Let's take a look at it, shall we? Here we have an author attempting to explain why Ibanez got off to such a torrid start. Things he considers and/or investigates:
As for that last one - the unpleasant and volatile point that set off this whole explosion - why don't we see what the author actually says?
...it’s time for me to begrudgingly acknowledge the elephant in the room: any aging hitter who puts up numbers this much better than his career averages is going to immediately generate suspicion that the numbers are not natural, that perhaps he is under the influence of some sort of performance enhancer. And since I was not able to draw any absolute parallels between his prodigously [sic] improved HR rate and his new ballpark’s hitter-friendliness, it would be foolish to dismiss the possibility that "other" performance enhancers could be part of the equation.
...
It will be a wonderful day when we can see a great start by a veteran like Ibanez and not immediately jump to speculating about whether steroids or PEDs are involved. We certainly are not at that point yet, however.
Notice that nowhere in there does the author ("JRod") accuse Raul Ibanez of using. He only acknowledges that it's a possibility, which, well, yeah. It is. Nobody wants to bring it up and nobody wants it to be true, but the fact of the matter is that Ibanez's start does look funny, and because he's 37 years old, that's going to raise some eyebrows. It's not the author's fault that Ibanez has to deal with this sort of speculation. It's the fault of all the players around him who decided to use, players whose chemical dependence and positive tests have given the world reason to be skeptical of unexpected performance spikes. Raul Ibanez has every right to defend himself against potentially damaging press, but fans also have every right to be a little suspicious. This is just a fact of the times that we live in. I, for one, would love to take every athlete at his word, but considering everything we've seen take place, that would be more than a little naive.
Both parties here are right, and both parties here are wrong. JRod is right for acknowledging the possibility, and wrong for writing what he did in such a way that it could be interpreted as an accusation. Ibanez, meanwhile, is right to defend himself and go on the offensive, but wrong to target this particular article, which didn't say anything unfair. In the end, all we're really left with is the realization that steroid speculation is to baseball players as basement speculation is to bloggers.
3 recs | 61 comments
Raul Ibanez is going to kick your ass loser
Graham MacAree - June 10, 2009
I have a difficult time reading JRod's words as an accusation.
Matthew - June 10, 2009
So do I, but I am smart
Jeff Sullivan - June 10, 2009
Maybe Matthew should start doing steroids in his mom's basement?
/speculation
PDXTai - June 10, 2009
Hmmm. What are the side effects of using steroids does Ibanez display?
* infertility (maybe)
* breast development (doesn’t look like it)
* shrinking of the testicles (probably)
* male-pattern baldness
* severe acne and cysts
* oily scalp
* jaundice (could be my TV)
* fluid retention
* rage, aggression
* mania
* delusions
That’s 5-7 fer 11. You’re not convincing anyone, Raul.
Bearskin Rugburn - June 10, 2009
Hmmm what are the side effects of being retarded?
Too many auxiliary verbs? Check.
Bearskin Rugburn - June 10, 2009
I feel your pain, buddy.
I make the same sorts of typos all the time. It comes from revising and/or altering the shading & structure of a sentence halfway through writing it. And makes you look fucking illiterate if you don’t catch it.
esoteric - June 10, 2009
"Delusions" and "mania" are proven a priori by the whole "takes pride in his defense" episode, I assume?
If so, fair enough.
esoteric - June 10, 2009
Ever wonder what the phrase "The (person) doth protest too much," means?
See Ibanez, Raul, OF 2009 Phillies.
This is one that you’ve got to let roll off your back, or you risk giving credence to the suspicions of the cynical fan. Let’s face it…if Raul doesn’t sit down in front of cameras and make a statement about the post…we aren’t talking about it over here at LL.
The blogger may have walked too close to the line for some people’s taste, but clearly didn’t cross it into the realm of an accusation.
short - June 10, 2009
And who is this blogger?
It almost makes me think Raul is up all night reading what other people think of him.
Teej - June 10, 2009
Which is funny, because I got the impression that Raul didn't actually read the article at all
Jeff Sullivan - June 10, 2009
Or he just saw the headline, freaked out and called a press conference.
Teej - June 10, 2009
Yeah I'm wondering how Raul got wind of this
I wonder if he even read the thing
Zack - June 10, 2009
There was a wherever version of Geoff Baker out there (beat writer that is also an online presence)
That basically made a paper story out of calling the blogger out, and that’s what started it outside of the online world.
Of course, that came from Buck Martinez, so who knows if that’s accurate.
Faux - June 10, 2009
I say no.
I’m guessing someone told him, and as he still pissy about the bloggers dissing his D, he went off.
msb - June 10, 2009
William somebody a long time ago
“Much ado about ……. well, something”. Ballpark, opposition, and the early season goodness things would seem to me to be the telling factors. Look how Raul used to hit in Texas (ballpark and opposition). But you have a point – if this article caused him to fire back (?), since when does a player need to rush to denial of PED/s? I didn’t read it as an accusation.
