Carlos Zambrano, coming off a no-hitter in his last start, failed to get out of the second inning and was pounded by the Cards Friday. A line of 1 2/3 IP with six hits, three walks and eight earned runs, including a grand slam by Adam Kennedy certainly shattered a few fantasy owners’ dreams. Kennedy, who earlier in the day had requested a trade out of St. Louis due to his reduced playing time as of late, responded by going 4-for-5 with the grand salami, five RBI and three runs scored. However, all of us Zambrano owners could be bitter over this effort for a while.

Shin-Soo Choo is still hotter than fire, going 3-for-4 Friday with two homers and four RBI for the Tribe. He is currently sporting a .307 BA, with 13 homers and 57 RBI in only 287 at-bats. Choo has the potential to be a very solid sleeper pick heading into next spring. In other news coming out of this game, Gary Sheffield and Fausto Carmona took centre stage in a seventh inning melee. After getting plunked by Carmona in the seventh, the two played the stare down game on Sheff’s leisurely stroll to first, and after a pick-off move to first and the customary exchange of pleasantries, the brawl was on. Sheffield charged the mound and repeatedly attacked Carmona’s fist with his face. Come on Sheff, with that display you must have attended the Robin Ventura School of Fisticuffs. Stay tuned for the sure-fire suspensions to follow.

Down in Arlington on Friday, the Angels gave the record breaking Francisco Rodriguez the day off, and Scot Shields picked up his third save of the season in a 15-13 slugfest. The Angels, having clinched the division sometime back in mid-summer, will in all probability be resting some of their regulars in the last week of the season, making both Shields and Jose Arredondo solid options for save opportunities next week. For those playing in keeper formats Shields and Arredondo are both intriguing choices with K-Rod heading to free agency this offseason.

After totally destroying pitching at Triple-A Oklahoma, Nelson Cruz continued his onslaught at the majors, going 3-for-5 Friday with a homer and three RBI. Since getting called up at the end of August, he’s sporting a .346 BA, with five homers and 21 RBI in only 81 at bats. With Milton Bradley looking for a long-term deal fitting of his HOF calibre year, Cruz is positioning himself well for increased playing time heading into the 2009 season.

Jorge De La Rosa got the win Friday, his ninth of the campaign for the Rockies. The 27-year-old limited the Diamondbacks to three hits and three walks, with six punchouts and only one earned run over six IP. Since being inserted into the rotation back in the middle of August, he has gone 4-2 and has been steady if unspectacular in an early audition for 2009. Clint Barmes and Chris Iannetta both chipped in with solo homers in the victory. Iannetta’s was his 18th of the season, a very nice return for a guy that was looking to be nothing more than a backup heading into this year.

The bubble finally burst for Brett Myers, as he was tagged for nine hits, two walks and ten — yes, ten — earned runs in four IP in the Phillies’ 14-8 loss to the Fish. This was a devastating effort for his fantasy owners, as he had allowed two earned runs or less in eight of his previous 11 starts since his trip to the minors to get things straightened out back in July. Cameron Maybin continued his torrid return to the bigs by going 4-for-5 for his second consecutive four-hit game. He is now 9-for-11 in the three games since his callup from Double-A Carolina and is making a solid case for being a part of the Marlins’ plans for 2009. However, if talk that Hanley Ramirez may move to CF proves to be true, it will interesting to see where Florida finds room for Maybin.

In closing, I just wanted to pass on a strategy tip for everyone playing in Yahoo! leagues with an innings cap for pitching. If your league is using an innings cap, it is very important to remember that the cap only comes into play once it is exceeded, and Yahoo! gives full credit for all stats accumulated on the day the cap is passed. If the need is there for a last minute push in wins and strikeouts, feel free to wind ‘er up and start as many starters as you can on those last few days; it can be a difference maker.

September 20th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Fantasy Notes, Tim McLeod . Author: Tim McLeod . Comments: No Comments

Will the return of Andrew Bynum propel the Lakers to the next level?

