Bleacher Report - Articles by Rob Maccariello

Announcing the B/R New York Yankees' Mailbag

Rob Maccariello — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:11:26 -0400

Mailbags are all the rage on sports websites across the county. Yet, it's somewhat disappointing that this great website doesn't have one.

In an attempt to help fix this problem, and based on the interest shown in feedback from writers on many articles across the site, I will be starting a periodic mailbag of my own.

I'll publish questions and answers straight from you, the writers and fans, about lots of things in the Yankees universe: ticket prices, Joba's usage, and whether or not Joe Girardi should keep his job.

No question is too outrageous. No topic is off-limits. If you've ever listened to my radio show, you know that no one is safe!

Just be sure to send your questions to robert.maccariello@gmail.com with "Yankees Mailbag" in the subject line.

Be sure to check back to BleacherReport.com often, and look out for the answers!

Why Joba Should Rule the Bullpen

Rob Maccariello — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:41:20 -0400

Although this young season has already led to uneasy grumbling from eager Yankee fans, the obligatory remarks, "It's a long season, don't worry" have not been far behind.

The biggest dilemma facing the Yankees right now isn't an issue revealed in the first six games of 2009—it's been with the team since the arrival of one Joba Chamberlain.

Enter Sandman's Protege

Because of the top-level inexperience of Chamberlain, coupled with the increasingly annoying and anal Joba Rules devised by GM Brian Cashman and company, Joba started off his MLB career coming out of the bullpen in 2007. Effective and downright dominant, Joba's electric stuff tantalized fans and bolstered the Yankee bullpen during their playoff run at the end of that season.

With hardly any professional experience at any level, coupled with Joba's young age, the Yankee front office and scouts around the league sensed that the sky was the limit.

The Yankees also had Mariano Rivera, the game's best closer in history, locking up the ninth inning. Shortening the bridge from starting pitchers to Rivera with a setup man in Chamberlain seemed like the perfect idea.

The Angels had seen much success with Scot Shields setting up K-rod, and overall the league has seen the designation of setup man become a legitimate and specifically designed role.

Put Me In Coach, I'm Ready To Start

Despite the success of using Joba as a short-relief/setup man, it seemed apparent that the goal of the Yankees was to ultimately make Joba a starter. After all, as Joba and sportswriters constantly reminded us, Chamberlain had always been a starter.

As a starter it seemed Joba could not reach the level he was meant for, or that fans wanted to see. Not that Joba was a bad starter—he looked the part of a number three or four, with occasional glimpses of "wow" type pitches.

And yet, whether it was being removed in games too early or pitching without that fiery, attack-the-hitter mentality, Joba was a totally different pitcher as a starter.

Already A Bad Choice

When it was decided by Joe Girardi that Chamberlain would round out the final starting pitcher position in the Yankees 2009 rotation, most baseball fans agreed that the Yankees starting rotation seemed primed for much greater success.

The acquisitions of Sabathia and Burnett, as well as the return of a healthy Chien-Ming Wong and veteran Andy Pettitte, would all serve as mentors for the young star, and perhaps relieve pressure to perform.

However, there was still talk of innings limitations, off days, and careful observation of the number of innings and appearances from a season-long perspective. Joba Rules were amended, but never totally abolished.

And after a solid outing early this season against Kansas City was wasted by a Joe Girardi-led rotating door of bullpen maneuvers that backfired, questions were once again raised if whether the Yankees made the right decision to keep Joba on the road to starting in the Major Leagues.

It should not even be a question. Joba Chamberlain should pitch out of the bullpen forever and ever...amen.

The biggest critics of this viewpoint line up behind the popular theory that a starter is more valuable than a reliever.

Ask the Yankees during the playoff runs of the 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 championship teams if they would rather have had one more solid starter OR John Wetteland ('96 World Series MVP) and Mariano Rivera ('99 World Series MVP, third place Cy Young '96, '99).

Maybe it's unfair to ask a team to give up the greatest relief pitcher in the history of the game, but look towards the trends of the game in general in recent years. The popularization of the term "quality start" has actually decreased the standards for what we might accept as a good performance by a starting pitcher.

Pitching fewer innings is acceptable. Within the definitions for quality start, it's absolutely possible to give up more runs, and receive a "quality start" when compared to somebody who gives up only one run more and pitches four more innings.

