Notes on 2 Dan Naulty themes

Dan Naulty claimed he stole jobs from numerous people including Mike Trombley, but Trombley's career progressed until early 2002 and he had no idea Naulty impacted him one way or the other, according to a report in the NY Post:

• 1. (Naulty): "My choice has impacted hundreds of people" to the point that some lost jobs as a result, especially in the case of Mike Trombley in 1996: From the Star-Tribune, 12/15/07, "Twins: Abuser's Gains Were Ill Gotten," by LaVelle Neal:

"Now the consequences mean more to Naulty, a former Twins pitcher who spent 1996-99 in the majors. The mental snapshot that pops up the most:

• the sight of Mike Trombley packing his bags in 1996 after being a late spring training cut.

...the popular and hard-working Trombley was misty-eyed over barely missing the cut. "I stole people's jobs," said Naulty,...."I have to explain to my boys that I took people's jobs by cheating, and that penetrated my soul...and still haunts me today."

• The New York Post update about Mike Trombley indicates it was news to him that (12/17/07) steroids had made Naulty better than he:

(NY Post): "Instead of turning to steroids to keep up, Trombley learned a split-finger fastball and pitched until 2002. (May 27, 2002).New Yorkers might remember him best as the Twins pitcher who gave up a grand slam to Jason Giambi in the rain. He now lives in Fort Myers, Fla., and coaches Little League.

• Yesterday (12/17/07), a reporter told him of Naulty's remorse.

• Trombley said he never suspected Naulty was using steroids and holds no hard feelings.

"I've never felt that someone cheated me," Trombley said.

• "Looking back now, I have some mixed emotions. I guess you could turn it around. If it hurts the guy in the long run, who's better off? I'll trade one for the other.""

From NY Post article by Brian Costello, 12/18/07, "Naulty Has Remorse for "Roid Use"

• Baseball-Reference, Mike Trombley

2. Naulty's 2nd selling point was that his increased velocity made him better (and cost others their jobs). A statistics minded mlblogger looked into it further and found his performance unchanged by his increased velocity:

• "Dan Naulty is "the guy who was on (ESPN's) Outside the Lines", his performance was unchanged by his added velocity (I've got this stuff too). Essentially

his minor ERA, WHIP & K/BB ratio took a beating late in the season when he moved up a level (shouldn't it have stayed the same), his K/9IP went down. Throughout his Major League career, as he used, gained weight & velocity, his BAA & K/9IP got worse each season, his K/BB ratio also took a beating. His minor league career was normal, his major league career got worse as it went on; please don't tell me that if he didn't use he wouldn't have gotten as far, you cannot prove that."

• It sounds reasonable enough to look into. From 2/29/08, Baseball As I See It, mikemac.mlblogs/archives, 2/2008

After all, if Naulty had said steroids did not help him, his story would have had little to no interest. (sm)

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