Ed Coffin - June 10, 2009
This really is John Gonzalez's fault, moreso than it is Raul's or JRod's
This made it all blow up
Graham MacAree - June 10, 2009
Wow, what a tip that guy is.
abender20 - June 10, 2009
Perhaps what irks me most is that John Gonzalez essentially says the same thing that JRod said
Compare/contrast:
with:
It was also pretty rich when he claims to worry about fairness and then ends the article by quoting JRod completely out of context.
ubelmann - June 10, 2009
It angers me that Raul resorted to the "mother's basement" attack.
I wish FJM was still around to poop on Raul’s blocky head.
evanr - June 10, 2009
It just continues....
I’m a little stunned by this, actually…
PositivePaul - June 10, 2009
This is awesome
from the comment:
In his case, he’s just Latin American. He’s hitting well late into his career because he’s got a body and natural hitting ability like Julio Franco rather than because he’s using any aids.
pdb - June 10, 2009
OMG RAUL HAS AIDS
Faux - June 10, 2009
You're afraid of his Guatemalaness, his natural heat
abender20 - June 10, 2009
Certainly explains why Beltre is SECOND HALF HITTER! Summer heat, why didn't anybody explain this to me?
And A-Rod sucking in October! We’re really on to something!
Kermit. - June 10, 2009
It's easier than that, even.
In the second half, the Latino players have just aged less (thanks to their Latinosity) than the non-Latino players and have therefore gained less experience. The experience mismatch causes the perceived choking.
abender20 - June 10, 2009
but but but
That explains A-Rod, but by that same logic, Latino players should be much fresher in the second half of the season because they’re not as worn down from all that experience.
Who knew science was this hard? Damn.
pdb - June 10, 2009
But the gravity well created by Yuni being a black hole in the infield fits the hypothesis perfectly!
Kermit. - June 10, 2009
We've just proven that wisdom trumps youth.
abender20 - June 10, 2009
Huh? Is the one comment ending by saying Rauls Latino heritage makes him age better?
Am I reading that correctly?
Kermit. - June 10, 2009
Yezzir.
abender20 - June 10, 2009
Ok then carry on.
Kermit. - June 10, 2009
It's the Former Mariner Goes to NL Hypothesis
The hypothesis is easy to follow:
Former Mariners who are good become stars when they go to NL
Former Mariners who are useful become good
Former Mariners who are bad become useful
I give you: Piniero, Franklin, Aurelia, Soriano, Sandfrog, Cirillo and now Ibanez
It works in reverse as well: Cedeno, Beltre, Vidro, HRam
Mr.Phelps - June 10, 2009
And if I cared, I would give you a longer list of players that fail your hypothesis.
Matthew - June 10, 2009
Griffey?
PositivePaul - June 10, 2009
Basically, it just suggests the AL is the better league
Interleague wins from 2003-2008
2003: AL 115 NL: 137
2004: AL: 126 NL: 125
2005: AL: 136 NL: 116
2006: AL: 154 NL: 98
2007: AL: 137 NL: 115
2008: AL: 149 NL: 103
All Time record (thru 2008): AL 1,536 NL: 1,420
Mr.Phelps - June 10, 2009
A .519 winning percentage
DOMINATION
evanr - June 10, 2009
Over the last 3 years
Most Definitely.
Mr.Phelps - June 10, 2009
I hear JJ Putz is kicking ass over there
Graham MacAree - June 10, 2009
Randy Johnson and Mike Cameron
also did a little better. AL is just a tougher league.
Rollo Tomasi - June 10, 2009
And while we're looking at Ibanez...
2009 Cameron: currently a .900 OPS at age 36, UZR of 7.8 in CF. Dude’s a megastar.
Mr.Phelps - June 10, 2009
I checked fangraphs yesterday, and was surprised to see that he was the second most valuable outfielder in baseball behind Ibanez.
joof - June 10, 2009
The M's need to move to the NL.
Sinking Away - June 10, 2009
I'm not mad at Raul for taking steroids, I am mad at him for not taking steroids when he was with us.
Poochie - June 10, 2009
Heresy!
I won’t believe it!
section331 - June 10, 2009
disagree
Ibanez is totally right to go after the journalist who brought up the possiblity.
Firstly it’s innocent until proven guilty.
Second, silence or hesitation on his part would give rise to further speculation.
Also, going after this particular guy for slander would be a good move. It would prevent further speculation.
You are biased because you are a sports reporter/blogger. However saying that the issue has to be addressed etc. and other misdirection does not change the fact that you are accusing the player of probably being on steroids.
switch11 - June 10, 2009
Um, it wasn;t a journalist.
msb - June 10, 2009
Yes it does
The guy at no point accused Raul Ibanez of using steroids and is in no way guilty of slander.
