer total for the entire year!
Some players don't even bother to go off the juice at all - and OCCASIONALLY will get caught, such as another Giant's 'star,' Melky Cabrera in 2012. But, by the time he got caught , mid season, he had already propelled the Giants into first place while likely passing on his little 'secret' to other team players, such as countryman MARCO SCUTARO. (Interestingly, Cabrera must be back on the stuff as he's been putting up the big numbers again for Toronto. The rampant , continued use of PEDs - in our opinion- is not limited to the Giants, though they have been far and away the 'leaders' and instigators for PED use in the big leagues . (The above and below are opinion of this blog , based on empirical evidence and common sense.)
When's the last time a major leaguer was suspended? Other than the Biogenesis '21' - which gave Commissioner a temporary, lucky feather in his PED hat - you have to go back to 2012 when five major league players were actually caught through MLB testing - folks like the Giants Melky Cabrera of whom Victor Conte said had to be 'dumb or dumber' to get caught. The fact that nobody's been caught since then doesn't mean PEDs have been rid from baseball, only that the tests are NOT working, again, in our opinion.
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| 'THANK YOU LORD for Giving us Commissioner Bud Selig' |
Low Strikeouts Can Be Another Indicator of PED Use
By itself, a low number of strikeouts by a team doesn't necessarily mean anything. Combined with other factors, low strikeouts can be a key indicator of #performance enhancing drugs. Users generally see the ball better and thereby strikeout less.
Barry Bonds' hand-eye coordination was second to none and struck out relatively little, especially for the power hitter he became after 2000. From 2002 thru his final five years he never struck out more than 54 times a season , as compared to the 1990s whe he struck out almost twice the rate, 80-100 times per season.
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| MARCO SCUTARO Other-worldy strikeout ratio - Less than one per 37 at bats last year after coming to Giants |
The San Francisco Giants, as a team, have had more players suspended for PED use. Last year after coming to the Giants Melky Cabrera raised his average 40 points , from .305 to .346 , while cutting his strikeouts down from 93 to 58 from the previous year in Kansas City. Marco Scutaro, a suspected user, in our opinion - see his numbers elsewhere in these pages - raised his average almost 70 points while cutting his strikeouts in half in the second half season after coming to the Giants from Colorado - and this coming at the ripe age of 37. Pablo Sandoval, a free swinger, has ONLY ONE strikeout in his first 37 at bats this year, continuing a pattern begun end of last season when he hit six homers in the playoffs with only 11 strikeouts in 85 at bats against top pitching, after only hitting five homers in the first fove months of the season!
Rank 2013 Per at bat Home Away 2012
3 SF Giants 5.73 5.33 6.20 6.90
Low strikeouts keep players at the plate longer and result in higher batting numbers while giving the team more opportunities to score runs. You would not expect a team like the Giants , especially playing in 'pitchers' ballpark to lead the league in runs scored. They did last year! It helps explain their high number of comeback wins , too.
We're seeing just too many things going on among too many players to call it all a big coincidence; other teams are no doubt guilty, too, but not likely to the degree and repetitiveness of the Giants where this stuff has been going on for over a decade at an alarming rate and with numbers of players (Giants won the World Series two of last three years with virtually different teams - and equally suspicious players.SEE other pages in the blog.) we've seen a lack Of concern among Giants fans, who still revere Bonds,and perhaps the new, younger generation of baseball fans who know nothing else than dirty baseball now going on over a decade - two decades if you back to the McGwire -conseco era. too bad or us REAL baseball fans who deserve better, not having to try to figure out who is on peds and who isn't.
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Low Strikeouts Can Be Another Indicator of PED Use
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
NEW BASEBALL DRUG TESTING - ANY REAL CHANGE?
BREAKING DOWN ' NEW' 2013 BASEBALL DRUG TESTING CHANGES
Concerned as some of us baseball purists are about the increasing negative affect PEDs have had on the grand old game, we thought we'd take a look at the current , supposedly updated, drug testing and what all it entails. Will it really make a significant difference in reducing the number of cheaters in the game? From Wikipedia 4-10-13:
"2006 Testing Policy has tests administered via scientifically-validated urine test.
Each Player shall be tested upon reporting to spring training. All
Players will be selected for an additional unannounced urine specimen
collection on a randomly selected date.
In-Season testing
On January 10, 2013, MLB and the players union reached an agreement to add random, in-season human growth hormone and to a new test to reveal the use of testosterone.
(We are told this is a test that will detect for synthetic
testosterone, formerly undetectable by testing measures) Testing will
begin the 2013 season.( "Baseball to Expand Drug-Testing Program". New York Times. Retrieved 10 January 2013.)"
From Bob Baum of Associated Press (1-10-13),
"Baseball
players were subject to blood testing for HGH during spring training
last year, and Thursday’s(2013) agreement between management and the MLB
Players Association expands that throughout the season. Those are in addition to urine tests for other performance-enhancing drugs."
Now, our real problem is with the next line from Baum's article of 1-10-13,
"Rob Manfred, executive vice president for economics and league affairs, said each player will be tested at least once." ) Hardly 'throughout' the season!
That
was our big question , which seemed well hidden , even not listed as
far as we could see - WHEN and HOW OFTEN are these tests given? We've
heard in the past that the players are actually given notice days ahead
of the test. Even without this a player need only wait for the test and ,
once given, can go back on the PEDs, with the knowledge that he would
be very unlikely to get another test for a long period, perhaps the rest
of the season. 'At least once' likely means once, maybe twice max -
and probably tests would be spread months apart.
