Bleacher Report - Articles by Bill Martinez

Wild Things: Dubious Record Would Make Sheen and Robbins Proud

Bill Martinez — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:38:53 -0400

Lost in the shuffle of the Los Angeles Angels getting pounded by the Colorado Rockies on Monday was a record that evoked memories of fictional pitchers Ricky Vaughn and Nuke LaLoosh.

The Angels tied a club record on Monday with six wild pitches in the team's 11-1 loss, a record that had stood alone for over 18 years.

How long had it been since an Angels pitching staff had been so bad with its control?

The No. 1 drama on NBC's Must See TV Thursday was L.A. Law, the initial Persian Gulf War was still in the planning stages, Tiger Woods was a high school phenom in Cypress, CA and the Cincinnati Reds were the defending World Series champions.

As each succeeding pitcher uncorked wild pitch after wild pitch, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Mike Napoli.

An average defensive catcher who is in the majors because of his home run power, Napoli had the kind of night where not only an ice pack or two was in order, but also an endorsement for the company that makes his chest protector.

Luckily for the Angels staff and Napoli, it was only one game and the odds of it happening again any time soon are remote. Still, if I was Napoli, I would pray to the baseball gods and hope that he is nowhere near the lineup the next time that it does.

Demotions Should Only Be Beginning for Halos

Bill Martinez — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:00:59 -0400

Though the race in the AL West is still far from over as of right now, there is one truth that the Los Angeles Angels need to confront in a hurry.

The offense, in its current state, will not overtake the Texas Rangers.

Sure, the team just posted a weekend sweep of the third-worst team in the majors. Sure, the group went off for 26 runs in the series. Sure, they are tied for the major-league lead in team batting average.

None of that matters right now.

The demotions of Jose Arredondo and Howie Kendrick sent a message to the team that they needed to right things in a hurry. However, those demotions should only be the beginning of the transformation of the offense.

Sean Rodriguez should stay and be given the second base job for good. Brandon Wood should be promoted and handed the job at shortstop. Matt Brown should be tabbed for the outfield.

Those three moves alone would necessitate the moving of Erick Aybar, Gary Matthews and Kendrick.

Aybar is an unqualified bust at the major league level, a speedster in the minors who has taken the running game out of his attack.

In five seasons of minor-league ball, the 25-year-old reached double digits in stolen bases every year and had three seasons with at least 10 triples.

Last season, Aybar had five triples and seven stolen bases in 98 games. He has just 14 thefts in 257 major league appearances after ringing up 250 in 543 contests in the minors.

The only thing that's saved Aybar from being sent back down or dealt is his defensive prowess, and in an era where one tool is a waste of a roster space, the glove alone should not be enough for either Mike Scioscia or Tony Reagins.

Matthews, though he provided depth while Vladimir Guerrero was on the disabled list, has been a bust at the plate yet again. The .238/.285/.325 line notwithstanding, his performance has once again proven that the 2006 season was an anomaly.

The problem with dumping Matthews is that insane contract. Owed $25 million in the last two seasons, the Angels would probably have to eat at least 70 percent of it in any deal made. An unconditional release is a nonstarter, since paying a guy $24 million to play for someone else is much worse than merely paying him $18 million.

Kendrick has the most value from an offensive standpoint, the question with him remains health. Sure, the Angels could potentially be giving away a great hitter, but the same thing was said about Casey Kotchman until Reagins pulled the trigger on the Mark Teixeira deal last July.

The Angels also need to prepare for life without Guerrero, because to even consider bringing him back next season would be the kind of mistake that the Angels of the 1970s and 1980s were known for.

Yes, Vlad provided five solid seasons as the bedrock of the Angels lineup. However, between the knee problems and other factors that are affecting his overall hitting and power numbers, the only thing to do is say goodbye to the player in a classy way at the end of the year.

In the meantime, make the changes on the roster to bring up the kids for a legitimate shot at contributing. Angels fans across the country know that they couldn't possibly do any worse than the trip they would be replacing.

Halo Magic? Angels' Comeback Against M's Could Be Latest in String

Bill Martinez — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:29:13 -0400

Every successful season usually has a few signature moments that come to define a team in one way or another.

The Los Angeles Angels may have had one of those signature games on Sunday against an opponent that has become all too familiar with them in recent years.

On the surface, the Halos' stunning 9-8 win over the Seattle Mariners may just be another walkoff in a regular season that usually ends up with a few of them. However, the team has had a history this decade of turning specific contests against the M's into much more than that.

