I follow enough other things to be suspicious of people making sudden, late career improvements, yeah.
― after several days on “the milk,” (gyac), Saturday, 19 November 2022 18:16 (one year ago) link
I don’t think the league is even testing this season cos of the collective bargaining agreement lapsing so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
― after several days on “the milk,” (gyac), Saturday, 19 November 2022 18:18 (one year ago) link
As I say, anything's possible, witness Tatis, who will take years to climb out of this, if he even manages to. (They must have been testing last season for him to have been caught, no?) It's just hard for me to imagine the level of stupidity it would require for Verlander to risk losing the HOF for the sake of two or three extra seasons. I guess it's possible he's someone who just doesn't care about getting in there, but after money, players play for championships, and they play for awards/honors/legacy. Verlander's already rich as God, he's got two WS now, so that last, especially legacy, would seem to me to be what it's all about right now.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 20:43 (one year ago) link
Clemens and Bonds presumably had both tons of wealth, honours and promising hall of fame cases before they started on the bad stuff. I don’t know for definite about JV, obviously, it’s just my inclination to suspect it with the way his stats took off, his age and especially his history of injury and surgery.
― after several days on “the milk,” (gyac), Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:07 (one year ago) link
Clemens and Bonds also played in an era where steroids were really common and nobody had really been punished for using them yet, if Verlander was pitching in that era he'd 100% be using them
― frogbs, Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:11 (one year ago) link
That's the difference to me--that Bonds and Clemens and the others did so in 1998-2004, not 2022.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:14 (one year ago) link
Found this, which I have zero recollection of:
https://www.si.com/si-wire/2013/08/09/justin-verlander-retorts-peds-allegations
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:16 (one year ago) link
― after several days on “the milk,” (gyac), Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:19 (one year ago) link
xp that’s what I kept thinking about watching him pitch in postseason too - his velocity was pretty sustained even when he was being drawn out on lots of pitches. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Also this, which was maybe a reaction to the above:
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/15429713/justin-verlander-asks-changes-ped-rules-dee-gordon-tests-positive
(Made me laugh: "Verlander said he is strict about what he puts in own body. He said his girlfriend, supermodel and actress Kate Upton, has suggested he take some of the vitamins she does, but he refuses unless things are NSF-certified.")
There were definitely lots of people who didn't get caught, including, I'm pretty sure, a handful in the HOF. But I think what we're saying is that using in the year 2000 had no repercussions, not yet. Using in 2022, if you get caught, has major repercussions.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:21 (one year ago) link
Verlander was Cano gets suspended vs. Verlander when former Tigers teammate Jhonny Peralta got suspended. pic.twitter.com/rnKEdhkeIZ— Mike Axisa (@mikeaxisa) May 15, 2018
― after several days on “the milk,” (gyac), Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:23 (one year ago) link
Twitter's demise will be a great gift to every living baseball player.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 21:25 (one year ago) link
i will say that i was sort of surprised when i saw Verlander’s face recently. i hadn’t paid too much attention to him in a couple of years. he suddenly looks kind of beefy and bloated around the jowls in a way that i associate with mcgwire, clemens etc.
― Tracer Hand, Sunday, 20 November 2022 09:55 (one year ago) link
comeback player of the year (AL)
― FRAUDULENT STEAKS (The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall), Wednesday, 23 November 2022 08:36 (one year ago) link
More like PEDs are making a comeback! (Kidding.)
― clemenza, Wednesday, 23 November 2022 14:45 (one year ago) link
Steeling myself for when these ads are every other commercial on Houston TV in the autumn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGiKhz_5YFI
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 1 August 2023 23:17 (seven months ago) link
Lost, but pretty solid start yesterday: 7 IP, 2 runs, 2 BB, 4 K. Of course hoping for him vs. Scherzer in a crucial September game.
― clemenza, Sunday, 6 August 2023 13:03 (seven months ago) link
I didn't realize he won his 250th game the other day (and 251st last night)--did that get any attention? There must have been stories about how he'll be the last guy ever to win 250. He turned 40 in February, so 300 seems almost inconceivable. But I wouldn't rule it out completely if he wants to keep going. Ryan pitched till he was 46, Randy Johnson 45, Clemens 44; whether one or all of them got some help, probably.
― clemenza, Saturday, 12 August 2023 14:30 (seven months ago) link
Carlton lasted to 43, but his was terrible his last two seasons.
― clemenza, Saturday, 12 August 2023 14:32 (seven months ago) link
"he"
He seems quite ready to play till nobody wants him, so I guess it'll be health and money, in that order--if he's healthy, I'm sure someone will be willing to pay him.
https://www.sportico.com/leagues/baseball/2023/justin-verlander-mets-300-wins-chase-1234730600/
― clemenza, Saturday, 12 August 2023 16:08 (seven months ago) link
I feel like 300 wins is one of those achievements that'll definitely be accomplished but it'll truly require a Maddux-like level of being consistently injury free and declining slowly vs precipitously.
There's no one under the age of 30 with 100 career wins. Top 3: Berrios (29 yrs old, 81 wins), Marquez (28 yrs old, 65 wins), Giolito (28 yrs old, 60 wins).
― omar little, Saturday, 12 August 2023 16:51 (seven months ago) link
I wonder if Verlander's injury troubles the last few seasons have been a trade-off: costing him wins, obviously, but saving him innings and extending his career. If he is serious about 300, I'd do my best to stay in Houston.
― clemenza, Saturday, 12 August 2023 17:00 (seven months ago) link
Had the game on in the background last night, listening more than watching. Two outs away from a shutout; got a great inning-ending DP early in the game after loading the bases.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 26 September 2023 13:00 (six months ago) link
Man, that Justin Verlander's a great pitcher.
https://phildellio.tripod.com/lincecum.jpg
(Kidding around here.)
― clemenza, Friday, 10 November 2023 14:56 (four months ago) link
lol
― mojo dojo casas house (gyac), Friday, 10 November 2023 16:59 (four months ago) link