Trade Deadline

Today is the MLB trading deadline.  Throughout the day, I will begin to analyze the various major moves that have been made, as well as post what I'm hearing.  At this point, a few rumors are flying around:

-Vmart might be wearing a different hue of red sox by the end of the day.  The deal, I hear, is going to be a bit crazy.  Prospects flying everywhere.  Stay tuned

-Heath Bell is being shopped, and the Angels seem to be the leaders of the pack in this pursuit.  Marlins had interest, but those talks have stalled.

-Adrian Gonzalez's price is apparently 3 times as crazy as the Halladay price tag.  The Red Sox were reportedly being asked to trade Bucholz, Lawrie, Masterson, Westmoreland, and Anderson.  Really, the Padres would become the Red Sox farm system if this trade were to happen.

-No one will be taking a Halladay.  Seems like talks are pretty dead.  There was some action out of Arlington earlier, but those talks have seemed to stall.  

So I will continue to update this throughout the day.  More to come soon I'm sure.

Update 2:30: 

-Adrian is staying put it seems

-Heath Bell will only be moving up the coast if he is traded, it seems.  However, he either might make his home in Los Angeles, or Los Angeles of Anaheim

-Rockies are currently looking for a left handed reliever, but don't want to move top prospects

-Apparently ESPN doesn't consider a Vmart deal to be a blockbuster.  Oh World Wide Leader

-This just in from Fox Sports: Neither Bucholz nor Daniel Bard were moved in the Vmart deal.  IF that's true, damn it Shapiro, bad move.  HE NEEDS TO FIX THEIR PITCHING.  This is just silly.  I have a feeling I'll be writing about this non stop for the next two hours with many conflicting reports.  

2:45:

-Mlb.com reports that Nick Hagadone and Justin Masterson are included in the deal.  3rd prospect potentially coming.  Man, highway robbery.  More to come

-Apparently the Mariners made a pretty good run for Adrian Gonzalez.  Unless they were moving king felix, I have little to no idea how they got close.

3:00:

-One hour to go.  Apparently the Dodgers are making a move to A-gone AND Heath Bell.  Very interesting.  I'd imagine it would be centered around Loney, Ethan Martin,  and possibly one of their young rotation guys, plus others.  This is probably the most surprising I've heard.  It would have to be a huge haul.  More to come as I hear more

-Sounds like apparently it's just Hagadone and Masterson.  The Tribe could've gotten a hell of a lot more, in my opinion.  But this report could be incorrect, so let's see before I chastise Shapiro.  

-BLUEJAYS HAVE DONE IT.  Kidding.  They simply got Sean Smith from the Rockies for cash considerations.  Kind of a let down.

-3rd prospect in the Vmart deal is pitcher Brian Price.  We'll talk about this in a bit, since I can't believe it

3:30:

-Yanks acquire Jerry Harriston from the Reds.  Reports say it's for Austin Jackson.  But it turns out it was only catcher Chase Weems.  That makes a lot more sense.  Oh internet, how we distort things

-Braves acquire Adam Laroche for Casey Kotchman.  Shame.  I liked Kotch and thought he could've broken out soon.

-Rockies got their lefty.  They acquired Joe Biemel for not sure yet.  We need more details

-Reds get Rolen.  Reports say that this might open the door for a Halladay trade

4:00

-Deadline is here.  

-Nick Johnson to the fishies for pitching prospect Aaron Thompson.

-And in the days dumbest deal, the Bluejays dealt Scott Rolen for Edwin Encarnacion AND Yonder Alonso.  I wouldn'tve traded Edwin for Rolen straight up if I'm the Reds.  Just a bad, bad, bad move for them.  

4:30:

-Appears it was not Alonso who was moved, but rather Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart as well as Encarnacion.  Still a good trade for the Jays

-Jake Peavy to the White Sox?!?!?!  It's true.  Sox send Poreda, Richard, Adam Russel, and Dexter Carter.

Manny and Papi

I hate to have it be the first topic of my first real post.  But I guess that's where we're at now in the American pastime.  Manny and Papi (who are expecting this fall I believe) were named today as individuals who were in the 2003 sacred scroll of positive testers.  This document is like the board game in the movie Jumanji; it seems that whenever we open it, a goddamn elephant runs out and shits all over our fun.  Metaphor aside, finding out that Manny and Papi supposedly juiced brings up a host of issues, which I will now run through, defeated house wife grocery store list style:

1. Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, undermine our judicial system by the toe

The grab bag style that the names are being revealed seems just a little bizarre, inappropriate, and illegal.  Remember when Paul Byrd was pitching for the Indians against the Red Sox, and the night before his start, it was revealed Byrd was in the Mitchell Report?  Remember how George Mitchell is a minority owner of the Sox?  This is the template we're running with.  The thing they won't tell us is that everyone with a little bit of insight in the MLB knows who did what.  We as a nation understand that steroids are now, for better or worse, an inextricable part of baseball's history.  And if we don't understand it, it's about time we took our head's out of the proverbial clouds and accept what has happened.  Rip the band aid off as quickly as possible.  This trickle of information will only prolong the pain that the juiced era will cause baseball. 