Help Me Now, Help Me Later

Think of it in terms of the bullpen.

If Joba pitches seven or eight perfect innings, he still has to turn that performance over to the bullpen to hold and save the lead. This is akin to what did not happen in his first game this year against the Royals. Joba did not pitch strongly against the young and lackluster Royals offense, nor did the bullpen hold up the lead.

If Joba's spot in the starting rotation was taken by somebody with less solid numbers or potential, it would place an even greater emphasis on the bullpen to carry on the game after their four or five innings were done--a bullpen where Joba can lurk.

Proponents for Chamberlain staying where he is claim that he gives the team a great chance to win every five or six games as a starter.

On the other hand, Joba could give the team a chance to hold onto a victory almost every game of the season by coming out of the bullpen.

As far as protecting Joba's arm, yes, it is important to watch the pitcher's progress carefully. Joba has already had tendinitis once in his young professional career, and had tendinitis in his arm earlier in college.

At only age 23, the arm that Peyton Manning might describe as "Rocket-Cannon" needs to be protected. After all, last year's trip to the DL kept Joba from earning a decision after Jul. 30.

Starting pitchers do receive regular, routine periods of rest. However, under any competent management, this can still be accomplished by a relief pitcher. It just requires discipline from the manager, and relying on his other coaches to monitor the situation.

Currently, this is the biggest obstacle for Joba pitching out of the 'pen, especially since Joe Girardi has proved he graduated with honors from the nefarious "Joe Torre School of Bullpen Management," where hot pitchers are rode to the point of great fatigue and even injury (see: Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney), and slumping pitchers with great stuff lose confidence to the point of no return (see: Scott Proctor, Kyle Farnsworth, and Edwar Ramirez under Joe Torre).

Joba attacked hitters with his maximum effort as a reliever. Regardless of rest days to come, Joba knew he had an inning, maybe two at most to get batters out.

He attacked the strike zone. He topped 99mph on his fastball. Batters swung and missed at over 75 percent of his sliders. He struck out batters at a staggering rate. He was very successful coming out of the bullpen.

He never had to save certain pitches or hold back his velocity to leave some tricks for an inning that might not come.

As a starter it seems this naturally happens more often than not.

And as much as a Yankees fan would hate to show appreciation for Jonathan Papelbon, no one can question his success. For some reason he chose to remain the Red Sox closer rather than move into the starting rotation. Those reasons probably mirrored more than just a few of those mentioned above.

On-The Job(a) Training

Perhaps the greatest reason why Joba Chamberlain should move to the bullpen is the imminent departure of Mariano Rivera.

Although he seems back to top form—and never really was far from it—there have been some minor lingering arm/shoulder/elbow issues with Rivera. Because of his age (39), and the expiration of his weighty contract ($15 million per year) at the conclusion of the 2010 season, he is a gigantic piece to the Yankees' puzzle of success that will need to be replaced.

What better candidate than Joba Chamberlain? Who spent months following Rivera like a puppy dog follows his owner, and proved that his mentality and success out of the bullpen are as dominant as the best players in the game?

Why the Yankees continue to bide their time until Joba becomes an ace starter—on a team that already has up to four current and former aces is unfathomable.

The Arizona Diamondbacks proved that even an expansion team can win championships with just two aces and a strong back-end bullpen.

In the shortest amount of time Joba Chamberlain electrified the world's largest baseball fan base and mowed down opposing hitters out of the bullpen.

How long are the Yankees going to wait and posture until he does this as a starter? Why turn down a sure bet for the unknown?

What is known is that the Yankees bullpen has even greater pressure to perform now (as if the Yankees ever need any additional pressure to win 162 games).

As long as Joba starts, there will be one less safe bet before Mariano Rivera after the sixth inning.

Another Dallas December to Forget: Why Wade Phillips Must Go

Rob Maccariello — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:23:32 -0500

Now that the absolute embarrassment has had some time to settle in, it's time to re-examine the Uncle Jerry-endorsed coaching situation in Big D.

To be fair, I had thought Wade Phillips was a poor choice for head coach, despite his decent performance last season. While he proved he could step up his responsibilities with solid defensive play calling in a few of the last games, ultimately, Phillips could not right the ship that is the celebrity cruiseliner in Dallas.

