Raines Comes Down in Newark
May 22, 2009
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY- Specks of gray hair dot the manager’s beard as he stands just a few steps from the visiting dugout railing. The facial hair is about the only indicator the man wearing a black-and-white Newark Bears pullover and cap is not a player.
Tim Raines still looks like he can run to first base, time the pitcher’s release and slide into second ahead of the catcher’s throw. But Raines will not be adding to his 808 career major league stolen bases. He now is busy trying to help Newark’s 16 former big leaguers on its roster back to the big time as manager of the Bears, which play in the independent Atlantic League.
Raines forged a borderline Hall of Fame career playing 23 seasons. After retiring from the Marlins in 2002, the man nicknamed Rock managed in Single and Double-A before capturing a World Series ring as a White Sox coach in 2005, marking his third championship overall. Managing in the big leagues is about the only thing left on the checklist, though the soon-to-be 50-year-old said he’s enjoying the freedom of 6,000-seat ballparks and East Coast baseball.
“At least here, you pretty much run your club and you don’t have anyone looking over your shoulder telling you what to do and telling you who to play,” Raines said. “This is a pretty neat situation for me as far as managing is concerned. I haven’t gotten the managing bug at the major league level yet.”
When minor league teams hire prominent former players, the conventional wisdom is that the club’s youngsters and struggling veterans will benefit from picking the brain of someone who has already scaled the game’s greatest heights.
As a seven-time All-Star, Raines certainly falls into the accomplished athlete category. Raines said an impressive track record doesn’t automatically mean his opinion is a premium commodity.
“I think sometimes players don’t understand what they have around them,” Raines said. “A lot of them think they already know how to play the game. And as you see here, a lot of them are not where they want to be.
“I’m not one to go after guys. I’ll take it upon myself to try and help guys out but if these guys really want a chance to go back and get better, they need to take it upon themselves.”
Entering Friday, Raines has helped Newark surge into the Freedom Division’s top spot at 16-9. Even before a pitch was thrown, Raines’ presence helped the Bears acquire a potential MVP candidate. Carl Everett spent two productive seasons for the Ducks before saying he would retire. Then Raines signed with Newark and Everett signed on to play with his friend.
During games, Everett can be seen standing immediately to Raines’ left, looking like a coach himself. As the designated hitter, Everett can spend most of his time in that spot, moving only to take his turn at bat, which usually results in good thing for the Bears.
“We’re friends. When he said he was becoming the manager, I said I would come here and help him out,” Everett said. “It’s as simple as that. Other than that, I was good hanging out with my kids.”
In a career that spanned 1979-2002, Raines’ best seasons came for Montreal, the club for which he made all his All-Star appearances, including MVP honors in the 1987 exhibition. The Sanford, Florida native played with the Expos from the start of his career until 1990, where he also won the Silver Slugger award.
Raines’ stolen base mark is still fourth all-time, behind greats like Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock and Ty Cobb. Before the steroids era, Raines was a peripheral Cooperstown candidate after logging 2,605 hits and a career. 294 average.
Now, with modern sluggers like Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa linked to performance enhancing drugs, players like Raines might receive stronger consideration for enshrinement, evidenced by Jim Rice’s induction after more than a decade of falling short of the necessary vote total.
Though his legacy was built in Montreal, Raines is known in New York as a key role player on the Yankees 1996 and 1998 championship teams, when he served as a complementary designated hitter and left fielder.
Before his Bears took on the Ducks at Citibank Park this week, Raines showed he is still candid about baseball. When asked if he was excited to manage a majority of former major leaguers, he smiled.
“If they were playing better, they wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Guys are trying to fight their way back.”
Hall of Famer Gary Carter was in the opposite dugout as the Ducks manager. The Atlantic League also boasts other big-name managers like Somerset’s Sparky Lyle and Bridgeport’s Tommy John.
“The Atlantic League is the best independent league out there,” Carter said.
A-Rod and Manny Tarnish the Game
May 11, 2009
Poor Bud Selig. The commissioner of baseball is trying his best to clean up the game amidst criticism that he himself caused it to get this far. The guy can’t win. As he implemented stricter testing and longer suspensions he has watched some of the game’s biggest stars have their names smeared.