2. Just say it

At the World Wide Leader, I noticed an article that suggested that Ortiz betrayed our trust and that we misplaced our faith in him.  But really, at this point, is there anyone in the game who you would be genuinely surprised to learn used steroids?  Not when guys look like this: 

 

For those of you who don't know who that is, it is none other than Gabe Kapler.  But in all seriousness, Manny, Papi, future player who will be named, don't lie to us.  Manny, Papi, dos malos no hace un derecho (trans. two wrongs don't make a right).  You've been caught.  Don't tell us you were surprised to find out?  Surprised?  Did you spend a weekend in Miami with Darryl Strawberry, have a few too many 7&7's, and black out before Radomski could fill his hands with your ass?  Probably not.  You say you didn't realize that cream/pill/needle was steroids?   What's that, you didn't think to ask your trainer what was in those supplements, when your entire career is dependent upon making your body healthy?  Those questions just slipped through the dreads, Manny?  You've already lied once, don't do it again.  

3. S&M for the steroid user

Kinky.  But what punishment should they receive?  Hall of Fame?  True, the 2003 list predates any punishment for those caught doping (which, for the record, is pretty funny).  But should we suspend them now?  Well, no.  Not that these guys won't face their own punishment.  Look, the argument that if everyone was using them, why didn't everyone break Marris' record?  So go ahead, put Mac, Slammin', Barry, et. al. in the Hall.  But underneath their faces, a large disclaimer that reads, "Tested Positive For Steroids" should be required.  If we honor a player's career, do so by his numbers.  If a player has numbers Hall worthy, let him in.  But we judge a player's legacy based upon what he did both on and off the field.  Basically, let them in the nightclub, but make them sit in the corner with a neon sign that says, "I have crabs."  If we keep them out of the Hall, we will lose the lessons of this time. 

4. He's Selig Away

If a boss discovers that for the past three decades, his employees have been misleading the shareholders, he or she would probably be forced to resign.  So, if Mr. Selig oversaw what may become the largest scandal in sports history, he should be forced to step down.  It is important for baseball to syphon out all of the bad blood of the steroid era.  And the first step should start at the top.  Selig knew what was going on for most of the time.  He is either out of touch with his clientele, or is just without morals.  Don't forget, he made a fair amount of money during this whole ordeal.  He made $18.35 million last year.  Maybe he should be donating that to help in increased awareness of what steroids can do.  He can start by buying plane tickets, and visiting every family who has lost a teenager to steroid-related deaths.  The man, and his toupee, need to leave, now.  

So, in conclusion:

Look, it happened.  Like the Dollar Menu, Lindsay Lohan, and the movie Gliter, it happened, and we're just going to have to live with the consequences.  Putting our tails between our legs and banishing these dopes for doping will not help avoid this from happening again.  Make these guys wear their scarlet syringe for all to see.  Make sure that the shame of being caught doping will outweigh the benefits.  And no more of this random drug testing.  It amazes me that Major League Baseball still refuses to get serious.  Mandatory testing for every player at the end of every month, and throughout the offseason.  Hey, you're getting paid $20 million, you can find some time in your schedule to piss in a cup.  Hire independent labs to confirm every test.  It's expensive, but we can scoop in and take some of Selig's salary to pay for the expenses.  If you're caught, first time violators miss an entire season.  2nd time, and you're done.  And none of this Manny playing rehab the entire time.  That suspension prohibits any baseball activities that have any relation to Major League Baseball.  We're even talking no officially licensed balls to play catch with.  If the player's union has a problem, I think there's about 30 years worth of destruction to this game that will insist that these steps are necessary. Basically, close the mile wide loopholes that players still continue to find.  Nothing in baseball today is more important.  

And as for Manny and Papi, well, you guys blew it.  The ride was fun I'm sure, but you're done now.  You have brought shame down on yourselves, the Boston Red Sox, and Major League Baseball.  This isn't just Manny being Manny.  This is so much worse.

Who am I, and why am I doing this?

"My cleaning lady doesn't have a car, but she has her own website."  The wise words of comedian Chelsea Handler.  It is true that anyone can have a blog, podcast, website, or even 24 hour live streaming video of them eating vaseline.  Having never eaten vaseline, I come into the blogosphere as a newcomer of sorts.  Probably my best asset is that I have lots of opinions about many issues.  However, since almost being thrown out of Citi Field for boisterously inquiring of Manny Ramirez about the nature of his baby, I've realized that I need to find another outlet.  So this seems to be my best bet.  No I do not have any professional journalistic experience, nor do I have any accolades regarding sports.  I am bad with websites, and am cynical about many aspects of American sports.  And the TSS (which is what this blog will be referred to as from here on out) banner very well may be infringing on numerous copyright violations.  But I will care about this blog, and I will never be afraid to support what I believe in.  I implore you all, loyal readers (mom and dad), to comment and critique everything I put up here.  

This blog is centered around sports, but since it is my blog, I don't really have to follow much of an agenda, so you might even see a post or two about my thoughts Lindsay Lohan, Lehman Brothers, and Led Zeppelin.  I may have 3 posts one day, or one post one week, so loyal readers (mom and dad), don't worry if there's nothing new.  There's no schedule, no limits, and only one rule: This is the last time the name Brett Favre will ever be allowed to be used on this blog.  I will delete anything that has his name in it from here on out.  Don't test me.  I don't care if you write an intellectual essay which details how to cure AIDS and the economic crisis, if I see you make one reference to he who shall not be named, I will delete it.  Outside of that, go crazy.