MLB's Latest Drug Busts: Gordon and Ravin

                Well, I sure didn’t expect to be doing a follow-up to the Chris Colabello suspension so soon, but here we are. Dee Gordon, 2015 National League batting champion of the Miami Marlins tested positive for exogenous testosterone (banned by MLB) during Spring Training and was suspended for 80 games last Friday. And now today, we have another: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Josh Ravin was also caught during Spring Training (Peptide 2 was his choice) and is also gone for 80 games.
                While my blog for 2016 was supposed to be a variety of stories about the Blue Jays’ 40^th Anniversary, the Expos’ 1981 Division Title, the 100^th season of Wrigley Field and a host of other topics including the Hall Of Fame, The All-Star Game and the Postseason, it looks like I’ll have to add another series: Failed Drug Tests.

             And from Gordon, we get the usual “Though I did not do so knowingly, I have been informed that test results showed I ingested something that contained prohibited substances.” Ravin blames his test on a supplement he took during a bout with intestinal flu and strep throat.
            Enough of the lies already.

I don’t know whether these players are telling the truth or not and that’s the sad part of the whole thing. But it’s hard not to be cynical when—as I pointed out last week—they all have a variety of team doctors and trainers and nutritionists who they can consult before putting things in their body. So as far as I’m concerned, there’s no excuse. Therefore, don’t spit in my ear and tell me it’s raining.

                I ended my post last week by asking the question, if an 80-game suspension and loss of pay isn’t a deterrent, what could be? Perhaps longer suspensions? Maybe increase the first offense to a full year and void the player’s contract. Then put a stipulation in the drug policy that prevents them from signing a contract higher than half the value of their previous one until they’ve completed two complete seasons of drug-free tests, and that would include being tested monthly.

                It’s hard to figure out what if even that punishment would act as a deterrent. As I mentioned last week, to cash in on the big pay day, it’s worth the risk. All you have to do is look at the contract that Gordon signed this past off-season. It was a five-year deal worth 50 million dollars and, according to ESPN, he will only lose 1.65 million during his suspension. That means he still stands to collect 48.35 million over the life of the contract. So basically, he still cashes in, doesn’t care about the damage that he is doing to the image of the game and probably will play the victim card when he comes back.

                But the whole thing is one big mess for MLB. The drug prevention policy is obviously not working. They are going to have to look into it and come up with something that will prevent these greedy, self-absorbed, poor excuses for representatives of the game from completely ignoring the integrity of sportsmanship and fair play.

                After all, how can we teach our kids about those two attributes when those at the professional level don’t care about them?

Follow us on Twitter at @topofthethird

Like us on Facebook
Send Feedback to topofthethird@gmail.com

Will the Rangers Retaliate for Bautista's Bomb?

                Tonight the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers play for the first time in 2016. But hey, does everyone remember this?

                Yup, it was Game 5 of the ALDS last October when the Toronto Blue Jays made a remarkable comeback after being down two games to none to the Texas Rangers. And the home run came to cap off a dramatic seventh inning that saw the Jays soar into lead after the Rangers had scored a cheap run in the top half of the inning.

                And yes, the run should not have counted regardless of what Fox Broadcaster Harold Reynolds said. It was interference. Inadvertent or not, it was still interference. If a batter drops a bunt down and races to first, if he’s inside the line rather than outside of it and gets hit in the back by the catcher or pitcher trying to make the throw for the putout, the batter is out. It doesn’t matter if he knew he was on the wrong side of the base path or not, he’s out. So why should the catcher’s throw hitting the bat be any different.

                But it doesn’t matter, Toronto came back and won. Texas let their opportunity slip away and rather than look inwardly at their inability to win the series, they instead chose to vent their frustration at Jose Bautista and his bat flip. The pitching staff giving up 19 runs in three games, or the three errors the Rangers defense committed in that final game should have been the focus of their frustrations, not Jose Bautista.

                First of all, let’s look at the bat flip. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. Bautista didn’t stare down the pitcher. He didn’t glare into the Ranger dugout. He didn’t say anything insulting to the catcher as he left the batter’s box. He just admired his bomb of a home run in a clutch situation in a series-deciding game. He was in the moment, he responded, he celebrated. No big deal.

                Secondly, the Rangers have no right to criticize Bautista for admiring his home run when their own designated hitter, Prince Fielder, does the same thing. Players have been admiring monster shots for years. Again, no big deal.

                But here’s my favourite part of the whole thing. Rangers’ pitcher Derek Holland (who by the way in his only start in the series gave up six runs in two innings for a wonderful, mountain-top ERA of 27.00) started whining to a Dallas radio station following the game. Some of things he said were, “He's the most animated player I've ever seen. After watching him in the outfield cry about every single thing, it's unbelievable.” And, “Especially after seeing more about him during the game, and being out in the outfield and seeing how he complains about every single thing.” And let’s not forget, “it's always his way. I just don't like that. I'm not a big fan of him.”

                This from a guy who’s claim to fame (other than his 5.02 career postseason ERA) is a pitifully lame Arnold Schwarzenegger impression during the 2011 World Series, which by the way Texas lost. Needless to say, I’m not a big fan of him.

                So what can we expect from the Jays and Rangers for this three-game set. Payback? Retribution? Revenge? I’m sure we can expect to see someone from the Rangers’ pitching staff throw at Bautista. Maybe not tonight and maybe not this series but it will happen sometime this year. But seriously, there’s no way that will make up for the Rangers coughing up a two-game lead in the playoffs. They need to just get over it, accept that they were beaten by a better team and not blame Bautista for their short-comings. 

Follow us on Twitter at @topofthethird

Like us on Facebook
Send Feedback to topofthethird@gmail.com

This Day In Blue Jays' History: May 1, 2004

                It was on this date in 2004 that Blue Jays’ left-fielder Frank Catalanotto, set the franchise record for most hits in a game when he went 6 for 6 against the White Sox in Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field. It was the second game of a double-header as Chicago took the first game 4-3 in 10 innings.

                With one out in the top of the first of the second game, Catalanotto singled to left field, but was stranded on second when the inning ended. In the second inning, after the Jays had taken a 2-0 lead, Catalanto singled to right field for his second hit of the game. His third hit of the game, a single to centre field, knocked in short stop Chris Woodward, and Catalanto later scored his first run of the game.

                In the fifth, another single to left field scored Woodward again, giving Catalanotto his second RBI. In the seventh, he would double for his fifth hit of the game and would later score in the inning, his second run. Finally, in the eighth, Catalanatto set the team record with six hits when he singled to left.

                For the day (the game ended with Toronto winning 10-6) he had six hits, two runs scored, two RBIs and had raised his season batting average to .329.

Follow us on Twitter at @topofthethird

Like us on Facebook
Send Feedback to topofthethird@gmail.com