Jenrry Mejia, Steroids & Technicalities

I have to preface this article with a little semi-discussion about something. While reading the “You’re a Tool” post by Bryan Van Dusen here on the blog I just had to shake my head and almost snicker at Jenrry Mejia and his blatant ignorance to what he did wrong. Mejia used a well-known and “old school” steroid that was easily detectable and didn’t even bother to cover it up or try and mask it causing his third and possibly final failed steroid test in his Major League career. Mejia then had the audacity to complain about the fact that the MLB Players Union didn’t defend him through the entire process. Seriously? Anyway the failed drug test resulted in a permanent ban from MLB with an open door to appeal in one year making him the first to ever be banned permanently from the game, well technically anyway.

Remember a thorn in the Yankees side named Manny Ramirez that was suspended not once, not twice but three times after failing various drug and steroid tests? Well Ramirez never truly got the permanent ban because he simply retired from the game rather than facing his punishment. Back then it was a 100-game suspension for his positive test but the suspension became permanent when Ramirez chose to retire rather than sit out the 100 games.

Ramirez later latched on with the Chicago Cubs as a minor league hitting instructor and seemingly turned his life around for the better. Ramirez credited the turnaround with finding God and a renewed faith and is now a staple in the Cubs clubhouse and in their organization. There is no reason that Mejia cannot do the same but Jenrry has to show some accountability, unlike what Ramirez did initially. Stand up, admit what you did was wrong and face your punishment. Sit out a year, appeal and possibly come back after two seasons. I know this sounds crazy coming out of a Yankees fans mouth but I am urging Mejia to be like Manny. Be like Manny Ramirez, not like the tool that Bryan Van Dusen thinks that you are. 

You're A Tool, Jenrry Mejia

When I first read that Jenrry Mejia was accusing Major League Baseball of a witch hunt, that resulted in him being banned from the league due to failing a third drug test, I laughed. The guy failed the test three times, and the league's policy is clear that a third failed test would result in being banned from the league.

Even if he wasn't in a Mets uniform, I'd still say he looks like a tool.

It turns out that Mejia claimed that the second failed test was inaccurate, which I again found laughable. Whenever you see something that people fail at, you'll hear any and all excuses as to why they failed. It's not because that person simply isn't good at that particular test.

My kid didn't fail his math test because he didn't study. No, my kid failed that math test because the teacher is a Red Sox fan, and my son and I are Yankees fans*.*This is not a true story. I do not have a son, and Red Sox fans are not smart enough to be teachers.

Then I came to the part of the story that I found plausible, and for a second made me feel bad for Jenrry. Allegedly, somebody in MLB told him that if he appealed the second failed test they would find a third failed test and kick him out of the league. So, naturally, Mejia didn't appeal the test for fear of being banned.

But don't worry, that feeling of empathy faded very quickly. For three reasons...

First of all, Jenrry Mejia went on to fail a third test. It didn't go down like Mejia said, where somebody in MLB dug up a third failed test out of nowhere. At least, Jenrry didn't accuse them of doing that, which... to me... is basically an admission that he failed that third test.

Secondly. Mejia never said the first failed test was either inaccurate or dug up out of nowhere by MLB. Why else would he say the second test was shady, but not say the same thing about the first and third?

And finally there were these quotes...

“I felt there was a conspiracy against me. I feel that they were trying to find something to bring me down in my career,” Mejia told Ben Berkon of the New York Times.

“The association should have done more,” Mejia went on to say to Berkon. “[The union] should have been there to defend me—because that’s what they’re there for. They should have found something to appeal for.”

A conspiracy against Jenrry Mejia? Really? We're not talking about a guy like Barry Bonds, who spent many years tearing up Major League Baseball and its record book, and was one of the biggest faces in the battle between Major League Baseball and PEDs. Not even close. Mejia only threw 183.1 innings in MLB, and was only above average in the 27.1 innings he tossed in 2013. His saves total of 28 in 2014 was nice, but a 3.65 ERA and 1.484 WHIP are not.

If MLB was going to conspire against somebody, I imagine it would be against somebody a little more high profile than Jenrry Mejia.

And then there's that second quote, where Jenrry doesn't say the Union failed to stick up for him due to his accusations of a conspiracy. Apparently, worker unions aren't there to fight for workers' rights. No. Worker unions, like the MLB Player's Association, are there to find a way to get guilty men off the hook.

Well that's too bad, Jenrry. The MLBPA has more important things to do, and for innocent players in the league, than spend their time trying to figure out a way to get you and your dumbass off the hook for failing not one drug test, not two drug tests, but three drug tests.

Good riddance to idiots like Jenrry.

Injuries, Suspension and Fantasy Baseball

The push is on in Major League Baseball for the playoffs and the same can be said for fantasy baseball as well. While MLB teams are lining up to add players or sell players at the July 31^st trading deadline fantasy owners are on the edge of their seats waiting to see what is going to happen and how it is going to affect their fantasy teams, for better or worse. One thing I found interesting is the slew of either injured or suspended players that are set to come off the disabled and suspension lists in the coming weeks that could alter the way your league unfolds.

Jose Fernandez is set to make his 2015 season debut tomorrow for the Miami Marlins when the team faces off with the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins had a budding ace on their hands before the surgery but have not seen encouraging results from him in his rehab assignment. The last thing to come back is command and we saw Ivan Nova struggle with his command in his final tune-up before dominating the Phillies in his season debut so you never really know what to expect. Matt Moore of the Tampa Bay Rays is also set to come off the disabled list after missing most of the 2014 season with Tommy John surgery and will also make his season debut tomorrow against the Cleveland Indians. Moore is another ace that has struggled a bit with his command in his rehab and is another question mark moving forward. Frankly if I had to choose between the two I would go with Fernandez because it seems like the Rays are rushing Moore back for a potential division race and pennant chase.

Ervin Santana was suspended for the first 80 games of the MLB season after failing a steroid test with the Minnesota Twins. Santana’s suspension ends this Sunday but the team has not announced when and where his season debut will happen but for a team that is struggling and chasing a division title it will come sooner rather than later. The same can be said for Mets relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia who will also have his suspension lifted after 80 games. Mejia will return to a struggling Mets team that needs all the pitching help they can get. If I had to choose one or the other I would go with Santana who has had great results in his career and is a potential ace in Minnesota while Mejia isn’t likely to exceed 30 or 40 IP for the remainder of the season.

Another Biogenesis All Over Again?

In less than 16 days Major League Baseball saw four different players suspended for the banned substance Stanozolol including the Minnesota Twins Ervin Santana and the New York Mets Jenrry Mejia. Joining those two were Seattle Mariners pitcher David Rollins and Atlanta Braves pitcher Arodys Vizcaino making many wonder if MLB has another steroid epidemic going on underneath their noses. New Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred thinks so and is planning a similar probe to the Biogenesis probe from 2013 that suspended 14 players including the Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez.

The main reason that Anthony Bosch and his anti-aging clinic down in Miami were found out was because of a string of testosterone positive tests that forced the league to look further into the matter and the same pattern seems to be evolving here with Stanozolol. This could amount to nothing or it could be another black eye for the sport, I guess you will have to just stay tuned…