Rick Ankiel

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Has anyone else noticed that as Ankiel steps into the batter's box, he gets progressively sneer-ier as he takes his practice cuts? It's kinda funny. By the time the pitch is thrown, he looks like Billy Idol.

[G-Fafif]

Has anyone else noticed Ankiel and Wright are tied in home runs?

[nymr83]

Ankiel now has 526 career ABs (mostly in the last 2 years) and has hit .259/.320/.487 for a 108 OPS+. Those numbers aren't great, but you wondr if he should have been playing the outfield on the days he wasn't poitching all along.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Or taking roids.

[nymr83]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Or taking roids.

whose to say he wasn't?

[Guest sharpie]

When Chris Aguilla was called up, I had the Met game on the radio while doing something or other in the kitchen. The Mrs. came in to talk to me and when they said "swinging a bat on deck is the newest Met Chris Aguilla" I thought they said Rick Ankiel. I couldn't pay attention to what my wife was saying because I'm thinking "holy crap, we got Rick Ankiel, who'd we have to give up for him and why would the Cards trade him."

Wasn't til later that night I discovered the boring truth.

[Guest cooby]

A few years back I thought Rick Ankiel was cooked, now I think he is one of the best baseball stories ever.

[Guest attgig]

Nymr83 wrote: Ankiel now has 526 career ABs (mostly in the last 2 years) and has hit .259/.320/.487 for a 108 OPS+. Those numbers aren't great, but you wondr if he should have been playing the outfield on the days he wasn't poitching all along.

but that mid 90's fastball and 10k/9ip wasn't making anyone think that he should've been in the OF.

of course, when he had the meltdown, then it was time to reconsider, but nobody thinks.... this guy as a mid 90's fastball, but he looks like he might be able to hit with crazy power. let's move him.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

User!

[nymr83]

i didn't say move him. i said let him hit as well as pitch back then.

and yeah he's a user, which is why contrary to what cooby said he IS NOT a great story

[Guest attgig]

His excuse was the HGH was prescribed for the tommy john surgery.

so, it depends on if you believe him.

[Guest cooby]

Pardon me NYMR but everyone's opinions are not wrong just because they are not yours.

Rick Ankiel is a great baseball story whether you think so or not.

[nymr83]

its a great story that a a guy used steroids to succeed?

Ankiel is not a great story even if you think so.

[Guest AG/DC]

blah blah

[Farmer Ted]

I like the Josh Hamilton story better.

[RealityChuck]

A great story, both on the field, and as a pure refutation of certain basic fallacies of baseball analysis.

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Farmer Ted wrote: I like the Josh Hamilton story better.

Fuck Josh Hamilton. Crack is a PED.

[MFS62]

Vince Coleman Firecracker wrote: Fuck Josh Hamilton. Crack is a PED.

Especially for a defensive football player.
Yet I'd imagine many NY Giant fans were happy when Lawrence Taylor made the football HOF, but would be against Bonds making the baseball HOF. Just my guess.

Later

[Guest AG/DC]

Can we come up with something credible about Taylor's performance being linked to crack before indicting a half million people as hypocrites? My guess is most Giant fans don't think much about Bonds at all.

As long as were speculating, I'm going to speculate that it's raining steroids in the NFL.

[MFS62]

Well, when Taylor was written about, his strengths pointed to included "Plays through pain" and "highly agressive".
And, aren't those known effects from smoking crack?

Or are they not?

That was the part of his "performance" I felt was enhanced. (as in PED)

Just my opinion.

Later

[Guest AG/DC]

Come on. If it's just your opinion that everybody's a hypocrite, you don't think you have to produce any substance before smearing them?

Those aren't "known effects" of smoking crack. The only effects that could be helpful would be bursts of energy during the immediate high, which lasts about 15 minutes. Was he sucking pipe under the stands between defensive series?

Taylor enjoyed being crazy. The drugs were a product of the craziness, not vice-versa.

It's really hard to argue crack is a performance enhancing drug.