Guillermo Mota Suspended 100 Games For Second Positive Drug Test
Strike Two
San Francisco Giants reliever Guillermo Mota was suspended for 100 games on Monday, becoming just the third major league player penalized twice for positive drug tests.
The commissioner’s office said the 38-year-old right-hander tested positive for Clenbuterol. In November 2006, while with the New York Mets, Mota was suspended for the first 50 games of the next season.
“We won’t have Mota for a while. It is what it is, and you move on,” manager Bruce Bochy said before the Giants began a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. “If we get into a situation where we need a pitcher, we’re going to have to make a change. Right now we’re going with 11 pitchers, and if we have to adjust, we will. We’ve got some pretty good options, we think, and Brian (Sabean) and I will continue to talk about them.”
Mota’s agent Adam Katz said in a statement that the Clenbuterol was in children’s cough syrup.
“Players are responsible for what they put in their bodies. Guillermo understands that,” Katz said. “A 100-game suspension for taking a children’s cough medicine that contains trace amounts of a prohibited substance, which is what happened here, is severe and unfair and does not reflect the intention of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We will appeal it.”
The Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance challenging the suspension that will be heard by an arbitrator. Under baseball’s drug agreement, grievances for initial positive tests are heard before a suspension is announced but cases involving second or third positives are argued after the penalty is made public.
Outfielder Manny Ramirez and catcher Eliezer Alfonzo are the only previous players to twice test positive. No player has tested positive a third time, which would result in a lifetime ban.
Alfonzo was suspended for 50 games in 2008 while with San Francisco and for 100 games last September while with Colorado Rockies. By the time Mota’s suspension is over, the Giants will have 34 games left on the schedule.
Mota was 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in nine games for the Giants this year. This is his 14th season in the majors. He has been a setup man and middle reliever throughout his career. He is 39-45 with 10 saves in 726 games while playing with Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco.
Clenbuterol acts as a stimulant, increasing heart rate. In medicine, it is used to treat asthma. Like some steroids, the drug also has anabolic effects. Athletes and body builders use it to build muscle and burn fat.
Buster Posey’s Road To The Show
The 2010 season was an incredible year for San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey. That year Posey got called up to the majors, notched his first big league hit, became a World Series champion and then was named the National League Rookie of the Year.
Sony and Posey team up to create one of the best promos I’ve ever seen for a video game. MLB 12 The Show is now available.
Security At Dodger Stadium Wearing Opponents Jerseys
Zero Tolerance
The opening day game at Dodger Stadium got under way Tuesday amid a heavy police presence, one year after a San Francisco Giants fan was beaten into a coma in the parking lot. Undercover officers wearing Pittsburgh Pirates jerseys in the stadium joined uniformed officers patrolling on bikes, horses and in squad cars.
Officers wearing rival team jerseys will be at every game this season, Sgt. Mitzi Fierro said.
“If somebody is going to harass a fan from an opposing team, it increases the possibility of them coming in contact with a police officer,” she said. “It kind of requires people to be on their best behavior.”
Last year’s opening was marred by an attack at the end of the game on Giants fan Bryan Stow. He was wearing a San Francisco jersey when he was punched in the head, kicked and slammed to the ground in the parking lot. Stow, a paramedic from Santa Cruz, suffered severe brain damage and continues to undergo rehabilitation.
He still needs someone to dress him and help him to and from his wheelchair, according to a posting early last month on a family blog.
Two men have pleaded not guilty to charges of mayhem, assault and battery.
San Francisco Giants Team Plane Has Beard
Fear The Beard
The San Francisco Giants have a new team plane and it’s one that can’t be missed even in the high in the sky. In honor of arguably their most popular player, closer Brian Wilson, the Virgin America plane now sports a beard.
The Airbus A320 is emblazoned with the Giants logo and features Wilson’s iconic facial hair on the front of the plane. Virgin is also offering a tie-in contest for people that see the plane and tweet photos of it will become eligible to receive a free flight or Giants tickets.
Virgin signed a multi-year marketing partnership with the Giants back in 2011.
San Francisco Giants Round Up Mascot Battle Royal
The San Francisco Giants rounded up a bunch of their mascots and had a battle royal outside of AT&T Park.
Jon Niese Gets Nose Job After Teammates Jokes
By A Nose
Before Carlos Beltran was traded to the San Francisco Giants last July, he playfully told New York Mets left-handed pitcher Jon Niese, “Hey, we need to get you a new nose.” Beltran even offered to pay.
“He wanted me to have a new nose,” Niese said about Beltran. “So he offered to pay for it. I was just like, ‘All right.’ Then it turned into seeing doctors and to getting it fixed.”
An originally unintended byproduct of the rhinoplasty procedure is improved breathing, Niese said Monday.
“It’s helped a lot with my running,” he said. “It helps with my working out. As far as the mound, I’m not sure.”
Niese, 25, ended last season on the disabled list with a strained intercostal muscle on his right side. He went 11-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 27 appearances.
Miami Marlins To Be Showtimes Reality Series The Franchise
Lights, Camera, Action
The Miami Marlins will be the stars of this season’s reality TV show The Franchise on Showtime. The series, which has already begun production, will air on Showtime and is produced by MLB Productions.
The series debuted last year following the San Francisco Giants. The Marlins are in the midst of being re-branded, which includes changing the team’s name and new uniforms along with a new charismatic manager in Ozzie Guillen.
“Miami is not only one of the most sexy and cosmopolitan cities in the country, but has become one of the best sports towns as well,” Showtime Networks Inc. President of Entertainment David Nevins said in a statement.
“‘The Franchise’ has worked for us because it appeals to both the hard core sports fan as well as audiences interested in compelling unscripted drama. A newly rebuilt Miami Marlins franchise full of big player personalities, and led by the larger-than-life Ozzie Guillen, are an ideal team for season two of ‘The Franchise.’”
Tim Lincecum Says He Dropped 22 Pounds
From Freak To Fatty Back To Freak
San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum has discovered age catches up with everyone.
Known for his affection for fast food, the Giants ace said he has curtailed his trips to the likes of In-N-Out Burger, McDonald’s and Jack in the Box after his weight rose nearly 40 pounds from the end of the 2010 season to the current offseason.
In a session with reporters before the Giants FanFest last weekend, Lincecum expounded on his eating habits and his changing physique, saying he lost 22 pounds in the last three months and is now comfortable at 175.
The 5-foot-11 Lincecum, often thought of as too small to endure the rigors of a baseball season, said he intentionally put on weight in hopes of increasing his stamina after finishing the 2010 season at 160 pounds.
He would usually lose between five and 10 pounds during the season, but last year he didn’t, finishing at 187. He then climbed to 196 during a slothful October.
“My dad was making fun of it all offseason,” Lincecum said, adding he actually had some flab around his waist. “There were pant sizes I had to go up to (from 32 to 34). That was a big adjustment. I wore a lot of sweats that month.”
He trimmed down by doing cardio work, swimming in a counter-current pool and laying off the junk food. In recent years Lincecum has looked more like a gymnast than a baseball player, with wiry arms and surprisingly broad shoulders but also a lean torso. He wasn’t nearly as lithe last year, which he said was disguised by his baggy uniform.
“I’ve always had a problem gaining weight, so I was pressing the eating portion, and it kind of caught up to me,” said Lincecum, 27. “Obviously age is probably catching up to me too. The metabolism isn’t what it was.”
The added weight didn’t seem to impact his performance nearly as much as the Giants lack of offense. They scored two runs or less in 21 of his 33 starts as Lincecum had the first losing season of his career, going 13-14 despite a 2.74 ERA.
But Lincecum said he felt the extra weight on his knees and ankles, so he eventually altered his diet. Steak and potatoes are still a big part of it, but chicken now has a more prominent role. And although he doesn’t cook, he has refined his palate.
“You take your first bite of a McDonald’s burger and you’re like, ‘Why did I buy this?’ It’s like feeling instantly sick,” Lincecum said. “That’s what ended up happening with all these places and why I started eliminating them. … So I started going for stuff that made me feel better. I’m still not crushing vegetables by any means, but I am eating a lot better.”
Lou Piniella To Return To New York Yankees As TV Analyst
Couldn't Stay Away
Former New York Yankees outfielder and manager Lou Piniella is in negotiations to rejoin the organization as an analyst for the YES Network and as a spring training instructor, the New York Daily News reports. Piniella, 68, would work a limited number of games as an analyst.
Since retiring as Chicago Cubs manager in August of 2010 to care for his sick mother, Piniella has worked as a scout/special consultant for the San Francisco Giants.
Piniella spent 11 of his 18 season in the majors with the Yankees, hitting .295 with 57 homers and 417 RBIs in pinstripes. He had two stints as the team’s manager in the 1980s, compiling a 224-193 record in three seasons.
Barry Zito Marrying Former Miss Missouri
TALENT
It appears winners of the Miss Missouri title have a gift for getting to the wedding altar with well-known pro athletes. Candice Crawford, the 2008 Miss Missouri made that trip with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo earlier this year.
Now Amber Marie Seyer, the 2007 winner, is headed in the same direction this weekend San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito.
It’s a nice ending to the year for the 2002 Cy Young winner, who had a rough season for San Francisco while being reminded often he hasn’t delivered on his $126 million contract.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports another Giant also will get wed this weekend, when outfielder Nate Schierholtz marries Kate Eveland, a former guard for San Diego State’s basketball team.
Brian Wilson Wears LSU Football Uniform
Geaux Tigers
This was meant to get posted yesterday of San Francisco Giants closer Brain Wilson in his Alma matter LSU football uniform before the big game over the weekend against the Alabama Crimson Tide, in which the Tigers won 9-6.
Brian Wilson, Ronnie Lott & MC Hammer Go Political
San Francisco interim mayor Ed Lee decided to get some friends to create a video to advocate for him to get the job full time. Those friends included San Francisco Giants reliever Brian Wilson and NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, while throwing in the soundtrack of MC Hammer’s “2 Legit 2 Quit” and you have one of the stranger and more entertaining political ads.
Win Or Lose, Arthur Rhodes To Get A World Series Ring
Cant Lose
Win or lose, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Arthur Rhodes will receive a World Series ring either way. That’s because Rhodes pitched for the Texas Rangers before being released on August 8. Three days later, he signed a free-agent deal with the Cardinals.
“I was disappointed when the Rangers released me because I was happy with my role there and they are a good team,” Rhodes told Yahoo! Sports. “But you’ve got to keep your head up. I was really happy to sign with the Cardinals, and now, here we are.”
Rhodes, who will turn 42 on Monday, is in his 20th major league season but in his first World Series. Asked about the possibility of getting a ring as a member of the losing team in the World Series, Rhodes didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah, you gotta take the ring, man,” he told Yahoo! Sports.
The Rangers are paying all but $100,000 of his $1.2 million salary to pitch against them. A similar situation occurred last season when Bengie Molina, traded from the San Francisco Giants to the Rangers during the season, faced his former teammates in the World Series. Molina still got a ring from the Giants, even though his Rangers lost.
The only other player to play in a World Series against a team he played for during the regular season was Lonnie Smith in 1985, when he was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the eventual World Series-champion Kansas City Royals.
Brian Wilson Talks Up The 1986 Boston Celtics For NBA 2K12
Not sure as to why NBA 2K12 got a Major League Baseball player to endorse its newest video game, which was releasehed Tuesday, but the end result is a hilarious two minutes of San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson talking up the 1986 Boston Celtics.
Former Landlord Sues Tim Lincecum For $350K In Damages
Freak
The former landlord for San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum has filed a lawsuit against the pitcher seeking $350,000 in damages, claiming the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner stole and destroyed items in the San Francisco apartment he rented. The lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court by Mindy Freile alleges that after Lincecum’s lease expired, he returned to living in the unit and “broke, stained, defaced, tore, injured or destroyed” her property.
Lincecum signed a lease in May 2010 to rent the Mission District apartment, according to court documents. The lawsuit alleges that shortly after the lease expired on February 28, Lincecum occupied the unit without his landlord’s permission and stayed through May 13.
Freile, who said she had been trying to evict Lincecum, later entered the unit and found the damages. The landlord wrote in the complaint that Lincecum also failed to pay rent on time and stole and destroyed household properties such as “bedding, doors, carpet, pillows, kitchenware, linens, furniture, household appliances, art work, decorations, patio furniture, lights, lamps, and mirrors.”
She is seeking $200,000 in property damage and an additional $150,000 in time and money lost.
Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player: Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
Every Tuesday Sports Grind Entertainment presents you with the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week. This week the recipient of this prestigious honor goes to the Arizona Diamondbacks for winning the National League West Division after consecutive 90 loss season and back-to-back last place finishes. The Diamondbacks defeated the reigning World Series champions and division rivals the San Francisco Giants 3-1 to achieve their first NL West crown in four years. The Diamondbacks completed their worst-to-first turnaround by rallying to beat the Giants something that has been very common for them all season long.
Arizona started the season on a downturn, already 6.5 games out of first by the end of April then went through a magnificent May, closing the month 15-3 to take the NL West lead, and stayed near the top through July. The Diamondbacks seized control of the division at the end of August into September, going up by as much as 9.5 games before San Francisco came charging back with an eight-game winning streak now a year after going 65-97, Arizona is 91-66 and heading to the playoffs.
Congratulations Arizona Diamondbacks you are this weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player.
Tommy Lasorda Returns To Coach Los Angeles Dodgers
Baseball Ambassador
Last night was just like old times for former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda as he took a seat on the the teams bench. Lasorda wore his famous No. 2 white jersey as an honorary coach under manager Don Mattingly against the San Francisco Giants, a gesture extended by the team for his 84th birthday.
“I want to manage,” he said. “I got 1,599 wins. Win this one and we’ll be 1,600. It’s very, very important to me.”
Lasorda retired in 1996 as one of just five major league managers to guide the same team for 20 years or more. His tenure included two World Series titles, four National League pennants and eight division titles. He’s is in his 62nd season with the franchise and currently serves as special adviser to team owner and chairman Frank McCourt.
“It feels great,” Lasorda said. “This is something I never thought, never dreamed it would happen and it happened. I’m so grateful. My family’s enthused about it. All my friends are calling me from all over the country. I didn’t think I was that much missed.”
When Giants manager Bruce Bochy was asked how he felt about Lasorda being on the Dodgers bench again he said,“let him manage. I’ll outsmart him.” To which Lasorda responded by saying “tell Bochy I’m in the Hall of Fame.”
Nike MAG Raises Over $5.6 Milli For Parkinson’s Research
Very Nice
Pretty much everyone that loves shoes wanted a pair of Nike MAG’s more commonly know as the Back to the Future II shoes, especially athletes from every major sport. Unfortunately not all of us were as lucky as San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson, who was able to grab two pair for just under $10,000 each. However the people that were lucky to land a pair did a good deed and help raise $5,695,190.53 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research over the 10-day period.
This was before co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin, personally matched the proceeds and helped raise the total to $11,390,381,10.
Brian Wilson Wears Back To The Future Shoes
Jealous
The Nike announced early this month that they would release 1,500 pairs of their Nike MAG shoes, a replica of the shoe featured in the film Back to the Future Part II, on eBay with all the proceeds being donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s disease research. The shoes are going for as low as $4,000 eBay and last night San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson showed 0ff that he is the proud owner of a pair.
Wilson, who is currently on the disabled list, appeared before reporters during batting practice showing off the new kicks that are driving sneaker heads crazy. Later in the ballgame against the Colorado Rockies, Wilson once again appeared in the dugout still wearing the Nike MAGS but this time the soles were fully charged.
Wilson is said to have bought two pairs and spent a little under $10,000 for each.
Super Jealous
San Francisco Giants Top Investors Force Out CEO Bill Neukom
Never Trust A Bow-Tie Man
A disappointing 2011 season undoubtedly was going to lead to changes within the world champion San Francisco Giants. It wasn’t expected that the changes would start at the top of the organization.
Managing general partner and chief executive officer Bill Neukom will not return in that role next season. Neukom was forced to step down by the Giants ownership group’s executive committee, a request believed to be the result of several disagreements between the committee and Neukom, who once was Microsoft’s top attorney. Giants president and chief operating office Larry Baer will take over as CEO when Neukom steps down Dec. 31.
Considering the World Series title and this season’s high attendance at AT&T Park, Neukom’s three year tenure has been successful. But certain financial decisions upset members of the ownership group in part because they learned of them through news reports rather than directly from Neukom.
The Giants ownership group is composed of 32 “Principle Partners,” an executive committee of the 10 largest investors holds most of the power and appoints the managing general partner, who is the face of the group and handles day-to-day operations.
Eliezer Alfonzo Suspended 100 Games
Three Strikes Your Out
Colorado Rockies catcher Eliezer Alfonzo become the first player suspended twice for performance-enhancing drugs under the Major League Baseball testing program when the commissioner’s office announced a 100-game penalty. Alfonzo, a 32-year-old backup in his sixth big league season, was suspended for 50 games in April 2008 while a member of the San Francisco Giants.
“I am surprised by this positive test,” he said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association. “I learned my lesson in 2008 and have not taken any prohibited substances since then. With the union’s help, I intend to fight this suspension and look forward to appearing before the arbitrator in the near future.”
Alfonzo used a similar statement three years ago when he said he never took steroids but did take medicine for bronchitis while home in Venezuela. He is hitting .267 this season with one homer and nine RBIs in 75 at-bats. He has a .240 career average with 17 homers during a career than also included stints with San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners.
Baseball began testing with penalties in 2004. Under the current rules, a third violation would carry a lifetime ban. There have been 60 suspensions this year under the tighter minor league testing program. Three other 50-game penalties were announced Rockies right-hander Randol Rogers (Boldenone), Cincinnati Reds right-hander Cole Green (Methylhexaneamine) and Baltimore Orioles first baseman Rhyne Hughes (an amphetamine) also learned of their suspension which they will serve at the start of next season.
Tim Lincecum Launches Clothing Line
The Freak
San Francisco Giants Cy Young Award winning pitcher Tim Lincecum has been able to cross over from the baseball world into GQ and the cover model for The New York Times Style Magazine. That has allowed Lincecum to launch his signature style of caps and tees into a new business venture. The Giants pitcher has teamed up with The Original Retro Brand to release an exclusive clothing collection available for everyone.
The brand is a collection of vintage-style tees that come in the Giants team colors with Lincecum’s very recognizable silhouette as well as his famous nicknames, “The Freak” and “The Franchise.”
For purchase click here.
Brandon Belt Meets Brandon Belt The Baby Giraffe
Twins
A baby giraffe recently was born at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom to which the keepers needed a name for and decided what better name to give it than Brandon Belt, sharing the same name as San Francisco Giants rookie Brandon Belt. That’s because Giants Belt’s nickname happens to be ‘baby giraffe.’ After the birth, Discovery Kingdom and the Giants thought it would be a perfect moment for the two to meet and forever be linked beyond just name.
For now, the human Belt is taller than the giraffe as Brandon is listed at 6’5″ and the giraffe is 6’2″ but the giraffe is expected to grow up to 18 feet.
San Francisco Giants Payroll Manager Charged With Embezzlement
TALENT
Robin O’Connor, a former payroll manager for the San Francisco Giants, has been arrested on federal charges associated with embezzling more than $1.5 million from the baseball club’s employees, including players, and using the money for fancy cars and a new home.
O’Connor, 41, was confronted by the team in July and acknowledged diverting more than $600,000 from two Giants employees which the club immediately fired her.
“We immediately notified the United States Attorney’s office and are working with the federal authorities to ensure that this matter is thoroughly investigated and that any wrongdoing is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the team said in a statement.
The team conducted an audit after O’Connor’s alleged admission and discovered 11 suspicious deposits totaling more than double what she had confessed to, for a total of $1,513,836, an affidavit said.
The team paid her $80,000 annually in base salary and she was eligible for bonuses, according to the affidavit. She processed payroll for Giants employees, including players, and was responsible for making changes to amounts of money sent to employees bank accounts.
The first sign of trouble came on July 5, when the Giants were contacted by Bank of America, who said O’Connor had applied for a residential loan for a property in San Diego, the affidavit stated. The loan file included a letter on San Francisco Giants letterhead explaining two large deposits that had been made into O’Connor’s bank account.
“Because of her outstanding contributions to our Major League Baseball team and front office during the 2010 season that assisted us in accomplishing our goal of winning the 2010 World Series, she was given two additional payments of compensation in May 2011,” the letter, quoted in the affidavit, states. Those payments were for $100,090 and $200,348, the affidavit states.
The letter also provided a phone number for a human resources manager who could confirm the payments, but the number was actually O’Connor’s direct line at work, the affidavit states. In addition, documents obtained by investigators showed that O’Connor spent tens of thousands of dollars on expensive cars, including a BMW.
O’Connor faces federal felony charges of wire fraud and fraud in connection with a computer. She’s due in court Sept. 30 but is currently free on a $500,000 bail bond.
