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QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 20, 2011 -> 02:49 PM) Ptact, is this herpes thing even possible? I don't think so. From what I've read, the meds could produce a positive test. However, he would need to take massive amounts of the drugs to do it. Somewhere in the range of 200 times the presciption amount per day.

QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 19, 2011 -> 09:19 PM) Who are these young players? Morel, Beckham and Viciedo...and that's it, in my mind. I include Flowers and Rameirez in that as well. I guess Rameierez isn't real young but he's playing at his peak and under control for a few years at a reasonable cost. I base most of my comment on the fact that we know KW doesn't trade for a package that a team offers. He trades for a player or players he has targeted. So, he doesn't misjudge a market because he only goes after certain targeted players usually starting pitchers.

QUOTE (fathom @ Dec 19, 2011 -> 08:51 PM) Reds aren't going to trade Mesoraco now that Grandal got traded. Seems like Kenny really misjudged this market, as Santos would have been someone you have to think Reds would have been interested in. I don't think he misjudged anything. In his mind he got a future MLB starting pitcher, which is usually what he is looking for in trades. He's got young position players all over the diamond, whereas most of his pitching staff will be leaving or will become expensive in the next couple of years. Any trades he makes will focus around young pitching.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 27, 2011 -> 04:55 PM) Zevon?!!? If so, then you and me both, but that would be more for during the service. For the recessional it would have to be Party For the Rest of the Night from the same album. I've always though Zevon's "I'll sleep when I'm dead" would be a good one. That or AC/DC "Hell's Bells"

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 18, 2011 -> 08:13 PM) One of my medically inclined friends wrote this. He must have been drunk. You cannot dislocate a vertebrae without massive spinal damage. Tearing abdominal muscle has absolutely nothing to do with spinal damage. I have to assume your post should have been in green.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 17, 2011 -> 04:02 PM) Other than it being a 4-1 deal, I don't see how anybody can say the Reds got fleeced. I love this deal for them. Latos, Cueto, Votto, Bruce, Stubbs, Chapman is an amazing young core to go into '12 with. No Pujols, more than likely no Fielder, and the rest of that division being either average (Cubs) or pathetic (Astros), and the Reds should be a major player. for once we're in agreement. A good, proven MLB pitcher is worth more than also any prospect or group of prospects.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 16, 2011 -> 05:35 PM) Yeah, 73-75 wins would be much more likely, based on what we saw last year out of Beckham and Axis of Evil...and how Humber faded down the stretch as well. Not to mention the likelihood that the bullpen won't settle down into their roles until halfway through the season, and Ohman will quickly get overexposed if you trade Thornton. The wins would be in the low 80's. There is no way Dunn will be as bad as last year. Sale will do well in the rotation. Peavy will be decent after a year of strengthening. They would be better but not great. I hope there are many more moves to come.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Dec 16, 2011 -> 02:39 PM) Does it seem to anyone else that pitchers are getting hurt with more regularity in the last few years? Yes. My theory is that most are getting to the majors too quickly and either should have 1) developed more stamina and strength in the minors or 2) been injured in the minors and never made it to the majors. In the 50's, 60's and 70's there are always stories of guys who could throw in the upper 90's but never made it to the majors because they were injured in the minors. They didn't have the stamina to repeat their delivery for a season but would wash out. In today's game, these pitcher's are pushed ahead and break down in the majors when they shoudln't even has made it that far. We have this discussion among AT's all the time. Some say not enough throwing, some too much "pressure" throwing. There are many theories but one thing is for sure, today's pitcher's aren't as durable as they should be.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Dec 16, 2011 -> 12:54 PM) Finally, something to change the subject around here: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/t...cago-white-sox/ QUOTE The Chicago White Sox system continues to be one of the weakest in the Majors. The front office and ownership cannot fault anyone but themselves for failing to invest in the amateur draft or the international market. On the plus side, the organization has lucked into a few interesting prospects like Addison Reed and Dylan Axelrod. Chicago doesn’t have a true No. 1 prospect, although Reed has value as a potential high-leverage reliever who is close to MLB ready – and the recently acquired Nestor Molina has a higher ceiling than most of the existing players in the Sox system. 10. Hector Santiago, LHPBORN: Dec. 16, 1987 EXPERIENCE: 5 seasons ACQUIRED: 2006 30th round – Florida community college 2010-11 TOP 10 RANKING: Off SCOUTING REPORT: It’s amazing the difference a pitch can make. Santiago added a rarely used screwball to his arsenal for the 2011 season and it gave him a much-needed, reliable off-speed pitch. He moved into the starting rotation for the first time in his career and flourished. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s and he also features an occasional slider. YEAR IN REVIEW: Santiago began the season back in high-A for the third straight season but he convinced the minor league staff that a change needed to be made after eight starts. He then made another 15 starts at double-A and received a call to the Majors where he appeared in two games and allowed just one hit in 5.1 innings. YEAR AHEAD: Santiago will probably head to triple-A for a bit but could challenge for a spot in the starting rotation in injuries occur in spring training. He’s a nice insurance policy for 2012 and he could use the time in triple-A to improve his slider. CAREER OUTLOOK: The right-hander has the potential to develop into a No. 4 starter at the big league level – possibly as high as a No. 3 if he learns to rely on his breaking ball a little more. who writes or researches this? Looks like He Who Must Not Be Named wrote this. The organization couldn't possibly have drafted or developed well, it must have been luck.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 16, 2011 -> 01:46 PM) How about "Lots of tools and highly producing"? Those don't usually happen unless you draft really high or until they are in pro ball for a few years and have learned the producing part.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 16, 2011 -> 10:17 AM) http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/baltimo...partment-121611 Feel sorry for the guys who used to travel to Chicago, Seattle etc. and now will travel to Macon Ga, Oceola Fla and Huntsville Ala. etc. It will save the big club alot of money.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 16, 2011 -> 09:45 AM) http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/t...cago-white-sox/ It's amazing to me that this article frequently refers to the typical White sox prospect as "lots of tools but no now production" whereas a few years ago everyone complained about the sox having too many "good producing but low ceiling" players. No matter which way you go people will complain about them.

