The Fraud that is Manti Te'o?

Deadspin reported today that Manti Te'o's girlfriend who died of leukemia just hours after his grandmother, was actually not his girlfriend...In fact, she wasn't even real.  The shocking revelation that Deadspin, who seemingly thoroughly investigated this (article found here: http://tinyurl.com/b29k3pd), shows that it was either an elaborate hoax that Te'o was oblivious to or something he could have been a part of.  Notre Dame Athletic Director, Jack Swarbick, who just held a press conference moments ago, is totally behind Te'o in the sense that he was the victim.  He repeatedly called Te'o a victim of a hoax.  The univerisity did conduct their own investigation but never turned it over to law enforcement.  They were made aware of this, by Te'o, on December 26.  Swarbick talked to Te'o on the 27th where he laid out his relationship with the alleged woman posing as his "girlfriend".  Many inconsistencies in Te'o's story remain.  He said he had met her after a game at Stanford and even vacationed together.  He never said it was exclusively an on-line relationship.  He said they had talked on the phone almost everyday.  What is the truth? Swarbick said that Te'o received a phone call on the 26th, when he was at an ESPN awards show, from a number he recognized, and a voice he know.  It was supposedly from the woman who had "died" and said she was indeed alive.  While the university investigated, Te'o remained silent, and has remained silent since the National Championship game loss to Alabama.  Swarbick said that Te'o was going to address the media on this next week.  Now he says that Te'o will have a press conference tomorrow.  Will we ever get the truth from this? Was this an elaborate hoax by some sick people or was Te'o actually in on this? I doubt Te'o will admit he was in on this and will play a victim.  What do we believe?  The same day when we finally will allegedly hear that Lance Armstrong lied about PED use, will we get the whole truth from Te'o? I doubt the whole truth, but then again as sports fan, do we ever? One thing I know...I guess I have to watch the show "Catfish" to get any context of how something like this could even supposedly happen...

The Fraud that is Lance Armstrong

Like many people, I wanted to believe. I wanted to believe in a man who was on his death bed with testicular cancer.  I wanted to believe that the seven Tour de France races he won after being so close to death was done legitimately.  But fairly tales are only in books.  Cycling is a dirty sport and has been for years.  It was naive of us believers to think that in a sport that is so dirty and corrupt, that Armstrong would have won cleanly.  It's a sad story that we cannot have heroes in sports anymore because he could of been it.  Performance Enhancing drugs have been used rampantly in Track & Field, Cycling, Baseball, and many others.  Who can we look up to anymore?  Maybe that's the problem.  We invest so much time in sports and it's players.  We look for good guys that we can like and follow, and even idolize, especially as kids.  As parents (which I'm not one), how do you explain to your kids that their favorite athlete might be a cheater?

I know in 1998, during the great homerun chase between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, I, along with a lot of my friends, wanted to be a part of history.  So we took a trip to Milwaukee to see Mark McGwire make history.  He did hit homerun #65 in one of the games we saw that September weekend.  We were elated that we got to see history.  Then steroid rumors began.  I gave McGwire, Sosa, and others the benefit of the doubt at first.  Then I came to the sad realization that these rumors were indeed true.  McGwire admitted to steroid use.  Sosa has not yet, but evidence is strong.  Needless to say, I was devastated at first.  Then I came to acceptance.  Acceptance that it wasn't just those two guys that used, but many of the era.  So I have accepted the era.  Now I watch sports with caution and skepticism.  When I watch a sporting event, I don't think about who uses PEDs and who doesn't.  I just am not surprised anymore if someone tests positive.  While the testing has become much better over the years, the cheaters are still ahead of the game.  My first introduction to steroid use among athletes was in 1988 during the Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.  Canadian track star, Ben Johnson, obliterated the record in the 100 meters and beat American Carl Lewis.  Shortly there after, Johnson tested positive for steroids and was stripped of his Gold Medal.  I didn't really understand it then at age 9, but I understand now why athletes try to do it.  Everyone wants to be bigger, faster, and stronger.  They feel cheating is the only way to do it.  What they should take note of, is the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong.

When Armstrong was winning, even amongst the loud whispers of doping, people didn't want to believe it.  I didn't want to believe it.  He denied it over and over again.  He was defiant and was hard not to believe.  You wanted to give this cancer survivor the benefit of the doubt that he was clean.  He started the Livestrong Foundation for cancer research.  They yellow bands became a symbol of the cause.  I have worn a yellow Livestrong band for years.  In light of Armstrong reportedly admitting to his use of PEDs in an interview that he will do with Oprah Winfrey that will be taped Monday and aired on Oprah's OWN network and Oprah.com, I've been struggling with the fact if I should still wear the yellow band or not.  Armstrong has distanced himself from Livestrong.  Resigning as it's CEO and not doing anymore appearances.  But the organization still does great things in the fight with cancer; a disease that has affected all of us in some way.  After a lot of thought, I've decided to keep wearing the band...not in support of Armstrong, but in support of the fight against cancer.

In an interview with 60 Minutes Sports, the head of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart who investigated the Armstrong case, said he found strong evidence and testimony from fellow team members of Armstrong, that the United States Postal Service team, had a very sophisticated system of illegal drug use, lead by Armstrong.  He said that bullying tactics were used to get other team members to use, and imposed a strict code of silence that was equal to the code of silence you would see in mafias.  The details and testimony are damning.  Armstrong refused to fight it.  It has been reported recently that he has reached out to USADA in hopes of lifting his lifetime ban so he can compete in other sports, like triathlons and marathons.  We'll see what comes of that.

Armstrong's rise and fall has been an epic one.  One that every athlete should take note of and think twice before using PEDs.  I hope it will lead to less use, however, we all know that won't happen.  Cheaters will always try to be ahead of the system.  I'm hoping that in his interview with Winfrey, that he will address every single question she poses.  I think Winfrey won't be as tough a questioner as say a Bob Costas or a Dan Patrick who would be more qualified to ask such questions, but I do hope, that whatever she asks he answers honestly and candidly.  In a text to the Associated Press, he said he put no limits on what she could ask.  I just question that she will ask all the right questions and hard follow up questions that need to be posed to him.  I'm sure some clips and quotes will be leaked out from that interview tomorrow and I'm looking forward to watching the full interview on Thursday.

I hate to judge someone before hearing it from them no matter how things look, however, the evidence against Armstrong is so damning that it's hard to not pass judgement.  While we may never get all the answers, I hope the answers that Armstrong does provide will shed light on why he did it and the culture he himself set among his USPS team.  We will see.  Stay tuned...

Dodgers Announce Release of Some Former Loons

Last week, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced the release of some former Great Lakes Loons players.  Relief Pitcher Jason West, starter/reliever Matt Laney, and Catcher Andrew Edge were all given their release.  I had the unique opportunity of being the Clubhouse Manager for the  Low-A Great Lakes Loons for the 2012 season and was able to get to know these guys pretty well.  All three of them are first and foremost, great guys.  It was a pleasure to get to know them and work with them while they were with the club. 

Jason West, is a rare sidearmer with a big sweeping slider.  He pitched well for the Loons early on in the season.  In 14 games with the Loons, West threw 24.1 innings, had a 0-0 record with a 2.22 ERA.  He struck out 12, walked 16, gave up 16 hits and 6 earned runs.  He began to struggle with control which had to do with a lingering injury.  He was then demoted to Ogden in the Rookie Pioneer League where he struggled.  He appeared in 22 games, throwing 37.2 innings, posted a 3-0 record with a 5.02 ERA.  He struck out 34, walked 21, giving up 47 hits and 21 earned runs.  He was a leader among the relief corp while with the Loons.  Upon being sent down, his fellow relievers had a small statue that looked like West, painted and kept it in the bullpen throughout the rest of the season.  It was a great tribute to a great guy.  I hope he gets another chance with another organization, and if he finds his control, he can contribute nicely for another Minor League team.



Matt Laney is a big left handed pitcher that spent time both as a starter and a reliever.  The soft spoken kid from Chester, Virginia, had a tough season both with the Loons and the Raptors.  Overall he was 5-5 with a 5.55 ERA, while appearing in 26 games, 17 as a starter.  In 94.0 innings, he struck out 68, giving up 51 walks, allowing 107 hits and 58 earned runs.  Every team is always looking for a left-handed pitcher and hopefully he will catch on somewhere and fix his control problems.

Andrew Edge is a talented catcher, but for some reason, never received much of a chance last season.  The Dodgers control all roster moves and who is active on Minor League rosters.  He spent most of his time with the Loons on the inactive list.  When he did get into games, he produced.  In just 7 games with the Loons, he hit .421 in 23 plate appearances.  He had 8 hits (1 double, 1 triple), drove in 2 runs, scored 1 run, walked 3 times and had a 1.101 OPS.  He served as the bullpen catcher, put in a lot of hard work, and all though understandably frustrated at times, was always a positive teammate.  He was sent down to the Arizona League for some at-bats during the season, where he appeared in 16 games.  He had 57 plate appearances, had 10 hits (5 doubles), scored 8 runs and hit .208.  He rejoined the Loons for the final few games of the season.  I believe someone will pick him up and give him another chance in 2013. 

Five Writers Submit Blank Ballots for HOF

The Baseball Writers Association of America failed to elect anyone into the National Baseball Hall of Fame for 2013. Craig Biggio finished with the highest percentage, 68.2% (75% needed). Jack Morris finished second (67.7%), Jeff Bagwell third (59.6%), Mike Piazza fourth (57.8%), and Tim Raines fifth (52.2%).  There was much speculation among the writers that no one would be elected this year, and it turned out that they were right. 

The issue of performance enhancing drugs and who used, who didn't use, was obviously a divisive topic amongst the writers.  Some writers took the stance against not voting for Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, McGwire, etc, while other writers did vote for them.  I'm not going to say either side is right or wrong on their stance of why they voted for someone and didn't vote for others.  As long as they do their research and have solid reasons why, it's their opinion and are obviously entitled to it.  What really makes me mad though is the five writers that turned in a blank ballot...as in not voting for ANYBODY.  That to me is unacceptable.

Four of the five writers have made themselves known - Howard Bryant of ESPN, Chris Jenkins of the UT-San Diego, Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald in Miami and Mark Faller of the Arizona Republic.

By submitting a blank ballot, you are punishing everyone on the ballot, not just the steroid era players.  They may think they are sending a message to the steroid era, however, they are essentially saying nobody belongs, even non-steroid era players.  If you want to send a message, only vote for guys outside of that era.  Guys like Jack Morris, Tim Raines, Lee Smith, Alan Trammell, Dale Murphy, who played most of their careers just outside of the era. 

My question to these five would be, are you going to submit another blank ballot next year? Why would doing it one time make any difference.  If you don't like what is going on, the strongest message they could make would be to just stop voting period and writing about your reasons why and call attention to the process and what needs to be changed.  If more writers did that, that could make a difference.  I would hope that wouldn't happen though.  Not voting for anyone doesn't change anything.  

If I Had a Baseball Hall of Fame Vote...

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will announce it's class of 2013 on Wednesday. According to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) rules, a writer can vote up to 10 candidates. If I had a vote, here would be my choices for the Hall of Fame (HOF) class of 2013.

Jack Morris This is Morris's 14th time on the HOF ballot. He had the most wins of the 1980s and was a big game pitcher. He was part of three World Championship teams (Detroit, Minnesota, Toronto). In the World Series he was 4-2 with a 2.96 ERA in 51.2 INN. He also pitched a 10 inning masterpiece in Game 7 of the 1991 series for Minnesota in their 1-0 win over Atlanta. In his career he compiled a 254-186 record with a 3.90 ERA and 175 complete games. One of the biggest criticisms of Morris has been his high ERA. To me, it doesn't matter. Give me a big game and Morris would be one of my top choices.

Tim Raines Raines was one of the top outfielders in the 1980s and played 23 years in the majors. He compiled 2605 hits, a .294 average and stole 808 bases. He was also a seven time all-star, winning the game's MVP in 1987 and won a batting title in 1986. He was one of the game's top base stealers and I think he deserves induction.

Alan Trammell Trammell was one of the many great shortstops of the 1980s. Often overshadowed by flashier players like Ozzie Smith, Barry Larkin, and Cal Ripken, Jr, Trammell was steady. He played 20 years for the Detroit Tigers. He compiled 2365 hits and a .285 average. He was a six time All-Star, four time Gold Glover, three time Silver Slugger award winner, and 1984 World Series MVP. His numbers compare to Larkin, and for all you SABR metrics geeks, his WAR of 67.1 is the same as Larkin's who was inducted into the HOF last year. I think it's time he gets in, although he probably won't. Hopefully, if the BBWAA doesn't induct him, the Veteran's Committee will induct him and his double play partner, Lou Whitaker, who fell of the ballot years ago...

Lee Smith Smith spent 18 years in the big leagues with eight different teams. He saved 478 games (3rd all-time) with a 3.03 ERA. Bruce Sutter, who was elected in 2006, had 300 saves. Smith was a seven time All-Star and won the Rolaids Relief man award three times. He lead the league in saves four times. There are not too many relievers in the HOF, but if Sutter got in, Smith should too.

Now for the Steroid Era players. This is a hot debate among the BBWAA. Some will vote for those players, many others refuse. It's hard to decide what the right thing to do is since many of them never officially tested positive, but were strongly suspected of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). I've thought about this for a long time, since this was the era that I became a huge baseball fan. So I have seen these players play their entire careers. I traveled to Milwaukee in 1998 just to watch Mark McGwire play two games in hopes seeing a bit of history (he did hit homerun #65 and would have had #66 but it was taken away by umpires who thought it hit off the top of the wall. The ball actually hit a fan in the chest and bounced back in play). So this is a tough one, but if I did have a vote, I would vote in all steroid players that have HOF numbers. The reason being, there was no real steroid policy back then. Many players were using. Maybe it's not a great reason, but until I see legitimate positive tests (and not just strong evidence or speculation), I would vote the players below in. Rafael Palmeiro did test positive in 2005 and I would not vote for him because of it. By the way, his suspension? Ten games...

Barry Bonds Bonds, who along with Roger Clemens, was the face of the Steroid Era. His numbers though, with or without enhancement, are remarkable. Bonds is the all-time career Homerun leader (762). He had a .298 average, 2935 hits, 601 doubles, 1996 RBI, 2558 BB (best all-time), and 514 stolen bases. He was a seven time Most Valuable Player, 14-time All-Star, eight time Gold Glover, 12-time Silver Slugger, and set the single season Homerun record with 73, in 2001. Enhanced numbers? More than likely, but he wasn't the only one in his era.

Roger Clemens Unlike with hitters, it's hard to determine what steroids can do for a pitcher. Does it make them throw harder or does it help with recovery? I'm not sure, but the horrible testimony (which he initiated) in front of Congress, has definitely increased everyone's suspicion to his PED use. Nevertheless, his career numbers were outstanding. 354-184 record, 3.12 ERA, 4672 strikeouts, 4916.2 IP, and 118 CG. He was a seven time Cy Young Award winner, won the MVP in 1986, and an 11-time All-Star. One of the best pitchers in the history of the game.

Sammy Sosa Sosa is another player who has a high probability of PED use. Along with Mark McGwire, they were part of the greatest Homerun race since 1961. Their chase of Roger Maris's single season record of 61 was truly an event to watch every night. He played 18 years and finished with a .273 average, with 609 HRs, 1667 RBI, and 2408 hits. He hit over 60 HRs in a season three times (only player to do it). He won the NL MVP in 1998, was a seven time All-Star, and a six time Silver Slugger winner. Again, probably enhanced numbers, but a part of the era.

Jeff Bagwell While under suspicion for PED use, there hasn't been a lot of talk about it, just asssumptions. Definitely less talk about use than Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa. Bagwell had a great 15 year career, all with the Houston Astros. He finished with a .297 average with 449 HRs, 1529 RBI and 2314 hits. He also walked 1401 times. He won the NL MVP in 1994, was NL Rookie of the Year in 1991, Gold Glove winner in 1994, Silver Slugger winner three times, and a four time All-Star. Unlike the previous three mentioned, I think he has a pretty good chance of being elected by the BBWAA.