In 2002, the team was reeling in a big way, starting the season with a 6-14 mark, needing something to right the ship. On April 24th, the offense got untracked and took a 10-4 lead into the eighth inning against the Mariners.

However, Seattle began mounting a rally against Al Levine that looked like it would get ugly in a hurry. A two-run home run by Carlos Guillen cut the lead to 10-6, and Levine was gone following a single by Dan Wilson.

Into the game came veteran reliever Dennis Cook, who got Mark McLemore to ground into a double play and Ichiro to fly out to end the threat.

The Angels turned that game into a stunning hot streak, winning 21 of 24 games and not only getting back into the race, but eventually winning the World Series in seven games against the San Francisco Giants.

In 2007, the Angels found themselves in an unexpected dogfight with the Mariners in the division race, with Seattle trailing Los Angeles by just two games heading into a critical three-game set at Safeco Field.

In the opener of the series, John Lackey tossed a complete game seven-hitter in the Halos' 6-0 win. Seattle would go on to get swept and would never get closer than six games the remainder of the way.

Then this season came, with the Angels and M's squaring off in a mid-April series at Angel Stadium. In the opening game, Joe Saunders was getting crushed by Richie Sexson but still managed to cling to a 5-4 lead heading into the ninth.

Saunders was relieved by Frankie Rodriguez, who was off to a decent start but was making saves much too interesting. K-Rod allowed a single with one out to Adrian Beltre before getting Jose Vidro to setup a confrontation with Sexson.

A grooved fastball by Rodriguez was crushed by Sexson, with the initial reaction from media and fans being one of "oh ^%$#!" However, instead of landing beyond the 405-foot marker in center field, the ball landed in the outstretched glove of Torii Hunter.

The result was a 5-4 win for the Angels, a save for Rodriguez and a 13-3 finish against the Mariners that helped the club win its fourth AL West title in five seasons.

Will Sunday's contest be yet another major moment for the Angels at the expense of the Mariners? It's too early to tell now, but the likelihood is yes.

Los Angeles Angels Still in AL West Race Despite Early-Season Pitfalls

Bill Martinez — Tue, 19 May 2009 07:03:41 -0400

What a difference a year makes in the American League West.

Last year at this time, the Angels were tied with the surprising Oakland A's atop the division (despite a complete lack of offense), and would find themselves out of first place just two more days en route to the franchise's first 100-win campaign.

Fast forward a year and the team finds itself in a very unfamiliar position. Though they are just three games back of their 39-game record in 2008, the Halos find themselves looking up at none other than the Texas Rangers.

Texas had its lead in the West shaved to four games with the Angels' 10-6 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday, but the differences between this season and last are telling.

Nobody really figures that the Rangers are going anywhere this season despite their offense already clicking and the starters looking as though they might actually be respectable this season.

However, the jury will remain out on Mike Maddux's staff until July and August, when the blistering summer of central Texas begins to take effect.

Also, the Angels don't figure to be dealing with all the drama that has befallen the team during the first two months.

From the horrific tragedy that claimed the life of pitcher Nick Adenhart to losing seven pitchers and their top slugger to the DL, the Angels should consider themselves grateful to be even remotely close to where they stand right now.

They have managed thanks to an offense that has generated enough punch from other spots in the lineup to help make up for the loss of Vladimir Guerrero.

Torii Hunter is on pace to have the best offensive season of his career while also continuing to play Gold Glove-caliber defense. The 33-year-old leads the club in both home runs and RBIs and is punishing pitchers that continue to make the mistake of walking Bobby Abreu in front of him.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Kendry Morales hit a pair of home runs Monday to increase his total to eight on the season, hitting a respectable .287 in 136 at-bats. He has also shown significant improvement defensively at first base, so much so that fans and bloggers have dropped the call for another player to take the position.

Morales is on pace to hit 31 home runs and drive in 110, numbers that would make the decision by Tony Reagins and Mike Scioscia to stick with the young Cuban native look ingenious yet again.

But despite the exploits of Hunter, Morales and Mike Napoli (.327, 6 HR, 17 RBI in just 107 AB), the real story has been the performance of the starting rotation.

Seemingly held together with kite string and Scotch tape, the rotation has been surprisingly solid despite not having two-fifths of the projected staff until last Thursday.