The list reads like an All-Star squad for the era. Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Raphael Palmiero, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez and the latest, Manny Ramirez.
The Dodger leftfielder had a 50-game suspension handed down on Thursday, perfect timing for the subject of performance-enhancing drugs to be drummed up again with A-Rod making his regular season debut the next day.
It’s not as if Rodriguez was going to fly under the radar, anyway, but the topic will reach new heights over the weekend. He can deflect all the questions that he wants and say that he is only going to talk about baseball, but the media frenzy that is sure to follow him around for the rest of the season and possibly longer is not going to let up.
Some may feel that with Ramirez being suspended some of the negative attention surely awaiting Rodriguez tonight at Camden Yards in Baltimore will be offset and directed towards the Washington Heights native. While that may be somewhat true, A-Rod should not get too cozy.
It is true that Rodriguez has not been penalized and his steroid admissions, no matter how inaccurate they may seem, should be viewed as an attempt to gain some sort of compassion and forgiveness. In Ramirez’s case, the only information we have to go by is what has been the short statement he released and what was reported by Major League Baseball.
“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue,” Ramirez said in the statement. “He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing: I’ve taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.”
What Ramirez was actually suspended for was human chorionic gonatropin, more commonly known as hCG. Without further information or the ingredients of the prescription Ramirez’s doctor gave him, we can only speculate why he would be ingesting it. Known as one of the more potent concoctions used as Post Cycle therapy. hCG is popular amongst steroid users following a period, or cycle, to help maintain the effects of the substances and kick-start the natural production of testosterone after ingesting the synthetic version.
What triggered all of this was Ramirez having one of his Spring Training tests come back with a high testosterone level. All of that would seem to add up and point to Ramirez using performance-enhancing drugs to the point of including PCT, something a beginner does not normally have the knowledge of doing.
It will be hard for Ramirez to lean on the “amateur hour” excuse that Rodriguez used during his admission press conference while explaining how he and his then-unnamed cousin were taking steroids.
NFC Draft Wrap
May 3, 2009
I will admit you have to give the Giants credit for getting as many needs filled as possible. GM Jerry Reese knew he would need not one, but two receivers in this draft. In Hakeem Nicks(Rd1-29th overall), they get a natural talent at the position who runs pass routes well, has excellent speed, both before and after the catch. The one knock on Nicks is that he is only 6′ 3/4″ and some would have thought they would have gotten a taller receiver. Wait, they also got a tall receiver in the third round in Ramses Barden. The tallest receiver in this draft at 6′5-1/2″ and 230 pounds, Barden is big enough to fill Plaxico Burress’ shoes. he may not have the speed, but he has the body and the hands to play the jump ball game in the back of the endzone.
Barden also runs good pass patterns and will help stretch the defenses. 2nd round selection Clint Sintim is an LB from Virginia who will help with depth on the defense. The other #2 selection OT William Beatty, will help the depth on an aging offensive line. 4th round choice TE Travis Beckum of Wisconsin will make the team simply because he will cost less then at least one of Kevin Boss’s back ups. 5th round choice Rhett Bomar was a stand out QB at Oklaholma, but was dismissed for rules violations and finished his last two years at Sam Houston State. RB Andre Brown, and CB’s DeAndre Wright, and Stoney Woodson will at least get into camp. Grade: B
The rest of the NFC:
Eagles: 7 Picks. Although Philly adds three quality starters in Maclin (Rd1), RB LeSean McCoy (Rd2), and TE Cornelius Ingram (Rd3), but little else after that. These three will contribute, and Maclin will be a star in the NFL like his new teammate DeSean Jackson. Ingram needs to improve run blocking. Grade B-
