Somebody praises Ellsbury on an Yankees website.

Lupica and Costas, a two-fer.

"And while we’re on the subject of false narratives, how about the one that you hear at this time of year around baseball, equating amphetamine use out of baseball’s past with steroids, as if both of them are exactly the same.

Well, yeah, just not on this planet.

Here’s what Bob Costas said on this subject the other day:"

They're not exactly the same, but they're similar in the following way: Both are illegal performance-enhancing substances.


" 'Steroids are performance enhancers. Amphetamines are performance enablers…(Amphetamines) do not, and did not, transform them, as steroids did.' "

Correct.

Amphetamines are not as effective as steroids.

If you look up "enhance" in the thesaurus, you will see "enable." You're just letting guys off the hook because they played in the '70s and you like them.


" 'That doesn’t mean they should not have been banned. One effect has been that older players on the back end of lucrative long term deals, can’t play 150 games anymore, or be as generally effective as the season and seasons roll on. So, along with the ban on PEDS, and emphasis on analytics, it has changed contract calculations. All reasonable. But not at all reasonable to remotely equate amphetamines to steroids.' "

It’s not.

Costas is right."

If a baseball player took amphetamines without a prescription, then that baseball player was cheating.

Amphetamines "enable" superior baseball performance, just like steroids, only less effectively than steroids.


"You want to defend the right of steroid users to get into the Hall of Fame, have at it."

"The right" to get into the Hall of Fame, as if this was a matter for the Supreme Court.

Besides, we all know steroid users have already been voted into the Hall of Fame.

Unless you're intentionally burying your head in the sand. Why would a baseball fan, baseball journalist, or voting member of the BBWAA want to intentionally bury their heads in the sand?


"But if you want Bonds and Clemens in Cooperstown, you’ve got to bring a lot more to your side of the debate than greenies."

Easy.

Bonds and Clemens were among the greatest players in baseball history before they took steroids.

No one cares if you throw away your ballot ...

... But I actually agree with the arguments here.

2017 NL MVP

BBWAA

Name	Points
Giancarlo Stanton	302
Joey Votto	300
Paul Goldschmidt	239
Nolan Arenado	229
Charlie Blackmon	205
Anthony Rendon	141
Kris Bryant	132
Justin Turner	43
Cody Bellinger	38
Max Scherzer	34
Tommy Pham	24
Bryce Harper	21
Anthony Rizzo	17
J.D. Martinez	11
Kenley Jansen	8
Marcell Ozuna	8
Clayton Kershaw	6
Corey Seager	6
Daniel Murphy	3
Archie Bradley	1
Zack Greinke	1
Ryan Zimmerman	1

Felz

Name	Points
Giancarlo Stanton	4
Nolan Arenado	3
Paul Goldschmidt	2
Joey Votto	1

2017 AL MVP

BBWAA

Name	Points
Jose Altuve	405
Aaron Judge	279
Jose Ramirez	237
Mike Trout	197
Francisco Lindor	143
Mookie Betts	110
Corey Kluber	101
Andrelton Simmons	60
Chris Sale	56
Nelson Cruz	44
Brian Dozier	25
Jonathan Schoop	19
George Springer	17
Jose Abreu	16
Eric Hosmer	16
Justin Upton	12
Carlos Correa	9
Byron Buxton	7
Marwin Gonzalez	6
Edwin Encarnacion	4
Didi Gregorius	4
Khris Davis	1
Josh Donaldson	1
Gary Sanchez	1

Felz

Name	Points
Jose Altuve	4
Aaron Judge	3
Mookie Betts	2
Nelson Cruz	1

2017 NL Cy Young

BBWAA

Name	Points
Max Scherzer	201
Clayton Kershaw	126
Stephen Strasburg	81
Zack Greinke	52
Kenley Jansen	22
Gio Gonzalez	18
Robbie Ray	6
Jacob deGrom	2
Jimmy Nelson	1
Alex Wood	1

Felz

Name	Points
Max Scherzer	4
Clayton Kershaw	3
Stephen Strasburg	2
Kenley Jansen	1

2017 AL Cy Young

Due to diminishing interest in the MVP/Cy Young poll, I only polled myself. So here is the first of four awards comparing the BBWAA votes to my half-hearted, off-the-top-of-my-head votes.

BBWAA

Name	Points
Corey Kluber	204
Chris Sale	126
Luis Severino	73
Carlos Carrasco	43
Justin Verlander	32
Craig Kimbrel	27
Ervin Santana	3
Marcus Stroman	2

Felz

Name	Points
Corey Kluber	4
Chris Sale	3
Carlos Carrasco	2
Luis Severino	1

Girardi had to go?

I get the feeling they were rooting for the Yankees to lose Game Seven of the ALCS. Steinbrenner actually says that Girardi would have been fired (he was fired, for all intents and purposes) if the Yankees had won the World Series. I find this completely impossible to believe. Firing a manager while he still has ticker tape in his hair?:

“ 'You’ve got to consider the fact that you’ve got a young team, and that maybe a different type of leadership perhaps is needed for a younger team than it is for a veteran team,' Steinbrenner said. 'I think if you ask Cash, it’s important for the next manager to have an understanding of analytics because it’s such a big part of the game. If they don’t, at least a willingness to learn, right? We all need to learn, we all should learn. I think that’s going to be part of it, too. Everybody’s going to have their pros and cons. Nobody is going to have all positives. It’s just going to be a long process sifting through all the intel that he’s getting in these interviews and make the best decision we can.' ”

1. Girardi's 10-year record was 910-710.

2. Girardi just managed the AL Rookie of the Year. So whatever inability Girardi had communicating with young players, let's hope the next manager is similarly unable to communicate with young players.

3. It's just flat-out deplorable to see so many vultures picking at Girardi's skeleton.

I will also refuse to accept the Yankee managerial job if offered.

Brian Cashman doesn't rule out MILEY CYRUS as Yankees manager.

Tanaka had a mediocre regular season.

Severino, Sabathia, Tanaka, Gray, and Montgomery.

I'd say it's good, but not great. Lots of "question marks," as they say.

Tanaka's 2017 playoffs were great, but didn't erase his entire mediocre 2017 season.

I can think of no logical reason for Tanaka to opt out.

"Prior to the season, the Yankees were inclined to let Tanaka walk if he opted for free agency. And their history with Sabathia could influence their decision-making process. Tanaka could be well worth it for three ears at $22-23 million a year, but would the Bombers give him more years? It could be a gamble."

If Tanaka opts out, the Yankees will let him walk for sure.