body break
Jays were up 6-0 after three innings tonite against the Devil Rays, were down 8-6 after seven and a half, when Vernon Wells hit a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-7. Hollins homered in the ninth for the Rays to make it 9-7. Wells lead off the ninth with another home run to make it 9-8. Eight homeruns tonite so far in this game.
It seems as if home runs are being hit at a high rate to start off this season. What's the answer? Steroids? Juiced balls? Expansion diluting the pitching talent? No to the first two, perhaps yes to the last. But you're going to hear the real reason here first. The reason? Greenies.
Baseball's new ban on amphetamines this year. Greenies is their clubhouse name, and they were made famous in Jim Bouton's book Ball Four. Who uses amphetamines the most? My guess is those guys who have to sit around for a long time and then come in and pitch, the relievers.
Before MLB does something stupid like claim it owns the rights to stats from it's games, I'm thinking a good stats survey would be to track the increase in the long ball this year, specifically those given up by relievers. My guess is it's significant. I'll wait for the sample size to reach a month before I start my survey.
Jays lost 9-8. Prince Felix has just taken the mound in Seattle against the A's, and I gotta tune in to see what all the fuss is about. This kid, according to the folks at Baseball Prospectus, is to baseball what Lebron is to basketball and Crosby is to hockey (Crosby and not Ovechkin because Felix is a teenager and Alexander the Eight was 20 to start this season). Prince Felix will turn into a King later tonite, as his 20th birthday is tomorrow.
Amphetamine n : a racemic compound C9 H13 N or one of its derivatives (as dextroamphetamine or methamphetamine) frequently abused as a stimulant of the central nervous system but used clinically especially as the sulfate or hydrochloride salt to treat hyperactive children and the symptoms of narcolepsy and as a short-term appetite suppressant in dieting.
Now, before I go back to my paper that was due today, here are some sites worth looking into if the greenie subject has you interested.
- Here's a website, with some doctors are behind it, so it should be credible as to the side affect of amphetamines. Here's a sample of what the author of this piece, Amy Scholten says, specifically about amphetamines.
Amphetamines (also called speed or uppers) are stimulants that can decrease the appetite and the need for sleep. If injected they can cause a rapid increase in blood pressure, which can lead to sudden death from heart failure, stroke, or very high fever. Examples of amphetamines include prescription drugs such as Dexedrine, Adderall, or Ritalin, as well as amphetamines that are illegally manufactured for sale as drugs of abuse.
- Now as for baseball's banning ruling, an article by Hal Bodley in USA Today from last November.
- Finally, an article from a couple of days ago about baseball and amphetamines in the Palm Beach Post by Carlos Frias.
More and more it seems that Jose Canseco did a good thing by writing Juiced. I say this not because he was bankrupt and bitter; but because he did help, in some small way, to accelerate the process of officially banning the substances in the Major Leagues.
Hopefully this ban on 'uppers' will reach the mainstream mind-set. That is, recreational players or adult amateurs who play sports and use them will stop using them due to the heart risks associated with them.
Till next time, keep fit and have fun.
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