So,
a guy like Marco Scutaro of the San Francisco Giants, who starts the
season batting in the low 100's after finishing up last year in the
high 300's, waits for the test, which might have been given, say, last
week. And, lo and behold, folowing the test, suddenly the hitting is
back, and Scutaro has five hits in two games and is already back up to
.200 and climbing after only having a couple hits the previous six
games! He can probably not worry about another test for another month
or two at least, continuing on the stuff and supposedly 'fooling' us and
helping lead the Giants to yet another tainted World Series. (Pretty
interesting how a team like the Giants won two World Series in three
years with, basically, two completely different teams ...but a lot of
connections!)
(See more background details @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio1.blogspot.com
(See more background details @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio1.blogspot.com
NEW DRUG TESTING PROCEDURE IN BASEBALL - ANY REAL IMPROVEMENT?
Marco Scutaro Missing More Than His Swing
Maybe Marco better go find not only his swing but more importantly the little bottle with the good stuff Melky gave him that raised his average last year , suddenly, over 100 points and cut strikeouts in half ; he , in turn, gave to Pablo and who knows how many others. Oh, I guess it's testing time in the majors so Scutaro may be waiting that out. Then, you'll suddenly see marco go from Mendoza to Melky or better, again... Just wait and see - like last year - at age 37!. 'Miracles' do happen in what they call Baseball 2013. Yet, Pablo is brave right now, hasn't lost a beat -er, syringe, from last fall. More @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio1.blogspot.com/
Meanwhile, looks like Crawford has really gone over to the other side.
Not only has he been continuing his almost otherworldly hitting, as
compared to the 'Mendoza' shortstop from early last season - and he's
hitting long homeruns in ATT - but , worst of all, he's doing the
finger salute now, like Panda, above (where they raise their fingers to
the Lord after accomplishing one of their otherworldly feats...a . It
seems like especially common practice among the (PED) users...
blanco, Pablo, PEDs, scutaro, Torrez, Venezuela
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
MUST BE BASEBALL TESTING TIME - SCUTARO, OTHERS AVERAGES DOWN
Must be testing time as a number of the boys (Torrez, Blanco and
Scutaro) are down in the averages but they'll be back. So, if one gets
caught like Melky the Giants will send out to Venezuela or somewhere and
put them with #Scutaro or #Pablo for a little training... Pablo's
definitely carrying over the juice from last October when he hit more
homers the last month than the whole rest of season including that
spectacular blast in the series. Pablo hit a blast tonight against LA
off a good pitch by Dodger's Beckett. #Crawford and #Belt look like new
#PED guys with spring averages over 100 points higher than last season
Check out more of the sorry state of baseball, in our opinion, from our
research department @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio1.blogspot.com/
Saturday, March 30, 2013
The Brandons Appear to Complete Giants All-PED Opening Lineup
'Dodgers can't buy chemistry' was the big quote from the lips of San Francisco Giants'
starting first baseman, Brandon Belt, earlier this year.
Funny thing is that the Giants DO have chemistry on their side,
but a lot of it comes in a bottle and syringe. Belt's confounding 8 spring homers is more
than his ENTIRE 2012 season output! On top of that , he almost doubled his batting average,
from .275 to .457! Yes, we know it's spring training but still, that's
when the pitchers are often ahead of the hitters - and no other Giant hit more than four homers
(Pablo)... just another piece of wonderment on the Giants. One may not have concrete
evidence but there's sure got to be questions. And this, in light of Belt's muffled 'no'-comments about
the suspension and loss of Melky Cabrera last year...
As for the other Brandon, Crawford, he also raised his batting average 100 points this
spring training vs last season and doubled his slugging percentage with 10 extra base hits.
Note that he has also become mentored and good friends with Marco Scutaro, last seasons
most likely non-caught user of PEDs; Scuatro also raised his average 100 points just
after coming to the Giants from Colorado last season and likely has passed on some of
his 'knowledge' to at least this Brandon, much like Melky passed it onto his fellow
venezuelan when Scutaro first joined the Giants, midseason 20120, prior to Cabrera's
suspension.'
As for Scutaro, who's numbers are actually down in spring training, it may be due to
injuries, or , maybe he is saving himself for the season.
The fact of the matter is that , with this new knowledge about the Brandon brothers - who heretofore we thought and hoped to be clean - virtually every Giant starting player has probably used or is using PEDs (performance enhancing drugs). Perhaps the Brandons were under too much pressure to reach that potential that had long gone unfulfilled. No heavyscience here, just too many questions. And, combine this with some real science and numbers -
see http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio1.blogspot.com - and read all the posts form last year and together you've got a mountain of evidence that points the Giants further advancing a the PED tradition that began over a decade ago with Barry Bonds where now likely every starter but probably Posey has likely used or is using PEDs. Only the names have changed, in our opinion..
So, now the starting lineup is secure of PED players, either former users or current...
with Buster Posey the only player unlikely using...
probably so squeaky clean he doesn't even know the others have been or are using - and now
his unheard of nine year contract...
PS Don't you love the way the Giants go out and try to nail down nearly every starting player
to long term contracts, especially with their track record , going back
to Rennie Stennett and even Orlando Cepeda for Ray Sedeki... Aaron Rowand, Huff, Zito
(even though he's redeemed himself the past season after four bad ones @ $20K per, etc..