We kick off of the 2008-09 RotoRob NBA Draft Kit with the debut article on the site by Herija Green, who brings a tremendous amount of sports writing experience to us. I’m sure you’ll love his stuff.

On the surface, it might make some sense to begin my scintillating six-part NBA preview with the defending champion Boston Celtics and a look at the Atlantic Division, but since I make my home in beautiful Southern California, we’re going to kick things off with the Pacific Division. Then we’ll tackle the other five divisions as we get closer to the start of the season.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (57-25)
Lost in NBA Finals

After the Grizzlies gift-wrapped Pau Gasol in early February, the Lakers made huge strides in 2007-08, jumping from first-round fodder to championship contender. There’s no question they caught some breaks in the playoffs - primarily against the Spurs when Manu Ginobili was gimped by an ankle injury - but overall, they looked like the best in West, earning them a showdown with the Celtics.

Boston exposed some significant Laker weaknesses during the Finals - rebounding, toughness, perimeter defense by anyone not named Bryant - and embarrassed them in a non-competitive Game Six to win the championship. The Lakers return largely intact this year minus energy guy and notorious salad towel tosser Ronny Turiaf (Warriors), but the big addition is the return of Andrew Bynum, whose absence is the crux of any argument from fans that think the Lake Show is set for another title run.

While that makes for good water cooler talk, the reality of the situation is that we’ve yet to see how the combination of Gasol, Bynum and Lamar Odom will function in the frontcourt together since none of them looks to be quick enough to defend opposing small forwards. Luke Walton and Jordan Farmar vanished in the Finals, and Derek Fisher is another year older. Kobe Bryant is still in his prime, but between the playoffs and the Olympics, he has logged a ton of minutes in the last 12 months, plus there’s that whole thing about delaying surgery on his injured pinkie - if that backfires and Bryant needs the surgery in-season, the Lakers could be in a world of trouble.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Farmar - Despite a ghastly performance against Boston, Farmar looks to be the best of the backcourt options opposite Bryant. He’s got speed and a decent outside touch, and I’d look for the Lakers to limit Fisher’s minutes a bit more in ‘08-09.

Guy I hate…Odom - His ability to fill up a box score is tantalizing, but he’s not a natural three and has the tendency to disappear for long stretches. If things don’t work out with the Lakers’ giant frontcourt he’s the one that will get sent packing. Durability (65 games per season over his career) and toughness (both physical and emotional) are also concerns.

PHOENIX SUNS (55-27)
Lost in First Round

The Suns were on cruise control with a 34-15 record before dealing Shawn Marion to the Heat for Shaquille O’Neal in early February, and then they went just 21-12 from that point to fall to the sixth seed and a first-round matchup with their nemesis, the Spurs. The move was an all-in play for a championship, but O’Neal’s style didn’t mesh with Phoenix’s up-tempo pace and it ended up looking like an ill-advised panic move. Head coach Mike D’Antoni left for much greener pastures (read: money) during the offseason, and despite rumours aplenty surrounding speedy but erratic Leandro Barbosa and underachieving Boris Diaw, the roster is a familiar one.

The hiring of Terry Porter, a former NBA point guard, should help keep things moving offensively, and the Suns still two boast two of the league’s best in Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, but their window of opportunity is nearly closed. Nash (34), O’Neal (36) and Grant Hill (35) are all getting long in the tooth, and it’s imperative that Porter do a better job than D’Antoni of distributing minutes during the regular season to keep his veterans fresh for the playoffs. If he can successfully integrate youngsters Alando Tucker and Robin Lopez into the rotation, the Suns might actually have something left come April and May. If not, it might just be time to blow this thing up for 2009-10 when Shaq’s mammoth contract suddenly becomes a potentially attractive bargaining chip.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like… Tucker - This is a bit of a flier, but Hill can’t average 32 minutes per game again in ‘08-09, and Tucker was a scoring machine at the University of Wisconsin. He’s a great athlete and a natural fit for Phoenix’s wide-open style. D’Antoni missed the boat on Tucker - hopefully Porter doesn’t do the same.