Craig Biggio Biggio, Bagwell's teammate with Houston, has had very little PED controversy. Over a 20 year career, all with the Astros, he had a .281 average, 291 HRs, 1175 RBI, 414 SB, and 3060 hits. He started out as a Catcher, but spent the majority of his career as one of the best Second Basemen of his generation. He was a four time Gold Glove winner, five time Silver Slugger (one at Catcher and the rest at Second), and a seven time All-Star. According to Baseball Reference, his stats compare to HOFs, Robin Yount, Joe Morgan, Paul Molitor, Roberto Alomar, Cal Ripken, Jr, Brooks Robinson, George Brett, and future HOFer Derek Jeter. I believe Biggio will be an easier choice for the BBWAA than the others in the era. Not sure if he will make it in on the first ballot, but he will get in within the next couple of years for sure.

Mike Piazza Piazza is another one who some people think used PEDs. While it's not talked about nearly as much as Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa, there still is some doubt whether or not he put up untainted numbers. As it stands, he is arguably the best hitting Catcher of all-time. In 16 seasons, he finished with a .308 average, 427 HRs, 1335 RBI, and 2127 hits. He was 1993 NL Rookie of the Year and was selected to an All-Star team 12 times (won game MVP in 1996). He also won a Silver Slugger ten times. I think Piazza will be voted into the hall, just not sure it will be this year, his first year on the ballot.

There are my ten choices for the Hall of Fame. We will see who actually will be inducted into the 2013 class on Wednesday. Let the debate begin...

CORRECTION: Joe Paterno

I would like to apologize for forwarding reports that former Penn State Football Coach, Joe Paterno, had died, Saturday night. Wirtz On Sports serves as an outlet for sports information that I gather from numerous media sources. Since I do not independently gather information on my own, I rely on credible media information to report the latest sports news. I, as a rule, make sure I have two sources before reporting any information. Tonight, Onward State, which is a student news organization that serves Penn State, reported first that Paterno had passed away. After seeing their report on Twitter, I waited to see if any major news organization confirmed the story. The first I saw was CBS Sports. They were followed by The Big Lead, Huffington Post, Deadspin, and a few others. ESPN, CNN, NBC Sports, Yahoo! Sports, among others, did not report Paterno had passed away. Immediately after seeing CBS Sports went with the story, I posted Onward State's report, giving them the credit, as I always try to give the original source credit for a major news story. It turns out, Onward State was wrong. Both of Joe Paterno's sons, Jay and Scott, posted separate messages on Twitter, stating their father is still alive, but in grave and serious condition.

I know I have just a small following on both Facebook and Twitter, however, I take pride in making sure I report accurate information from the sources I post on my pages. I pledge that I will take even more care in making sure I have not two, but at least three, credible media sources before I post such a major story.

It's Time For Morris To Get The Call...

It doesn't matter how much time passes, Jack Morris is a Baseball Hall of Famer. The 2012 class was announced today, and former Cincinnati Reds Shortstop, Barry Larkin, was the only player elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America, receiving 86% of the vote (75% is needed for induction). While Larkin's induction is more than deserving, Morris, who received 67% of the vote this year (received 53.5% last year), should have been voted in as well.

No one in the decade of the 80s won more games than Morris. When you wanted to win a game, he was the one that you wanted to give the ball to. Sometimes it wasn't pretty, but when he needed an out, he got one. In his career, Morris was the ace on three World Series winning teams (Detroit, Minnesota, Toronto); won 254 games, completed 175 games, and had 28 shutouts. He pitched a No-Hitter in 1984, won 20 games three times, and pitched 10 innings in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and beat the Atlanta Braves, and John Smoltz, 1-0, to lead the Minnesota Twins to their first ever World Series title.

Critics of Morris point to his 3.90 career ERA and lack of awards, as some of the reasons why he is not deserving of the Hall of Fame. Baseball Reference's website compares his numbers to Hall of Famers, Bob Gibson, Red Ruffing, Amos Rusie, Burleigh Grimes, Bob Feller, and Jim Bunning. I'd argue he has better or comparable numbers with Ruffing, Grimes, and Bunning.

I think a lot of voters look too much at numbers and forget about what they saw when these players played. Bottom line is, Morris is a Hall of Famer. He is only on the writer's ballot for two more years. Despite the deep 2013 ballot, I think Morris gets in, as 2013 will be the first year where a lot of "Steroid Era" players will be on the ballot. Writers, it's time. Vote Jack Morris into the Hall...