Andy Reid Just Beat Your Team

No team in recent memory has showed up for what was essentially a playoff game more unprepared, more unfocused, and less motivated than the Cowboys did yesterday. The were entirely outclassed by the Eagles in every possible way.

After a week of bitter murmuring that he wasn't featured in the offense enough, Roy "I'm the receiver, not the other guy" Williams pulled a TO: he didn't back up his mouth with his play on the field. Several drops, many uninspired routes, and an overall lackadaisical and underachieving performance. I'm glad you feel the need to back up a five-year contract worth three draft picks with that dud.

It all starts with the head coach, Wade Phillips. FOX cameramen were probably taking bets to see who could catch Wade with the most "duh" looks on his face. The motivation of a team, its preparedness, and general cohesiveness starts with the philosophy and environment that the head coach instills.

Alternative Fuel Sources (Other Than Twinkies)

Coaches like Bill Parcells, Mike Tomlin, Tony Sparano, and Tom Coughlin would fall under the generous category of "less player-friendly." But each of them have met the players half way, easing up to the point that the players weren't alienated, but discipline and cohesiveness were still a primary focus.

Eric Mangini had taken this to an extreme, alienating one of football's greatest players ever in Brett Favre. Although Brett is far past his prime, and most likely played yesterday's game injured, you respect his observations of the locker room as insightful and true.

When Brett says it's not fun to play for the coach, you can bet that 130 percent of the other players would agree.

Tom Jackson said yesterday, when your quarterback says he's having shoulder issues that might force him to [finally] retire, and you still throw the ball 40 times and only run 21, there are some communication issues...to say the least.

That, coupled with a season full of questionable play calling, culminated in the firing of the oft-overrated Mangenius this morning in New York.

Wade Phillips coaches at the opposite end of the hardass, er...hardness scale. The HBO series Hard Knocks showed us just what Camp Cream Puff was like in the offseason. On a team with many superstar personalities, natural leadership is needed. Ed Werder's Mystery Source™ said there was little leadership in the Cowboys' locker room, and bedlam ensued in another Dallas December meltdown.

Without the strong leadership of a few players, both on and off the field, the big personalities come into conflict, and the team fragments.

Talking the Talk Versus Walking the Walk

Tony Romo is one potential leader of the Cowboys. He seems to never be phased by pressure, at least in front of reporters, and has a friendly rapport with many of the players. The damning feature of Romo is that he has never won the big game. Until he does, he cannot be considered a leader of this team.

Think back to Troy Aikman. Do you think at any point Aikman would be smiling or laughing during a debacle such as yesterday's game against the Eagles? Romo did, on more than one occasion. Actually, I'll bet cash-money, in the words of Wilmer Valderrama, that Aikman wouldn't tolerate any bickering in his locker room, or on the field.

The dynasty teams of the mid 90s had just as many large and outspoken personalities—Deion Sanders, Michael Irvin, and Emmit Smith, to name a few. But there didn't seem to be half as much dysfunction then as there is now.

Offensive and defensive personnel are like two separate teams. There isn't always a whole lot of interaction between the two groups in football, but on the Cowboys, they seem worlds apart. Strangely making the situation worse is that several defensive players seem to flock to Terrell Owens' defense, fragmenting the locker room more.

Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, and Bradie James are phenomenal talents on the field, but they intentionally try to avoid the spotlight with the press and in the locker room. They prefer to let their play on the field do all the talking, which is admirable—especially in this day and age and especially on this football team.

That still does not lend itself to one or two players who will keep their teammates in line off the field, and lead by example on the gridiron.

Who's Job Is It Anyway?

All of these issues with players not taking control of the situation would not be anywhere near significant if the Cowboys had a strong head coach. My ideal candidate? Bill Cowher.

Cowher coached a Steelers team with several strong personalities/veterans: Jerome Bettis, Joey Porter, Larry Foote, and James Farrior come to mind. Did these guys cause the controversy that a Terrell Owens could cause? No, but Cowher's no nonsense attitude and defensive-minded, disciplined football team did come together to win Super Bowl XL, behind the youngest winning QB in Super Bowl history.

With rookie sensation Felix Jones coming back next year off of an injury, and the discovery of fellow rookie Tashard Choice, coupled with the skill set of Marion Barber, the Cowboys could have the team model of the New York Giants' "Earth, Wind, and Fire" running combination that has seen them dominate in the NFC the past year and a half.

Cowher liked to run the football and establish the ground game, making an effective play-action pass attack later in the game able to open up the offense to make big plays (sound familiar, Giants fans?).

Anyone who thinks that featuring the run more would not placate Terrell Owens and Roy Williams, and make their statistics dwindle, see Randle-El, Antwaan, Ward, and Hines.

Finally, Cowher emphasized strong defense, which would match perfectly with the solid defensive team the Cowboys have (led 2008 regular season in sacks). With a healthy secondary—something the Cowboys haven't had all year—this Dallas D can be dominant.

The stellar pass rush of the Super Bowl Giants team in 2007-2008 showed that when under pressure, opposing QBs could make even the Giants relatively bland secondary look solid, and create multiple turnovers by way of interceptions.

Sadly, I do not see any of these changes being implemented if Wade Phillips remains at the controls (notice: I didn't say "in control") of the Cowboys.

State of the Dallas Cowboys: More Than a Tony Romo Problem

Rob Maccariello — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:12:33 -0400

Honestly, Who Breaks Their Fifth Proximal Phalange?

As I opened my text message inbox, I saw the following line:

"Our season is finished."

For Patriots fans, the loss of reigning MVP and resident New England pretty boy, Tom Brady, was a crushing blow for a team that hoped to continue its streak of Super Bowl appearances (and usually wins) in the 2000s.

For the Dallas Cowboys, the individual impact of the loss of Tony Romo for up to four weeks—only three games due to the bye week—is not as devastating. After all, Tony Romo will come back this season.

The injury in question, a broken pinky finger, is one that should not chronically affect Romo down the road, unlike what Super Bowl quarterback, ESPN "analyst," and recent graduate of medical school Dr. Trent Dilfer says.

For the big picture, it's in the team's best interest for Romo to rest, rehab, and heal as best as he can, to return for a tough matchup at the Redskins in Week 11.

In the meantime, seasoned veteran and Super Bowl champion quarterback Brad Johnson takes over the starting role. How bad can it be?

From Touchdowns to Check Downs?

Ask the Minnesota Vikings. In 2005, Johnson took over the starting job after Daunte Culpepper tore every something-CL in his knee. While the team began the season 2-5, they finished 7-2 with Johnson at the helm and barely missed the playoffs.

Keep in mind this was done on a team that had less offensive weapons than the Iranian Basketball Team in the 2008 Olympics.

Johnson did have his share of deep plays, completing just as many deep ball plays over 40 yards as Peyton Manning—in seven fewer games—according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

But what did concern many Minnesota fans who were upset with Brad Childress' West Coast offense was the record-setting number of passes shorter than the first down marker on third down.

Johnson couldn't move the chains when he had to most, even against a relatively soft schedule, at the end of the 2005 season.

It's fair to say not many people expected a whole lot out of the 2005 Vikings after Culpepper went down. Especially in a division with Brett Favre when he was only 61 (as opposed to being 78 now) and the Bears were not far off from the Super Bowl.

For the Dallas Cowboys in recent years, the playoffs is a must, and a championship berth is always sexy.

Not Jessica Simpson's Fault

However, after losing two of the past three games, the injury to Romo may prove to be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. At least over the next three weeks.

Brad Johnson might provide a bit more stability to the Cowboys' offense over the next few weeks. Certainly the gameplan will include the running game more, which would add balance to the offensive attack, and provide dividends with Marion Barber and Felix Jones in the backfield.

Johnson is likely to protect the football better, as he has avoided Romo's recent experiment of washing his hands with Vaseline before each game.

But this protection of the football only extends as far as the offensive line can do their job, which as of this Sunday, quite frankly, was not at all.

Flozell Adams and company looked totally outmatched and were often beat by quick moves to the outside and blitzes by smaller, faster corners. Teams will undoubtedly dial up the blitz even more against a cold, backup quarterback, which only adds to the pressure this slumping O-line will see.

With Felix Jones now hurt due to a partially torn hamstring, Barber becomes the feature back. Teams can focus on the one-dimensional power running style of the Cowboys, without the versatile one-two punch of power and speed that Jones provides for his starting counterpart.

Barber is a Pro Bowl back in his own right, but he has never been asked to exclusively carry the load at any point in Dallas.

Terence Newman, easily the most overlooked player on the Cowboys roster, is out for an indefinite amount of time with a sports hernia. He is the Cowboys' best cover corner, punt returner, and playmaker on defense.

Adam "Don't Call Me Pacman" Jones has speed and skill, but looked like he was playing against his big brother when trying to cover Larry Fitzgerald this past weekend. He has not returned punts as well as he has in the past, a problem that is made worse when Felix Jones, who also returns punts, is out.

The Pacman might still also be suspended by Roger Goodell, or found in violation of his parole for his involvement in a scuffle with a security guard last week.

Reports are swirling that punter Mat McBriar broke his foot when attempting to punt Arizona special teamer Sean Morey in OT. Another Pro Bowler out for the Cowboys.

Even worse, the team seems to be craving some discipline and motivation from the coaching staff after some disparaging remarks from Patrick Crayton and veteran Greg Ellis. Wade Philips can dance for a big man, but disciplinarian he is not.

Silver Lining for the Silver and Blue?

With the increased pressure Brad Johnson will face, wide receivers may be left in single coverage. For Terrell Owens, this means money in the bank, and no feuding with Johnson. The success of this scenario, however, relies on the solid execution of the offense, which Dallas fans have not seen at 100 percent all season.

The good news for last Sunday was that all the NFC East teams lost, with the exception of the Eagles, who pulled to 3-3. The upcoming schedule isn't too appealing, with a divisional rival opponent on the horizon. The Cowboys play the St. Louis Rams, who surprised the Redskins this past week, the NFC South-leading Bucs, and the New York Giants, before finally arriving at a bye week.

By that time in Week 11, this team will have rallied around their first real obstacle in some time, or scared everyone off of their increasingly rickety bandwagon.

Lord Steinbrenner II: What It Means for Joba, Girardi, and the Yankees

Rob Maccariello — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:40:10 -0400

And so it begins.

Sports news pages everywhere are quoting Hank Steinbrenner for calling out the Yankees' coaching staff and their handling of Joba Chamberlain.

Additionally, Steinbrenner has specifically called out Mike Mussina, essentially telling him to stop trying to blow people away with an 86 mph fastball, and be more of a crafty old veteran.

While Mussina's problem seems to be more about hitting the strike zone than dialing up the heat, there is a much greater debate about the future of young phenom, Chamberlain.

Chamberlain, by all indications from the Yankees, will someday be a full-fledged starter. He was to begin the first half of the year in the bullpen, begin a short AAA stint as a starter around the all-star break, and then work his way into the big league starting rotation by the second half of the season.

With some of the Yankees pitchers struggling in the young 2008 season, including Mussina and prospects Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, the calls for Joba to start games are growing in number.

The question remains: should he?

First, a few things to consider. In AAA baseball and lower, Chamberlain was a starter and he was extremely successful. Yankees scouts and coaches have always planned for him to be a starter. But is it the right time now?

Joba features a live fastball in the 96-99 mph range, which Hank Steinbrenner refers to as "A 100 mile-per-hour fastball." His slider is absolutely filthy, he can drop a hammer curve ball to right-handed batters, or go backdoor on lefties. All of these pitches make his change-up even more devastating.

However, keep in mind that Joba has used these pitches with the greatest of ease and effectiveness coming out of the bullpen.

He almost always is coming into the game after less-talented pitchers with "stuff" that is not has good as his own. He, at most, has a short inning of fatigue on his arm. Essentially, he can just rear back and fire away at full strength.

We've never seen Joba pitch after 7 or 8 straight innings. We've never seen him have to pitch tired. He doesn't face the same batters twice (or three or four or five times) in the same game. All of these things will make him less effective.

Don't get me wrong, Chamberlain is an incredible talent. At a young stage in life and in his career, there is tremendous upswing for the hurler. But, he won't have an ERA and WHIP under 1.00 as a starter, no matter what happens.

Which leads to the newly appointed Lord of the Yankees,™ Steinbrenner II, and his recent comments.

At least one author for Bleacher Report has said that Hank overstepped his limits in his critiques of the Yankees coaching staff. As well-informed and written as the article was, it misses the point of how the structure of such a mega-company like the New York Yankees operates.

Even taking Steinbrenner's words as indirectly calling manager Joe Girardi an "idiot," nay-sayers will have to thicken their skin. The Steinbrenners pay the bills. Hank (Steinbrenner II) is Co-Owner and Senior Vice President, and the man highly responsible for hiring Girardi in the first place. As such, he's allowed to voice his opinions on how he wants his business run.

Is he getting down into the dugout, filling out lineup cards, and throwing GM Brian Cashman out of his office? No. That's not his job. Steinbrenner II realizes this. But Steinbrenner II is certainly within his right to make comments.

Why is this okay? Well consider this: Girardi was relatively successful when he was a manager for the Florida Marlins—as a first year manager, no less—and actually won the Coach of the Year Award. At the end of the season, he was fired.

Did people light torches, gather their pitchforks, and storm Dolphin Stadium? No... nobody ever goes to Dolphin Stadium. But aside from that, there was no extra-serious issue with Girardi's firing because everyone knew he did not get along with the upper management in Florida.

If the guys who sign your paycheck don't like you, you can do an incredible job—and as long as you continue to disagree with their vision for the organization, your job is in trouble.

Girardi, and the rest of Yankee fans across the country, should not see Steinbrenner II's words as insulting, or as exacting complete control and domination of the decisions of the team. The words voice frustration over the slow start to the season, unproven rookies or sophomores, and the incredible promise of young Joba.

Telling Mussina to change his pitching style or vaguely referencing coaches as "idiot[s]" may be a little harsh, but then again, it's the Steinbrenner way.

Steroids Debate: Why the NFL Is Worse Than MLB

Rob Maccariello — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:04:56 -0400

Jose Canseco should just shut his mouth already.

In yet another round of allegations behind veiled threats of concrete evidence, Canseco calls out 2007 superstars Alex Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez for using steroids at some point during their careers.

When asked to produce his sources on ABC's Nightline, Canseco said, "The timing's not right." Of course, A-Rod again had little to comment on the matter, other than to deny Canseco's allegations.

MLB Getting All the Wrong Attention

For Major League Baseball, negative attention regarding steroids from the media, as well as die-hard and casual fans alike, really came to the forefront after the record-breaking home run chase during the 1998 season. As baseballs flew out of the park off the bats of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, reports swirled that McGwire had been using creatine, as well as more illegal supplements like steroids.

With good reason, scrutiny over such a hallowed record like the single-season home run record was now in full swing. In no other sport can merely looking at the numbers give you a profile of the player. Every time a batter steps into the box, you see his average, home runs, and RBI without a doubt.

Having 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, and 300 wins for a pitcher almost immediately indicate a Hall of Fame worthy career. We speak of 40-40 seasons as impressive, 30 plus home run-hitters as sluggers, and 20 win pitchers as dominant.

Records for more than 100 years now are still remembered by baseball, and exist to some extent in the modern era to be broken.

MLB is all about the numbers, but the steroids abuse epidemic should alarm sports fans in America's other favorite pastime.

NFL: The Real Elephant in the Room

For all of the attention news networks, sportswriters, and the Senate have given to the steroids abuse in Major League Baseball, relatively NONE of that same scrutiny has been lent to the NFL.

Maybe it's because the NFL has a stricter substance-abuse policy or because MLB relies so much on the value of statistics for its history. For whatever reason, the unbalanced attention is more threatening to the integrity of the game of professional football than baseball.

Consider the case of Shawne Merriman. After a Pro-Bowl season in 2005-2006, Merriman received a league-imposed suspension of four weeks for testing positive for steroids. He finished the season with 17 sacks—tops in the league—despite only playing in 12 games.

He finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting behind Jason Taylor and Champ Bailey.

Are you surprised?

If you thought he should have won, then you need to keep reading this article. Hopefully, most of you have already seen the problem.

SHAWNE MERRIMAN CHEATED. He was caught. He was punished. The story ended. He plays two more seasons.

What is that all about?

A man was literally caught cheating to gain a competitive edge, which he clearly had by basically outplaying everyone else on the field in the entire league, was suspended four games for it, and is still considered one of the top players in the entire league today.

Barry Bonds, who has yet to concretely be proven as a cheater, has already been violently kicked into the abyss by Leonidas and the rest of America (San Francisco mostly excluded), while shouting "THIS....IS....CHEATING!!!" Merriman gets radio appearances, endorsements, and praise.

Why such a Jekyll and Hyde game with the media? Why don't people care more? Maybe the numbers are more important. But take a closer look at the two games themselves and steroids are far greater a threat to football than baseball.