Guy I hate… Nash - Sure, he’ll still rack up a bunch of assists, but he tired badly down the stretch and there has been off-season talk of resting him throughout the season to keep him fresh. While that may mean reduced minutes at some points, it’ll probably mean additional days off as well, which isn’t exactly what fantasy owners want out of a first-round pick.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (48-34)
Lottery Team

The Warriors were the association’s hard-luck team last year, finishing with the NBA’s 12th-best record, but only ninth-best in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Things didn’t get much better in the offseason as they lost Baron Davis, Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes to free agency, re-signed Monta Ellis to a big-money extension only to watch him get injured and then lie about the circumstances, and dished out a fat free-agent contract to Corey Maggette, who plays the same game as any other number of players already on their roster.

It’s hard to envision the Warriors leapfrogging over anyone to get into the playoffs this year, especially with the Trail Blazers ready to add Greg Oden to one of the NBA’s best young lineups. Golden State has too many weapons not to put some serious points on the board, but it doesn’t play much defense and might miss the intangibles Davis brought to the table when healthy and not openly feuding with head coach Don Nelson. Look for the Warriors to slip back towards the .500 mark while leading the league in 125-117 losses this year.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like… Andris Biedrins - He quietly pieced together a pretty good season last year and could be even better without Davis launching 22-foot fade-away jumpers with 19 seconds on the shot clock. There’s already talk of an increased offensive role for Biedrins while Ellis is on the mend, and if he can establish himself during that time we could be talking about a 15-12 guy instead of a 10-10.

Guy I hate…Stephen Jackson - Yes, he’s a potentially explosive scorer, but he’s also bat shit crazy and doesn’t have Davis to keep him on the straight and narrow. I can’t see him approaching 20 points per game again in 2008-09 with Maggette on board. I look for him and/or Al Harrington to be dealt during the season.

SACRAMENTO KINGS (38-44)
Lottery team

The Kings used to be one of the NBA’s best-run franchises, but somewhere along the line the Maloofs decided they cared more about eating cheeseburgers with a $6,000 bottle of merlot than putting a viable contender on the court. They rid themselves of Mike Bibby last year and unloaded the always colourful (a polite word for insane) Ron Artest during the offseason. They’ve got a ton of guys with contracts that run out after the 2009-10 season and looked to be positioning themselves for a full rebuild the following year, but that amazingly didn’t stop them from pissing away north of $30 million to control Beno Udrih’s rights for the next five seasons.

Sacramento has a couple nice pieces in place with Kevin Martin looking like the real deal and Brad Miller still a solid frontcourt player, but it’s also saddled with the likes of Shelden Williams (primed to take Tony Battie’s infamous title of “El Busto”) and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who I swear I saw dealing blackjack at the Palms during the offseason in what had to be an effort to recoup some small part of the nearly $13 million he’s still owed. The Kings did ink Bobby Brown to a deal during the offseason, but unfortunately it wasn’t that Bobby Brown, which means there will in fact be no humpin’ around this season…and probably not much winning either.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Martin - I hate to designate a team’s best player here because it tends to elicit the old “no shit” response from readers, but Sacramento doesn’t offer much else. Martin is a capable scorer and decent rebounder, and without Artest around he could push his scoring average over 25 or 26 points per game. If you’re looking for a semi-sleeper, I’ve got my eye on John Salmons.

