Minor League slugger Mike Jacobs has signed with the Diamondbacks.
Kevin Goldstein, via Twitter. What's most interesting is that last August, Jacobs was the first player to test positive for HGH. The Rockies released him, so seems like he'll have to serve his 50-game suspension before the first-baseman can join the Aces. [H/T Jeff Sullivan]
5 months ago
Jim McLennan
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Color me concerned
is this the type of player we want our future stars like Bauer, Skaggs, and Pollock hanging out with?
isitspringtrainingyet.com
Because he used HGH?
I think it’s a bit much to assume he’s a bad person or anything because he cheated. It’s a brutal business to try to succeed in and when push comes to shove people will do these things.
by CaptainCanuck on Jan 4, 2012 3:54 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, its a good thing the A's
had such a strong character like Jose Canseco to keep the youngin’s in line…
Of course the guys a bad influence. If he has to cheat, he’s not good enough.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
Just because he wasn't good enough it doesn't make him a bad influence
The vast majority of minor league teams are filled with guys like that.
Besides, what exactly does McGwire have to do with this? The only thing they have in common is that they used PED’s, and guys who do this don’t have a mystical black aura around them.
by CaptainCanuck on Jan 4, 2012 7:19 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I'm not saying he's a bad person
I’m saying I don’t want our prospects who have the potential to become very good, if not great around someone who has already cheated to get ahead. I don’t want that influence around them.
isitspringtrainingyet.com
by imstillhungry95 on Jan 4, 2012 4:58 PM EST up reply actions
To clairify
I’m not saying anything about him as a person, but I’m saying something about what kind of player he is
isitspringtrainingyet.com
by imstillhungry95 on Jan 4, 2012 4:59 PM EST up reply actions
And what kind of player is he?
Someone who used HGH? What is it about that characteristic that would rub off the wrong way on other players?
by CaptainCanuck on Jan 4, 2012 7:22 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Drug user
and a cheater. That’s the kind of player he is.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
And?
what is it about him being a drug user that would negatively affect other players?
by CaptainCanuck on Jan 5, 2012 7:46 PM EST up reply actions
You're
kind of leaving off the negative part that needs to go along with that. He’s a cheater. That is the kind of thing that can have negative affects on people
isitspringtrainingyet.com
by imstillhungry95 on Jan 6, 2012 12:09 PM EST up reply actions
*effects
But it’s true.
Anyone who’s ever cheated in some way in Baseball has never accomplished anything after the fact, much less be the hitting coach of the team that just won the World Series or anything silly like that, because they can see the literal dark cloud of NEGATIVE BAD VIBEZ ZOMG.
They just wear their scarlet “S” on their chest and live in city dumpsters just so they can wait for naive young minor league prospects to corrupt into taking goofballs or other supplements, slowly turning the world into some roid filled anarchy.
Or, you know, not. As a few people have mentioned, if people are actively seeking supplies of HGH, that’s their problem, not the guy who was caught for it who happens to be around, and is probably a complex human being (as complex as a baseball player gets) and is probably not easily labled as “ZOMG CHEEEEETER SHUUUUUUN HIM SHUUUN!”
I could be wrong.
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3
one other thing
Skaggs works out with Braun
if Skaggs wants to get PED’s, i think he’s got a much easier avenue than Mike Jacobs
*too soon?
Considering
I had a small rage stroke to myself at Old Chicago the other night when one of the TV’s showing the MLB network showed a highlight of Nyjer Morgan’s hit in Game 5, it will never be too soon.
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3
There's playing the game the right way
which includes ‘hiding the ball,’ hiding signs, feigning throwing a fastball but instead tripping up the hitter with a curveball, and then there’s playing the game the wrong way by cheating.
Throwing the spitter is cheating. Juicing up on ’roids is cheating.
There are plenty of honest ballplayers who have resisted the Siren’s call of loading up with the juice to play better than they otherwise would have performed, and I suspect these honest ballplayers feel some real pride in their accomplishments.
Let’s not play the ‘grey area moral relativism’ game here and as a group do something that baseball has been reluctant to do and show a ZERO TOLERANCE for players who cheat by using PEDs.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
AZ as enforcer?
Let’s not play the ‘grey area moral relativism’ game here and as a group do something that baseball has been reluctant to do and show a ZERO TOLERANCE for players who cheat by using PEDs.
Jacobs was caught and is going to serve his suspension. Is it the Dbacks job to impose further punishment on him by blacklisting him as well? MLB has made the rules, and they are pretty darn close to ZERO tolerance.
by Counsellmember on Jan 6, 2012 5:00 PM EST up reply actions
PS
I don’t mean to sound harsh. Overall I agree that I would like the team to uphold a high level of character. However, as I stated elsewhere, I do not believe one mistake should condemn a person forever. You speak of wanting “honest” ballplayers…does that mean only people that have never told a lie during their life? Obviously not, as I doubt anyone here can claim complete “honesty” throughout their lives.
So where do you draw the line? For me, MLB has set down a rule and a set of punishments. If Jacobs comes through that, and the team judges him to be fit going forward, that’s enough for me. If the team interviews him and finds his character lacking, I would certainly pass. I suspect there is much more to Mike Jacobs than a failed PED test.
by Counsellmember on Jan 6, 2012 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
IOW
“Let he who is without sin among you cast the first stone”.
Good post
The worst major leaguer is better at baseball than I'll ever be at anything I ever do in my life.
He cheated
So what? How exactly is that going to affect his teammates?
by CaptainCanuck on Jan 7, 2012 3:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Too late
they already have had that influence all around them for many years….and it hasn’t stopped now.
The worst major leaguer is better at baseball than I'll ever be at anything I ever do in my life.
by shoewizard on Jan 4, 2012 6:36 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
I know
I’m just wondering if it’s best to pursue players who have that in their very recent past. I"m not saying it’s flat out a bad move, I’m just concerned, is all
isitspringtrainingyet.com
by imstillhungry95 on Jan 4, 2012 6:57 PM EST up reply actions
He's a 31-year-old
With fairly limited Major League experience, stuck in Triple-A, and is suspended 50 games for taking HGH. I doubt the prospects in our system are going to be asking him for advice.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Jan 4, 2012 8:07 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah
but he’d be a go-to guy if someone wants to find out where to get it. T
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
Honestly
If we have players who are actively looking for ways to obtain illegal substances then we have bigger problems than Mike Jacobs.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Jan 5, 2012 12:04 AM EST up reply actions
Ballplayers in slumps
especially the very young ones, can become desperate.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
by NASCARbernet on Jan 5, 2012 10:24 AM EST up reply actions
If that's the case
I can’t see how you can put the blame on Jacobs for being around. If someone is desperate enough for it, they’ll find a way to get it with or without Jacobs.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Jan 5, 2012 5:48 PM EST up reply actions
The new Wily Mo Pena?
Call him up for interleague and then forget about him?
Ian, Daniel, Josh, and two Trevors: It's not a Christian rock group.
by Zavada's Moustache on Jan 4, 2012 4:38 PM EST reply actions
This^^^
Even though Kubel will most likely be our DH in interleague.
At least Jacobs admitted it, rather than deny like others..Admit it, serve the time, move on. I think he may be some insurance in case overbay leaves, gets hurt, ect….
Freeze it..and make a popsicle
Absolutely agree............
with imstillhungry95!!! Not saying he’s a bad person but he has made bad choices. We have significantly improved our minor league system and created a culture of competition. Why would we inject someone/something that sends the wrong message? By the way, I remember our team President tweeting last summer how proud he was that our players were not getting caught up in this type of behavior. Now we go sign someone who has been caught. #verydisturbing
It is another strange signing
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
Another irresistible
bargain.
"At times I think there are no words
But these to tell me what's true
There are no truths outside The Gates of Eden." B. Dylan
Feel the love
I guess I’m OK with this.
It sounds like most people are worried about Jacobs’ influence on our other prospects. I suppose I feel like the message of PED abuse is much more powerful coming from a guy who’s life has been adversely effected by it than from a tweeted statement by the team President. The latter doesn’t hold much water with me, but to have a guy in the club house saying “this is what can happen” is a pretty powerful reminder that actions have consequences.
I don’t want to come off as apologetic for him, but I understand people make mistakes (I made one myself several years ago). I wouldn’t mind an organizational philosophy that looks past the headlines to the person, and if that person is found to have adequate character, why not welcome him into the Dbacks family. This may, or may not, be one of those cases. I don’t know the man personally.
And finally, just to be hypocritical, I’d like this deal more if the guy could take a few more walks. That power would be nice to have on stand-by, and he’s going to light up Reno.
Thank you.........
for the balanced perspective. This country has been built on “second chances” and it will be a long time before we know the impact of this decision. As the parent of a minor league prospect it’s easy to express unfounded concern.
Also interesting is his walk rates in AAA the last two seasons
I wonder if he is trying to alter his approach, or if that is just pitchers with poorer command pitching around a guy with some pop in his bat ?
The big knock on him was always his poor plate discipline. (well that and his horrific defense)
The worst major leaguer is better at baseball than I'll ever be at anything I ever do in my life.
He's always the first player I'd point to as to why home runs are so overrated
by CaptainCanuck on Jan 4, 2012 7:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
HR are not overrated
But players like jacobs who have no other plus skill besides hitting HOUR are often overrated.
Unless you really hit a lot of them, like 40+ per year on a somewhat regular basis
The worst major leaguer is better at baseball than I'll ever be at anything I ever do in my life.
by shoewizard on Jan 4, 2012 7:49 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Not so sure
I don’t think the Marlins thought he was useless when he hit 32 homeruns or drove in 93 RBIs in 2008, while often hitting in the four spot behind Miguel Cabrera; not to mention his nearly 100 doubles in the 3 years he was in Florida.
Also, it blows me away to hear the concern about Jacobs influence on the young players in the org. and the automatic assumption that it will be negative. While it is possible that he is not a changed man, their is also the potential for him to be a positive influence on these young men. For now however, lets just see what his play has to say for himself. At the end of the day, that is how professional athletes are judged.
I agree
I think you misunderstood. Probably my bad use of keyboard characters. I was saying that overrated (as Shoewizard labeled Jacobs) does NOT mean useless. He definitely has the power to be in the big leagues. We’ll see if the rest of his game can be brought up a bit, which given his age is the big question for me.
by Counsellmember on Jan 5, 2012 12:38 PM EST up reply actions
The guys has never posted a positive WAR
His “best season” in 2008 he had a .299 OBP, and
-18 Runs fielding…….even with the HR it added up to -1.1 WAR.
Even if you dismiss the fielding number entirely, and just assume he was a league avg fielder, (IOW “0”, niether negative or positive") he’d still be at less than 1 WAR.
If you make outs 70% of the time you come to the plate, you need to hit more than 32 HR to make up for it….or bring some defensive value, or be able to run really well….or…..something.
He’s fine for minor league filler and a little bit of depth in case someone gets hurt.
But if anyone is wowed by his 2008 HR and RBI numbers, they need to look at the entire picture.
The worst major leaguer is better at baseball than I'll ever be at anything I ever do in my life.
correction
he did have positive war in his rookie season…not since.
The worst major leaguer is better at baseball than I'll ever be at anything I ever do in my life.
This guy better be a slugger
without the drugs.
Or he will pay.
Listen to what I say.
Stay out of my way.
If you'd have been a dog.....
They would of drowned you at birth.
why don't you go eat some hay
you can lay by the bay
and make things out of clay
"We’re going to turn this team around 360 degrees." –Jason Kidd
by blank_38 on Jan 4, 2012 9:32 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Bottom line
Another strange signing. I wouldn’t want anyone with so much as a single molecule of a tainted substance anywhere near my ballclub.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
Isn't Matty still involved with the club?
Type “Matt Williams steroids” into Google and see how much you get back. Or just click one of the links, like this one.
by azshadowwalker on Jan 5, 2012 8:37 PM EST up reply actions
What's your point?
Matty did not test positive, if I remember correctly.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
He's admitted
To taking HGH.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Jan 5, 2012 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
So, he didn't try to conceal it when push came to shove?
That’s significantly different from someone pretending a false positive, or being ‘caught’ by random testing. Do you see the difference?
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
by NASCARbernet on Jan 6, 2012 12:45 AM EST up reply actions
Eh
If he some sort of devil incarnate, then he’ll not be around for 1/3rd of the season. But there’s a 99.9999999999% chance that he isn’t a stereotypical after-school special sort of pusher type, so whatever. Second chances are always fine by me.
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3
Really?
You don’t think he’s this guy?
Ian, Daniel, Josh, and two Trevors: It's not a Christian rock group.
by Zavada's Moustache on Jan 5, 2012 4:30 AM EST up reply actions
Look
if you play baseball and you’re stupid enough to take a PED, then you deserve what you get. If Jacobs somehow manages to be a bad influence on other players, then those players just freakin’ boneheads. It seems like a silly thing to worry about.
Other than that, this signing is only interesting because of the HGH angle. Wake me up when he has a chance of making the big league club.
Tomorrow is another day.
Well
Barring a freak luggage accident that results in a few 60 day DL stints, you’re probably gonna be Rip Van Winkleing this one
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3
Oh please please please
the newborn ain’t exactly making it easy to sleep in.
Tomorrow is another day.
Anyone remember when this guy killed us when he got called up with the Mets?
Jacobs set a MLB record with most homeruns in the first five games of his Major League career if I recall and he did it against our DBacks. Bet thats something team management remembered when they signed the guy. Jake can Rake in this park.
Well, maybe not
if he’s off the juice.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
by NASCARbernet on Jan 5, 2012 10:24 AM EST up reply actions
Yep
2005, back to back losses to the Mets, 14-1 and 18-4… :( In those two games, Jacobs went 6-for-8 with three homers and six RBI.
"There's one rule by which I generally run my life:
What would Mothra do?"
by Jim McLennan on Jan 5, 2012 11:36 AM EST up reply actions
And a random factoid
Jacobs was the last hitter before Henry Blanco, to have 8+ homers in 100 AB or less.
"There's one rule by which I generally run my life:
What would Mothra do?"
Is this a KT "pity" signing?
Is KT becoming baseball’s charity GM, selecting reclamation project after reclamation project? Or, is this signing this year’s Burroughs-style “pity” signing?
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
I'll take the Burroughs pity signing
if you mean Jacobs will become the obvious (if not recipient of) Comeback Player of the Year for MLB.
by Counsellmember on Jan 5, 2012 4:58 PM EST up reply actions
I don't know if it's pity,
But he definitely loves these low-risk, high-upside deals where he signs cheap veterans to minor-league deals. Truthfully, I like the philosophy: gather up enough cheap reclamation projects, and statistically one or two should end up coming through.
Ian, Daniel, Josh, and two Trevors: It's not a Christian rock group.
by Zavada's Moustache on Jan 5, 2012 5:07 PM EST up reply actions
There is something to that
the ‘see what sticks’ approach can pay off. I don’t think it works for pitchers that well, though.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
It certainly didn't
Work for KT’s reclamation pitchers last year (See: Galarraga, Armando). But I think for position players and particularly bullpen arms, it’s a nice idea.
Ian, Daniel, Josh, and two Trevors: It's not a Christian rock group.
by Zavada's Moustache on Jan 5, 2012 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, I agree
JJ Putz was a reclamation project himself, coming off major surgery, so as you say, it could work for bullpen pitchers if their arms are still sound.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
Unless
Your Yhency Brazoban. He be stanky.
Wear your own fur.
by Marc Fournier on Jan 5, 2012 5:47 PM EST up reply actions
i don't think it's fair to Putz
to call him a reclamation project
he had a very good 2010 year
I don't think its fair to Putz
that everyone is voting for IPK.
sententia Platonis semper in ore illius fuit, florere civitates si aut philosophi imperarent aut imperantes philosopharentur
I don't think it's fair to Putz
That he shares his initials with an annoying beeper salesman that was ubiquitous on the radio in the mid 90s in Arizona.
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3
I don't think it's fair to Putz
that you’re blithely sharing his initials here like Goobers, after I’ve painstakingly established myself as the insufferable “shares initials with” guy.
Reporters asked the Phillies' skipper how his pitcher had managed to injure himself in his sleep. "I don’t know," Manuel said. "I didn’t sleep with him."
by Diamondhacks on Jan 5, 2012 11:08 PM EST up reply actions
I don't think it's fair to Putz
That his last name is a yiddish swear word
Founder of the 'Foundation for the Advancement of Clefoing' a 501C3
I dont think it's fair to Putz
anything past you, Clefo
Reporters asked the Phillies' skipper how his pitcher had managed to injure himself in his sleep. "I don’t know," Manuel said. "I didn’t sleep with him."
by Diamondhacks on Jan 5, 2012 11:13 PM EST up reply actions
except for
Pputz.
"At times I think there are no words
But these to tell me what's true
There are no truths outside The Gates of Eden." B. Dylan
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