Rocket Implicated in the Mitchell Report?

by mwilli on Dec 13, 2007 10:48 AM EST

Well, that's what a former NYY strength trainer said to ESPN. Oy vey. The article also references another source who claims that a number of prominent Yankees are "named" in the Mitchell report I can already hear the snarling dogs at the gate, "You didn't just buy rings, now you cheated too."

If the report claims that top contributors to the Yankee championship teams used steroids, I may become physically ill.

Honestly, I don't see what good the Mitchell report does. We already know that baseball is pockmarked with the sins of the steroid era. We will always look back at some of the gaudy numbers with a leery eye. But we've been moving past it, accepting that it happened and having faith that it no longer goes on. This report just brings the whole thing back into the forefront, turning more and more people off of baseball, and for what? So Selig can say, "Oooh look, I DID SOMETHING!"

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Hardly surprising

I don't know why/how anyone should be even remotely surprised that Clemens is suspected of roid use.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 13, 2007 11:08 AM EST reply actions

The man pitched well past his prime

This is no surprise. But I do fear seeing who else from the Yankees are on that list.

That said, I'm sure there are zero prominent Red Sox players who'll be targeted in this smear campaign - maybe a few token names, say Mo Vaughn or someone else of no consequence. Doubt we'll see Fat Papi or Manny on the list, even if MItchell was told they used.

This whole mess is reminiscent of HUAC - baseless allegations and coerced accusations with little or no evidence to substantiate the claims. And led by a man whose obvious conflict of interests should have forced him to decline the job.

Absolutely shameless.

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 11:17 AM EST reply actions

Sox on the list...

Mo Vaughn (good call), Nomar and Varitek

by mwilli on Dec 13, 2007 11:21 AM EST up reply actions

Varitek is no surprise

I've heard his name mentioned before.

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 11:25 AM EST up reply actions

Gabe Kapler

c'mon down.......

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 13, 2007 11:26 AM EST up reply actions

So a list just passed in front of my face...

It's supposedly the list of players implicated in the report. I can't credibly confirm that it is official, but it includes Petitte.

I'm nauseous.

by mwilli on Dec 13, 2007 11:18 AM EST reply actions

Where did you get the list

if you don't mind my asking?

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 11:19 AM EST up reply actions

Friend of a friend...

A good friend of mine works for the NHL, had it passed along to him from a higher up.

But like I said, it's VERY UNOFFICIAL.

Yet, I'm still speculating... I guess I'd make a good cable news anchor.

by mwilli on Dec 13, 2007 11:22 AM EST up reply actions

Any other big names?

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 13, 2007 11:27 AM EST up reply actions

No surprise about Rocket, but sad to

see Andy Pettitte on the list as well. I guess that is why he decided not to wait to sign his contract.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22189702/

Everything looks nicer when you win. The girls are prettier. The cigars taste better. The trees are greener. --Billy Martin

by garp on Dec 13, 2007 11:18 AM EST reply actions

We all know

Sheffield, Giambi and Grimsley will be on the list, because they've been mentioned before.

Anyone else?

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 11:28 AM EST reply actions

I've seen a list on a message board

so take some of these names with a grain of salt.

Yankees (both current and former):

Clemens
Pettitte
Giambi
Farnsworth
Sheffield
Damon
Grimsley
Mondesi

Red Sox:

Varitek
Gagne
Garciaparra
Mo Vaughn
Trot Nixon
Tavarez
Carl Everett
Rich Garces (snicker, snicker)

Other big names: Albert Pujols (wow, if it's true), Jeff Bagwell, Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, Pudge Rodriguez, Brian Roberts, Tejada (duh), Bettancourt, Aaron and Bret Boone, and Matt Williams.

by anaconda on Dec 13, 2007 11:32 AM EST reply actions

Aaron Fucking Boone?

Wow, imagine how bad he would have sucked without the 'roids.

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 11:33 AM EST up reply actions

Honestly, not many surprises

and if those are the only Yankees on the list, I'll breath a sigh of relief. The only painful one is Pettitte - despite being implicated, he's a good player and person. Then again, nobody's perfect.

Mondesi's name should in no way be connected to the Yankees - he was a Dodger first and foremost; that's the team where he made his name. Who cares where he ended up at the tail end of his career?

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 11:36 AM EST up reply actions

And his name

was already out there as part of the Jason Grimsley/HGH plea bargain.

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Dec 13, 2007 1:23 PM EST up reply actions

Yup

You're looking at the same list I am...

Others included:

Brady Anderson, Milton Bradley, Danter Bichette, Mike Cameron, Juan Gonzalez, Wally Joyner, John Rocker and a bunch of other bums.

I love how El Guapo is on this list. I remember in health class waaaay back when our teacher warned us that one of the potential side effects (aside from cancer, shrinking testicles, etc.) was that if you didn't work out you'd just become fat. Think that's what happened with Guapo?

by mwilli on Dec 13, 2007 11:39 AM EST up reply actions

MLB just told ESPN radio

that this list is inaccurate.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 13, 2007 12:54 PM EST up reply actions

Rocket, and?

There have been rumors on a number of other Yanks. I would not be surprised to here Pettitte, Sheffield, and any of a number of oft injured pitchers including Big Unit.

On the Redsocks think 38 pitches.