Jeff Sullivan - June 10, 2009
Also
Raul addressing it… especially in an angry way… just adds fuel to the fire. It won’t stop speculation at all. It will just make people think of Rafael Palmiero and shake their heads.
johnbai - June 10, 2009
Well, no on pretty much all counts.
Matthew - June 10, 2009
You obviously haven't actually read the post people have been bitching about
Graham MacAree - June 10, 2009
No, what this guy wrote did not amount to slander.
Rauuuuul can react however he wants, and he is innocent until proven guilty. He can’t control what anyone might specualate tomorrow or what anyone thought two days ago. He is a public sports figure, he needs to deal with it.
Sinking Away - June 10, 2009
I am so tired of people using the line in your sig.
The best players in baseball only fail 6 out of 10 times. If you fail 7 out of 10 times your name is Yuniesky Fucking Betancourt.
Sec 108 - June 11, 2009
The guy who wrote the column in the paper was on ESPN
Along with the blogger and Ken Rosenthal. The blogger seemed very reasonable and the columnist and Rosenthal basically ganged up on the guy. Rosenthal especially came off as a total dick. They basically stated it wasn’t ok to state your thoughts as they pertain to somebody else.
CKel - June 10, 2009
They must be mistaking blogs for professional journalism
Jeff Sullivan - June 10, 2009
What like the Seattle Times?
Matthew - June 10, 2009
I just watched the OTL piece and had the same feelings as you did.
I seriously think the kind of aggression Ken Rosenthal displayed comes from the idea that accredited journalists feel threatened by new media sources. Rosenthal has spent many years to be where he is at in his profession and probably has grown a sense of entitlement to being a journalist. This was an opportunity for Rosenthal to take the blogger’s words out of context, scold him for “bad” journalism, and gain trust with MLB players for future articles.
Rosenthal was out of line, but I give credit to the blogger for not losing his cool as I probably would.
Wilder. - June 10, 2009
He's obviously juicing
Explains the jump in defensive performance as well…
BQueezy - June 10, 2009
This angers me a bit for a few reasons
The guy wrote an article exploring the possibilities for Raul’s hot start. He explored a variety of explanations, backed up with stats, and when these failed to fully explain Raul’s HR rate, he stated, truthfully, that it’s something we can’t quantify or explain (yet, anyway). He offered a variety of explanations for why, outside of the realm of statistical analysis, that Raul could be doing well. He also stated that a third of a season is not good evidence for any sort of assumption. And then he addressed the question of steroids, which was raised by a member of a forum (not him), and said, entirely truthfully, that it can’t be ruled out. He never accused Raul of anything, though he suggested it could be a possibility.
This guy certainly deserves a bit of blame. Writing articles on a clearly inflammatory subject can only lead to…this. In my opinion, the article was very informative outside of the steroid mention, and the much better route would have been to just leave it out altogether. Incidents like this are part of the reason that bloggers are viewed the way they are. Bloggers may not be journalists, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be held accountable. Even speculation should be based on some sort of evidence, and “it can’t be ruled out” or “other explanations don’t make sense” isn’t proper evidence.
Raul Ibanez heard there were steroid accusations about him. He was, rightfully, angered (if he’s clean anyway, which I’d be willing to bet he is). While work ethic is often overvalued by media, players, organizations, etc., in my view, Raul worked his butt off to go from a bit of an afterthought to a solid hitter. Having finally signed a big deal for a winning franchise, and riding a huge hot streak, it’s got to feel pretty damn good to have that effort validated. Even though Raul clearly didn’t have his facts straight, baseball is his job and his life, and I can clearly understand why he is angry.
Raul could have reacted better. He’s taken issue with bloggers before, and he definitely doesn’t buy into what a lot of bloggers do (using defensive metrics). However, his remark about the “42 year old living in his mother’s basement” is nonfactual and immature. Not to mention, comments like this are a kick in the gut to bloggers who spend their free time producing relevant and useful analysis because they love the game more than the average guy.
John Rodriguez is a complete and total douche.
Fuckmikereilly - June 10, 2009
The kind of annoying thing is that Raul has reacted at bloggers before, but in a way which showed he was aware what was being said about him
and tried to respond like a reasonable person would, e.g. about his defensive shortcomings. This just seems completely out of place, especially given that the guy never actually accused him of taking steroids.
seattlebruin - June 11, 2009
Okay, now I'm upset...
Ultimately this is one guy with a small audience stating pretty much common sense — when a guy who’s at the age where performance generally trends downward suddenly has a spike in performance, it’s our gut-level reaction as MLB fans to speculate if PEDs are involved. That’s the entire summary of the guy’s blog entry. His conclusion after skimming some other possible factors is that it “would be foolish to dismiss the possibility.” It’s not like this was posted at Daily KOS or USSM or SOSH or some other big-time, high-traffic independent blog. That it was elevated to the level it was is completely the fault of the MSM, and it reeks of bullying to me. THAT’s what pisses me off…
PositivePaul - June 11, 2009
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