He sure as hell wasn’t apologizing my way, or even considering my opinion, but I sincerely appreciate that Alex, unlike so many others, stood up and held himself accountable for his actions.

It doesn’t make him any less guilty, any less accountable or any less of a Yankee (subtle Yankee jab) but it’s refreshing as hell to see someone say “I f’d up, I made a mistake and I’ll have to deal with it”. He’s fricking human, he made a horrible choice and he’ll have to deal with it.

Do whatever you want, speculate on whatever you want but the guy ‘manned up’, admitted his mistake, that’s enough for me. Nothing we can do about it at this point but move on as fans and players.

I still believe the names of all the positives should be released. That the media chose to only ‘out’ him is a crime in and of itself.

I also believe someone, or many someone’s at the MLBPA should be fired , right now, today, for failure to follow the protocols and procedures outlined in the testing agreement. Same for the MLB offices.

And if it is true, and someone or more than someone at the MLBPA was giving advance notice to players of testing, that in and of itself should cost them their jobs.

This whole situation stinks to high heaven but it’s completely wrong that one guy is being held out there for everyone to pencil whip, flat out wrong.

We can’t be shocked by any names, any more. Oh, and in my opinion, if this question is asked …

In a December 2007 interview with ‘60 Minutes,’ three days after George Mitchell’s report on drugs in the sport was released, Rodriguez denied using peformance-enhancing drugs.

… the answer should be “No, never”, period.

Starting with this:

“I’ve never felt overmatched on the baseball field … I felt that if I did my, my work as I’ve done since I was, you know, a rookie back in Seattle, I didn’t have a problem competing at any level.” — Alex Rodriguez.

Which, btw, is not a “No, never!” all the way to “Yes”. Anything other than “I have never used Steroids, HGH or any other performance enhancing drugs” has to be considered a “Yes”, doesn’t it?

ADDENDUM!!! I made the horrific mistake I was forever pissed at the media for making and I want to apologize. Alex did in fact flat out deny ever using Steroids, or HGH in this interview and with Katie Couric by saying “NO, I never used them”. I’ll now take a page from my own book and never pull comments or content from a ‘published’ media source and use that as my reference material. So in closing, Alex did in fact flat out deny ever using PED’s in any form.

“You’ll have to talk to the union” and ‘failed to return inquiries’ are terms we’ve all heard before with many folks. If you go back to comments earlier in the decade when many players were complaining about the testing — I know I said it — the main concern was the ability for them to remain “anonymous”.

That’s a very insignificant piece here until someone who is actually innocent is nailed or outed. How will we know who that is? Will it happen?

I’d be all for the 104 positives being named, and the game moving on if that is at all possible. In my opinion, if you don’t do that, then the other 600-700 players are going to be guilty by association, forever.

It’s not about good and bad people, because Mark McGwire and Jason Giambi are two of the kindest human beings ever. Andy Pettite is a fantastic person. That’s seemingly got nothing to do with anything. One hundred and four players made the wrong decision, and it appears that not only was it 104, but three of the greatest of our, or any, generation appear to be on top of this list.

And before anyone asks, I’ll make it clear: My name will not appear on any lists of positive tests. I’ve never tested positive for steroids or HGH, and I’ve never taken steroids or HGH in my life, ever. You don’t need to call the union, or an agent to verify that.

RELATED LINKS:

A-Rod Reportedly Tested Positive For Steroids

Audio: Jose Canseco talking about Roger Clemens and Alex Rodriguez (4:32 mark talks about introducing A-Rod to a steroid dealer)

Guttenplan: A-Rod Falls Not So Hard

LEEINKS: More Audio … And A Korean Baseball “Fight”

Audio: Sherman: Roberts Writing Book On A-Rod

Getting used to this new industry I inhabit has been interesting to say the least. There’s no shortage of ‘competition’ for sure, and there’s so many great people.

One person I’ve been friends with since before I came into the industry and who’s actually become a better friends since, is Peter Moore of EA Sports. Peter has his own blog, and his own blemishes. His blog is here. and if you like console sports games he’s the man.

First off unlike many people in this industry he’s honest to a fault. He’s passionate about his company, his products and unlike so many folks that high on the totem pole his customers matter. He’s talks to them through his blog and in talking to him I know he listens.

There’s a good story here though. About a year ago Todd McFarlane and our executive staff were at EA having a meeting about a future potential partnership. Peter made an off handed comment that went something like this.

“Oh I could kick a 50 yard field goal”

Now normally I might let that pass….Well no, I actually would never let that pass. Having known him awhile I responded with “Bullshit, no chance”.

An immediate ‘discussion’ ensued. The best ‘business decision’ might have been to let this all pass, but like many other times in my career when shutting up was the prudent course of action, I didn’t.

Well needless to say the conversation eventually ended up with a ‘put your money where your mouth is” ultimatum.

I should also mention Peter was a damn good soccer player for most of his life, and is a Liverpool fan. Oh and more importantly, Peter is a die hard, dyed in the wool member of Sox Nation. Even ‘commuting’ to Sox games when he worked at Microsoft in Seattle.

Well Todd picked up on this and later in the day, during the meeting, Peter and I were off chatting, Todd got to work and came up with this masterpiece…

That is what's about to happen, in real life!

So Peter comes back, and we all have a good laugh.

The bet becomes somewhat public, not sure how, but as of today peter is (from what I am told by his trusty assistant Tana Billingsley) 7 yards short of his mark.

Normally I’d gloat, but the fact that this guy, at his age, has kicked even a 43 yarder is incredible!

Suffice to say my boys are playing EA games, all of them to date, at a much cheaper price than they otherwise might have been. If Peter does manage to make this happen expect a lengthy and drawn out 38 Pitches blog post about English Futbol at some point…

Keep kicking Pete! And Go MANCHESTER!!

About 2 years ago I posted some information on a story about a young man named Jacob Froman, who was suffering from brain cancer. I was informed recently that Jacob has passed away. My families thoughts and prayers go out to the Froman’s.

In addition, Jacob’s parents have started a foundation that can be found here. www.kidsvcancer.com

I sincerely appreciate any and all of you that check out the site and contribute time or money to them to assist in raising funds, and awareness.

Thanks

Curt

Well, besides being at 38 Studios pretty much every day around 10 a.m. — after visiting with Eric — I’m filling time with the kids homework (never had much of a chance to stay on top of that before), and trying to actually DO something around the house besides just live in it.

Starting to mess around with some old hobbies. Had an affinity for model railroading that my dad gave me when I was young, which has been fun. Also playing a lot of different new, and older games. There are a few I am hooked on right now, but the one eating most of my time is this! which, btw, you can download from Valve. Valve will soon be the way to get every game you want. Why drive to the mall or store, or order online, when you can get it cheaper, and immediately via a download service?

“>Also into this facebook thing. It gets addicting. Getting all my photos up and connecting with family all over the world is pretty cool. For you parents of teenagers, it’s a fantastic way to ’snoop’ and keep abreast of what they are up to.

Two other cool links are Twitter and Flickr.

On Twitter and Flickr I am under gehrig38. Twitter is an instant messaging service you can follow friends on, a mobile instant messenger really, and Flickr is a free photo holding site you can upload photos to store for use around the web. Both of the sites you can control access to who can and cannot view your pages and material. Very cool stuff.

As far as baseball goes, I have taken the reins of the All Time Greats Pittsburgh Pirate Team here.

Off to a 16-6 start riding a hot Willie Stargell to a one-game lead over the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The league is being managed by some diehards and there are some cool blog reports on the league action so far. I only just heard about Musial going down:) Poor Cards …

What a nice number, considering it’s unprecedented in NFL history.

Life has afforded me about a million times more than I deserve, and last night was another occasion. Shonda, Garrison, Gehrig and his friends, Joey, Arthur and Henry, and Joey’s dad, and I ventured down to Tampa courtesy of some deft work by Katie Leighton and the Rooney family.

I mean really, I was hopefully one of many dads allowed to have a moment like this yesterday…

Welcome to Steeler Nation little man!

Read the rest of this entry »

First things first.

You don’t have the next Johnny Bench in the wings, you do have some prospects that might potentially be catchers of the future, but you want to win a world series in 2009 and your best possible chance to do that is with Jason Varitek catching. I’m happy for Tek. I wish it would have gone differently but as a friend/fan of his I do know that the process, and the salary will have no bearing on his effort or passion to be as good as he can.

I always enjoy being a customer of good businesses run by good people, with employees that seem to enjoy doing what they do. I have to mention two companies I was a customer of that both left a great impression on me this past week.

I flew SF to LA on Virgin America Airlines. Every single person we ran into from the gate ramp to the plane, to landing and off the plane was beyond kind. A few went out of their way to say hello and have a great day. I love that stuff.

We rented a Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and it was as smooth and quick and easy a customer experience as I’ve had in awhile. It was another company with people that truly seemed to be enjoying their jobs.

I am now a customer of both companies and will use their services over others when I have the opportunity. Oh and neither of those companies is or has paid me a dime to talk nice.