Older players are tempted to use to overcome injuries to help their team and prolong their careers.

Really this is a sad day. It is useful to know Bonds, McGuire, Giambi, Palmero etc had a LOT of company.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright (1876 - 1944)

by Cbeck3 on Dec 13, 2007 11:36 AM EST reply actions

Schilling always denied

doing steroids. Then again, he was sitting next to Palmero, Sosa and McGuire at the hearing, so who knows?

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 11:38 AM EST up reply actions

Silver lining

One has to think that A-Rod's apparent ommission will thrill Selig and MLB. Now they can trumpet a "clean" slugger who will hopefully erase Bonds' record in the coming years.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 13, 2007 12:34 PM EST reply actions

BBD sent me an e-mail

Brady Anderson, Manny Alexander, Rick Ankiel, Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Aaron Boone, Rafaeil Bettancourt, Bret Boone, Milton Bradley, David Bell, Dante Bichette, Albert Belle, Paul Byrd, Wil Cordero, Ken Caminiti, Mike Cameron, Ramon Castro, Jose and Ozzie Canseco, Roger Clemens, Paxton Crawford, Wilson Delgado, Lenny Dykstra, Johnny Damon, Carl Everett, Kyle Farnsoworth, Ryan Franklin, Troy Glaus, Rich Garces, Jason Grimsley, Juan Gonzalez, Eric Gagne, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Jose Guillen, Jay Gibbons, Juan Gonzalez, Clay Hensley, Jerry Hairston, Felix Heredia, Jr., Darren Holmes, Wally Joyner, Darryl Kile, Matt Lawton, Raul Mondesi, Mark McGwire, Guillermo Mota, Robert Machado, Damian Moss, Abraham Nunez, Trot Nixon, Jose Offerman, Andy Pettitte, Mark Prior, Neifi Perez, Rafael Palmiero, Albert Pujols, Brian Roberts, Juan Rincon, John Rocker, Pudge Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Scott Schoenweiis, David Segui, Alex Sanchez, Gary Sheffield, Miguel Tejada, Julian Taveras, Fernando Tatis, Maurice Vaughn, Jason Varitek, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams and Kerry Wood.

BBD gives a disclaimer that they will not know 100% for sure until the press conference at 2.

Joe Torre. 1996-2007. He will be missed.

by goyankees on Dec 13, 2007 12:37 PM EST reply actions

Funny

how the only two names leaked to the media - and subsequently plastered on a permanent scrawl on ESPN - were Clemens and Pettitte.

Also love how ESPN follows up by mentioning 'several other prominent Yankees' will be mentioned.

They're almost as bad as Fox News.

by docgonzo on Dec 13, 2007 1:47 PM EST reply actions

I don't buy alleged ESPN bias

Clemens' name is as big as it gets because he's arguably the greatest pitcher since WWII.

Pettitte is always linked to him because they've basically been joined at the hip the last several years.

by anaconda on Dec 13, 2007 1:52 PM EST up reply actions

Me neither

Buster Olney is as pro-Yankee as Gammons is pro-Boston (and personally I think Gammons is just as pro-Yankee as he is pro-Boston). ESPN does not have it out for the Yankees at all.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 13, 2007 2:03 PM EST up reply actions

completely agree

by anaconda on Dec 13, 2007 2:05 PM EST up reply actions

Gammons

He is a Red Sox in a reporters skin. Are u kidding me? He's not biased?

by RollingThunder on Dec 13, 2007 3:07 PM EST up reply actions

He is equally as pro-Yankee

Much like Dick Vitale is as pro-UNC as he is pro-Dook.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Dec 13, 2007 3:37 PM EST up reply actions

Duck Fuke

Cashman is to Pfisty as Duke is to Marc.

Gammons and Olney don't show any bias in my opinion. They just know more about the organizations they cover than others. Gammons sounds pro-Sox when they're winning, but he was brutal on them when we owned them.

Nuke the whales. Save Phil Hughes!

by marcbouch9 on Dec 13, 2007 7:01 PM EST up reply actions

Yawn

In other news, the Earth rotates 360 degrees every 24 hours.

by Willton on Dec 13, 2007 2:47 PM EST reply actions

That list is wrong...

The one I was touting and the one Doc posted above are wrong. You can skim the report and see that a lot of the big names listed above are not in the report (i.e. Damon, Varitek, Pujols, etc.)

by mwilli on Dec 13, 2007 2:48 PM EST reply actions

Sorry...

Not Doc, Anaconda posted it.

by mwilli on Dec 13, 2007 2:49 PM EST up reply actions

Just Accept it

You know what who cares you might as well put the past All Star Teams for the the past twenty years on the list. Baseball did it to themselves and the fans enjoyed it. Baseball never really had a drug testing policy for so many years. As fans we loved seeing all the homeruns and all the strikeouts. Give it a rest already what done is done. I mean do you not think some of the guys who are in the hall of fame from 60 years ago didnt use drugs/roids to extend their careers. Intstead of everyone crying about who did what why dont we do something and make a real drug testing policy. As far as I am concern if they never tested positive for the stuff then they didnt do it. I mean first of all this guy was on a witch hunt. Test the players on the list now if they test positive then punish them. If they dont then PLAY BALL!

by Ali317 @ Pinstripe Alley on Dec 13, 2007 7:28 PM EST reply actions