I’ve been absent from this here blog, and you can thank the horrendous thing that is Strep Throat for that. Fully recovered, I figured the best and easiest way for me to come back into action was a good ol’ “Random Links” post. Of course, with all these antibiotics, doctor’s visits, and so on, I couldn’t stay away from the medical theme. Well, O.K., a dentist is not necesarily a doctor, but I digress.

• Some weirdo in San Francisco is going to “lifecast” from this year’s All-Star game. This is the story of a sad man who happened to watch to many ears being eaten alive by Mike Tyson. The same man whose “only claim to fame” was his attendance to the game where Barry (or is it Brian?) Bonds hit his record-setting 73rd home run of the 2001 season. He was a few rows behind the guy that caught the ball (and the other guy that sued him for it). Now he wants to hook up to a webcam and a wireless laptop to beam his life to all and all. No matter that justin.tv (left) is now broadcasting 11 different channels, and that Justine Ezarik is a girl, who’s blond, and is also doing the same thing. No, Dr. Doug: Baseball Hunter will be different. (Never mind that the actual lifecast of the game will be blacked out, and that Dr. Doug, a dentist, has to check back with his disapproving wife and root canal patients).

• It doesn’t matter that you’re the youngest player to reach the 100 home run mark. You gotta get educated.

• And speaking of Brian, er, Boris, I mean, Barry, Dontrelle Willis isn’t scared that the Marlins could be the team against which Bonds hits big seven-five-six.

• Hmmm. The Twins’ new stadium may end up costing people in Minnesota (aka, taxpayers) a bit more than anticipated. About $8 mil more $10 mill more, and all thanks to those $320-an-hour attorneys. Don’t they know why the A’s continue to lead the way when it comes to…ugh, you know what I mean.

• For a minute there, Jason Bergman found comfort in knowing that all those sharpshooters scattered throughout RFK stadium where there for protection. Too bad his offense didn’t do the same, the Nats lost 4-2.

• This isn’t the Adam LaRoche of old; his aggressive attitude is paying dividends for the Pirates. His production his up, his average is up, he’s even swinging at 3-0 pitches. I wonder…

• And forget Polow Da Don, everybody knows “THE KING” of white girls is Chase Utley.

Adam LaRoche is without a doubt this year’s most disappointing player, and it’s not like he doesn’t have any competition. Garrett Atkins, Ryan Howard, Mark Redman and Bobby Abreu have all staked a claim, but LaRoche has outdone them all. He has been totally, completely, thoroughly 100 percent awful.

Currently, LaRoche is hitting an anemic .193 with four HR and only 20 RBIs. He’s slugging just .331. Ick.

On the plus side, LaRoche has walked 25 times and he’s been hit by a pitch once, which is halfway to his 2006 total — and we’re still a week away from June! If he keeps it up, he’ll match his career high of 4 HBPs, set in 2005.

I think LaRoche needs to embrace the HBP as a way of getting on base. After all, if quality players like Chase Utley and Craig Biggio can take one for the team on a regular basis, than surely LaRoche can stomach getting beaned on occasion.

Adam, it’s time to pull a Roger Dorn. Lean into it. Let it hit you. Cause god knows you haven’t been hitting it.

* Shout out to Danny for the LaRoche updates.

The Fanhouse made an interesting observation yesterday, pointing out that Padres 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff is off to such a horrid start “that he could go 1 for 8 in a double-header, and still raise his average!”

That’s really bad. But is Kouzmanoff this year’s biggest disappointment? Hard to say. There are plenty of candidates, including:

1. Adam LaRoche
Last year, after starting on ADD medication, LaRoche had a big second half on his way to a career year and 32 HR. But apparently LaRoche is off his meds again. So far this year he’s hitting .168 with three homers.

2. Chone Figgins
Figgins broke two fingers on his throwing hand in spring training. Since his return, Figgins is hitting .137 with three doubles and three runs batted in 14 games. He’s only had 51 at bats, but that’s still pretty disappointing.

3. Ryan Howard
He hit a game-winning pinch hit grand slam recently, so we’ll cut him a little slack. But he followed up his grand slam with a strike out. What do you think we’ll see more of in coming weeks, homers or Ks? For Philly’s sake, it better be the former.

4. Jeff Weaver
I don’t know how he pitched so well last October. It just doesn’t add up. Add Weaver to a long list of terrible Seattle free-agent signings, along with Beltre, Sexton, and Vidro. Just awful.

5. Ichiro Suzuki
He’ll turn it around. He’s freaking Ichiro in a contract year. Remember the crazy second half he had in 2005? I’m betting on a repeat performance this season.

6. Freddy Sanchez
No power. No speed. Last year was a fluke.

Did I miss anyone?

Adam LaRoche, originally uploaded by FLC.
Last year, then Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche was the subject of an ESPN “Outside the Lines” episode, in which it was suggested that the slugger’s use of ADD medication, and not his play against lefties, was the reason his numbers began to climb.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, ever the flip-flopping publication, went on LaRoche’s defense, asking readers if they thought the ESPN segment was “unfair.”

Well, now that he’s no longer with the Braves, the AJC feels they can bounce around words like “absentminded” when referring to LaRoche as if they were his middle name.

LaRoche shows trade hasn’t changed him

By DAVID O’BRIEN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/03/07

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Things haven’t changed entirely for Adam LaRoche, who showed up with the Pittsburgh Pirates to play his old team wearing No. 96.

“First game, forgot my jersey,” said the famously absentminded former Braves first baseman, who will wear No. 25 this season, “in honor of Andruw Jones.”

LaRoche hit fourth and went 0-for-2 with a groundout and flyout in two plate appearances in a 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Braves at Wide World of Sports, his first Grapefruit League game for the Pirates .

“This is what you get when you get traded,” Braves shortstop Edgar Renteria said of the No. 96 on his black jersey.

“What’s up, dude? What’s with that number?” Braves third baseman Chipper Jones said to LaRoche, after coming from behind him and surprising him with a hug.

The game was televised on ESPN, and broadcasters poked fun at LaRoche for the jersey snafu. “It’s all right; I’m used to it,” he said, smiling.

Har, har, jolly old “absentminded” LaRoche, forgot his jersey, har, har. All fun and games; but don’t you suggest that the medicine he takes for his “absentmindedness” might be enhancing his performance, lest you treat him “unfairly.”

Now that most of the free agents have been signed, it’s time for teams with missing pieces to start making trades. All indications are that it will be a busy trade season, as many teams are still looking to add players. And it looks like three teams are getting ready to kick things off with a bang.

From the New York Times:

The Yankees are in discussions with the Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates about a three-way deal that would send outfielder Melky Cabrera to the Braves from the Yankees, reliever Mike Gonzalez to the Yankees from the Pirates, and first baseman Adam LaRoche to the Pirates from the Braves, according to a baseball official.

What a fun trade! Three-ways are always exciting. And this one promises to make everyone happy. Everyone except Adam LaRoche, that is. Nobody wants to play for the Pirates.

Speaking of LaRoche, he is suddenly a hot commodity. How did that happen? As recently as last June, he was one of the more mediocre first basemen in memory. Then he got benched for a lazy play, which inspired him to start taking his Attention Deficit Disorder meds. The rest is history. LaRoche was LaStudly in the second half of last season. And now he’s in demand.

It’s hard to imagine the Yanks are trading away Melky. He’s young, talented and cheap. But they’re getting a good bullpen arm in return, somebody who can setup or who can fill in when the aging Mariano Rivera inevitably gets hurt.

What trades will follow this one? The Phils still need to unload John Lieber. The Dodgers are still looking to move a pitcher and a prospect in favor of a big bat. The Red Sox still could trade Manny. Stay tuned.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is asking readers if they think that ESPN was unfair to Braves second baseman che in a recent “Outside the Lines” segment, when the show suggested that the sole reason for LaRoche’s second half turnaroundis his decision to start taking attention deficit disorder medication.

From the AJC:

ESPN unfair to LaRoche?
By AJC | Sunday, September 17, 2006, 09:55 PM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An ESPN Outside The Lines program credited medication for attention deficit disorder as the sole reason for Adam LaRoche’s statistical improvement this season.

LaRoche has hit .344 with 20 home runs and 52 RBIs in 69 games since June 24.

In edited interviews with LaRoche and other Braves players, no mention was made of LaRoche’s opportunity to play every day, instead of being benched vs. left-handed pitchers.

Was ESPN unfair to LaRoche? Do you admire the first baseman for being willing to discuss his ADD? LaRoche told the AJC’s David O’Brien: “The reason I wanted to do [the show] was really for kids who might not think they can play sports or be successful with ADD.

For his part, LaRoche takes some offense at any insinuation that his sudden surge is completely due to the medication, which was cleared by a specialist in Atlanta and approved for his use by Major League Baseball.

“They want to make it out to be strictly the medication,” said LaRoche, who takes his medication in the early afternoon. “Whatever they turned it into, that’s out of my control.”

He credits his improvement at the plate more to getting the opportunity to play against lefties and righties than to the medication.

“I said for years that I could hit if I played against lefties,” LaRoche said.
What do you think? Has ESPN sensationalized the story? Does ESPN make a habit of manipulating stories? Or could LaRoche’s improvement really be due to his ADD medication?

Bobby Cox has benched first baseman Adam LaRoche for a lazy play that cost the Braves an out in Sunday’s game against the Nationals and led to four more Nats runs.

LaRoche was booed when he came to the plate following his error. He described the experience like this:

I turned to the home-plate umpire and told him it was the first time I’d been booed. I said, “It feels like I’m standing out here alone, butt-naked in front of everybody.” It’s a miserable feeling. I deserved it.

Catch that? let’s rewind. LaRoche said, “it was the first time I’d been booed.”

If ever there was evidence that Braves fans just plain suck, this is it. LaRoche is a .261 lifetime hitter who has never hit more than 20 homers in a season. This season he is hitting .221. And he had NEVER BEEN BOOED BEFORE.

For the sake of comparison, there is only one member of the Phillies organization who has gone as long as LaRoche without being booed — the Phanatic.