Cowboys: 12 picks. A half grade off for trading out of round 2 when they already gave up round one choice. LB Jason Williams, OT Robert Brewster, and QB Stephen McGee address needed depth. Large group of picks give camp roster extra bodies, but how much else? Grade D+
Redskins: 5 Picks. After DE Brian Orapko (Rd1) Washington didn’t do all that well with only 2 picks in the first 3+ rounds. FB Eddie williams is already a” Bubble” player. CB Kevin Barnes, and LB’s Cody Glenn and Robert Henson are reserves at best. Grade: C
Bears: 9 Picks. This group could have even been better if there was a choice in the first two rounds. 6 of the 9 picks should contribute though, and the WR trio of Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox, and Derek Kinder give the receivers depth for new QB Jay Cutler. DT Jarron Gilbert has upside potential as a pass rusher. Grade: B-
Lions: 10 Picks. Give Detroit credit for getting the Stafford deal done, even if they paid a bit over what he’s really worth. TE Brandon Pettigrew was the best of a weak class at his position, but could play a crossover role as an end/ receiver. Louis Delmas is a quality safety, but he was the only DB they selected. Grade: B+
Packers: 8 Picks. Six of this group will make the Packers roster this year. BJ Raji (Rd1) should be a force for years to come on the inside of defensive line. LB Clay Matthews is also a quality prospect, and FB Quinn Johnson will contribute. The offensive line will be helped by T.J Lang and Jamon Meredith. The only down side is the lack of a higher rated DB prospect. Grade: A-
Vikings: 5 Picks. The whole ball of wax here is Percy Harvin. “If” is the biggest two letter word in the universe and it applies to Harvin here. OT Phil Loadholt will be a contributor and could quietly be a draft steal, but there isn’t much else to get excited about here.
Grade: C+ if Harvin gets strait, otherwise, a C
Falcons: 8 Picks. First round pick DT Peria Jerry can play, but can he stay healthy? Atlanta needed defensive help just about everywhere, and they addressed that in this draft, taking only one offensive player in OT Garrett Reynolds. DE Lawrence Sidbury of FCS national champion Richmond university is a gift in round 4.
Grade: B+
Panthers: 7 Picks: Everette Brown could have been a low first or high second round selection in a different year. He will eventually develop into Julius Peppers’ replacement. CB’s Sherrod Martin and Captain Munnerlyn should provide added reinforcements to the defensive backfield. RB Mike Goodson and FB Tony Fiammetta will take some pressure of the passing game. No selections in the top 50 picks did hurt though. Grade: C+
Saints: 4 Picks (but made deals prior to this for Shockey and Vilma).
CB Malcom Jenkins will have almost an instant impact on the defensive secondary.
Punter Tom Morestead will most likely make the team. The other two picks, S Chip Vaughn and LB Stanley Arnoux will be solid reserves. The lack of early selections hurts here. Grade: B-
Buccaneers: 6 Picks: Coach Morris will have his very own QB of the future in Josh Freeman. DL’s Roy Miller and Kyle Moore are good selections. WR Sammie Stroughter will pay off down the road, but nothing will come of this class for 2009.
Grade: C-
Cardinals: 8 Picks. Just have to love what the Cards did in this draft. Chris Wells’ anguish is Arizona’s gain here. OL’s Herman Johnson and Trevor Canfield will add depth, although Johnson was touted as the best Guard in the class. his size might force his move outside to tackle. S Rashard Johnson and CD Greg Toler will also help the Cards pass defense. Grade: B
Rams: 7 Picks. OT Jason Smith & LB James Laurinaitis fill glaring needs right off the bat. QB Keith Null(6th Rd) could become the 3rd QB. sadly, the Rams didn’t go for a receiver until the 5th round, but got Hakeem NIcks’ teammate Brooks Foster of North Carolina, a steady possession receiver, who might be able to develop some moves. Grade: B
49ers: 7 Picks. We can’t say enough about Michael Crabtree, even if he can’t do the Deion Sanders dance too well. He may wind up to be the lone starter in 2009 from this draft class, But they needed to get help for whomever the starting QB is. Grade B-
Seahawks: 7 Picks. When no one wanted to trade up to the 4th spot, the ‘Hawks devided to reinforce their pass rush with Aaron Curry(Rd1). OC Max Unger in round 2 is also an instant starter. the rest of the picks are all contributors in some way this season. WR Deion Butler and TE Cam Morrah are great value picks. Grade: B+