QUOTE (VictoryMC98 @ Dec 15, 2011 -> 02:14 PM) I'm okay with that... I like pre-White Sox winning WS tickets... Walk up to window, 30mins before game.. yes, I'll take section 132, row 25 please! I enjoyed the days in the late 80's when my buddy and I were the only fans in RF cheering for Ivan Calderon (RIP). The two man wave got us on the big screen quite frequently.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 13, 2011 -> 09:49 PM) If the writers aren't going to vote roiders into the hall then how the hell can they not strip Braun of the mvp? It'll only happen if they re-open the vote. I can't imagine baseball taking an award away even if he does deserve it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 13, 2011 -> 09:29 AM) The right way to look at Dunn, Rios, and Peavy right now is "Sunk costs". We're going to spend $20 million on Jake Peavy this season, $14 mil a year on Adam Dunn for the next 3 years, and $12 million a year on Rios for that period. They're unlikely to produce that kind of value, but they're also unlikely to produce zero value again. If they continue to produce zero value, they're going to wind up on the bench after the 2012 season. If they produce better than zero value, then at least the team is getting something out of them. And if they happen to produce well enough to live up to their contracts, they might reach the magic place where their contract becomes "Moveable" on its own. If that happens, jump at it. I disagree about Dunn. I think he will produce enough to be worth 14 million. The other two not so much.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Dec 13, 2011 -> 09:03 AM) Thanks. I knew that he had been injured, but I wasn't aware that it may be a career ending injury. I still can't figure that one out. It shouldn't be an injury that would end his career. The only thing that I can think of is that there was damage to a nerve, probably the common fibular nerve as it is superficial and vulnerable during fractures. In this case nerves take up to 18 months after the decompression to regenerate. There is no guarantee that it will heal all the way so would be the concern. This nerve is the one that controls the muscles which raise the foot. It would be very difficult to run if you can't lift your foot.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Dec 12, 2011 -> 10:28 PM) Very disappointing. Can only hope it leads to further calls for testing that has a chance to keep up with the cheating. Still can't trust our beloved game, sadly. The blood testing along with HGH will go a long way towards doing this. Much more difficult to cheat a blood test.

QUOTE (Jake @ Dec 11, 2011 -> 09:25 PM) Whose body produces test:epitest at 4:1 rate? I don't think that is physiologically possible. That's why when Braun tested that high it's pretty much guaranteed to be from outside his body.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 11, 2011 -> 04:52 PM) Yeah, that's a solid confirmation of a manufactured, non-body-produced testosterone being present in the system. They really went all out to confirm that this was nothing natural if they're throwing mass specs at the tests. Excatly. I they can tell you it's a non-natural substance, that means not only was the T/E ratio too high but it's from a substance they know. It's almost impossible to have a false positive when you can identify the substance. The ratio can be questioned not the substance.

QUOTE (Soxnfins2256 @ Dec 11, 2011 -> 01:08 PM) I'm not all about the punishing. Besides, when someone has a major injury, they usually give you a steroid, or some other substance, to help it heal quicker. A good buddy of mine completely blew out his knee in football (ACL, MCL, everything), and they gave him a steroid for faster healing. It's what they do. The physician's prescribe a steriod such as prednisone for inflammation after injuries for chronic inflammation. If they gave him an anabolic steriod, it is illegal and a federal offense. He should sue them.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Dec 11, 2011 -> 11:54 AM) Source: Braun tested positive for a prohibited substance, not a performance-enhancing drug. More coming on FOXSports.com -- Ken Rosenthal So gonna go with GUY at the GNC told me excuse? I wonder if it was amphetamines. I think that is the only substance other than the steriod group that is a 50 game suspension.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 09:22 PM) Here's an NFL Mr. Irrelevant winning $5.4 million earleir this year suing a supplement company for a tainted product. That's more than he'd likely ever make in his NFL career. That's one I hadn't seen. I've only seen that supplements were tainted with masking agents and minors things not methyltestosterone. That blatant lying about what's helping someone and endangering their health, not just accidentily tainting a substance. This company claimed to be clean where others don't make that promise.

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 8, 2011 -> 09:51 PM) I think I stand by my belief that the LPGA gas the strictest standards. I also choose to not debate SS on whether we consider the LPGA a major sport, I will concede that point. But I will say I believe it is legit enough for this comparison. The LPGA does have an advantage when it comes to defining the criteria for getting in the HOF. The major sports aren't individual sports so you can't go by just wins. If that was thew case there would only be Yankees in the HOF. If you want to go to individual sports how about track and field. Here are the criteria: World record holder; American record holder; World champion; Olympic champion; World or American leader in event(s) for three or more years; Winner of four or more USA national open championships; and/or You really have to be the elite to be in this group.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 09:17 PM) Interesting...so there is no way the T/E ratio could be as high as 4 to 1 unless he was taking it on a consistent basis? No it's more the type of substance to get it that high. A "tainted" supplement will not raise it that high. It's like the female Olympic swimmer who tried to blame her birth control pills on the elevated ratio. It would do it but she would have had to take 500 of the pills to do it.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 10, 2011 -> 09:11 PM) Really, there doesn't need to be, not when the league has put forwards a list of approved, legal, and clean substances, and in a world where you know you're going to be tested. If you're going to take something that isn't on MLB's approved list, then keep a sample of it. You're making $400k a year, buy a locker, put a date on them, lock up the last pill in every bottle, and if you ever test positive, you've got a major lawsuit against that supplement maker. If you're not willing to do that, then stick to the large list of officially approved supplements. And if you test positive, you're juicing. You cannot sue the makers of supplements for something like this because the FDA does not regulate them. They do not need to list all of the ingredients. Remember when Jim Miller from the Bears tested positive in this scenario? He tried to sue the company but as long as he wasn't poisoned or something, they didn't do anything wrong.