Heading into Monday's games, Angels' starters were 15-8 with a 3.81 ERA, numbers that would likely be even better were it not for a bullpen that has been so bad this season that the Mariners of the mid-1990s called up to offer Bobby Ayala.

The rotation has been especially sharp this month, posting four complete games in the last 11 contests.

Jered Weaver, who has frustrated fans and fantasy owners with his roller coaster performances, has two complete games and looks more and more like the pitcher that the Halos drafted in the first round.

Elsewhere, Joe Saunders is showing that his All-Star season of 2008 was not a fluke and a 30-year-old named Matt Palmer looks as if he has supplanted all of the other contenders for the final rotation slot by doing nothing except winning this season.

Palmer, a 31st-round draft choice of the Giants in 2002, made an adjustment to his delivery this season at Salt Lake and the results have been impressive to say the least. The right-hander is 4-0 with a 3.38 ERA and an 0.975 WHIP in 26-and-two-thirds innings of work.

His most impressive start came in his last outing on May 13 against the Boston Red Sox. Tagged for four runs and four hits in the first two innings, Palmer dominated the Bosox the rest of the way, getting the last 20 consecutive outs for a stunning complete-game victory.

However, with the news of Kelvim Escobar's likely return to the rotation in early June, Palmer's days in the majors appear to be numbered.

The only down spot for the team this season has been the bullpen, though aside from the normally reliable Scot Shields, even that group has shown signs of life recently.

However, the differences there are also stark. Brian Fuentes is not making anyone forget about Frankie Rodriguez: Instead, fans have found themselves stocking up on Tums and Rolaids for when the ninth inning comes.

Sure, Fuentes has nine saves in 11 chances this season, but very few have been of the routine variety.

In fact, the southpaw has allowed at least one base-runner in eight of his 14 appearances and has gone over the 20-pitch mark six times.

The only true bright spot in the pen has been veteran Darren Oliver. The 38-year-old lefty gave up Russell Branyan's solo blast on Monday, however, the run took his ERA up to a sterling 1.47 in 18-and-one-third innings.

Should the Angels remain healthy, get the performances from this core group all season and see a marked improvement in the bullpen, then a repeat division crown could still be a reality.

Angels Game Postponed as Team Deals with Yet Another Tragedy

Bill Martinez — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:15:56 -0400

Following the tragic death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart in a hit-and-run accident early Thursday morning in Fullerton, the Angels and Athletics have postponed tonight’s scheduled finale of the team’s four-game series.

Adenhart and two others were killed when their silver Mitsubishi Eclipse was struck by a minivan at the intersection of Orangethorpe Avenue and Lemon Street at about 12:30 a.m.

The 22-year-old was a passenger in the car being driven by 20-year-old Courtney Stewart of Diamond Bar. A third person, who has yet to be identified, was also killed, and the fourth was in critical condition in the hospital.

Fullerton police Lt. Kevin Hamilton said that police have 22-year-old Andrew Thomas Gallo of Riverside in custody.

He said that Gallo, who was captured about 30 minutes after the accident, will be booked for driving under the influence, felony hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, and possibly murder.

Police said that Stewart and Adenhart had known each other for about a year and that the woman’s mother told them they were heading to a country dance club located less than a block away from the scene of the accident.

“On behalf of the entire Angels family, we are deeply saddened by the events of last night,” general manager Tony Reagins said. “Making phone calls this morning, disbelief is prevalent.”

“We are all in shock.”

A visibly shaken Scott Boras broke down crying during his statement at a press conference held this morning.

“Nick’s parents wanted me convey to the entire Angels organization the privilege…” Boras said. “He had summoned his father to come out, and told him ‘something special’s going to happen.’”

Earlier in the morning, center fielder Torii Hunter relayed a story of how he gave the young pitcher a ride home from a spring training game earlier this year.

“His roommates had left early, so he asked me for a ride,” Hunter told the MLB Network. “He was in the car and playing with my kids and having fun.

“When we dropped him off, my son said, ‘Hey, that guy is pretty cool.’ They’re in school right now and I don’t know if they have seen anything, but when they come home now, I have to tell them that the cool guy is no longer here.”

The tragedy is the latest in a string of them to strike the Angels' franchise over the years.

Longtime coach Preston Gomez died earlier this year due to complications from injuries suffered in a traffic accident last year during spring training.

The last tragedy to strike an active Angels player during the season was back in 1978, when outfielder Lyman Bostock was murdered while sitting in the back seat of a car in Gary, Ind. after a game with the Chicago White Sox.

The Angels won five of their last seven ballgames, but still finished five games behind the Kansas City Royals.

More recently, former pitcher Donnie Moore committed suicide in 1989, a year after leaving the game due to a combination of injuries and mental anguish from the events of the 1986 American League Championship Series.

“Yes We Can”: A Look Back at the 1979 California Angels

Bill Martinez — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:51:56 -0500

The year 1979, outside of baseball, had a myriad of history going on.

The Ayatollah Khomeni seized power in Iran and people loyal to him eventually took American diplomats hostage.

Californians were introduced to the term “twinkie defense” after the conviction of Dan White to the lesser charges of manslaughter in the assassinations of San Francisco mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk.

Margaret Thatcher made history as Great Britain’s first female prime minister, and the U.S. went through an energy crisis which brought rationing not seen since 1973.

On the baseball side, longtime Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley passed away and Bill Veeck introduced the world to Disco Demolition Night, costing his Chicago White Sox a forfeit due to the damage on the field.

But what also happened that year was one of the biggest surprises to hit not only Orange County, but baseball in general, as the Angels captured their first division title.

After the 1978 season, there were many questions about the Angels, who had finished five games behind the Kansas City Royals.

The team was still reeling from the murder of right fielder Lyman Bostock in Gary, IN during a September road trip to Chicago and the wonder from the fans was not only who was going to replace him, but who would provide some extra offense to a team that was seventh in the AL in runs scored and ninth in batting average.

The only proven power hitters on the team were designated hitter Don Baylor and veteran left fielder Joe Rudi.

Owner Gene Autry, who had not been afraid to spend money in the past, gave the go-ahead for GM Buzzie Bavasi on a pair of trades with the Minnesota Twins.

The first was to acquire young outfielder Dan Ford in exchange for first baseman Ron Jackson and prospect Danny Goodwin. The second sent shockwaves, with Bavasi landing Rod Carew in exchange for four players, the most notable of which was outfielder Ken Landreaux.

With those trades in place, the feeling around Anaheim was that the Angels had enough offense to keep up with the Royals, but not enough pitching, since the only proven hurlers were Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana.

California got off to the best start in club history, with Carew consistently setting the table for Baylor and the team getting offense from all over the lineup in winning 12 of its first 15 games.

Though the Angels cooled off a bit in May, the team did stay in the race, never falling more than 4.5 games off the pace. Things changed in June, though, as the veteran first baseman suffered an injury.

For most of the month, the Angels managed to stay afloat and had even managed to move back atop the division as the other contenders struggled. However, that changed late when the team suffered consecutive sweeps at the hands of Texas and K.C. to fall out of first place.

The injury ended up being a blessing in disguise. Ford was moved up to third in the order and Willie Aikens, who spent the first two months fighting for at-bats, was installed at first base to fill in for the injured Carew. The increased pop in the lineup showed, as the club averaged nearly five runs a game in June and July.

Aikens took advantage of the extra playing time and clobbered the ball in June, Ford became a run scoring and producing machine, and even Grich was having a career year despite hitting eighth in the order.

The Angels also had a knack for coming from behind to win games, and rookie reliever Mark Clear was the beneficiary. Clear won 11 games that season and had 14 saves on a team that also got an unexpected lift from right-hander Dave Frost.

The 26-year-old, who came to the Angels in the trade that sent Bobby Bonds to Chicago, stepped up when Tanana went down with an injury and won 16 games, tying Ryan for the most on the team.

When Carew returned to the lineup in late July, the Angels were rolling along, having gotten their signature moment a week earlier with a three-game sweep of the defending World Series champion Yankees.

In that series, Ryan had one of his signature games on the mound. The Express dominated the Bronx Bombers, taking a no-hitter into the ninth inning before losing it on a one-out single by Reggie Jackson.

The Angels then pulled out a dramatic 12-inning victory on Saturday and completed the sweep Sunday with a walk-off home run by Grich off Ron Guidry.

From that point, the Angels believed, the fans believed, and eventually the rest of baseball finally believed. California would spend all but one day atop the division the rest of the way, with the clincher coming on Sept. 25th before a capacity crowd at home.

Tanana, who came back earlier in the month after missing half the season with an arm injury, tossed a complete-game five-hitter that night, setting off a wild celebration throughout Orange County.

However, the 1979 season would not end well for the Angels, as they were beaten by the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Championship Series, falling in four games.

Still, it became a season of many firsts. Baylor won the AL MVP award after a campaign which saw him lead the majors in runs scored and RBI, Grich and Ford both drove in 100 runs, and Clear finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting.

The offseason also became known for the infamous departure of Ryan to the Houston Astros. The right-hander sought to be the highest paid player in the game, to which Bavasi responded that he could replace him with a pair of 8-7 pitchers, a quote that was in reference to Ryan’s 16-14 record in 1979.

The Express had the last laugh, though, as him and J.R. Richard anchored a pitching staff that vaulted Houston to its' first divisional title, while the Angels lost 95 games and finished sixth.

In the years since that magical season, the Angels and their fans experienced the lowest of lows (the 1986 ALCS loss to Boston) and the highest of highs (the 2002 World Series win).

However, if you ask most fans to rank their top seasons, 1979 would finish second in that poll, as it does in my personal memories.

Junior Back to Seattle? The Impact on the Race for Second in the AL West

Bill Martinez — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:57:04 -0500

News reports from various sources late Thursday said that Ken Griffey, Jr. and the Seattle Mariners were nearing agreement on a one-year deal that would bring arguably the greatest player in franchise history back to the Pacific Northwest.

Griffey, now 39 years old, broke into the majors with the Mariners exactly 20 years ago and helped turn Seattle from a perennial doormat into a club that made the playoffs just seven seasons later.

His return is ironic in the sense that in the time since he left, Seattle went from one of the perennial powers in the American League back to a doormat, becoming the highest paid franchise in the league history to lose 100 games in a season.

Still, despite his advancing age and a dropoff in batting average, Junior should add plenty to a club that will be scrambling to try and make the AL West respectable again.

Griffey hit .249 last season with 18 home runs and 71 RBI in 143 games with the Reds and White Sox. While that production isn't bad for a guy who lost parts of four different seasons with injuries, they still represent Junior's lowest home run and RBI totals for a full season since his rookie season in 1989.

Despite that, his presence, energy, and professionalism will fit in nicely with a team that has essentially overhauled its lineup. Gone from the 2008 disaster are Richie Sexson, Raul Ibanez, Jose Vidro and Jeremy Reed.

Of those four, only Ibanez was anything close to productive, hitting .293 with 23 HR and 110 RBI.

That is not the only change Griffey is in for, though. Long gone is the ballpark that was a huge factor in his offense, replaced in his last season with the team by a ballpark that is brutal on home run hitters.

Still, with Griffey most likely hitting third in the lineup behind Ichiro Suzuki and Yuniesky Bettencourt and ahead of Adrian Beltre, the Mariners are in much better shape than they otherwise would have been.

With some secondary contributions, solid seasons from Felix Hernandez and Brandon Morrow, and a rebirth by Erik Bedard, they could even end up in good enough shape to perhaps pass Oakland and claim second in the division behind the Los Angeles Angels.

Deal with Abreu Gives Angels Control of AL West Again

Bill Martinez — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:29:34 -0500

With reports of a one-year, $5 million deal between free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu and the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, the team that critics and rivals suddenly said was starting to look vulnerable is once again the class of the American League West.

Sure, Abreu is no Mark Teixeira, but there are very few players in the majors of that quality. However, the soon-to-be 35-year-old veteran is enough of an upgrade from former outfielder Garret Anderson that the pressure on Kendry Morales to deliver a 30-home run campaign will be significantly lower.

Over the course of his 13-year major league career, Abreu has done one thing consistently: get on base. His career OBP of .405 is exactly what the Angels so desperately need in the No. 3 slot in the order.

Before the arrival of Teixeira last July, the Angels had a problem with getting runners on ahead of Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter, and Anderson. This led to a run-scoring drought of epic proportions in the months of May and June, when the club averaged an anemic 3.7 runs per game.

After Big Tex's arrival, the team developed a much more consistent attack, averaging 4.8 runs per game over the final two months of the season.

With the addition of Abreu, the Angels keep a guy who can hurt you with the long ball ahead of Guerrero, but also a guy who is not afraid to work the count and take a walk, which was the biggest knock on Anderson from both fans and sabermetricians.

The one knock on Abreu now is that his defense isn’t quite what it used to be. With Hunter in center covering ground, Guerrero coming back healthy after a recurrence of knee issues and Juan Rivera in the mix to give him an occasional day in the DH slot, the concerns should be lessened.

Also, the signing gives the Angels a top half of the lineup that combines speed (Chone Figgins), pure hitting (Howie Kendrick), power, and run production.

Should the season start today, the projected lineup would go Figgins, Kendrick, Abreu, Guerrero, Hunter, Rivera, Morales, Mike Napoli and the platoon of Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis.

Granted, that's not the star-laden bunch that costs $200 million a year in New York. However, in the AL West, it doesn't have to be, especially not when it is combined with arguably the deepest starting rotation in the league.

Bottom line: Abreu's acquisition should end most of the questions about the Angels for 2009, aside from the usual speculation on whether they can win in October.

Bobby Abreu to LA Angels Rumors Pick Up Steam with Waiver of Green

Bill Martinez — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:58:42 -0500

Apparently, Tony Reagins may not be as crazy as some people might be otherwise inclined to think.

Reports from around baseball late Tuesday have free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu in serious discussions with the Los Angeles Angels.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal quoted two GMs as saying Abreu, who will be 35 in March, was headed to an American League team and a separate source saying that the team is the Angels, whose lineup is currently devoid of an established left-handed bat after the departures of first baseman Mark Teixeira and outfielder Garret Anderson.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick went one step further, saying that while there are still details left to be hashed out, an agreement could be reached before L.A.’s pitchers and catchers report to camp in Tempe, AZ this weekend.

The Angels further fueled the speculation by requesting outright waivers on 24-year-old RHP Nick Green, which opens up a spot on the 40-man roster.

From several perspectives, this deal makes perfect sense for the Angels, who desperately need something more in the lineup from the left side than Kendry Morales. For one, Abreu is roughly the same age as Anderson, who will more than likely finish his Angels’ career as the club’s all-time leader in hits.

However, Abreu possesses two things that Anderson never could claim at any point in his career: speed and the ability to get on base via the walk. The 13-year-veteran is a career .300 hitter and has stolen at least 20 bases in 10 consecutive campaigns.

He also has a career on-base percentage of .405, and has drawn at least 75 walks in every campaign since going back to his first full season with the Phillies in 1998.

Should the move take place, it would also be a sure bet that Gary Matthews, Jr. would be on his way out the door. One of the few bad signings by former Angels’ GM Bill Stoneman, Matthews still has three years and almost $35 million left on his five-year, $50 million deal signed in November 2006.

The 34-year-old has been a free agent bust in Anaheim, hitting a combined .247 in his two seasons with just 27 home runs and an anemic OPS.

Why It Is Safe To Believe That Bret Boone Was On Steroids

Bill Martinez — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:55:37 -0500

If you look back to the peak of the steroid era in the early part of the decade, you saw a bunch of guys who went from being lanky to specimens that would have turned some heads out on Los Angeles' famed Muscle Beach in Venice.

One of those guys was second baseman Bret Boone. In 2000, he had a decent season in San Diego, hitting .251 with 19 home runs, 74 RBI and a .747 OPS. For a middle infielder, even in an era where there was more power coming from the positions, that is still a rock solid season.

However, Boone was 31 and clearly on what history and sabermetrics showed to be the wrong side of the peak of a ballplayer's career.

So what happens in 2001, when he reports to his first spring camp with the Seattle Mariners? All of a sudden he is a hulking mass of upper body strength, looking more like Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi and less like the average build guy that played in Cincinnati and San Diego.

To say that he improved would be a massive understatement. In his first season in the Pacific Northwest, Boone practically doubled his offensive output from the year before, batting .331 with 37 home runs, 141 RBI and a whopping .950 OPS.

Making it even more mind-boggling is the fact that he did this while playing half his season at Safeco Field, which had a multi-year park factor of 94 offense and 93 pitching, one of the most extreme biases toward pitchers in the majors.

His follow-ups were .278-24-107 in 2002 and .294-35-117 in 2003.

In 2004, after the testing program had done its' survey and clearly begun to take shape, Boone's numbers began dropping in an extreme way.

His performance that season was closer to his 2000 season, with a .251-24-83 line. Then in 2005, after Jose Canseco casts his small suspicion on him in 'Juiced', Boone goes .221-7-37 in just 84 games, basically ending his career when he gets kicked to the curb by the Minnesota Twins.

Though he denied ever taking performance-enhancers, Boone's three-year stretch in Seattle says otherwise. How else can you explain a guy who had 125 career home runs up to that point suddenly going off for 96 more while playing half his games in the biggest pitchers' park in the AL?

Based on Canseco's track record in this era, I tend to believe the words of the chief juicer more than Boone.