http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/07/04/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor-except-in-his-own-country/ Media, Baseball, Boston, the Red Sox, Music, Literature, and Mnookins Mon, 12 May 2008 14:06:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/07/04/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor-except-in-his-own-country/#comment-389134 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:11:25 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/07/04/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor-except-in-his-own-country/#comment-389134 [...] In an interview with an Atlanta radio station, John “I’ll just keep talking until I get myself in trouble” Rocker says he and a bunch of other Texas Rangers were advised on how to juice without getting caught back in 2000. (According to Rocker, this little talking-to happened after he flunked a steroids test. He also takes pains to point out that A-Rod was one of his teammates at the time. It looks more and more like Alex’s stint with Texas wasn’t the best move: every two-bit punk who did time with him in Arlington is using him to gin up publicity.) Anyway, I believe Rocker is telling the truth. (Sort of.*) I’ve had an odd–well, soft spot isn’t exactly the right word, but you get the idea–for Rocker even since he went mano a mano with Deadspin’s Will Leitch, one of our all-time favorite sportswriters, period. (If you haven’t bought “God Save the Fan,” you should. It’s hysterical. And cut up into easily digestible chunks.) But that’s not why I believe him. I believe him because I think the Mitchell report underestimates — enormously — the amount of juicing within baseball. (I’m also surprised Mitchell, et al got away with the methods they used; that kind of crap would get me drummed out of journalism permanently. That’s a whole other story.) I also believe him because if the whole steroids mess has shown us anything, it’s that the least likely folks have ended up being the most honest. That’s in large part because of the frat house/high school locker room mentality of the entire baseball world, where the omerta code is lots stronger than it is in today’s mob…and guys like Jose and JR have already been kicked out of the club, so they have nothing to lose. [...] […] In an interview with an Atlanta radio station, John “I’ll just keep talking until I get myself in trouble” Rocker says he and a bunch of other Texas Rangers were advised on how to juice without getting caught back in 2000. (According to Rocker, this little talking-to happened after he flunked a steroids test. He also takes pains to point out that A-Rod was one of his teammates at the time. It looks more and more like Alex’s stint with Texas wasn’t the best move: every two-bit punk who did time with him in Arlington is using him to gin up publicity.) Anyway, I believe Rocker is telling the truth. (Sort of.*) I’ve had an odd–well, soft spot isn’t exactly the right word, but you get the idea–for Rocker even since he went mano a mano with Deadspin’s Will Leitch, one of our all-time favorite sportswriters, period. (If you haven’t bought “God Save the Fan,” you should. It’s hysterical. And cut up into easily digestible chunks.) But that’s not why I believe him. I believe him because I think the Mitchell report underestimates — enormously — the amount of juicing within baseball. (I’m also surprised Mitchell, et al got away with the methods they used; that kind of crap would get me drummed out of journalism permanently. That’s a whole other story.) I also believe him because if the whole steroids mess has shown us anything, it’s that the least likely folks have ended up being the most honest. That’s in large part because of the frat house/high school locker room mentality of the entire baseball world, where the omerta code is lots stronger than it is in today’s mob…and guys like Jose and JR have already been kicked out of the club, so they have nothing to lose. […]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/07/04/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor-except-in-his-own-country/#comment-321119 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:48:16 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/07/04/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor-except-in-his-own-country/#comment-321119 [...] That’s all for now. I’ve written plenty about steroids in the past, including last August, when I wondered why no one was wondering about Roger, and way back in October ‘06, when I mocked the press’s surprise that Clemens had been fingered in he Grimsley affidavit. I also tagged Jason Giambi a gutless punk, ripped into the Players Union for defending the players’ right to destroy their livers, lamented the fact that Jose Canseco seemed to be the only honest guy around, and talked about how Bill James compared steroids to going through a divorce. (Sort of, anyway.) [...] […] That’s all for now. I’ve written plenty about steroids in the past, including last August, when I wondered why no one was wondering about Roger, and way back in October ‘06, when I mocked the press’s surprise that Clemens had been fingered in he Grimsley affidavit. I also tagged Jason Giambi a gutless punk, ripped into the Players Union for defending the players’ right to destroy their livers, lamented the fact that Jose Canseco seemed to be the only honest guy around, and talked about how Bill James compared steroids to going through a divorce. (Sort of, anyway.) […]

]]> http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/07/04/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor-except-in-his-own-country/#comment-82 Tue, 04 Jul 2006 18:49:08 +0000 http://www.sethmnookin.com/blog/2006/07/04/a-prophet-is-not-without-honor-except-in-his-own-country/#comment-82 Anyone out there still think Canseco is full of hot air when it comes to steriods, HGH and other performance-enhacing drugs? Anyone? Buehler? Buehler? HGH. How Giambi Homers. Anyone out there still think Canseco is full of hot air when it comes to steriods, HGH and other performance-enhacing drugs?
Anyone? Buehler? Buehler?
HGH. How Giambi Homers.

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