Steroid Era: Ivan Rodriguez

Ivan Rodriguez was one of the players named as a steroid user in Jose Canseco's book Juiced. Canseco claims that he showed Ivan Rodriguez how to use steroids, and purchased steroids and HGH for him.

When a member of the Associated Press recently asked Ivan Rodriguez on whether he was one of the 104 players who failed the steroid test administered in 2003, his response was a puzzling "Only God Knows"

In 2005 after being named in Canseco's book, and MLB's Steroids testing was put into place, Ivan Rodriguez showed up to Spring Training 20 pounds lighter. The weight loss seems to have impacted his power numbers significantly, and he has failed to hit more than 14 HRs since then.

Steroid Era: Juan Gonzalez

Juan Gonzalez was one of the players named as a steroid user in Jose Canseco's book Juiced. Canseco claims that he showed Juan Gonzalez how to use steroids, and purchased steroids and HGH for him.

In 2001 Juan Gonzalez' trainer, Angel Presinal was linked to an unmarked bag containing anabolic steroids at the Toronto airport, which came off a come off a Cleveland Indians charter flight. When questioned, he told the police that the bag belonged to Juan Gonzalez.

Angel Presinal was banned from private areas of every MLB ballpark after the event, and his name has once again surfaced during the ARod steroid scandal.

Steroid Era: Ken Caminiti

Ken Caminiti
Born: Sunday, April 21, 1963
Died: Sunday, October 10, 2004 (drug overdose-induced heart attack)

In the May 28, 2002 Sports Illustrated issue, he admitted to using steroids during his 1996 MVP season with the San Diego Padres (.326 40 HR 130 RBI)

Tragic Tales: Tim Crews

It was Spring Training 1993, and the Cleveland Indians were getting ready to head up north and start the baseball season.

On March 22, 1993, three of their pitchers had decided to go on a fishing trip in Little Lake Nellie, located in Clermont, Florida.

Free Agent signee Tim Crews (31 Years Old) drove his bass boat into a dock, instantly killing teammate Steve Olin (27 Years Old), and leaving Free Agent Signee Bob Ojeda (35 Years Old) with severe head lacerations.

Tim Crews Died the following day on March 23, 1993, while Bob Ojeda sat out most of the season recuperating.

An investigation revealed that the darkness, combined with Tim Crews being legally drunk while operating the boat at high speeds, was the cause of the tragedy.

BAD TIMING

>After pitching six seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tim Crews signed with the Cleveland Indians for the 1993 season.

>Bob Ojeda also signed with the Indians after playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers the previous year.

>The Cleveland Indians trained in Tucson, Arizona from 1947-1992, and moved to Winter Haven for their 1993 Spring Training.

MLB Sign-and-trades?

Supposedly the Major League Baseball Commissioner's Office will allow the Arizona Diamondbacks to Sign-and-trade their Type-A Free Agent Juan Cruz.

Type-A Free Agents require a First Round Draft pick as compensation, and this seems like a way to get around having to give up the draft picks.

Juan Cruz's agents would approach the Arizona Diamondbacks with an offer from a potential suitor, and then the two teams would negotiate a trade.

As if this off-season hasn't dragged on long enough, this just keeps getting interesting. Who would have thought you'd still be talking hot-stove baseball after teams have begun reporting to Spring Training!

Ichiro Suzuki Clubhouse Cancer?

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer the clubhouse chemistry issues the Seattle Mariners endured last year may have been due to the preferential treatment that Ichiro receives.

J.J. Putz, Jim Riggleman, Carlos Silva, and Adrian Beltre have all hinted that Ichiro was at the center of it all.

Some of the more telling quotes quotes which seem to be about Ichiro include:

"Some Guys Just Get Special Treatment"
Apparently Suzuki stays in different hotels during road trips.

"Take a walk if you need it. If you can run ... just little things like that"
Ichiro managed a whole 51 walks in 700+ Plate Appearances last year.

Get A Grip: Rick Vanden Hurk

Get A Grip: Fernando Valenzuela

Get A Grip: Chase Utley

Get A Grip: Dan Uggla

Get A Grip: Justin Verlander

Kazuo Uzuki Topps Card

With Spring Training now upon us, we can look forward to the beginning of April, and the beginning of the 2009 baseball season.

But let's focus on one particular day April 1st (April Fool's Day).

One of my favorite April fools day jokes was telling a friend to look out the window because it was snowing, and he looked!

Topps has tried to put the fun back into collecting. The hobby has become too much about opening packs and looking for an insert card. Topps made everyone stop and wonder about one particular card last year, a 2008 "Future Star" card of Japanese high school pitcher Kazuo Uzuki Rookie Card numbered FS1.

By turning the card around you see that it appears to be from an insert set, but when you start reading the back of the card, you'll find this.

Already being called "The Uzi" by some for his 104 MPH fastball, Kaz will be the first Japan-based high-schooler to jump straight to professional baseball in America when he graduates in 2009. "He is, hands down, the best pitching prospect I've seen in 30 years," said one MLB scout. And one unnamed American League GM said, "The contract this kid is going to get will be astronomical." At age fourteen, he was the youngest player invited to the WBC squad trials and -- though he was cut on the last day he made a lasting impression with his 17 Ks in 7 innings of work during intrasquad matches.

The 5-foot-11 165 pounds pride of Sarufutsu Japan and his 104 mph fastball seemed destined to become the first Japanese Born high-school player to jump straight to the Big Leagues.

The card which could be found one in every 72 packs was being gobbled up on eBay in the $10-$20 range.

How did nobody ever hear of him?
How did he fly below the radar for so long before finally being noticed?

He was destined to be the greatest kept secret since Toe Nash, a High School drop-out, emerged from the swamps of Louisiana to hit 500 foot home runs, and throw 95 mile an hour fastballs in front of scouts (after being signed by Tampa Bay He managed to get arrested 5 times within one year).

Topps would go on to announce that the Kazuo Uzuki card was an April Fool's joke.

Some Collectors immediately felt as though they were under some personal attack, but i found it amusing. It's great to see that a company as old as Topps definitely understands that in todays world of Web 2.0 it's all about generating a buzz. I almost wish Topps had gone all out and actually published a viral video on YouTube to back up the Hoax.

Welcome to the world of Collecting 2.0!