Now that the cat’s out of the bag, what used to stay in the clubhouse is now pretty much common knowledge. Mark Grace, as quoted on Sporting News Radio yesterday, taken from the Chicago Sun Times’ Chris De Luca.
‘I think you’ll know I’m telling the truth here: I was not a user,” Grace said. “I was not a steroid guy. If you see me, I’m body by booze.
“It’s not just Barry [Bonds]. There were a lot of guys doing it. I saw it with my own eyes. It was pitchers, it was catchers, it was outfielders, it was infielders. There was a lot of it going around. Shoot, looking back on it, I had it offered to me many times.”
On speculation that players such as Mark McGwire and Sosa used steroids: ”Those are the red-flag guys, the guys that just made the sudden big, big jumps. Guys that showed up at the beginning of their career at 170 pounds and left at the end of their career at 235 pounds. A body can’t get that way naturally; it has to be enhanced with something. Sammy’s just one of the guys of many that are red-flag guys. Do we have proof? Nope. But you certainly have suspicions.”
On Sosa and Rafael Palmeiro suddenly being out of the game: ”There’s a lot of guys that are not playing anymore, that are not even good players anymore, ever since they started testing for steroids. There’s a lot of guys, just all of a sudden their recovery time is a little more than it used to be. And all of a sudden they’re hitting those same balls they used to hit — and it’s not just Sammy; there’s a lot of guys — those balls that used to go in the second deck are being caught at the track.”
On staying quiet during his playing days: ”I’m also a big believer in ‘to each his own.’ I don’t worry about what the guy eats for dinner. I don’t really worry about what his off-the-field relationships are. That’s none of my business. If a guy wants to do it and if a guy is willing to pay the price later on in his life, then do it.”
Mariners CF Jeremy Reed is expected to miss 6 weeks after breaking his right wrist last night. Reed hit the wall while trying to haul in a drive hit by the D-Backs’ Johnny Estrada. Since above average center fielders are so easily obtainable a week before the season starts, there’s no need whatsoever for me to make any comment about the Mets no longer having Mike Cameron as bait.
Ah, Mark Grace. All class, that guy.
It is curious to see Mark Grace congratulate himself for not talking shit about other players considering all the smack he threw at Juan Encarcion picked up by the Fox mic last year.
and don’t worry about the M’s in Reed’s absence; they’ll just insert Mr. Intangible, Willie Boom Boom Bloomquist in center and reap his hustle-laden .290 ops.
The Mariners signed Carl Everett just for situations like this.
Everett is signed as a (starting) dh, and has not been playing in the field this spring. Apparently the M’s are mulling an Ichiro-to-center, Ibanez-to-right (uh oh), and the human growth hormone tandum of Matt Lawton/Mike Morse in left. If Ichiro refuses, as he has done in the past, you get your Willie Fucking Bloomquist in the 8 hole in center and in the order.