Posted on 08/06/2013 6:07:23 AM PDT by NotYourAverageDhimmi
After weeks of waiting, MLB has finally announced its Biogenesis suspensions. Twelve players have been hit with 50-game suspensions, and Alex Rodriguez has been issued a suspension through the 2014 season for a total 211 games. Because A-Rod’s suspension will come under the Joint Drug Agreement, he can still play while he appeals the punishment and will be in the New York Yankees’ lineup tonight for the first time this season.
Many have questioned how the suspension will impact Rodriguez’s “legacy” (see here, here and here), and it’s a subject that will undoubtedly be debated for years to come. What’s not up for debate, though, is that A-Rod has been among baseball’s best players since he took over as the Seattle Mariners’ starting shortstop in 1996, and he ranks among the most dangerous hitters of all time.
Rodriguez is currently 16th in career wins above replacement (Fangraphs) with 114, ranking ahead of Rickey Henderson, Jimmie Foxx, Mike Schmidt and Carl Yastrzemski. He is fifth all-time in home runs with 647, and he ranks second behind only Barry Bonds among those who played during the steroid era. In other words, of all the sluggers who used – or allegedly used – performance enhancers, only one has gone deep more times than A-Rod. His three MVP awards are tied for second-most in history, and in 19 seasons he’s ranked among the top ten in MVP voting ten times.
Put more simply, Rodriguez absolutely dominated his era and is an all-time great. If not for steroid allegations, Rodriguez would not only be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame, but a likely choice for first-ballot enshrinement.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Basically the HOF uses the votes of a bunch of hack sports writers, who are most likely living shall we say morally questionable lives themselves, to judge the games greatest on whether or not they are HOF material.
These athletes are human beings and are subject to the same failings as everyone else and to diminish them based upon those failings,or exalt them until they fail is wrong.
—5. Voting: Voting shall be based upon the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played. —
ARoid has the first two down pat, but fails the rest. Not only is a doper but he is also as bush league as they come insofar as sportsmanship goes. As for contributions to his team, he’s a notorious post-season choke artist as well.
Nothing to debate.
He did not play the game within the rules. He should never be in the Hall of Fame and no record he has or sets should be recorded past this date.
Right, there is no gambling involved in sports. Nope, it is all clean.
So your point is baseball is thick with gamblers, but only lil Petey was stupid enough to get caught? You may have something there...
Because most of his post season was facing senior Boston pitching.
Of course, just based on the Boston pitching comment, you must know I a joking.
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