LINKS: Edgar Martinez Speaks Out on Steroids (Pleads the 5th), Female Streaker Puts Soccer on the Map, NCAA Tourney Notes, Andrew Checks in From Spring Training, Justin Upton
Posted by Alan Hull on March 18th, 2008
Seattle Mariners DH, legend Edgar Martinez responds to Shane Monahan’s comments that the Mariners’ clubhouse had a steroid problem. (Larry Brown Sports)
I personally have always thought of Brett Boone as the most flagrant example of a steroid-user this side of Barry Bonds, so I don’t pay Martinez’s comments any heed. Take a look at Edgar’s career. He seems to really take off at age 32. That seems odd. I’m not saying the man was a steroid user, or even that Boone was. I wouldn’t totally discount it either. I used to think Edgar Martinez was a sure-fire Hall of Famer because he was so methodical at the plate, he had that great, pure swing, hitting boubles all over the field and he was clutch as hell. I’m not so sure anymore looking at the career totals, but a career .312/.418/.515 line is still very impressive. Thoughts?
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Female streaker in bikini makes a ruckus at a CONCACAF qualifier at US-Honduras game, raises soccer game awareness. (Deadspin)
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NCAA Basketball tourney brackets are out. UCLA has it real nice up to the Final Four–I’m picking them to win. Experts be damned. Fill out your brackets, everyone. March is a great time to be a sports fan.
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Andrew of True Blue LA came back from Spring Training in Florida and has notes with his usual dry humor. Also, Derek Lowe is on my shit-list.
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John Sickels does Not a Rookie: Justin Upton. (Minor League Ball)
With most hardcore fans, the word is out on Justin Upton. I have him in every fantasy league I can. I’m touting him. I’m taking the over. We know Justin Upton is going to be a superstar, but understandably, most people are vague in the type of player they see him becoming. I say understandably because with guys like Justin Upton, the ceiling is just so high.
I imagine he’ll have a good season this year, but scuffle a bit with his approach. Maybe hit .279/.350/.450 with a shot at a 20-20 season like Ken Griffey Jr. in his age 19 and 20 seasons. The funny thing is, he might blow us all away with a monster season no would would expect–look what Alex Rodriguez did at age 20. It’s really unfair to project a Griffey or A-Rod–these are inner-circle Hall of Famers–but an age comparison is. Will he ever be a 40 home run guy in his peak? People aren’t saying, but at 6′3″ he certainly could develop that much power. He doesn’t swing with a very high finish, so maybe he’ll be a .330 hitter at his peak with closer to thirty home runs.
His big league hitting last season lowers the base-line a bit, just like his “disappointing” 2006 season did the year before (anyone who dropped their rating of Justin Upton at that time were a bunch of chumps, but not too many did), but as we learned in 07, players like Upton are hard to categorize or project beyond the fact that they will be great.
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March 13th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Duncan was out by a mile. There really was no reason for him pull a stunt like that unless it was a close play or lets try a real seasons game at that. But even so, its not the days good old days of Ty Cobb jump kicking fielders to end their careers by sliding in second base and getting away with it. So I applaud Gomes for his retaliation in letting the Yankees know that they cannot just walk all over TB(except on the score board usually).
Regarding Lidge, I think injures have stunted his career, not Albert Pujols, although it definitely is hilarious to believe so.
Fuck the rest of the Indians outfield which really isnt that bad, look at their infield and DH!