Rick Helling in "The Yankee Years"

by Ted Price on Feb 7, 2009 4:22 PM CST Comment 29 comments

Thought this was appropriate today.

Been reading the Verducci/Torre book "The Yankee Years" this week (by the way, not as scandalous as the NY tabloids have made it to be - go figure). In it, Verducci devotes a chapter on steriods in baseball and makes a point to mention Helling as one of the first players to really sound the alarm.

He says that as the union rep for the Rangers, Helling spoke up at the owners meeting... in 1998 saying that there is a big issue that baseball owners and players need to address before it blows up in their face. He did the same in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. Each time he was told there was no problem - at least not enough to raise an issue. MLB actually had some doctor give a presentation talking about the benefits of using steroids.

With all the crap the Rangers have been getting because former players continue to get busted, I thought it was cool that one of our own was ahead of the curve when it came to exposing the truth. It also goes a long way in telling how badly the owners, the players and the league wanted to pretned the problem didn't exist as long as attendance continued to go up.

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Kenny Rogers should also get credit

One of the early whistle blowers (getting mad that all relievers now had 92-93mph fastballs). Offered a lot of quotes for the major SI article (I can never remember the date).

"To be ignorant of one’s ignorance is the malady of the ignorant."

by ab03 on Feb 7, 2009 4:27 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Nice Ricky!

FOR MANLY LOVE BE HERE MARCH 25TH AT 2:15 AM SHARP

by Agreen07 on Feb 7, 2009 4:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

MLB actually had some doctor give a presentation talking about the benefits of using steroids.

wow. looks like i cant blame players anymore for this stuff. this is the shit i wanted to see come out b/c we all know the players and the mindset and perspective, but meanwhile the owners and union are literally telling them that their best option is to take steroids. cant wait to see how that goes over with the public.

mormons stole me and held me against my will with Oklahoma beer and 12+ hour work days.

by Jayslick on Feb 7, 2009 5:00 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

That sounds really dumb

but, on the other hand, MLB as a whole benefitted massively from steroids. The McGwire Sosa Home Run Race really restarted baseball after the strike.

Fans love steroids. They just don’t want to know their favorite players are taking them.

Get off my lawn.

by DJCahill on Feb 8, 2009 8:24 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think fans love steroids.

I think almost every real baseball fan would love if it no player ever took steroids again.

I just think most fans figure that if 50-90% of guys are going to be using, my guys may as well be using too.

You know, the old “I’d prefer it if nobody cheated, but if people are going to cheat I hope we cheat the best.”

The 40 Trumps All!!!

I hate Michael Young.

"There are no weak opinions with the dirkatron, it’s all scream-across-the-parking-lot echelon." -hightowersmith

by thedirkatron on Feb 9, 2009 2:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think fans love

what players can do on steroids. 500 foot bombs, jackrabbit quick running, relievers bringing it 90+ mph.

Get off my lawn.

by DJCahill on Feb 9, 2009 6:08 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Ted

Missed you at the Tipp this morning- a good comeback win for our Reds!

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Feb 7, 2009 5:23 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

With a 5 month old and a 2 year old it’s hard to tell the wife on a Saturday morning that I am leaving for two hours to go to the pub! I need a lot more points to cash in!

The Poster Formally Known As: UrbanDad
"Listen to Ted. Trust him. If he cuts you off, switch gears and go with it." -- Shroomer

by Ted Price on Feb 7, 2009 6:23 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Stupid Aston Villa

They need to start slipping up.

by Brett Perryman on Feb 7, 2009 7:01 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Post Script - Chad Curtis

On MLB Network today, Chad Curtis came on and said he had conversations with Donald Fehr early in this decade about the steriod problem and was basically brushed off.

So, even though a lot of the implicated names happened to play in Arlington (A-Rod, Canseco, Pudge, Palmeiro, Juan, etc.) there were plenty of our guys trying to do the right thing – it was just falling on deaf ears.

I don’t know why I feel compelled to defend the organization here. I just don’t want to be lumped in with SF/Oakland (BALCO) and Yankee/Mets (McNamee).

The Poster Formally Known As: UrbanDad
"Listen to Ted. Trust him. If he cuts you off, switch gears and go with it." -- Shroomer

by Ted Price on Feb 7, 2009 8:13 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

i dont see how you cant

the way i see it, the entire al west was juicing

go here to view my blog: dirtfromd.blogspot.com

by studcrackers on Feb 7, 2009 8:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Curtis

I never did like him much, but I do remember he and Gabe Kapler once appearing on a show (I think it was Real Sports on HBO) to talk about steroids. I admired the fact that both of them were willing to discuss things so openly while still active players.

"I dont care to debate with a troll." - Sharky

by RCCook on Feb 8, 2009 9:20 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I think Kapler & Curtis both

had their hands slapped by the union after that HBO appearance.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Feb 8, 2009 9:35 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Kapler? Really?

Kapler and Randy Valarde were poster boys for the steroid look.

"Evolution happened, now get over it." Michael Shermer

by rodcarew on Feb 8, 2009 9:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i was always under the impression the reason kapler looked how he looked

was he worked harder on being a body builder than on being a baseball player

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 8, 2009 2:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Perhaps Hart is to blame for all the steroid mess,

at least from a Ranger point of view. Today, speaking on the MLB Network he said that he told a trainer that he wanted our guys to have the physical appearance of guys from another unstated team. The trainers response was to say, “No you don’t”.

"Evolution happened, now get over it." Michael Shermer

by rodcarew on Feb 8, 2009 10:02 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

zy

what did you think of the book? worth reading?

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 8, 2009 2:05 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Can't speak for zy

But I really enjoyed it. Yes, it centers around the Yankees, but it also spends a lot of time going through the trends in baseball during Torre’s reign in New York: steroids, “Moneyball”, revenue sharing, etc. It also has very good insight on the fall of the Yankees dynasty at the turn of the century and the rise of the Red Sox.

Even as a hater of both those teams, I was entertained and informed. Got thru it in just 3 days.

The Poster Formally Known As: UrbanDad
"Listen to Ted. Trust him. If he cuts you off, switch gears and go with it." -- Shroomer

by Ted Price on Feb 8, 2009 2:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

hmmm may look into getting it off of amazon

thanks for the review

read anything else good recently/any other suggestions? (baseball or otherwise)

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 8, 2009 2:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

i just finished

loose balls, life and times of the aba

if you’re a fan of basketball id recommend it, a bunch of recollections on the league and how they conducted business. interesting stuff. believe SI ranked it as the #13 sports book of all time

go here to view my blog: dirtfromd.blogspot.com

by studcrackers on Feb 8, 2009 3:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

hmmm

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 8, 2009 4:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Before Yankee Years

I read National Pastime which looks into the history of baseball compared to the history of soccer (why we play one and the rest of the world plays the other). It really gets into how MLB and the Premier League are run – contracts, TV deals, etc.

I really get into the business side of sports, so this was a interesting book for me.

The Poster Formally Known As: UrbanDad
"Listen to Ted. Trust him. If he cuts you off, switch gears and go with it." -- Shroomer

by Ted Price on Feb 8, 2009 3:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

has anyone heard of or read this book?

it’s called dealing: the cleveland indians new ballgame

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1598510495/ref=s9_wishf_r1_t?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3RMTF5HGQNUCK&colid=X1RVBOE0NQMW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=right-1&pf_rd_r=088VQZ8B7TBJAS1B8BGH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=451858801&pf_rd_i=507846

ive only read reviews about it but it seems like it may be a new type of moneyball but about mark shapiro this time. i’ll probably get it in the near future

go here to view my blog: dirtfromd.blogspot.com

by studcrackers on Feb 8, 2009 4:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

That looks really cool.

Will have to add it to the stack of books next to my bed. My wife doesn’t understand why I have so many unread books. She keeps telling me I can’t buy a new one until I’ve read what I have. But new things keep coming out that interest me and that can sometimes push older title to the bottom of the stack.

It’s either this or heroin I tell her. (She doesn’t think that’s funny)

The Poster Formally Known As: UrbanDad
"Listen to Ted. Trust him. If he cuts you off, switch gears and go with it." -- Shroomer

by Ted Price on Feb 8, 2009 8:11 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

qestion

my dad doesnt like soccer at all, but likes the business side of sports

would he enjoy it you think?

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 8, 2009 4:42 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Probably not

It’s a lot of compare and contrast. He’d end up reading only half of each chapter.

If you are looking to get really geek-y, try “The Baseball Economist” by J.C. Bradbury. Written by an economist who loves the “Bill James” side of the game, it take a look at the game thru stats and dollars. It’s a little dense – in content not in length. Kinda picks up where “Baseball Between the Numbers” by Baseball Prospectus leaves off.

The Poster Formally Known As: UrbanDad
"Listen to Ted. Trust him. If he cuts you off, switch gears and go with it." -- Shroomer

by Ted Price on Feb 8, 2009 8:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

awesome

may have to suggest it to him/check it out

Scout: He was a first-round pick right? Got a huge bonus?
KG: Oh yeah.
Scout: Well, he spent a lot of it on milkshakes.

by knockoutking on Feb 9, 2009 8:21 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

does he blame the terrorists?

go here to view my blog: dirtfromd.blogspot.com

by studcrackers on Feb 8, 2009 3:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

He does for game 4 of the 2004 ALCS

Seriously though, he did say that the Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS (Pedro, Boone) was probably the loudest and most-charged he ever heard Yankee Stadium and that included games 4 and 5 of the 2001 WS.

The Poster Formally Known As: UrbanDad
"Listen to Ted. Trust him. If he cuts you off, switch gears and go with it." -- Shroomer

by Ted Price on Feb 8, 2009 3:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs