Ryan Ludwick - Questionable Stats?

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 9:36 AM CDT Comment 65 comments

The emrgence of Geovany Soto last year from an average minor leaguer to this year's All-star catcher caused a lot of discussion among skeptical doubters. Many asserted that Soto's accomplishments came as the result of chemically enhanced means. But what about the Card's Ryan Ludwick?

Ludwick currently is tied for 4th in the national league with 28 home runs. Pretty good for a jouneyman player that has bounced from Texas to Cleaveland twice before landing in St. Louis. His six-year career average for at-bats per home runs is 22.75. This year his average is 13.07. Albert Pujols, a pretty good hitter, has a career average of 14.50. Ludwicks OPS is almost 200 points high this year than last year in roughly the same number of at-bats. Has Ludwick suddenly figured it out?

Improvements like this would normally raise a few eyebrows. What do you think?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, editor-in-chief (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Question.

Would you be saying this if he weren’t a Cardinal?

He had some pretty big power years in the minors. I’m guessing he’s finally doing this at the major league level because he got a chance to play every day.

Give it a rest.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Aug 6, 2008 9:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hold on Al. I have never

been a Cardinal hater. His team affiliation has nothing to do with this. I was giving an example of player showing a big jump in regards to what Geo did last year.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 9:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Big differences between Soto and Ludwick...

Soto and Ludwick are very different cases. Soto hit 29 HR last year. Prior to that, he’d hit 25 HR in the previous six years combined. Ludwick, on the other hand, has always shown power. He has just had injury problems and has had trouble sticking with a team.

This year is certainly an abnormally good year for him. But to compare it to Soto’s sudden power surge is a bit ridiculous, in my opinion.

Could he be using PEDs? Absolutely. The same could be said for pretty much every player in baseball, including Soto. That’s just the reality of baseball these days. Do his stats scream that he is using PEDs? I don’t think so. I think it’s more of a case of a hot year for a guy who’s finally healthy and playing everyday.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 9:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fair enough.

Some people do post stuff about players they probably wouldn’t criticize if they didn’t play for St. Louis.

Still, as noted by others, Ludwick’s power appears to be legit.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Aug 6, 2008 10:00 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was just starting the discussion. It just

seems to me that everytime a look up he is hitting a big home run. I just thought it was interesting that his career path has been so spotty and all of the sudden he just locks in. I’m perfectly willing to give a player the benefit of the doubt, he just seems to be really tearing it up.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Off topic...

Ok Al, how am I “provoking” when I simply asked about another blog that uses inappropriate language? I said nothing negative about the Cubs or this site. I simply asked why that other site had no rules/barriers. It seems to be a free for all. I simply was saying that if all of these sites fall under one nation, then there should be some general rules they ALL follow and I think it is a pity that we (BCB) have to be associated with them. The occasssional sht, dmn, *ss is fine, but the over-use of the F bomb gets old. Sure, I don’t have to read it. But as a baseball fan I like to listen to the other fans of other teams.

Headline: Prince Fielder chokes on first base. No, seriously, the game went to extra innings and CC had ate everything in the clubhouse!

by centerdrive on Aug 6, 2008 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know why you are bringing this up again.

The other site is not run by me. The person who runs that site allows that sort of language. I don’t do that, but I have zero control over this. There aren’t any general rules of that kind.

I hope that answers your question.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Aug 6, 2008 6:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

don't go there

u pick where to click

the pink hat guy is my father

by joeschmitt on Aug 6, 2008 10:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Amen brother

Ryan Ludwig has paid his dues and worked his tail off to get where he is today. There’s also this thing in place called mandatory drug testing.

Ryan Ludwig (and Rick Ankiel)?? Very good baseball players.

by MDBNIU on Aug 6, 2008 10:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are you assuming that mandatory

drug testing has removed all PED’s from baseball? What about HGH?

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 10:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You beat me to the punch...

While I don’t think Ludwick’s stats are due to PEDs, I don’t think citing the drug testing policy is the strongest argument one could give, either. Especially given that they openly admit that there is no test for HGH at all in MLB.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And wasn't Ankiel cited

in the Mitchell report. I wouldn’t exactly use him as an example of a “clean” player.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bullcrap

Rick Ankiel WAS linked to HGH but in the PAST. There is very little chance he is on that stuff today. it’s just another tired cheapshot at a Cardinal ballplayer on your part.

by MDBNIU on Aug 6, 2008 10:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wrong. You brought up Ankiel, buddy. If you read the previous post,

you would know thtat this is not a Cardinal bashing thread. I just raised the discussion that a player that bounced between two organizations twice and is now tearing up the league should raise a few eyebrows. It’s naive to think that the current teating policy has elimnated PED’s from the game.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well, clearly the current "teating" policy...

...has ensured that Ludwick doesn’t “suck”...;-)

Let my ashes blow in a beautiful snow from the prevailing 30 mile an hour southwest wind...
When my last remains go flying over the left field wall, I'll bid the bleacher bums adieu,
And I will come to my final resting place, out on Waveland Avenue. --Steve Goodman

by NotSure on Aug 6, 2008 9:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

How does HGH help you play baseball?

by Wreckard on Aug 6, 2008 11:51 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Where's your evidence that it doesn't help?

If it didn’t help, why would players be risking their reputations to use it?

Anything that improves strength (which can increase bat speed and general power) and may improve eyesight (which can improve pitch recognition) would absolutely help you play baseball.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

where's YOUR evidence that HGH helps?

Find a scientific report that proves it.

i hope you prove me wrong.

by tal1286 on Aug 6, 2008 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

here's my proof, by the way

http://www.sabernomics.com/sabernomics/index.php/2007/04/i-dont-worry-about-hgh-in-baseball-and-neither-should-you/

by tal1286 on Aug 6, 2008 12:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know why you hope I prove you wrong on this..

as I’d prefer to think that HGH was a waste of time. And for the record, I never claimed to have evidence. But here’s an article from a quick search I did:

http://www.drcranton.com/hrt/hgh_body_of_evidence.htm

It’s wordy, but mentions several related benefits, including improved healing and improved eyesight.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 12:30 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

No offense but that link's pretty weak.

It centers around the anti-aging benefits of GH in older patients. The most relevant study are the two re: exercise endurance, and both of those centered around aging patients and weren’t done in the US (I have no idea what the peer review process is in Norway or Italy). If the benefits to heart strength for patients with weakened hearts are true, that could explain the improved athletic endurance.

Again, I encourage you to look at the exhaustive work that Bradbury has done on the subject. Many of the studies he links to use healthy adults and focus on the athletic implications of HGH in healthy, normal adults.

by Wreckard on Aug 6, 2008 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Looking closer at the Italian study my theory was right

It focuses on patients with specific cardiovascular diseases. It’s pretty hard to draw conclusions re: exercise endurance in normal adults when the subjects’ endurance is affected so strongly by a specific disease (patients benefited by the increase in ventrical mass from the GH).

It’s seems deliberately misleading to point to a study like that and say “See! GH increases exercise endurance!”

by Wreckard on Aug 6, 2008 1:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

HGH does neither of those things

It increases muscle mass, mainly via water retention in the cells. That muscle mass looks pretty but doesn’t actually add strength.

The only theory I’ve ever heard where HGH can benefit athletes is in conjunction with steroids. The theory is that steroids can turn that new mass into strong muscle, but that’s never been studied (nor is it likely to ever be). HGH by itself has never been proven to do anything to help athletes at all. If this unproven scenario is true, it’s covered under current testing.

The excellent article tal1286 linked to above is a great place to start if you want to separate the media-perpetuated myths about HGH from what’s actually been proven. See also the “Links to other posts about HGH” to see some even more interesting stuff. Bradbury’s a great resource on this and strangely enough seems to be the only one talking about it.

by Wreckard on Aug 6, 2008 12:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The evidence is untested, yes...

but there have been anecdotal evidence of improved eyesight. This is noted in the source I found today. It also includes aiding in healing/recovery – a benefit similar to steroids.

So I would definitely disagree with your “the only theory” comment. It’s not merely about muscle mass.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 12:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

You say "anectodal" and I hear "placebo"

by Wreckard on Aug 6, 2008 1:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And I hear "untested"

but you may be right. I never claimed that HGH definitely helped – just that it has been suggested by some to have beneficial attributes as a PED. I understand that others have suggested the opposite.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A great quote on that

From here:

Even the text behind the rumor includes the caveat “medical experts say there’s no scientific basis to the claim.” Now, if you are someone who said, “hey, what about it’s effect on eyesight?” That is a perfectly innocent question, but it turns out that there is no reason theoretically to think that this might be true. But I saw several people state that the evidence doesn’t disprove the rumor, and therefore the performance-enhancing assumption is acceptable. I’m not sure how any research can overcome a criticism with no concrete theoretical or empirical backing. No scientist will be able to design the perfect study.

He addresses the “HGH helps recovery” issue in that article as well.

by Wreckard on Aug 6, 2008 1:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That guy is an economist and sabrmatrician...

not a medical expert. He may be right (he has certianly done more research than me, and I am certainly no expert either).

And it may be that HGH is used purely in conjunction with steroids, and that steroids are the key to victory. I would argue that there are probably steroids that are not detected by current test measures as well.

Either way, I really do not care enough about the topic to waste any more time talking about it. My original point (and I still stand by it) is that citing drug testing procedures as a reason a guy is clean is a pretty weak argument.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 2:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

For God's sake, you can't even spell his name right.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Aug 6, 2008 12:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Shhhhhh! you'll wake up Blue Mike.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Legit Power

I saw him at AAA. He had 8 HR’s in only 106 AB’s for the AAA Redbirds last season. I don’t think he’s juicing.

"The big possum walks late." - Harry Caray

by memphiscub on Aug 6, 2008 9:57 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

and

larussa and duncan as much as we dislike them always seem to have the ability to do this to players. Just flat out good coaching.

from the mouth of Uecker:

"Am I the only one who’s glad it’s only a 4-game series? If was a 9-game series, I think the Cubs would win them all."

by cubsluver22 on Aug 6, 2008 10:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Although for full disclosure...

they’ve also been associated with a lot of known PED users (McGwire, Canseco, Ankiel). Duncan has worked magic with pitchers, not the hitters. That may be no fault of LaRussa’s, but there is a correlation.

I’m in no way suggesting Ludwick is a PED user. He’s always had good power, and now is finally healthy and playing everyday. Combine the benefits of playing everyday with reaching your prime and maybe having a better than average year anyway, and that could easily be the reason for the career year.

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 10:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ludwick's legit

shown big power in the minors and is entering his peak power years, so a boost in HR/PA would be anticipated. Add in some of the things mentioned above about consistent playing time and you’ve got a legitimate breakout

by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 6, 2008 10:03 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe it's the Pujols Effect?

Given all the attention to PEDs recently, I tend to doubt he’s juicing as well. One thought that just flickered through my head is perhaps working with a great hitter like Albert Pujols has helped Ludwick take his game to the next level.

Incidentally, I have no problem with this thread. It’s interesting to discuss players who make big jumps like this.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Aug 6, 2008 10:16 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the affirmation. The intent of the thread was

not to bash the player or the Cards, just to spark the discussion. The consensus seems to be that he is legit and I will certainly accept that. I really wanted to know what the opinion of the BCB faithful was.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have a problem with the thread...

I don’t think it’s fair to spread rumor and inuendo about baseball players of any team without direct evidence. Is there a Balko paper trail? Has he ever been associated with PED’s of any sort? Failed a drug test?

What about Dempster? Any Cards fans out there want to spread some rumors about him and his miraculous turnaround?

I’m just saying that it’s unfair to even “spark” the discussion, that’s all.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 6, 2008 11:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

So we can't even have the discussion? These kind of

discussions about ballplayers come up all of the time. I didn’t say the he was a definite user. I was soliciting the opinions of the other BCBers. The consensus seems to be that the guy is clean. I can accept that. Just bringing up the discussion doen’t disparage the guy.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fair enough...

The discussion is one thing, but at least back it up with some evidence beyond AB/HR (which is 15.19 in his minor league career, by the way).

