I Love This Kid

Yes, I'm still alive and so, apparently, is the good 'ol Baseblogg. That's why I wanted to make my comeback post about "The Kid," Ken Griffey Jr. and his pursuit of 600 career homeruns.

Here's a guy who, in an era where seemingly everybody is tainted by steroid suspicion, has been remarkably productive and remarkably free from controversy. Yes, he was Mr. Glass from 2001 to 2006, missing an average of 70 games a season. There's no question that lost time has kept him from joining an even more elite class of players, a class he was seemingly destined for in the 90s. Based on his career averages, he lost about 100 dingers to those injuries, meaning, if healthy, he would be one away from 700, not 600.

Either way, when you look at the players who have made it close to, or surpassed 600 recently (Bonds, Sosa, and Palmeiro), it'll be nice to have an undeniably legit one in the group. I just hope it's soon.

Andy, I Forgive You

I feel like if more people did what Andy Pettitte did, baseball's steroids problem wouldn't be front-page news every day and it wouldn't be as irritating for fans as it is right now.

Rather than speaking through lawyers, consulting his lawyers before every response, or stumbling through obviously rehearsed talking-points, he gave each reporter who asked him a question at today's press conference, what looked like an honest, straightforward, off-the-top-of-his head answer. And in a way, you almost feel sorry for him. He's been put in an impossible situation between two men he still considers friends. His father's health problems have become common knowledge as a result of all this, his wife has been dragged through all of this, and all because he claims to have taken HGH to get back on the field sooner and justify his big contract, not to break a record or gain a competitive advantage.

In the context of PEDs, people like Andy Pettitte are easy to forgive because he doesn't come across as smarmy, arrogant, or indignant. He came across the way someone caught doing something illegal should feel- contrite, apologetic, and embarrassed. And because he's been up front with everybody, the questions won't linger. Everybody got their answers today and if you have a lick of common sense in you, his answers make sense. So the media will find something else to report on, and Pettitte will go back to being just an important part of the Yankees starting rotation. Funny how that works.

A Different Take On Steroids

In case any of you are interested, I did a fairly in-depth investigation into steroid-use among young people in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina, where I live and work. You can see that TV news story here. My station's main anchor also interviewed me about my experiences during my playing days. That web news story is here.

WE'LL NEVER KNOW THE TRUTH

Unless someone other than Brian McNamee comes forward with something significant, we'll never know who is telling the truth about Roger Clemens and steroids.

You have the accused whose alleged steroid and PED use is not impossible to believe, given among other things (a) his late-career success, (b) Andy Pettitte's admission that he (Clemens) discussed using PEDs with him (Pettitte) when they were teammates, (c) the fact that his own wife admitted to using HGH injected by McNamee, and (d) may have tampered with a witness (his former Nanny) prior to her meeting with Congress regarding his absence or presence at a party thrown by admitted steroid-user Jose Canseco.

Conversely, you have an accuser who is (a) a pathological liar, (b) an admitted drug-dealer and (c) in possession of little more than his own version of what happened along with so-called "forensic evidence" that is years old and would hold absolutely no legal clout due to chain of custody issues.

After watching the bulk of this 4 hour 40 minute hearing today, I went back and forth several times as to who I believed before reaching the conclusion, impossible as it is given their diametrically-opposed testimony, that I don't believe either one of them.

In my opinion, Clemens rambled too much, used the crutch word "again..." in nearly every single one of his responses, and was unable to provide cogent answers to tough questions, while McNamee came across as a smug, sniveling, street-smart, conman.

I am sure there will be pressure for some sort of follow-up, whether it's more questioning for Andy Pettitte (who Congressman Elijah Cummings said is the only person he believes in all this), a Department of Justice investigation, or perjury charges. But as for proving Clemens' guilt or innocence today, I don't think either happened.

For the record, Jayson Stark has an incredibly-detailed and at times, quite humorous blog about all this. It's definitely worth a read.

The Rocket's Red Scare

If this is true, if Roger Clemens talked with Andy Pettitte about his own HGH-use in the late-90s, then the Rocket might be grounded for good. Pettitte has been excused from testifying today on Capitol Hill, but it's what's in his affidavit that could put his former teammate into "Barry Bonds territory"- accused of lying to the feds about performance-enhancing drugs and potentially facing jail time.

