Albert Pujols - The Last Hope For Baseball?

Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Athletes, Editorial, Fantasy, MLB

I am a huge Albert Pujols fan.  I’m also glad that he is wrecking the ball because I own him in my fantasy baseball keeper league (seven years running!).  Obviously, that last part doesn’t really affect you unless you’re in said keeper league.  In any case, the question sometimes arises in fantasy baseball, especially nowadays, whether or not you care if one of your players is taking some kind of performance enhancing drug (PED).  The obvious answer is two-fold: 1) not as long as he’s putting up crazy numbers and 2) only if he gets caught.

Which brings us back to Pujols.

He is one of those players under scrutiny as every ballplayer that does well is.  It’s just natural in today’s game because of the steroids mess that started with Jose Canseco bringing it to the spotlight to Alex Rodriguez’s use.  So, is there any way not to think that Pujols is juicing?  I’d like to think so.  Sure, I can pull up the consistency of his stats, his command of the strikezone, and the fact that he was never named on any list as being under suspicion.  In fact, Pujols was erroneously mentioned as being a user at one point.  But because I say what I believe doesn’t mean that you’ll believe it too. 

In fact, I’d like to take back my, “I’d like to think so” statement above and say, “I believe so.”

Maybe I’m turning a blind eye or choosing to be ignorant, but with Pujols’ current chase of the NL Triple Crown (lead the league in Batting Average, Home Runs, and Runs Batted In), as well as the almost accepted opinion that all players juice, I’d like to think… no… I believe that Pujols is doing something special.  Why?  Because I love baseball and have since I was five-years-old and with the presence of steroids in the game, I need something to believe in.

And Albert Pujols is as good a bet to believe in as anything else.

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Alex Rodriguez Is Tired

Posted by Dennis Velasco Categories: Editorial, Injuries, MLB, News

The much maligned New York Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez is “fatigued,” so he will be taking tonight and tomorrow off when the Yankees go down to play the Florida Marlins.  Rodriguez, who played high school ball in South Florida and almost attended the University of Miami before the Seattle Mariners signed the then 18-year-old, is quite a celebrity in the Miami area and his playing against the Marlins is considered somewhat of a homecoming… only, unless he pinch-hits, won’t happen until Sunday.

However, let’s call this rest period what it really is, a benching.  For the month of June, A-Rod is only batting .145 in 55 at-bats and is mired in an 0-for-15 slump, mostly coming at the hands of the powerful pitching arms of the Washington Nationals… and, yes, that was sarcasm if you missed it.  It could be argued in this day and age and considering Rodriguez’s admission of not knowing he used steroids for however long, that without the PEDs, Rodriguez won’t perform up to par.  Well, it certainly seems so, doesn’t it? 

However, in 38 games thus far, he does have nine dingers and 26 RBIs, which in a full season would put him at about 37 HRs and 105 RBIs, which aren’t too shabby numbers.  Personally, I don’t like A-Rod and I’m a Yankees fan.  Yes, I’m one of those that doesn’t feel like he’s earned his stripes yet and unfairly or not, I’m going to juxtapose him to the greatness of Derek Jeter, whom I’ve followed since day one when he played with the big club.  Do I think that A-Rod is still juicing?  No.  Do I think he’s going to be as great as he was?  No.  But, I also don’t think he’s this bad.  Remember, there was a period where we can assume he wasn’t on steroids or used PEDs and was still a pretty good hitter.  I think right now, he’s in a slump as every hitter goes through and he is just coming back from hip surgery.

But enough with the double-talk.  Haven’t we learned from Alex Rodriguez’s preseason press conference that the double-talk doesn’t work when it comes to A-Rod?  He’s being bench because he stinks right now.  If anyone is fatigued is those of us that know about semantics and reading between the lines.

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