So to the team that flew us to Anaheim on Virgin, and the Enterprise folks at LA and SF, thanks for the nice week. You made the trip bearable.

Rob Bradford emailed over to ask, “What would you do — just you — if you were the general manager of the Boston Red Sox right now, today, with Jason Varitek?”

First off, let’s get a few pieces out of the way.

1.  It’s not my money (literally) but I am making this decision based on the fact that we know a $2 million contract, or $22 million contract, has zero impact on anything this team might do.

2. I don’t have to sign Tek for anything above league minimum if I don’t want to.

3. I don’t have a No. 1 catcher.

So here’s my press release/press conference …

The Boston Red Sox would like to announce the signing of catcher Jason Varitek to a one-year, $8 million contract that contains a performance/mutual option for the 2010 season. If Jason is healthy and performs to standards he has achieved in years prior to 2008, he can earn a total of $10.5 million during the 2009 season.

Depending on your viewpoint you could argue that there was a significant mistake made by the agent in this situation, or that the club erred in thinking Jason would accept arbitration, coming off a year we know he considered disappointing.

Jason has been the cornerstone of two World Championships in the past five years. We have always known and recognized him as a key component on and off the field as well as a risk mitigator for any new or young pitcher we brought into the organization. That he was voted in, by his peers, to the 2008 All-Star Game is a fact that should not go unmentioned. In a day and age when the game, and the Red Sox, have placed so much emphasis on a player’s offensive production, it speaks volumes to the ‘intangibles’ Jason has that they were openly acknowledged and recognized by his peers.

In the past 10 years the Boston Red Sox have finished in the top four in league ERA eight times (finishing first three times). We feel that is attributable to the talented staffs we’ve had, and to the fact that Jason has been behind the plate pretty consistently that entire time.

Our goal every year is to win the World Series; 2009 is no different. Anyone that knows baseball knows that we stand a better chance to win in 2009 with Jason catching and healthy, than without.

So rather than push this situation to a place that might have seen us ’win’ the negotiation, save money, and screw someone that has repeatedly tried to screw us, we didn’t. We wanted to make sure players around the game understand that the Red Sox value their personnel for what they bring both on and off the field, as well as at the plate and in the field.

It is much more important that we win ON the field rather than off of it. Jason is a player we hope has aspirations to retire in our uniform, because we believe this is where he belongs.

We are always on the lookout to improve this club and recognize that while Jason keeps himself in better shape than any catcher in the game, he is nearing a time when catching 130 games a year is not a realistic
option, or the club’s best choice. That is the other reason we felt compelled to make this happen.

Jason has set a standard for catching the “Red Sox way” and both parties agree that part of his responsibility to the team during the 2009 season will be to bring along Mr. Teagarden as the Red Sox next catcher.

Oh and that was the other thing. We’d like to announce a trade. We have traded Clay Buchholz, Pitching Prospect B and Position Player A to the Texas Rangers for Catcher Taylor Teagarden. (Fill in whatever names you need to that makes that trade happen).

Could be Ben Sheets. Of all the guys on the market, from a pure pitching standpoint, Ben is the best when you combine stuff with command. Obviously you can’t operate in a bubble and disregard health but like many other low-risk, high-reward guys, you are looking at a guy with absolute power/strike out stuff who has fantastic command within the strike zone.

Being a right-handed curveball pitcher, he will give up his share of HR’s, but of all the guys in the game today, if I had to call out one guy that I think mirrored my stuff from a power/command standpoint, this is the guy. The other would be Josh, but he was far more of a power guy with power stuff at a much younger period than I was, plus he sucks at golf.

Ben will be 31 this year, so you are looking at a guy who could offer up 3-5 ace years if healthy. That is a big if, but no bigger than some other signings. He should be better than three games over, his ERA in my opinion should be lower, but you put this guy with the medical staff here, and John Farrell/Jason Varitek and he could be the best pitcher in the AL, or a top-three Cy guy.

If I was Ben, my No. 1 concern would be to get with a team that had a state of the art medical team, facility and was very “API”-ish about approaching the season.

I keep waiting to look at the box scores one year and see him at 14-2 at the break on the way to a 24-win season and an 8/1 or 9/1 K/BB ratio.

The other X factor for me is I don’t know him that well. I don’t know if he pitches through pain, if he needs to be 110% to ‘feel good’ or what, but I’ve never heard anything but good things about him.

I would love to see him wind up down in Tampa or with the Cubs.

Oh and one more thing. How the hell is Orlando Hudson not signed? This guy is an impact player on both sides of the line.