Guy I hate…Udrih - Call me old fashioned, but I like my fantasy point guard to actually, you know, get some assists. The 26-year-old was serviceable last year, but was given a nice new deal in the offseason, which means I’m not expecting better than the 12.8 points and 4.3 assists per game he managed last year. He’s got Marko Jaric written all over him - don’t say you weren’t warned.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (23-59)
Lottery Team

Elton Brand’s injury killed the Clippers in 2007-08, and his shady departure following the Davis signing may kill them again in ‘08-09. Brand was reportedly instrumental in getting Davis to sign with the Clips, but then instead of re-upping with the club, he inked a long-term deal with the 76ers. To LA’s credit, it swung a deal for Marcus Camby, which gives the Clippers a nice interior one-two punch defensively with everybody’s favourite German, Chris Kaman. They let Maggette walk and look ready to give his job to Al Thornton, who showed some real promise as a rookie. Drafting Eric Gordon was another good move as Cuttino Mobley is average at best, and I also like the addition of Steve Novak, a lights-out shooter who should benefit from Davis’ ability to penetrate and Camby/Kaman pounding the glass for reloads.

The two big questions for LA’s “other” team is whether Davis can stay healthy - the Clips signed “White Chocolate” Jason Williams to back him up, but that’d be a major downgrade - and how Camby plays after being unceremoniously dumped by the Nuggets. With an inspired performance from the former Defensive Player of the Year and 70-plus games out of Davis the Clippers could make an unexpected push for a playoff spot.

Fantasy Spin

Guy I like…Thornton - He averaged 16 points and almost six rebounds per game after the All-Star break last year, and with the team’s leading scorer from last year (Maggette) out of the picture, Thornton could push towards the 20 PPG plateau.

Guy I hate…Davis - I always worry about a borderline star that just signed a big deal, and when that same guy hadn’t played 70 games since 2001-02 before last season I get even more worried. Plus, Davis seems more interested in infiltrating Hollywood than he does winning NBA championships. I mean, how long before he and Sylvester Stallone are collaborating on a new reality-based sports show for ESPN that centres on competing to be the Clippers’ 15th man? The answer: Not soon enough…but I’m still not drafting him.

September 19th, 2008
Categories: 2008-09 NBA Draft Kit, BASKETBALL, Herija Green, Team report . Author: Herija Green . Comments: 1 Comment

Carey Price will be under plenty of scrutiny this season; you should do the same before selecting him for your fantasy team.

We wrap up the meaty part of the 2008-09 RotoRob NHL Draft Kit with Mike’s selections of players you might want to think twice about before drafting. Going forward, look for us to cover fantasy-relevant news and notes from around NHL camps and pre-season action as we head towards the new season.

When considering which players to be cautious with, keep in mind the overall context of the pick. You’re going to see a whole mix here: top-tier superstars, offensive defensemen, starting goalies, and more. It’s important to remember that just because someone is on this list, it doesn’t mean they’re necessarily a bad pick if they’re available. Buyer beware simply means that said player may not be the best pick for whatever reason (injury, bad team, coaching problems, etc.) when compared to the players in his immediate talent group.

For example, my No. 1 buyer beware is Ilya Kovalchuk. I’ll give the exact reason below, but needless to say, if you can claim Kovalchuk in the mid-rounds when players like Patrick Sharp are being selected, go get him.

With that disclaimer, here we go.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk, Atlanta Thrashers: Yes, he broke 50 goals again. Yes, he was the heart of the Thrashers. Yes, he’s young and immensly gifted and really, really wants to win. But if you look at the bulk of where Kovalchuk did his damage, it was with Marian Hossa in the lineup. Jason Williams and Colby Armstrong aren’t chopped liver but they are not the same calibre player as Hossa. One guy can only do so much, so don’t look for Kovy to repeat his 50+ goals unless another Thrasher really breaks out.

2. Marian Gaborik, Minnesota Wild: Gaborik returns for another season under Minnesota’s stifling defensive scheme — this time, without Brian Rolston or Pavol Demitra. Take away the Wild’s best centre and Gaborik’s offensively gifted buddy and you’ve got the heavy burden of a franchise laying on the shoulders of one guy. Make that one injury-prone guy (more than 50 lost games in the past three seasons).

3. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens: Sophomore slumps happen, and it doesn’t mean you won’t move on to a Hall of Fame career. Will Price improve in his second year or will he struggle with consistency like Carolina’s Cam Ward? Hope for the best, but expect the worst with Price — and that means understand that there’s a real chance he may not be a consistent dynamite goalie…yet.

4. Johan Franzen, Detroit Red Wings: Franzen was all the rage in the playoffs, putting up goals at a ridiculous pace when he was healthy. Will he score at this second-half/playoff clip? No, he won’t. Thirty goals is a reasonable expectation for this second coming of Tomas Holmstrom. Bypass the hype and only take Franzen in the mid rounds.

5. Alexei Kovalev, Montreal Canadiens: Just a little while ago, Hab fans wanted to lynch Kovalev (or at least pour melted cheese curds and scalding hot gravy all over him). One 84-point campaign later and suddenly the guy is the toast of the town. The two seasons prior to that, Kovalev put up 65 and 47 points, respectively. At age 35, it’s much more likely that Kovalev will regress from his stunning rebound.

6. Wade Redden, New York Rangers: Despite his new Manhattan digs, Redden remains the same player he was in Ottawa the past two seasons: nervous, unsure, and prone to bad turnovers and poor decisions. Put it this way — look at all of the offensive talent he had to work with in Ottawa and his numbers still declined despite the fact that he’s on the good side of 30. It won’t come much easier on a Jaromir Jagr-less Ranger squad.

7. Mark Streit, New York Islanders: Here’s an abberation for you — Streit’s once-in-a-lifetime season of 62 points came at age 29. Coincidentally, it came on a squad where everything just came together. Now the blueliner is going to a New York Islander team that has a bunch of over-the-hill veterans. There’s no doubt that Streit’s points will drop. The question is: how much?

8. Chris Drury, New York Rangers: Despite his monster contract, Drury really has never been a massive scorer. A lot of people forget that. He’s a solid lock for 55 to 65 points and some good playoff numbers (and even that didn’t quite work last season), but now that the Rangers have less talent up front, the puck won’t go in the net any easier for Mr. Little League World Series. (Sorry, Chris…just had to get that one in there.)

9. Bryan McCabe, Florida Panthers: When we did our defenseman cheat sheet, an irate reader (probably one of those crazed Leaf fans who think the team will be a legitimate contender this year) called us out for excluding McCabe. Well, McCabe’s spirit may be rejuvenated by the Florida sun — hey, he did waive a no-trade to go to a…non-playoff team? — but his roster won’t necessarily be better. Sure, he’ll play with Jay Bouwmeester but his power play partner in Leafland was Tomas Kaberle. And as bad as the Leafs were last season, it’s not out of the question to wonder if McCabe’s forwards will be worse this season.

10. Pavol Demitra, Vancouver Canucks: Vancouver’s one true hope in adding some offensive punch came with an aging and injury-prone Demitra. You can pencil him in as the right wing on the Sedin line, but factor in these two items: The Canucks lose what secondary punch they had with Markus Naslund’s departure and they already play a tight defensive style. Things are looking down, not up, for Mr. Demitra.

September 19th, 2008
Categories: 2008-09 NHL Draft Kit, HOCKEY, Mike Chen . Author: Mike Chen . Comments: 2 Comments

Chances are, you didn’t have former VT star Eddie Royal in your lineup in Week One; he wasn’t quite as studly in Week Two, but found the endzone again.

Week Two was a welcome change for wide outs. While Week One saw plenty of good producers, many weren’t in any starting fantasy line ups. We’re looking right at you, Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson. This past slate of games, however, was different. And the torch bearer was Anquan Boldin, my pick for greatest human being ever on Earth (GHBEE) . He scored three times, pulled in 140 receiving yards, and I think delivered a baby on the way home from the game. Good stuff all around. But that’s in the rear view now, so let’s find some sneaky starts and surprising sits for all you pesky and voracious fantasy freaks.

Sneaky Starts

Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Rams) - Honestly, I don’t even care who is playing the Rams. Every quarterback playing them every week will be a sneaky start. Yes, even Tyler Thigpen would qualify. I don’t even like Hasselbeck. He’s gimpy and the team brought back Koren Robinson and traded for Keary Colbert. I don’t think there’s a proper way to convey how desperate a team has to be to bring back Robinson, but I will say that even Chris Henry and the Bengals feel badly for them. But, at the end of the day, it’s the Rams. RotoRob could be started safely against them, and he only follows the CFL!

Jake Delhomme, Carolina Panthers (@ Vikings) - Two big keys to why Delhomme is worth starting consideration this week: Steve Smith is the obvious one. Delhomme has done an okay job with his depleted wide out corps, which isn’t a ringing endorsement, but it really could have been worse. The other big point to keep in mind is that Carolina is facing the Vikings, which means it can just give up on the run right now. The Vikings stymied Joseph Addai and really looked like the run stuffers of old. If the Panthers attempt more than 15 runs, they will lose. I’m stating it right now.

Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs (@ Falcons) - Well, it’s the Falcons. And if you were dense enough to ignore our constant warnings about LJ over the last two seasons, you might as well start him here since it’s basically your last chance to. Enjoy it!

LenDale White, Tennessee Titans (vs. Texans) - In its only game this year, Houston allowed 4.7 yards per carry and three scores. The Titans’ top back is undoubtedly Chris Johnson, who will certainly get his and should be in every teams starting line up this week. White, however, will also get enough touches to be relevant. Don’t expect a huge yardage total, but he should get at least one cheap touchdown.

David Patten, New Orleans Saints (@ Broncos) - With Marques Colston out, Reggie Bush finished with the most catches and Robert Meachem scored the only touchdown through the air. The most telling stat, however, has to be targets (or looks) and Patten
won out. Sure, he only converted half of his looks into catches, but if he improves that just a tad, he could be a seven- or eight-catch for 80-to-100-yard wide out.

Mark Clayton, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Browns) - I’m not giving up on Clayton. The Browns defense couldn’t even hold the Steelers to under 185 passing yards while playing in Hurricane Ike. Assuming the winds stay under 50 miles per hour, Clayton and the Ravens should be in for a big game.

Good luck in Week Three and, as always, you can e-mail me any fantasy football questions.

September 19th, 2008
Categories: Andy Goldstein, FOOTBALL, Prepare Thyself . Author: Andy Goldstein . Comments: No Comments

The infamous note from Paul Lo Duca to Kirk Radomski that was discovered by federal agents during a search of Radomski’s home.

After a busy week of football coverage and the continued rollout of our NHL Draft Kit, we’re back with the next part of our look back at the Mitchell Report. You can find the first four parts of the series here, here, here and here.

Paul Lo Duca

Four-time All-Star Lo Duca was originally referred to known PED peddler Kirk Radomski by teammate Todd Hundley, and according to Radomski, he and Lo Duca had about a half dozen drug transactions between them. Lo Duca, in turn, introduced Radomski to several players who would become clients, including Kevin Brown, Eric Gagne and Matt Herges. Lo Duca reportedly first start using steroids in 1999, courtesy Triple-A Albuquerque strength and conditioning coach Todd Seyler. While he declined to participate in Mitchell’s report, in the wake of its release, he finally apologized for “mistakes in judgment.” Great. Don’t forget about those needle marks, too, Paul! Lo Duca’s career season came in 2001, his first year as a full-time player. He looked to be in free fall the past couple of years, but a move to Florida seems to have momentarily revitalized his career.

Rick Ankiel

Ankiel was first connected to ‘roids by a September 2007 New York Daily News report that suggested he was a client of Signature Pharmacy, one of the companies that was raided. According to the paper, Ankiel had ordered eight shipments of HGH during 2004 and, after the story broke, he admitted that he had in fact used the drug. The Commissioner’s Office met with him, but ultimately concluded that there was insufficient evidence to discipline Ankiel. After flaming out as a pitcher thanks to injuries and psychological issues, Ankiel made an improbable successful transition to the outfield, enjoying great success there last season before the news broke late in the schedule. This year, he was also having a fine campaign, but once again, injuries have thrown a monkey wrench into his progress.