Is there really a spike in his numbers that’s all that alarming? If anything, you can look at his Batting Average in Balls in Play (BABIP) of .340, and conclude that he’s just getting really lucky. Balls that normally fall into gloves for most hitters are hitting gaps and gloves. To have a BABIP of .340, you either have to be very fast, have amazing bat control or be very lucky. Drop his BABIP to the league mean of .300, and his numbers take a dive…if this happens, his OPS falls to .900 or less because he gets on base less and hits fewer doubles.

Have there been media reports linking him to PED’s? Where’s the bloody glove?

I’m just saying that this is sort of like me saying “the Mayor has been looking very happy over the past three months, so this must mean that he’s having an affair.” It’s just very borderline and unnecessary, that’s all.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 6, 2008 11:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's 30 years old...

One year removed from the absolute peak of his power year age. He had some pretty bad injuries and now he’s hitting like he did as a 22-25 year old, then after some time out with injuries, as a 28 year old in AAA.

I think there’s nothing dubious about that which is consistent with his minor league numbers. He has 183 homeruns in his career in the minors.

I say good for him. Way to go Ryan. Just don’t hit against us this weekend, and we’ll root for you in Spring Training.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 6, 2008 11:04 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

You beat me to it

I wasn’t sure if he was the one or not, but I remember hearing how he had gone through a couple seasons of some serious injuries and is just now back to getting healthy. This would certainly explain such a big jump in numbers. The power and ability was always there, it’s just really showing up now because he’s healthy and able to play everyday.

"Dad gum right this games gonna be played under protest. . . I guarantee this is gonna be one protest that's upheld." --Hawk Harrelson, 6/24/07

by RynoHoF on Aug 6, 2008 11:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ludwick and Hoffpauir as 28 year-olds in AAA compared

Very interesting is the comparison between Ryan Ludwick and Micah Hoffpauir in their respective years in AAA at 28 years of age:

Ludwick: 29 G, .340 /.380 / .642
Hoffpauir: 48 G, .358 / .381 / .721

Now, as others have mentioned, it’s possible that Ludwick is having a freak season this year.

But if we’re going to point to Ludwick’s success as a 28-year old in AAA, we might as well grant that it’s possible for Hoffpauir to have a similarly stellar season in the majors.

by John Q Freejazz on Aug 6, 2008 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The possiblity of a fluke year and the small sample sizes are issues here

by SouthernCub on Aug 6, 2008 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hoffpauir can't play corner outfield positions well...

Ludwick plays league average left or right field. I think it’s an interesting comparison, but only if Micah learns how to play the outfield, which has lower standards for power numbers than a corner outfield position does.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 6, 2008 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i meant to say...

...”lower standards than 1B does.”

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 6, 2008 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm still pretty confident that Ludwick is just having a fluke year...

...or “career year” if you prefer.

I has a blog. | Ask a sabermagician!

by cwyers on Aug 6, 2008 11:07 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

That's entirely possible. It could be a combination

of health, age or the benefit of hitting between Pujols and Ankiel. You have to admit that his past performance in the majors has caused two teams to give up on him twice.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yup...

... it’s definately a fluke year. Without awesome speed or bat control, he’s going to have a very difficult time sustaining a .340 BABIP with a .311 ISO. He’s still going to be an above average left fielder for a few years, but he’ll never re-create this season.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 6, 2008 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly.

When I saw the title of this diary, I thought it was going to be about how his peripherals indicated that the numbers he was putting up were unsustainable.

Instead we get yet another reckless and baseless insinuation about a player cheating.

by Wreckard on Aug 6, 2008 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

They could also say the same about a catcher

I’m sure Soto raised eyebrows last year too. I think we’re looking into Ludwick too much. However nothing surprises me anymore.

by ak123 on Aug 6, 2008 11:37 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Soto used to be a big boy

He was pretty husky, and spinning his wheels down in the minors, lost a whole bunch of weight, and then started playing better.

That’s how I know it.

by BeboThoughts on Aug 6, 2008 11:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I like your use of the word HUSKY

My mom used to buy me “Husky” sized pants when I was a kid. Sad.

Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.

by IowaCubs- on Aug 6, 2008 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know. I still think he shops in

the big boy section.

"Hats for bats.....keep bats warm." - Pedro Cerrano
"Hey bartender, Jobu needs a refill !!!!!!!" - Eddie Harris

by willie mays hayes' gloves on Aug 6, 2008 12:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Same here

I went from Husky to Frickin huge!

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Aug 6, 2008 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank Selig...

Unfortunatly, every time a player “locks it in” in his career there will always be this cloud of doubt over him. The commsih should have dealt with this problem head on instead of letting it grow to where it is today. Ludwig is having a career year and you just have to tip your cap to him. Soto worked hard to get where he is. Also, look at Smardja, he got better at each level. Those things are part of the ebb and flow of baseball. Only now we will always wonder. SAD!

by HomerInTheGloamin' on Aug 6, 2008 4:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Why can't we all just get along?

And why can’t the Cardinals stop using PED’s?

BAM!

by MikeIowa on Aug 6, 2008 4:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

This whole thread should be deleted...

It’s ridiculous. The dipshits in our mist think everybody on the Cardinals cheats and the Brewers won’t be the same ballclub for the next 25 years because Prince Fielder and Manny Parra had a spat.

This thread exposes and diminishes bleedcubbieblue.

by MDBNIU on Aug 6, 2008 5:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

flagged

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Aug 6, 2008 7:53 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agree w/ BlueMike's 1st sentence.

And the whole act of a”Whisper…whisper… innuendo…whisper” post followed by “Hey! I’m not accusing. I’m just asking”. It’s Bravo Sierra.

Dome-san!!

by Goat Whisperer on Aug 6, 2008 8:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Read the fanpost again.

There is no “whisper” or “innuendo.” The premise is simply this: Many fans speculated about whether Geo’s sudden rise to prominence could have been chemically enhanced, so why hasn’t Ludwick been subject to similiar speculation? That’s not an accusation; it’s just a point of discussion.

Once you dismiss the idea that Ludwick is juicing, as most of us have done, you can move on to discussing other reasons he’s having such an amazing year. There’s no need to resort to MDBNIU’s petty, immature namecalling and asinine histrionics.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Aug 7, 2008 8:38 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Resorted to TWO WORDS.

From his post: “It’s ridiculous”.

This is so buried in fanpost archive, it’s not even worth it but Improvements like this would normally raise a few eyebrows. What do you think? IS ridiculous.

Dome-san!!

by Goat Whisperer on Aug 7, 2008 9:45 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Why is that ridiculous?

Given all that’s occurred in baseball recently, discussing a dramatic improvement in a previously unremarkable player isn’t as simple as it used to be. Period. So let’s give the 300 lb. gorilla in the room a nod and then move on.

And you seem to be assuming that “What do you think?” is some sort of backhanded accusation of Ludwick. I don’t think it is – I think Willie Mayes genuinely wanted to know what BCB readers think. Now he knows.

(By the way, not a big fan of the reply button, are you?)

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Aug 7, 2008 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

My reply button not working today...

Anyone else having same problem?

by NotSure on Aug 7, 2008 6:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Negative.

Nanika Ga Okoru!

by dat cubfan daver on Aug 8, 2008 9:01 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If a big jump in a players stats raises an eyebrow....

it’s only because we’re in the “steroid era”.
Ludwick isn’t the first player to ever have a big jump (if it really is a big jump). It happens all the time and it’s happened for the last 50 years at least. It just happens sometimes.
But nowadays if a player starts putting up some big numbers the first thing a lot of people think is that he’s juiced.
Did anybody ever test to see if hot dogs had any affect on a player. Babe Ruth ate tons of them and hit the hell out of the ball.
Personally, I wouldn’t even link a player with even a suspicion of an enhancement without something more solid than just his numbers. It’s just not fair. You just never know what it might cause.
What happens if a player with consistently big numbers suddenly drops off? Do we think he quit using an enhancement?

"I wouldn't be a part of any club that would have me as a member" : Groucho Marx

by Dave Pendleton on Aug 8, 2008 9:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs