Ohman, Jaramillo, Steroids

Ohman:

Jerry Crasnick is reporting on ESPN.com that the Pirates are one of three teams who have offered major league contracts to Will Ohman, the other two are the Padres and Marlins.  Ohman plans to continue discussions with three contending teams being the Mets, Dodgers and Phillies.

BTW Take:

While it is nice to know the Pirates have an offer on the table, all three contending teams could still use help in the pen.  One of them will step up and offer a deal to Ohman.  The only chance the Pirates actually have is if the money is so far off that Ohman looks at a deal with the Pirates as nothing more than a preamble to a trade to a contender in June.

 

Jaramillo:

A player happy to come to the Pittsburgh Pirates?  Yes there is such a player.  His name is Jason Jaramillo. 

BTW Take:

While on the surface one would wonder if Jaramillo is destined to pop a drug test, he actually has a lot of reasons to be happy.  He and John Russell have a good history.  He was trapped behind two solid catchers in Philly, much the same as where Ronny Paulino sits now, but now has a chance to make the majors.  He also knows quite a few Pirate players and coach Long.  He feels like he is coming home in a sense.

Jaramillo is a good defensive catcher, a nice alternative to the average at best defensive catcher in Doumit.  Don’t think Jaramillo will take away Doumit’s position, Doumit is a catcher because of his bat which is much better that Jaramillo. 

 

Steroids:

Just like anyone else, I am sick of hearing this story and how everyone wants to hear the other 103 players named.  What does it matter?  It has already been leaked that players were warned of the tests prior to 2003.  It is not hard to “study” for such tests.

If anyone is gullible enough to believe the 104 players who tested positive are the only players to have used?  I have some ocean front property here in Iowa I’d like to sell you.

People are calling for “clean” players to come forward and be “role models” by standing up for clean and fair play.  The name I hear most often is Jeter.  Has anyone considered why Jeter may not step up and do this?  Might he be viewed as a hypocrite the same way A-Rod is being viewed?  Might he be afraid his name will be mentioned in the future on a different report?

The 104 failures are not the only doping cheaters in the history of the game.  Please people, stop acting like this list is the be all end all list of cheaters.  It is merely a start of what is sure to be a long laundry line of dirty laundry to be aired in the coming years. 

There is a reason the 1990-2003 seasons are looked at as the “Steroid Era”. 

This is why I don’t write about steroids.  The more time that passes.  The more players get named.  The important thing is MLB does everything possible to keep the game clean.  Lord knows there are no players in the Hall that have cheated.  Right?  (Sarcasm alert in case you missed it)

 

Donate:

I will be walking in the MDA Stride and Ride locally. Please sponsor me in my Stride and Ride Walk for MDA at https://www.joinmda.org/srcoralvilleia09/dharr18. Every dollar is appreciated.

 

BTW Note:

My wife is having surgery on Tuesday.  I can not guarantee a post Tuesday night, but I have been working on my most challenging piece yet…An optimistic view of the Pirates 2009 season.  Hopefully it will be up soon.

I am also working a new 5 Questions piece that I hope to have up sometime in the next couple weeks.  I am getting the questions together and hope to have them sent out sometime this week.  Thanks to the surprise 5 Question target.