The Proof is in the Pounding

Prolific hitter Pete Rose once said, "See the ball, hit the ball." The fact of the matter is, many people can't "hit the ball" at the major league level.

Scientists remark about the wonders of human hand-eye coordination to be able to do the most complex of tasks. The challenge still remains that most of the 6 billion people on earth can't hit a 94 mph blur hurled toward them from only 60 feet, six inches away.

Andre Anselme, amateur sports historian, trivia guru, and history teacher at a high-powered New York City prep school, gave his unique perspective on the issue: You can be the strongest man in the world, take all the steroids you want, and still not be able to get the bat on the ball.

Steroids does not make you hit a baseball better.

What they do make you do—if you can manage to hit the ball in the first place—is hit it farther. Even this point is debated by experts.

For those who have the coordination, talent, and bat speed to hit the ball, steroids can allow for more muscle growth, faster repair after workouts/injuries, and probably the ability to go from warning-track power to home run hitter.

Yet the basic foundation for offense in baseball—hitting the ball—is not magically granted by juicing up.

Football, to a certain degree, does not rely on that natural talent.

By no means is this trivializing the difficulties and tremendous skill needed to play football. Ignore rocket-cannon arms like Peyton Manning or the shifty moves of Barry Sanders for a moment.

Line up a defensive lineman against an offensive lineman. Forget stunts, swim moves, combo blocking, and blitz packages. You (big, fat, strong lineman) against the other guy (big, fat, strong lineman). Who wins? The guy who wants it more? The man who is most prepared physically and mentally?

What about the player who is on steroids?

If Merriman could rush around the edge from a 3-4 defense faster than anybody else, wouldn't that make him more prolific of a sack-machine than other defensive players? Doping already has made good runners into Olympic Gold Medalists. Isn't it possible that the steroids gave Merriman something he didn't naturally have to be that good?

The fact is, it is possible. It's likely. The league knows this and PENALIZED him for it. Steroids give a faster leg up in football, more reliant on the gross motor skills of speed and strength than the precision of hitting and pitching found in baseball.

Gym [Lab] Rats

No matter what the sport, from water polo to Parchessi, steroids can help athletes recover faster from workouts and other injuries and get them back on the field, in the pool, or on the playing board. To this degree, baseball's focus on stopping professional, amateur, and children athletes from obtaining illegal steroids has been admirable.

However, the quickness with which we dismiss the same illegal violations in football is disturbing. This is especially alarming granted the advantages steroids provide in football over baseball.

Hopefully the same overhaul expected in MLB's polices for policing steroids use will make the situation "Lights Out" in the NFL.

Alex Rodriguez: Legend in Our Lifetime

Rob Maccariello — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:59:53 -0400

Thirteen. The unlucky number. A curse, a jinx. A harsh slap in the face of a sport that lives and dies by the numbers, breeds superstition. Don't wash those socks, flip a rally cap, tap your bat on homeplate twice, tighten your batting gloves, don't step on the foul line.

Alex Rodriguez had to take the number. The now highest-paid player in baseball history arrived in New York, a city notorious for melting its athletes and celebrities under the glare of the media spotlight, and already was at a disadvantage. His lifelong number, 3, was long ago retired by the Yankees' great Babe Ruth, in devout homage to the household name who substituted steroids and a bad attitude with hotdogs, beers, and homeruns-- still not fashionable even in today's game.

Two MVP awards later, A-Rod still deals with the turmoil of stark contrasts: three homerun games followed by a Golden Sombrero performance. Just like the number 13 sticking out on the back of a jersey where the interlocking NY and midnight blue pinstripes conjure up all the ghosts of victories, championships, and successes past.

Despite all his successes, record-setting homerun pace, even switching positions from shortstop to third base, A-Rod continues to be a target of many MLB fans, even those who follow the Yankees. Maybe it is jealousy for his talent. Perhaps a sense of betrayal from fans in Seattle or Texas. Whatever the case may be, A-Rod has taken teammate Derek Jeter's previously dubious distinction of being the Yankee most-booed on the road, and sometimes in Yankee Stadium too.

First, the baseball basics--hitting, fielding, baserunning, and the like. Nobody does it better than Alex Rodriguez. There may be someone with a better swing or a better eye. Maybe someone is quicker on the basepaths, gets better jumps, reads a pitcher better from first base. Maybe someone has a quicker glove at the hot corner, or tracks down a bunt better. But this is a fact: not one single player can perform the wide-range of baseball skills at the high level with the thoroughness that A-Rod does. Basically the principle is this: Jose Reyes may be quicker, but his Rocket-Cannon-Arm only equals that of A-Rod's, and A-Rod's power is much more potent. Prince Fielder could hit towering shots himself, but good luck with him running around the bases without two cheeseburgers, a diet coke, and a large side of CPR.

The notion that Rodriguez is not a clutch player is simply wrong. Helped out by the fact that the entire network are homers (not a bad thing in New York), the YES Network--created by the Yankees and broadcasting most Yankee games-- determined that during many points last season, A-Rod was either the best, or in the top five in categories like hits in the 7th-9th innings, game winning hits/homeruns, hits with RISP and two outs... and the like. Alright, I'll buy for a second maybe Alex Rodriguez isn't the best postseason hitter in the playoffs with the Yankees so far. But consider this:

A) The entire Yankee lineup has hit badly enough in the playoffs over the past six or seven years to make Jim Mora proclaim, "We couldn't do didley-poo offensively."

B) The quality of starters in the AL East/AL in general, especially in the playoffs where ONLY the good pitchers start, is a tough obstacle. Santana, Schilling, Zito, Beckett, Sabbathia at the top of their games.

With the excuses, this isn't a teary-eyed defense of A-Rod that reminds you of "LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!" and gets me on YouTube where the viewers won't know if I'm a man or a woman. But if wondering about the playoffs, A-Rod basically helped put the Yankees in the position to [i]have[/i] a postseason last year at a time where many of their offensive contributors faced down years or injuries (Jeter, Matsui, Cano midway through the season, Giambi, Cabrera, Damon, Mientkewicz).

And then there is the slumping. Just like the number 13 stands at homeplate in Yankee Stadium with the luck of the Yankee Greats oddly at his back, A-Rod has combined MVP seasons with ridiculous slumps. It has nothing to do with his abilities on the field physically, but everything to do with his attitude. A-Rod is a competitor to a fault. In the playoffs against the Boston Red Sox, A-Rod's frustration led him to swat the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove as he ran towards first base. He wasn't trying to cheat. He didn't have anything against Arroyo. He was just pissed off he hit a groundball and wanted to do everything in his power to get to first base. Is it bush league? Maybe. But bad performances literally drive him to inspect every aspect of his game. He tweaks his stance, adjusts his swing, takes hours of extra batting practice. A-Rod literally gained 20 pounds two years ago because he thought corner infielders were "supposed to be a bit on the bigger side" to the point where it made his swing slower, range narrower, and batting average lower.

He would pout after bad games, wonder "what is 'wrong' with my game," rather than move on. All fans and analysts know it: all players go through slumps. A-Rod focused so much on "getting out of the slump," rather than on the positives--hitting the ball, stealing a base, making good contact.

A-Rod once did all of the things coaches wind up getting into trouble with themselves. Teach teach teach, and think about your lessons, but in the end, the more you actually think about doing something, the worse you are. It's supposed to occur naturally, a reflex that these incredible athletes all share. It's the reason why Joe DiMaggio was a prolific hitter but an awful coach. He just couldn't understand why people couldn't just sit in the batters box and hit the ball all over the place.

Take a bit of A-Rod's naivety in its context. He did all of that ridiculousness with the intention of getting better. Losing burns his ass. Hearing boos, he can't grin with that million-dollar grin that Jeter can and still poke a base hit the opposite way. It gets to him. Eats him alive. Drives him to get better.

And it's that last fact that should be scary.

Last year's season saw A-Rod eclipse the 500 homerun mark at an age younger than any player in history. When everyone talked about his hitting, A-Rod would steal a base (24 out of 28 tries, for an 85.7 percent success rate) late in a game to get into scoring position, helping the Yankees to win (143 runs scored, first in the AL, personal career season-record). He won his third MVP award of his career. And even with credentials that already would put him in Cooperstown amongst the best ever, A-Rod is still learning. Last season taught him to relax about the game, to smile... to just, not think, and become a better player. To purely compete, and win as an end result, not a direct route.

Maybe 13 isn't as unlucky as we all thought.