FranK to Appear at march 17 hearing

[UofIChiSox]

I heard the subpeonas are going to any player named in Juiced. 

 

If that's the case, Boone, Bonds, Wilson Alvarez, Dave Martinez, Ozzie Canseco should be going too.

[Kalapse]

What exactly are these congressmen trying to accomplish here?

 

If the players do admit to steroids what are they going to do about it? They wont do s***.

 

If someone says they didn't take steroids are they going to follow up with an investigation? No.

 

So what's the f***ing point of this Committee Meeting? Attention, all these congressmen want is attention.

[greasywheels121]

http://whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/ar...t=.jsp&c_id=cws

 

Thomas willing to testify

Bum ankle would require special attention for trip

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

 

TUCSON - Where testifying before the House Committee on Government Reform in regards to steroids usage in baseball is concerned, Frank Thomas' only worries are health-related.

 

Thomas knows that if he travels across the country for the hearing on March 17, his surgically repaired left ankle temporarily will pay the price. But with the subpoena coming Wednesday to speak before the Committee, Thomas appears ready to make the trip to Washington, D.C., and deal with the physical consequences later.

 

"There are ways to try and help it," said Thomas, who fractured the navicular bone in his left ankle last June, had it operated on in early October and now says that the ankle "swells like a grapefruit" when he flies. "I'll ice [in Washington] and I'll ice when I get back here. If it's that serious that they need us to get there, then I'm willing to go. It's not a problem."

 

Thomas talked to his agent Arn Tellem on Tuesday night, and mentioned that because of the tenuous state of his ankle, there's a possibility that Congress could fly people west and depose Thomas in Tucson. The list of active players invited to testify includes Thomas, Curt Schilling, Jason Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa.

 

St. Louis Post Dispatch, McGwire "respectfully declined" via a letter. According to the article, a letter from Major League Baseball and the Players Association to the committee indicated none of the current players would be attending.

 

"They didn't want to disrupt Spring Training with guys going up there and whatever," said Thomas of baseball's reaction. "But I guess they really want to get this situation taken care of."

 

Of all the names mentioned on the list, Thomas figures to be one of the players very much at ease regarding his testimony. Not only has Thomas stayed away from any sort of steroids usage, but he also has been an outspoken critic of steroids during the past couple of years.

 

In fact, Thomas believes his stance against steroids was one of the reasons why he was invited. Thomas didn't seem the least bit worried that this committee was nothing more than political grandstanding for congressmen such as Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the chairman, or Rep. Henry A. Waxman, D-Calif.

 

But the unwavering positive nature of the committee wasn't readily apparent to Thomas either. Thomas' feeling existed, despite one of the committee's purposes centering on educating youth to the danger of steroids, with the parents of two kids who passed away after abusing steroids also scheduled to be in attendance.

 

"That might have something to do with this, and hopefully there is some good in this," Thomas said. "The way it looks right now, it can get pretty ugly. --->

 

"With me, I have nothing to hide. I have my reputation on the line. I don't care. If they want me up there, I'll go up there. What questions do you want to ask me? I'm going to tell you the truth."

 

While the trip to Washington, D.C., serves as a bit of a distraction, Thomas continues to work hard in an effort to return to the White Sox lineup as soon as possible. Thomas admitted to still being a little sore Wednesday, after "busting my butt" for three days, but he figured that pain was going to exist. It was the same sort of soreness Thomas felt while rehabbing in Las Vegas, and part of the problem could be alleviated when his special orthotics arrive Wednesday or Thursday.

 

Thomas took 10 minutes of flips in the batting cage Wednesday, going at it full force but with controlled swings, while jogging 10 sets of 40-yard dashes outside. Thomas said he won't need a day off as he continues his rehab process, although he wouldn't be surprised to hear from Dr. Richard Ferkel, who performed the surgery on Thomas' ankle in Los Angeles, with a request to slow down a bit.

 

"He said I have to go how I feel," said Thomas of the advice from Dr. Ferkel. "I feel I can handle this stuff right now. The soreness, I've been having that anyway after hard training days during rehab.

 

"Hopefully, it's a sign that you are working through the injury and trying to get it back together. I'm definitely not going to baby it. I've got to go at it. We've got something. We have a good team in here, and I have to finish my career. Like I said, I'm 36 and getting close to 40. I have to max it out.

 

"This is my third ankle surgery," Thomas added. "The other two were bone spurs removed, but this is serious surgery. It's a little different, but I'm going to try to keep it mentally the same way. I have things to do."

 

One of those things already accomplished on Thomas' list was to clear the air with general manager Ken Williams on Tuesday. By Thomas' own admission, things were left on a bad note between the two last season when Thomas wouldn't serve as a decoy on the White Sox bench, at Williams' request, during a Friday night game at U.S. Cellular Field against Seattle.

 

Thomas believes that problem took care of itself approximately one week later when the seriousness of his ankle injury was diagnosed.

[DonkeyKongerko]

Damn and Frank had BIG plans for this St. Patrick's Day.

[SoxFan562004]

What exactly are these congressmen trying to accomplish here?

 

If the players do admit to steroids what are they going to do about it? They wont do s***.

 

If someone says they didn't take steroids are they going to follow up with an investigation? No.

 

So what's the f***ing point of this Committee Meeting? Attention, all these congressmen want is attention.

The baseball players are a part of a bigger agenda. They will have people testify who have been effected by steroids, such as a dad of a teenager who killed himself and it seemed to be tied to steroids.

 

I like that Congress is doing it, only if they ask the right questions. Most of these players can honestly say no to "Did you ever do steroids?" since technically I think most did HGH.

 

This is something that needs attention brought to it, and have these guys who made millions answer under oath

 

Don't forget, baseball has an anti-trust exemption that Congress can always pull if they don't satisfy them

[YASNY]

The baseball players are a part of a bigger agenda.  They will have people testify who have been effected by steroids, such as a dad of a teenager who killed himself and it seemed to be tied to steroids.

 

I like that Congress is doing it, only if they ask the right questions.  Most of these players can honestly say no to "Did you ever do steroids?" since technically I think most did HGH.

 

This is something that needs attention brought to it, and have these guys who made millions answer under oath

 

Don't forget, baseball has an anti-trust exemption that Congress can always pull if they don't satisfy them

 

That teenager that killed himself was the nephew of of ex-Cub, ex-Dodger Burt Hooten.

Edited March 10, 2005 by YASNY

[JUGGERNAUT]

GOOD SIGN:

Thomas talked to his agent Arn Tellem on Tuesday night, and mentioned that because of the tenuous state of his ankle, there's a possibility that Congress could fly people west and depose Thomas in Tucson.

 

If you are a member of Congress & you are looking at Thomas to bolster your case after Bonds pretty much sympathized with roid users last week then the last thing you want to do is put him in a position where you jeapordize his season. On the contrary, deposing Thomas in Tucson would send a message that there is no excuse for the others not to show up.

 

As for the anti-trust exemption, if Congress were to ever pull it we would definitey see a 3rd or 4th team in the NY-NJ area. That met has the most to lose.