There's a First Time for Everything

Well here it is, my much anticipated, widely heralded, first ever post for the Bullpen Catcher. Sorry it took so long, but my agent advised me to wait a few weeks so I wouldn't have to split headlines and media coverage with David Beckham's arrival in the States.

I was heavily recruited to cover such Page 2 topics as golf, racing, soccer and tennis, but I can't pass up the timing of A-Rod's 500th and Bonds 755th coming on the same day, so baseball it is!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I am a Yankee fan and have been so since my brother who's 11 years my senior sat on top of me on the couch in the mid 80s and wouldn't budge until I pronounced my allegiance to the Bronx Bombers. Although at that time, the only thing they were blowing up was themselves. I distinctly remember sitting through scores of Yankee visits to Comiskey Park only to watch the likes of Danny Tartabull, Steve Sax and Roberto Kelly kick the ball around the field. My favorite memory of course being July 1, 1990 in which Andy Hawkins dominated the Sox, pitched a no hitter and lost 4-0. Go Yankees!

Fast forward 16 years and we have six more pennants and four more titles, now that's what I signed up for. We also have the most enigmatic power hitter in the game. A-Rod became the youngest player to reach 500 home runs and at this pace will eclipse Hank's record of 755 in six more short seasons. There's no telling what the very large headed Barry Bonds will have at that time (or whether the HGH will make his head continue to grow to at least the size of the rest of his body).

I'll be watching with the rest of the sports world as Waterhead goes for the record setting 756, but very much for the same reasons Rich mentioned earlier ... I am sick and tired of the Chasing Aaron crap on ESPN and "let's go live to some Podunk National League town to watch Barry's next at bat". Then we can finally get back the to purity and innocence of sports that is the X Games. Speaking of which, I wonder if Barry's muscles are eventually going to explode much like Jake Brown's shoes did when he bit it hard in the Skateboard Big Air Trick on Thursday night.

So there you have it ... first post, first 32-year old to hit 500 homers, first to hit 756 (hopefully sooner rather than later), and the first to lose their board 40+ feet in the air, slam to down to the half pipe and walk off under their own power less than 10 minutes later. Now if that's not enough to offset dogfighting, gambling referees and the tour de farce I don't know what is.

And we didn't even talk about my Yankees being 1.5 games out of the AL Wildcard. Gotta save some fodder for the next post though right?

"Sherk"ing Responsibility

UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk (left) and number one contender Hermes Franca squared off for the UFC’s Lightweight Championship earlier this month, and after five rounds of complete domination by the champion, Sherk retained his belt with a unanimous decision victory. At no point was the champion close to finishing Franca, but after five rounds of slamming him to the ground, passing his guard, mounting him at will and escaping his submission attempts, one thing became unmistakably clear. Few lightweights will be able to deal with the strength that Sherk brings into the Octagon.

Sean Sherk had become somewhat of a hero in recent weeks. Shortly before UFC 73, UFC All-Access—which gives fans a behind-the-scenes glance at fighters’ home life and training regimen—featured the Lightweight Champion and left the MMA world abuzz. Sprinting up steep hills, smashing truck tires with sledgehammers, sparring ten rounds without a hint of rest, Sherk showed fans all around exactly how he got his chiseled physique…or so we thought.

Last Thursday the California State Athletic Commission revealed that both Sherk and Franca both failed their pre-fight drug tests. Both tested positive for anabolic steroids. Franca quickly issued an apology, admitting guilt and claiming that he took the drugs to help him recover from a pre-fight injury. Sherk denies the allegations altogether. Both fighters will be fined a portion of their winnings and must serve a one-year suspension. Sherk has filed an appeal, and a hearing will take place early next month.

I’m not going to say Sherk is guilty, but look that the picture above. He looks more juiced than a bottle of Hawaiian Punch!

Unfortunately, Sherk and Franca’s failed drug tests are not isolated incidents but rather further evidence of growing steroid problem in MMA. Tim Sylvia has tested positive, as has Royce Gracie. You can add Kevin Randleman and Vitor Belfort to the list too. The problem is that, at the moment, UFC drug testing is conducted on a largely random basis. Those fighting for a title can expect to tested, but other than that, it’s only as unfortunate few.

Doping no doubt gives athletes in other sports an unfair advantage, but in MMA it’s simply dangerous. Remember Diego Sanchez’s knockout of Joe Riggs or Rashad Evans’ high kick against Sean Salmon. Think of what Gabriel Gonzaga did to Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 70. If Sanchez, Evans, and Gonzaga can do that to their opponents when they passed their drugs tests, can you imagine what they could do on steroids?

As much as I love MMA, I must say that it does provide greater risk for injury than most other mainstream sports. And if someone is seriously injured—or worse yet killed—in the Octagon, that just may be the death knell for the UFC. If UFC president Dana has even a scintilla of integrity or concern for his fighters, he will take drug testing into his own hands. At the moment he’s content to leave it up to state athletic commissions.

The fact is this. The more doping in MMA, the more likely it is for someone to get seriously injured in the Octagon. If Mr. White doesn't act soon, he may pay dearly!

600*

Well, it’s official. Sammy Sosa is now a member of one of the most exclusive clubs in sports history. Sosa joins Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Barry Bonds as the only Major League Baseball players to hit 600 career homeruns. Let’s put this achievement into perspective and drop a few more names. Sosa now has more homeruns than (deep breath)……Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Reggie Jackson, Mike Schmidt, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio. Let’s face it, this is an incredible accomplishment. Sosa has whacked more dingers than Jenna Jameson.

With this milestone comes the inevitable debate...Is Sammy Sosa a Hall of Famer? Let’s play a little game of Point/Counterpoint and see where that leaves us.

Point: In Sosa’s heyday, there was no specific rule in baseball stating steroids
were not allowed. So even if he was doing it he was within the rules of Major
League Baseball.
Counterpoint: My employee handbook doesn’t say smoking crack is against company policy but it’s kind of understood.

P: Just about everyone was doing it so he was just keeping up with the Joneses.

CP: What are we...13 years old? The "everyone was doing it" defense is not going to work here.

P: Sammy never tested positive for steroids and there is no proof that he actually took them.

CP: To quote Tony Soprano, “I don't need a gynocologist to know which way the wind blows.”

P: Typically, when a hitter reaches 500 homeruns he can stamp his ticket to Cooperstown. Sammy has 600 so it should be a no-brainer.
CP: With as much juice as he was taking, Sosa could hit 800 homeruns and he still wouldn’t get voted in.

P: If we’re putting each era into perspective (steroids era, dead ball era) you have to put the best of each generation in the HOF. Clearly, Sosa was one of the top 3 players during the steroid era.
CP: So you’re saying just because Sosa was a better cheater than guys like Rafael Palmerio (failed a steroid test) we should put him in the HOF?

P: Sosa testified before Congress and was not found guilty of anything.
CP: The man conveniently forgot how to speak English even though he grew up speaking it!! You know what, forget it, this was a brilliant defense and should be used in every day life. “Sir! You are not allowed to touch the strippers!” “I no speak English.”

I guess since I brought this up I have to take a stand. Even though I'll be accused of being a Cubs apologist, I think Sosa is a Hall of Famer. The numbers can't be denied. He's one of only five players in history to reach 600 homeruns. While steroids might very well have helped him reach this milestone, I'm with the group that says you have to put in the best players of each generation. Sosa is clearly one of the greatest players of our generation. And I really think "Innocent until proven guilty" has to mean something.

The People's Champ