Jay Gibbons

Right after Ankiel was outed, Sports Illustrated reported that Gibbons was also a client of Signature Pharmacy, buying a reported six shipments of HGH between 2003 and 2005. Gibbons refused to comment on the allegations, but the Commissioner’s Office decided to slap a 15-day suspension on him, to begin at the start of the 2008 campaign. Once the suspension was announced, he admitted his mistake and apologized for it. Sorry! Gibbons enjoyed his finest season in 2005, but has been in free fall since. In fact, he sunk so low that he had to go the Independent Atlantic League to get a job this spring. In late-July, he finally got back to organized ball, signed by the Brewers to a minor league deal. Gibbons had to start at Double-A, and after five games of barely acceptable production, he was promoted to Triple-A, where he hit well, but never got a sniff of a Milwaukee brat. Clearly, he faces an uphill battle to get back to where he was a couple of years ago.

Jack Cust

Cust, a teammate of Larry Bigbie’s at Triple-A Ottawa in 2003, apparently told Bigbie he had used steroids and that he had a source who could score him some PEDs if he needed them. Cust refused to be interviewed for Mitchell’s report and, after the report came out, denied ever using ‘roids. He enjoyed a breakout season for the A’s in 2007, and while he hasn’t quite been able to duplicate that this season, he does have a career high in home runs.

Tim Laker

According to Radomski, in 1995 he was introduced to Laker by Expo teammate David Segui, a man famous for his ‘roid hookups. Radomski said he sold Laker steroids on a couple of occasions, a fact that was verified by Laker, who was one of the rare former players who agreed to be interviewed for the Mitchell Report. Of course, he didn’t have much choice; as a member of the Cleveland Indians’ staff, he was required by the Commission’s Office to participate. Laker confided to Mitchell that he first considering juicing up prior to the 1995 season, and began researching the idea. His first purchase was in 1995 and his last one was in 1999, and he says he stopped using during the 2000 season. Laker was always a back-up catcher, battling for jobs year after year. In a brief run with the Pirates in 1998, he hit very well, but probably his finest season ever was in 1995. After a four-game callup with the Indians in 2006, he was DFAed, and never made it back to The Show.

Josias Manzanillo

According to Radomski, in 1994, Manzanillo, a journeyman pitcher for 14 seasons, asked to be injected with ‘roids. Radomski complied, in what he says was the only instance he ever actually saw a major leaguer juice up. Through his lawyer, Manzanillo stated that a Mets’ clubhouse attendant repeatedly approached him and encouraged he buy steroids during the early ‘90s. He admitted buying them, but said he chickened out and never took them. Further, Manzanillo’s lawyer says his client never took PEDs. In 2001, Manzanillo was fingered by Jose Cervantes as someone he sold prescription drugs (not steroids or HGH, however), but Manzanillo’s lawyer shot down that incident as well. Manzanillo’s finest season came in 2000 and he last pitched in the bigs in 2004. In 2005, he failed to make the Red Sox and was released.

Todd Hundley

Hundley, a two-time All-Star, has known Radomski since 1988, and, Radomski says, Hundley started buying ‘roids from him in 1996. Hundley, who denied Mitchell an interview, exploded in 1996 for 41 homers – a record at the time for catchers — and followed that up with an even better season in 1997. Injuries really hurt him from then on, but in 2000, he was fantastic, mashing 24 homers and driving in 70 runs for the Dodgers in just 90 games. He struggled badly with the Cubs the following season, and then rebounded somewhat in 2002, despite more injury issues. In 2003, he played slightly better again, but was limited to 21 games and was done after that year.

Next up, in our seemingly endless series on the Mitchell Report, we’ll look at Chris Donnels, Mark Carreon, Hal Morris and others.

September 18th, 2008
Categories: BASEBALL, Performance enhancing drugs, RotoRob . Author: RotoRob . Comments: 1 Comment