Manny Ramirez has been eligible to join the A's major league roster for more than two weeks after completing his 50-game suspension, but the slugger remained in Triple-A. Last night, the situation reached its logical conclusion as Ramirez requested his outright release and the team obliged. Here's more on Manny and a look around the AL West..
- Ramirez told ESPNDeportes.com's Enrique Rojas that he isn't mad at Oakland for not promoting him and hopes to continue his career. "The A's treated me amazingly during all this time, but sadly didn't have space for me and this is something I can't control. I'm going home to continue my training hoping to get the chance to play again," said the slugger.
- Pitcher Joe Saunders was emotional when he learned that the Angels were trading him to the Diamondbacks in 2010 as part of a package for Dan Haren, writes Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. Looking back on it now, the hurler says that he is glad to be a part of the building process in Arizona.
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) says not to discount the Mariners' Jason Vargas as a trade candidate due to his road ERA (4.53). In total, the left-hander has a 3.95 ERA with 5.7 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 15 starts this year.
If he wanted a chance to play again, why did he ask for release?
Does he think anyone else would sign him?
If only the Redsox would take Saunders for Youk + Cash
Schalk got in partly for longevity, partly because he was one of the honest 1919 White Sox and mostly because he was a great defensive catcher. He was the first catcher to back up first and third bases and even made a putout at second base.
oh give it a rest. there is already cheaters in the hall of fame.. and worst of all there is some mediocre players in there too. stop believing its this sacred place of worship where everyone is a saint who doubled as a superstar baseball player.
Someone else must have suddenly remembered Ray Schalk with his .658 .OPS and .258 BA as the lowest career offensive output for a HOF player. Pathetic, even for someone who played during the ‘dead ball” era.
Edit:
as long as there is a Old Timers committee adding new members. The most fringe of players is open to those sacred (once) doors and people who belong.. Say Lee Arthur Smith.. Jim Kaat stay on the outside.
No, I don’t think everyone in the Hall of Fame is a saint, nor should they be expected to be one. But the Hall of Fame is for the best of the best, and none of the enshrined members had to physically alter their bodies via performance enhancing drugs to accomplish what they did on the ballfield.
Ty Cobb was the best hitter, baserunner, and fielder of his (and arguably any) era, but he was a racist, vile tempered man hated by almost anyone.
Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest power hitters ever, but was a drunk who constantly cheated on his wife.
Do they belong in the Hall of Fame? Of course. Performance enhancing drug users like Manny, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriquez, and countless others do not.
In my opinion.
You think that would be a bad deal for the Dbacks? I understand that Youk has been terrible, but if you look at the Dbacks third base numbers… you can’t get any worse. Also, the Dbacks could then bring up Bauer who would likely outperform the lucky Saunders.
I just had to look up Ray Schalk, I had never heard of him. I was expecting to find he was an extraordinary defensive player, but that’s not even the case. Going by the numbers, he was slightly better than average catcher. And he never received more than 45% of the Hall of Fame vote, either.
Very unusual inclussion, by the veterans committe. And I agree with you that there are too many borderline players being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Schalk got in by accident. I can’t remember how the story goes but there was a meeting with the old timers committee and they meant to put someone else in who was similar to Schalk and they put Schalk in indstead.
That’s essentially what the A’s did, and even they didn’t have room for him. It’s just another flaw with the DH. It makes guys so one-dimensional and limits teams looking for their services once they start to age, and they are not hitting at least 30 bombs a season…
Cobb also sharpened his cleats to a point.. So infielders wouldn’t dare block any bag when he slid in, or he would go in cleats high and draw blood..
Cobb also was a known scrapper. Sometimes fighting in games even when he didn’t get his way.. Waiting at the other teams runway after a game, under the stands, out in the streets even to “even the score”.
the PED users of recent are living in an era where drug use is far easier to catch, thanks to modern technology.
you don’t think players of the past (including, perhaps some HOFers) used various drugs to gain an advantage. Amphetamines, anyone?
there just wasn’t a huge fuss over catching and penalizing them.
Roberts has been omproving of late for the Dbacks. Outside of him, the Dbacks have been running a string of AAAA players through that position looking to spark something. At this point, now that Roberts seems to have gotten out of his funk, it makes far less sense to go out and get a brittle, aging, expensive rental player that will only questionably add to the Dbacks run this year.
HAHA. I consider myself pretty well knowledgeable on the goings on of the 1970’s and back of baseball.. Read many/most of the books by the old timers/owners/managers.. But I never heard that and am not doubting you one bit and wouldn’t doubt that story one bit at all.. it fits with how chaotic the game was back then.
“Amphetamines, anyone?”
Are you saying Ferguson Jenkins and the 60’s-70’s HOF crew don’t belong? 😉
nope!
although i AM saying that the steroid era guys should be judged on their baseball statistics relative to the era they played in and not on whether they took PEDs or not.
no sane reason why bonds, clemens, ramirez, mcgwire, etc. shouldn’t be in the HOF.
Ya know? I always have judged the steroids era a LOT harder than the “greenie” era, as you mentioned.
The “greenies” made the players think they were performing faster, “last” a little longer perhaps and if you ever did read Bill Lee’s book, probably did read Bouton’s (either of them) they made a pitcher (just chose pitcher) *think* they were throwing a ball harder, when in fact the ball wasn’t going any faster than it was before.. Or in the case of a hitter? A ordinary.. Say an Ed Armbrister type (just grabbing his name as a slap hitter) *think* he was swinging at the ball harder, when in fact he wasn’t the players mind was so wound up.
Players on steroids actually had the *muscles* to do the actual performance increase.. Palmero, Bonds, Clemens, Brady Anderson and the list goes on and on.. Brady Anderson going from a line drive hitter to 50HR a year? a little greenie wouldn’t have done that.
That is my big issue with steroids. They didn’t just affect the mind and maybe let them go “9” sometimes, but let the guys do super human performances.
The Spitball provided an unfair advantage over hitters, and no one sees a problem with Cy Young in the Hall of Fame.
The entire culture of baseball conspired to make the “Steroids Era.” The
owners, the players, the media and the fans. It’s unfair to leave the
players holding the bag, and let the writers hypocritically stand on
soapboxes act as if they are somehow above it all.
Spitsballs were allowed before 1920, and players weren’t punished for it. PEDs were allowed before 2004, and players who used them before that should not be punished for it.
The thing about steroids is that it was open season on them. The great players were still great (Griffey/Bagwell vs. Bonds/Palmiero) and mediocre players were still mediocre (Hal Morris, Jason Grimsley, et. al.). Whatever benefit PEDs provides, it doesn’t allow you to “fake” your way into Hall of Fame credentials.