but Mark McGwire was the first player who the Baseball Writers had to consciously consider the steroid issue when deciding whether or not he would become a Hall of Famer.  Clearly the numbers are there.  McGwire never had a positive test.  He simply gave one of the worst interviews in recent memory, and subsequently received only 23.5% of the voters’ approval in last year’s Hall of Fame vote.  His name is back on the ballot for Round 2 this year.

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The Yankees have told Robinson Cano that his season in the Dominican Winter League is over.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071227&content_id=2337022&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

The players on the winter league rosters are always intriguing.  There are has-beens, up-and-comers, no-names, patriots, and everything in between.

In the Dominican Winter League, Luis Polonia, Fernando Tatis, and Timo Perez are the has-beens.  D’Angelo Jiminez and Hector Luna are trying to stay in shape.  Billy Butler, Felix Pie, Elijah Dukes, Kendry Morales, and Erick Aybar are there.  Along with Cano, another legitamite star playing in the Dominican this winter is Rafael Furcal.

The Venezuelan Winter League is like the Dominican Winter League, only more so.  The has-beens include:  Jody Gerut, Alex Sanchez, and Richard Hidalgo.  Henry Blanco is there.  Luke Scott and Asdrubal Cabrera are there.  There are some big-time prospects in this year’s Venezuelan Winter League, including recently traded Carlos Gonzalez, Gorkys Hernandez, Adam Jones, and Wladimir Balentien.  As the playoffs near, high-profile players join their countrymen in preparation for the Caribbean World Series.  It is reminiscent of a local AAU team picking up players in preparation for the big end-of-the-summer tournament.  In this case the pickups are Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, and Omar Vizquel.

TheBigLeagueBeat UPDATE:

The Caribbean World Series also brings up memories of Alex Gonzalez.  This Alex Gonzalez: 

Most of us remember when he hit a walkoff homerun off Jeff Weaver to end Game 4 of the 2003 World Series.  In 2006 he hit another walkoff homer in a different World Series, this time winning the Caribbean World Series for his native Venezuela against archrival Dominican Republic.  He later said the 2006 homerun meant much more to him, since it was for his beloved Venezuela. 

Maybe they should hire OJ Simpson to help find the “real” users.  I guess Clemens’ investigators want to find people to refute Brian McNamee’s claims.  Most people already know that the majority of the evidence on steroid use is circumstantial and hearsay.  Evidence that would never hold up in court.  But the court of public opinion is much more powerful, Roger.  Just ask Barry Bonds.

Always remember that these Cuban guys pretty much have to denounce their homeland, leave behind their families, and/or ride a raft across 90 miles of ocean to play in America.  There’s always a great unknown about these Cuban players.  Ramirez could be just a utility player.  He could be very good, though too.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/?p=698

Read The Full Story…

I’m not sure anybody knows what’s really wrong with Prior.  Maybe Marcus Giles is to blame.  Nice move by the Padres, though.  What if he is the comeback player of the year?  He has the talent.  Could you imagine a rotation of Jake Peavy/Chris Young/Mark Prior in a playoff series?

Two years and $36.2 million isn’t a bad deal for a power hitter who struck out nearly twice as many times (138) as he walked (70) in 2007.

the 1985 AL MVP was one heck of a player. 

 http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071219&content_id=2333471&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

He might get into the Hall as a manger someday.

A Mitchell Report reaction.

http://thebigleaguebeat.com/the-end-of-an-era/

http://thebigleaguebeat.com/santana-loser-will-be-winner/

http://thebigleaguebeat.com/tigers-get-better-marlins-get-younger/

 Welcome to The Big League Beat.  Comment, discuss, and question at will.  Posted is the first of what should be a weekly column.