While in the WEEI studio for my four-hour stint on ‘The Big Show’ some of you chimed in on the site’s live interactive blog with a few questions. Here are some answers …

Curt, have you seen Luis Exposito play or even meet him? He apparently has the highest ceiling. – Steve in Boston

Answer: Never heard of him.

Do you think Jason Varitek would be interested in transitioning into a coaching role over the next couple of years for the Red Sox? It seems like it would be a perfect fit for him. – Chaz Michael Michaels

Answer: I do think he’ll be a manager someday.

Curt, have you given John Smoltz any tips on New England living? – DrJeff

Nope, he won’t need them.

Hey Curt, is Jonathan Papelbon going to be here for the long term? It seemed like the article I read today suggested he may be looking for a huge payday soon. – Ben F

Answer:I think Paps will be looking for a big payday. How big? I have no idea. I think he’ll be very interested in being at or near the top of the payscale for closers for each year of his arbitration as well as his first free agent run. I am not sure I see much of a hometown discount on that horizon.

Mr. Schilling, who was the other catcher you referred too who is similar to Varitek’s and his ability to call pitches? – Allan

Answer: Todd Pratt

Curt, is Varitek the type of person who out of loyalty, might not sign with the Yankees if given the chance, or does being a Red Sox for so long play nothing into the decision? – Justin

Answer: He is that type of person in my opinion. He wouldn’t. But that’s my opinion only. I’ve never asked him.

Curt, if you come back, is there any chance you would come back in a relief role or are you a starter no matter what? – Will Clark’s Banana Cup

Answer: If I come back where? To the game? No, I will come back as a starter. To Boston? Unfortunately I can’t see any scenario that would have that happen. They are stacked with starters and that’s what I will be.

Curt, are you and the family planning on living in the Boston area after you retire? – DMBMARKT

Answer: Yes.

Have you been in contact with Theo at all about a possible second half return? – August from Maine

No.

How is Lester going to hold up after throwing well over 200 innings for the first time? – Rick

Answer: I think Jon Lester will have a better year than CC Sabathia, W/L record aside.

How much of the success of the rotation is because of Varitek, and how much of it is due to advance scouting and knowing how to pitch to the opposing teams hitters? – Yac

Answer: The advance scouting is done FOR Jason and FOR John Farrell. Advance scouting is what the pitching coach usually uses on a team to address the staff before the series, hoping pitchers pay attention and listen. Here it’s to put together the book for Jason to translate to the staff in real time.

Curt, what was your greatest fear when you came to Boston? – Eric from Maine

Answer: That I would suck.

Curt were the Red Sox managers and coaches the best you have worked with in your career? – Daddydano

Answer: I’ve had a ton of great coaches. Every coach here was fantastic and fun to live with. My all-time favorites is a long list but it would include Podres, Frank Robinson, Tito, Brian Butterfield, Dale Sveum, Gary Tuck, John Farrell, Bob Welch, Bob Cluck, Mark Connor, Robin Yount, Jim Presley, Millsy, Demarlo Hale, Mags, Bob Melvin and a few others I can’t remember this second.

Curt, how much do you and Pedro Martinez push each other in 2004? – Eric from Maine

Answer: I don’t know that we pushed each other as much as RJ did me in Arizona. Pedro had a ton of pride and I don’t think he looked at it like that. He’d done far more than me when I got here and that was without me. I always looked at it as a fantastic motivator though.

Curt, what was the best clubhouse prank you have ever seen pulled? – Mike

Answer: Someone’s entire outfit frozen in a sheet of ice, from socks, shoes and underwear, to their hat.

Curt, you have played in a lot of different cities, have you ever come across a society as a whole who are more passionate about their teams than in Boston? – Ben F

Answer: No, not even close.

Curt, do you ever see yourself getting into any kind of coaching or managerial role? – Eric from Maine

Answer: No.

Was Philadelphia so successful against TB’s 3, 4 & 5 hitters because of better game-calling or better pitching? And if it was game calling shouldn’t the Red Sox /Varitek have had an upper hand over Philly due to the number of games they play against Tampa Bay and their familiarity with the hitters? – Sean

Answer: Philadelphia had a hot ace and their staff executed better than ours did. Not to mention Tampa’s staff threw very well too.

Curt, how’s the new game programming coming along? – Groovinn

Answer: Internally it’s incredible. We have a live playtest up and running and progress is just awesome. Funding is taking some time, still haven’t found the person or people that ‘get it’ when it comes to the multi-billion dollar payout after we launch. It’s too long for most investors, especially in this economy. But I said when we started that it was going to take a special person or group, who truly understood the space we are in to realize what our vision for the IP truly means in 3 years. We’ll get there.