Daily Archives: November 14, 2003

The talks between the Yankees and the Diamondbacks have reportedly cooled over a possible Curt Schilling deal. But Brian Cashman continued to check in with the Expos, White Sox and Dodgers. Who would you rather have in right field? Gary Sheffield, Vlad Guerrerro or Magglio Ordonez? Decisions, decisions. It’s tough to be rich and willing to spend, huh?

Mel Stottlemyre is officially back as the Yankees pitching coach, and George The Benevolent has also hired Darryl Strawberry as a spring training coach.

Can you feel the love? Or is that last night’s dinner repeating on you?

Eric Gagne ran away with the National League Cy Young award yesterday. Gagne who had one of the best, if not the best single season a reliever has ever recorded, blew away the competition. I wish I could have seen him more often, but what little I did see of him was absolutely terrifying. Congrats to the Frenchman.

In other Dodger news, GM Dan Evans had an interesting chat with Oakland’s general manager Billy Beane last week. Got any questions? Make like Will Carroll, and go ask Jon Weisman.

Newsday is reporting that Mike Piazza would like to be traded to an American League team. If the Mets had been smart they would have moved Piazza in 2002 or 2003. As it is, if they choose to trade him, they might have to eat some of his salary, as Piazza is due to earn $30 million over the final two years of his contract. That is a steep price for a DH. Personally, I love the guy and as much as I have enjoyed him on the Mets, I think he would be a great fit for an American League squad.

MLB announced yesterday that more than five percent of baseball players have tested positive for steriods. Random testing will continue in 2004. The mainstream media is sounding the alarm of course. I picked up the papers early this morning and both the Daily News and New York Post have a photograph of a needle sticking out of a baseball on their back covers. A guy standing next to me was already reading the story and I asked him what he made of it. “I’m not surprised,” he said. “Look at these guys.”

Dave Anderson offers a stern lecture in the Times and Filip Bondy is positively shrill in the News. You’ve got to love it when sportswriters become moralists.

Am I surprised by the finding? Not a bit. Does it bother me? Not especially. Unlike Mr. Bondy, and perhaps many casual sports fans like the one I encountered this morning, I’m not a romantic. I assume there is cheating and drug use in sports just like in other parts of our culture. (Thankfully for Pete Rose and the players of a previous generation, baseball didn’t test for greenies.) You are naive and foolish if you think this is a new problem. I don’t think a majority of the players cheat, and my enjoyment of the game isn’t ruined because there are some that do.