Short Hops:More PED Suspensions, Alvarez MIA and more

Posted by Timm Davis on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 11:46 am

…And the list gets longer of Minor Leaguers getting suspended for MiLB Drug Policy violations. You can add five more names to that list, Rafael Aybar (Dodgers), Alfredo Buret (Marlins), Julio Sanchez (Orioles) and Eliel Sierra (Twins). All were in the Dominican Summer League and tested positive for Boldenone.

Juan Castillo (Cardinals) who was in the Rookie Gulf Coast league tested positive for Stanozolol. All suspensions begin immediately.

This brings the total to 34 Minor Leaguers that have received 50 game suspensions for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs since July 25th.

…On Monday Barry Bonds looked to have most of the governments case against him dropped. Lawyers for Bonds argue that most if not all the charges against him are bases on “ambiguous” answers to “ambiguous” questions posed by prosecutor’s during his grand jury testimony. A spokesman with the US Attorneys office refused comment according to a report in the the USA Today.

…Chicago White Sox Designated Hitter Jim Thome moved into 15 place on the all time home run list - belting his 535th dinger of his career against the Baltimore Orioles.

“Very special,” Thome said. “We’ve talked about it. Anytime you can tie or move ahead of the greats that played the game, it’s very humbling. It’s something you look back and feel very honored. You cherish that, for sure.”

He’s just one home run behind Mikey Mantle on the list.

…To make room for Eddie Guardado the Minnesota Twins designated Mike Lamb for Assignment. The Twins will be eating $3.8 million dollars of Lamb’s contract.

…According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Pirates first round draft pick and he of the $6 million dollar signing bonus Pedro Alvarez has yet to report for his physical or his press conference to introduce him (he also hasn’t physically signed his contract yet, just gave his verbal go ahead). According to the report, this is pretty standard Scott Boras tactics, keeping his client from the team for a extra week. Well, what ever is going on it’s starting to drive the Pirates batty.

…The Seattle Mariners have recalled right handed pitcher Randy Messenger from Triple A Tacoma, while sending reliever Mark Lowe down. The Mariners signed Messenger after the Giants released him on July 10th. He would’ve been with the club sooner, when Arthur Rhodes was traded to the Marlins but Messenger turned down the promotion.

“I’d have been up earlier, but my wife was having our first child, and there were some complications, both for her and for our daughter,” Messenger said shortly after arriving in the Mariners clubhouse. “So I told them I couldn’t come up.”

…And to end things on a weird note: Nine Year-Old Jericho Scott has been banned from Youth Baseball because he throws too hard. That’s right, he throws too hard. At his age he’s able to throw the ball 40 miles per hour. The Youth Baseball League in New Haven Conn. says he can still play, just not pitch. Last week he took the mound anyway, and the opposing team forfeited the game.

Officials of the league (8 teams) says that if Jericho continues to pitch, his team will be disbanded. There’s even a lawyer involved who says that he shouldn’t be allowed to pitch because facing that kind of speed is “scary”. No, what’s scary is there is a lawyer involved with all that. And if that isn’t enough – here’s what Scott had to say.

“I feel sad. I feel like it’s all my fault nobody could play.”

Once again, grownups not the kids suck the fun out of everything.