Spring Update: Roberts proving he's the everyday secondbaseman

[Flosman]

I am a certified personal trainer and I know it when I see it. Especially when the subject is 34 years old, and has a magical revival. That improvement might be made naturally at 24, but not at 34. The body is trending down not up. His arms are straight ripped from hand to shoulder, one of the key tell tale signs is the flexor muscles on his forearms which get huge when a big muscle gain happens fast.

I could care less because I will guarantee a large percentage of players are on something, and I think the whole steroid situation is a bunch of overhyped nonsense anyway. They are all doing something and only the idiots get caught.

I am not a certified trainer, however as a football coach I train a bunch of guys year round, many of which are very high level athletes. I was a big powerful player back in ancient times. I am a big proponent of Louie Simmons' westside barbell program. I started lifting with some of my players when I was around 40 and found that I had huge gains instantly. I played around 235 and I easily could be fit over 250+ in my mid to late 40s. Strangely I looked better at 40 after lifting for 4 months than I did at 24. Know I admit I would not have had any sustained ability because everything hurt and I experienced nagging small injuries. But my point is I blew up when I started back lifting. Now I had not lifted for over 12 years and was in terrible shape unless round is considered a good shape.

I just don't think saying a guy can look great at 35 after restarting a lifting program after a period of inactivity is far fetched. I don't think it nullifies the likelihood that the 35 year old is more likely to break down. But 35 year old baseball players are productive from time to time and he has put himself in position to be one of those guys it is just a matter of if he is able to hold up to the grind of a baseball season.

[Frobby]

I'm encouraged by what BRob has done so far, but I'll be more interested in how he's doing in the second half of March when a lot of the minor leaguers have been shipped out and the major league pitchers have scraped off most of the rust. Remember, BRob hit pretty well in his MiL rehab stint last year, including several XBH, but he looked overmatched against major league pitching. So, while I'm encouraged by what we're seeing, we need to see more.

While I'm not offended that some would wonder if BRob has used steroids to try to aid his comeback, I'm pretty offended that anyone would presume that's the case.

[sevastras]

I will bite, since I was the first to hint at it. When you first start back training you can have rapid strength and muscle gains. It is very conceivable that he would be able to get back to around his original pre injury size. On the other hand, the typical person cannot gain more than 1/2 pound of muscle per week with out "help". I am nervous that this muscle development isnt natural, but I wont say that it isnt either. I was one of the ones that thought he was toast and we were wasting time and resources having him around. I am excited to see his physical shape(Not in the Cindy sort of way) and hot start to spring training and hope he does well. If we caught lightning in a bottle with BRob, I will be extremely happy!

[Teddy OBP]

I just don't think saying a guy can look great at 35 after restarting a lifting program after a period of inactivity is far fetched. I don't think it nullifies the likelihood that the 35 year old is more likely to break down. But 35 year old baseball players are productive from time to time and he has put himself in position to be one of those guys it is just a matter of if he is able to hold up to the grind of a baseball season.

You can build and tone muscle well past age 35, folks. And after seeing their new strength and conditioning program, it's even less far fetched, although it was never far fetched to begin with.

Also: Roberts has looked like this in all of his healthy years as a baseball player. Being 35 does not mean he can't still look like that.

Everyone on this board could be a certified personal trainer with $395 and an email address or book of stamps. It doesn't make us doctors, and it doesn't put us in the locker room with BRob.

Having already been implicated in the Mitchell Report once and being around to see the Raffy disaster are points in Roberts' favor in my view. No way he'd want to destroy himself in baseball circles forever for one more season. He's been getting paid, so it's not like he's desperate for money. He is likely only going to get another contract from Baltimore (if even them), so he's not likely to screw them with a PR disaster. It is more likely that he'll want to continue with Baltimore in some capacity after he's done playing, which he could do if he plays well this year or not...unless he does something dumb like get busted for PED's.

To the points above, I agree: I've seen a guy just as big get sick and lose mass and then put it back on again after he got better.Just as big, 100% clean, and at an older age. What you're 100% on is that it still remains to be seen is how long he can stay healthy at this age.

If he's really good even for half the season, its a boost. It also speaks well of the loyalty of the organization, which pays dividends with the other players.

[kakesmvp]

Is it possible that missing the majority of the last few years saved him a LOT of wear and tear on his body that would have gathered from all of those games? Maybe....just maybe he is a much healthier 34 or 35 year old (can't remember) then most physically, due to the fact that he hasn't played all of those games the past few years.. I know its ironic to say he is a "healthier" player then most that age, but I can't help but to feel that it may have indeed saved him from having the regression most would have. I am always a glass half full kinda guy, so I might be crazy for thinking so.. just my two cents though.

[sevastras]

Is it possible that missing the majority of the last few years saved him a LOT of wear and tear on his body that would have gathered from all of those games? Maybe....just maybe he is a much healthier 34 or 35 year old (can't remember) then most physically, due to the fact that he hasn't played all of those games the past few years.. I know its ironic to say he is a "healthier" player then most that age, but I can't help but to feel that it may have indeed saved him from having the regression most would have. I am always a glass half full kinda guy, so I might be crazy for thinking so.. just my two cents though.

Not saying you are wrong. Typically as men age, this is the point in which their testosterone levels start slipping and that is a factor in your physical conditioning as well as ability to heal. We all know the older we get, things just dont snap back like they use to. Now these guys are professional athletes, so I am not going to pretend to understand their physical abilities. I am just saying typical guys, which these guys arent.

[kakesmvp]

Not saying you are wrong. Typically as men age, this is the point in which their testosterone levels start slipping and that is a factor in your physical conditioning as well as ability to heal. We all know the older we get, things just dont snap back like they use to. Now these guys are professional athletes, so I am not going to pretend to understand their physical abilities. I am just saying typical guys, which these guys arent.

I would tend to agree with you for most normal guys...but just like you said these aren't normal guys. Thats the way I'm looking at it.

[Teddy OBP]

I would tend to agree with you for most normal guys...but just like you said these aren't normal guys. Thats the way I'm looking at it.

I'm hoping we're getting the baseball version of Marcus Allen.

[Bradysburns]

I'm encouraged by what BRob has done so far, but I'll be more interested in how he's doing in the second half of March when a lot of the minor leaguers have been shipped out and the major league pitchers have scraped off most of the rust. Remember, BRob hit pretty well in his MiL rehab stint last year, including several XBH, but he looked overmatched against major league pitching. So, while I'm encouraged by what we're seeing, we need to see more.

While I'm not offended that some would wonder if BRob has used steroids to try to aid his comeback, I'm pretty offended that anyone would presume that's the case.

I agree - I think that is crossing the line.

[Carroll County]

I agree - I think that is crossing the line.

Put me in the camp that would be very (pleasantly) surprised if he stays healthy and productive. It's more common with pitchers, but you see so many formerly productive players with histories of injury get ST invites from teams, and over and over again they're not able to cut it. Now he's been under contract, but if he weren't, he'd be in that boat, with the Orioles or someone else. As far as the steroid discussion goes, I don't think it's unreasonable or inappropriate to suspect it from guy who's an admitted user and also has his career hanging in the balance, hinging on his short term health and performance.

A couple other points of interest regarding the steroid thing - I felt his confession seemed about as honestly regretful and indicative of a guy who made a mistake and wouldn't repeat it as anyone else who has confessed to using PEDs. We're also speculating on a message board, which is pretty much harmless. I don't think it's appropriate for a professional journalist to make such accusations on a more widely distributed medium, which to this point, hasn't been done, at least that I've seen. If the guy tears it up during the season, I'd bet that would come, though.

[kakesmvp]

I'm hoping we're getting the baseball version of Marcus Allen.

That would be lovely!

[atomic]

What an unbelievable comment. Wow.

You think that is unbievable? You don't think it is weird that a guy who looked like he had no muscles last year suddenly has huge muscles and is a guy who has admitted using steroids in the past?

[atomic]

Not saying you are wrong. Typically as men age, this is the point in which their testosterone levels start slipping and that is a factor in your physical conditioning as well as ability to heal. We all know the older we get, things just dont snap back like they use to. Now these guys are professional athletes, so I am not going to pretend to understand their physical abilities. I am just saying typical guys, which these guys arent.

I doubt that most mens testosterone levels drop at 34. I could gain muscle a lot more easily at 34 than I could at 21. As for Roberts it looks like he is on the Roids. He looked like a tiny guy last year. Not a guy who just didn't work out. Just a guy who was naturally a small guy. It looked like I could have picked him up and tossed a good 10 feet easily. I don't know if he is on the roids and I am no expert but looking at what he looked like last season and what he looks like this season I would say if I were mlb i would be demanding drug tests.

[Bradysburns]

Put me in the camp that would be very (pleasantly) surprised if he stays healthy and productive. It's more common with pitchers, but you see so many formerly productive players with histories of injury get ST invites from teams, and over and over again they're not able to cut it. Now he's been under contract, but if he weren't, he'd be in that boat, with the Orioles or someone else. As far as the steroid discussion goes, I don't think it's unreasonable or inappropriate to suspect it from guy who's an admitted user and also has his career hanging in the balance, hinging on his short term health and performance.

A couple other points of interest regarding the steroid thing - I felt his confession seemed about as honestly regretful and indicative of a guy who made a mistake and wouldn't repeat it as anyone else who has confessed to using PEDs. We're also speculating on a message board, which is pretty much harmless. I don't think it's appropriate for a professional journalist to make such accusations on a more widely distributed medium, which to this point, hasn't been done, at least that I've seen. If the guy tears it up during the season, I'd bet that would come, though.

I agree with what you're saying here, pretty much across the board. Like I said before, though - I have a really hard time believing Brian would be so stupid as to use... with his history, etc. Would I be totally shocked to hear that? Not really. But PED revelations no longer shock me. It's ridiculous.