As Howard Bryant writes, somebody or several somebodies will come out of today's hearings looking awfully bad. It's either going to be Clemens...or McNamee and George Mitchell (Mitchell isn't actually testifying, but Charlie Scheeler, one of the investigators who worked on the Mitchell Report, is). There's no way all three men will escape unscathed because all three have taken such vehement and opposing positions. Either Clemens will emerge in Duke lacrosse player fashion as the victim of unthinkably false allegations and McNamee will look like scum and Mitchell will look like an incompetent dope...or the exact opposite will happen.

Stay tuned. The hearings are scheduled to begin at 10 o'clock...ironically, in the same room as the 2005 hearings featuring a finger-wagging Rafael Palmeiro, a suddenly-non-English-speaking Sammy Sosa, and a not-here-to-talk-about-the-past Mark McGwire.

Remember When These Guys Just Made Baseball News?

In the Roger Clemens/Brian McNamee saga, we now know this much. Somebody is lying to the federal government. Clemens continues to deny any and all wrongdoing, while McNamee has produced pictures of what he claims is physical evidence that the Rocket used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens and legal experts have questioned the so-called "chain of custody" of this evidence, and how, even if the DNA tests link Clemens to this stuff, there's no way to prove it hasn't been tampered with in the years it's been sitting in McNamee's basement. Wednesday's televised testimony with these guys should be interesting.

Regarding the whole Pedro Martinez cockfighting thing, people will try to compare this to Michael Vick, and those people are flat wrong. Vick broke the law. Martinez did not. Vick was in the US. Martinez was in the Dominican. Millions of people have dogs as pets. Very few have gamecocks as pets. Very few people eat dog meat. Most people eat some type of bird meat. I can see how on the heels of Vick, the Mets probably aren't thrilled that video of Pedro at a cockfight surfaced on the web. That's not exactly the kind of PR you want to have right after trading for the best pitcher on the planet. And I'll be the first to say I don't get what's so thrilling about watching birds with razors on their beaks and talons peck each other to death. It seems kind of barbaric. But it's just not the same thing as dogfighting- not even close. In fact, it's so much different that it's not worth mentioning any further.

And finally, I'll say this about Curt Schilling and Shouldergate. Even if he doesn't throw a pitch in 2008, the Sox will still have the best pitching staff in their division with Beckett, Dice-K, Lester, Buchholz, and Wakefield. No other team is close (sorry Yankee fans). They might miss Schilling in October, though. In 19 career starts, he's 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA and 120 K's. That will be hard to replace. But if the bloody sock is any indicator of this guy's guts, he'll be back on the field as soon as he's able.

I'm Back, And Baseball Needs To Be Soon

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. No good excuse other than the holidays and a busy work schedule.

Anyhoo...I must say, after the Steroid Report To End All Steroid Reports came out, I felt like I didn't really know what my opinion was, so I didn't want to write anything about it until the dust had settled somewhat and until I had some time to reflect. So now that a month has passed, here's my assessment, for what it's worth.

First, I guess my main problem with the SRTEASR is that it is merely a snapshot of the problem. George Mitchell openly admits that players weren't at all helpful during this and that the players mentioned were the only ones he felt confident "outing." Plus, as several ESPN Radio talk show hosts pointed out, if Kirk Radomski hadn't landed squarely in Mitchel's lap, the SRTEASR would have been a leaflet rather than a 400-page novel. So my question is, how is it fair to guys like Andy Pettitte and Brian Roberts that there are likely hundreds of other players out there who are just as guilty, or perhaps even more guilty (i.e. juiced for longer stretches of time), but somehow get a pass because they weren't associated with Radomski or Brian McNamee?

Second, I still find myself dealing with somewhat of a moral dilemma when it comes to the similarities (and differences) between Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Allegations aside, they are hands-down the two best players in the last 20 years, having padded already remarkable stats significantly in their late 30s and early 40s. Allegations aside, these are also two of the greatest players ever. Allegations aside, if you were to make a team of the best statistical performers of all time, you'd better believe these two are on the roster. But now, there are allegations and the slam-dunk-first-ballot-Hall-of-Fame-credentials of these two men are being scrutinized. I wondered why I wasn't instantly feeling the same animosity towards Clemens that I often do with Bonds. I thought Jayson Stark's article about these two was a total bull's eye, but after seeing Clemens on 60 Minutes, and seeing his press conference with the taped phone call with McNamee, I still wasn't as convinced of his innocence as I would have liked, and I hate that. Clearly there is much more evidence linking Bonds to PEDs as compared to Clemens, but I think Mike Wallace's question hits home- "what did McNamee gain by lying?" I know this much. You can't lie to the federal government. You can lie to yourself, to fans, to the media, and to George Mitchell. But you can't lie to the federal government. If you do, they're going to get you. I think it will be very interesting to see what Clemens says when he meets with lawmakers next month and if he adamantly maintains his innocence then, it could help his case significantly. But if he goes all "Mark McGwire" on them, it will do the exact opposite.

And third, I wonder if the general frustration I feel towards the whole steroids scandal is something a lot of baseball fans feel. I kind of miss the days when I'd click on ESPN.com's MLB link and the top stories were about offseason moves, not about who's saying what about which former or current player and whether that former or current player is admitting or denying it. I'm sick of it. And it's not going to go away any time soon, until all the players implicated in this thing are done playing.

But now that Erik Bedard may be headed to Seattle, and now that the Twins may still deal Johan Santana, perhaps we can get back to what's good about baseball, and away from what's so wrong with it.

The Mitchell Report...So What?

His year-and-a-half investigation is over and according to some, he's going to call out 60-80 former and current players for using steroids. But what I want to know about former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's report is this: what happens next?

What if one or more of those 60-80 broke a single season record? An all-time record? Won an end of season award? Have since been voted into the Hall of Fame? Are still playing today? Are now managing a team? Are now working in a front office? Are now working as an analyst somewhere? What, if anything, happens to these people? Is the fact that they've been named as part of this probe punishment enough? And perhaps most importantly, is being named in this report sufficient proof that said player did, in fact, use steroids?

Commissioner Bud Selig never addressed these issues during his press conference on March 30, 2006, when he first announced what Mitchell would be doing. I would imagine he can't hide from these queries after today, though. Mitchell will announce his findings at 2 this afternoon, and Selig will follow up with his own newser at 4:30.

Let's just say it should be an interesting day for the game of baseball.

The Bonds Market

His arraignment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from the BALCO investigation is tomorrow, but Barry Bonds says he wants to play baseball next season. For argument's sake, let's assume he avoids jail either via an acquittal or thanks to an exceptionally light sentence. Which teams, if any, would be a good fit?

Well, I think you can all-but-eliminate every single National League team because he just can't play the field any more at an acceptable level. Plus, at this point in his career, he is so much more valuable as a power hitter that it's not worth having to give him a day off so often because of his having played the field the night before. That leaves 14 teams (by the way, why does the NL have two more teams than the AL? Why not move Houston from the NL Central to the AL West? That way, every division in baseball would have 5 teams). Anyway, of those 14 teams, Boston (Ortiz), New York (Giambi), Toronto (Thomas), Chicago (Thome), Cleveland (Hafner), Detroit (Sheffield), Seattle (Vidro), and Oakland (Cust) already have designated hitters who are serviceable or better. That leaves as few as 6 or as many as 8 if you include Seattle and Oakland that would potentially have room for Bonds- Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Minnesota, LA, and Texas.

With the Orioles seemingly trying to get younger rather than older, I just don't see Baltimore being the least bit interested. After all, they already went through Palmeiro-gate once before.

It's probably the same story with Tampa Bay. They have a bunch of young and (in theory) up-and-coming players so I don't see how Bonds would mesh with guys like Upton, Kazmir, Crawford, Longoria, Garza, etc. Let's not forget, the Rays just got rid of Delmon Young who was seen by some as a guy with attitude issues. He's Mr. Congeniality compared to BB.

Kansas City, like Tampa Bay and Baltimore, is a long way from winning or even being competitive in their own division so I don't see Bonds wanting to go there, notwithstanding the fact that the Royals probably wouldn't want him or be able to pay him what he would want, especially considering they just signed Jose Guillen to such an absurd deal.

The Twins are interesting. The odds of Bonds winning a ring there aren't great now that Detroit is so stacked, but he would give them a nice boost in the middle of their order with Morneau, Young, Mauer, Cuddyer and whoever else they get for Santana (I'm still convinced this deal will get done).

LA is also interesting. He could stay out west, give Vlad and Hunter some nice protection and would have the best chance of winning a World Series there than with any other potential suitor.

Texas might be able to pay him and might be willing to take a chance on him (they did the whole Sammy Sosa thing and that actually worked out okay for both sides) but they are not going to finish above Seattle, let alone LA next season, so I doubt Bonds would be too enamored with this team, although given his "situation" (said in a Dane Cook voice), he probably can't be too picky.

Seattle might not be a bad option, although Jose Vidro did have a pretty nice season for the M's last year (.381 OBP, more walks than K's, 600+ plate appearances) and he definitely can't play the field any more so Bonds might not be worth the hit you'd take by losing Vidro in the process.

And in Oakland, Bonds would definitely be a Billy Beane guy...aka a member of the Island of Misfit Toys. But with Dan Haren and Joe Blanton rumored to be on the block and the A's looking to get young again and wait for LA to get old, Bonds just doesn't seem to make as much sense as he did a few months ago.

All that said, I don't think Bonds ever will play again. I have no idea how his trial will play out but will a majority of baseball fans ever actually accept it if he is acquitted? I doubt it. And for that reason, I don't see a big league GM being brave enough to offer him a contract.

INDICTED!

On a day when it looks like A-Rod is returning to the Yankees and Jake Peavy unanimously won the Cy Young, Barry Bonds managed to steal the spotlight. After reading the indictment against him, I have a few thoughts and a few questions. But first, here's a basic summary of what the indictment says. And here's a terrific summary of this entire 9-year nightmare.

Count One: Perjury, 5-Year Maximum Sentence
As a result of the federal government's steroids and money-laundering investigation into BALCO, evidence was seized, including drug tests failed by Bonds. So, he was required to testify before a grand jury on December 4, 2003. During that testimony, Bonds was asked if his ever took any steroids that his trainer and friend, Greg Anderson (who worked with/for BALCO) gave him. He was asked, point blank, if he had taken steroids, testosterone, flax seed oil, the cream, or any other steroids. Each time Bonds said, "no." So there's the first charge - perjury - lying while under oath.

Count Two: Perjury, 5-Year Maximum Sentence
Bonds was also asked if Anderson ever injected him, or ever gave him anything that required a needle/syringe to use. Bonds also replied, "no." That's the second count of perjury.

Count Three: Perjury, 5-Year Maximum Sentence
Bonds was asked if Anderson ever gave him human growth hormone or testosterone. Again, Bonds answered, "no." And again, that's another perjury charge.

Count Four: Perjury, 5-Year Maximum Sentence
Bonds was asked about a lotion/balm Anderson gave him. Bonds claims Anderson told him it was flax seed oil. Bonds said he used the substance about once a home stand and didn't start using it until the 2003 season. As the prosecutor referenced a calendar from December 2001 with a "BB" on it, Bonds was asked if he had taken any of those items (the cream, the clear, flax seed oil) prior to 2003. He was asked several times in several ways if he had taken any of those items from Anderson prior to 2003 and each time he replied, "no," and thus there's the fourth perjury charge.

Count Five: Obstruction Of Justice, 10-Year Maximum Sentence
Based on the information above, Bonds is accused of intentionally giving false, misleading and evasive answers to a federal grand jury.

With all that understood, here are my thoughts/questions.

(1) Regardless of the result of a trial/plea deal, this is the end of Barry Bonds' baseball career. He's a free agent on the tail-end of his playing days anyway. No team in the league is going to offer someone facing these kind of charges any kind of deal, especially considering he could end up in jail as a result.

(2) The fact that a federal grand jury has filed these charges is as close to iron-clad proof as we've seen to date that Bonds did, in fact, cheat his way into the record books. Only an actual plea deal or conviction would be more convincing.

(3) Former Commissioner Fay Vincent said this is worse than Pete Rose getting caught betting on baseball, and similar to the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal. I would still argue the Black Sox case was worse because they were trying to lose, but there's no question the Bonds case is worse than Rose.

(4) If he is found guilty, what happens to all of his records, most notably single-season homeruns, and career homeruns? I would imagine Hank Aaron would be "re-crowned" the all-time king, but would the single-season record revert back to another suspected cheat, Mark McGwire? I don't see how that's much of a solution. If not Mac, is Sammy Sosa the single-season champ? Or do we dip all the way back down to Roger Maris' 61, which is now 7th on the list?

(5) Will Bonds get into the Hall of Fame if he is convicted? If he is acquitted?

(6) Will Bonds' attorneys advise him to accept a plea deal, a-la Michael Vick, or will this case go to trial?

(7) Will Bonds roll over on former teammates or opponents in an effort to get his sentence reduced?

(8) What, if any impact will this have on the game of baseball in 2008 if the case does go to trial?

Bonds is due in court December 7. One of ESPN's legal experts seems to think if Bonds is convicted, he won't serve more than a year or two in prison. Still, what a mess.

An HGH Blood Test In 2008?

Major League Baseball wants to do it, but the players union would have to okay it first. I am sure there are many players who will be (secretly) vehemently against an HGH-testing policy. But the union is going to have a hard time saying "no" to this one, then looking fans and the commissioner in the eye and saying, "yes, we agree performance enhancing drugs are a big problem in the sport and we're willing to work toward finding a solution."

The sad part is, some guy is in a lab right now working on the next undetectable thing. But if they do adopt this policy, at least nobody can accuse MLB of being complicit in the problem any more. Let's not forget about their beefed-up, then re-beefed-up steroids policy.

What's Next? Brian Roberts Indicted On Federal Dogfighting Charges?

For the 2007 Baltimore Orioles, it's a season that's already seen...

*A play-by-play announcer question the authenticity of Curt Schilling's bloody sock on the air, then apologize

*The color man make an on-air joke about domestic violence, then apologize

*The manager get fired

*The franchise player break his wrist, go on the DL, and lose his consecutive games played streak

*A dependable veteran starting pitcher be declared done for the season in spring training

*An up-and-coming starting pitcher suffer a season-ending injury after 6 starts

*Another starting pitcher hoping for a bounce-back season suffer a season-ending injury after 3 starts

*The closer suffer a season-ending injury around the All-Star break

*The ace and Cy Young candidate suffer a season-ending injury down the stretch

*A Rookie of the Year candidate fizzle down the stretch

*A modern-era-worst 30-3 loss at home

*A no-hitter at the hands of a pitcher making his second career start

*A revamped bullpen blow more saves than any team in the league

*A 9-game losing streak

*Another 9-game losing streak, and...

*Unless they win their last 20 games, a 10th straight losing season

Now you can add to that...a player accused of receiving human growth hormone from a now-infamous pharmacy. Say what you will about Jay Gibbons, but if he did in fact use HGH, it just proves the point many people have tried to make about Barry Bonds. Performance-enhancing drugs don't always enhance your performance.

At least now, it's football season.

Boy I'm Getting Sick Of This

Just when you think you've found a truly inspirational story, a really likable guy, someone you can cheer for no matter who your team is, you find out he's been linked to an HGH probe.

Sometimes I really do hate baseball.

Also, more bad news for Baltimore Orioles fans. Not only is your team now 3 losses away from a 10th straight losing season, but as I predicted, Erik Bedard's oblique injury will likely shelve him for the rest of 2007, and with it, any hope he had of winning the Cy Young award. That, too, is a real shame because it would have been a tremendous boost to a team that desperately needs one.

An Amazing Mess

Sports Illustrated is reporting a former clubbie for the New York Mets, Kirk Radomski, who has already pleaded guilty to providing steroids to dozens of players, has now given investigator Senator George Mitchell a list of names which will "blow your mind."

According to this story, Radomski (the guy wearing the dark t-short, holding up the pair of pants) has been Mitchell's "holy grail" of sorts this entire time and the fact that he is now playing nice means (a) he could get a lighter sentence September 7 because he faces up to 25 years and (b) this could be a huge break in the Mitchell case.

Radomski worked as a clubbie for the Mets from 1985 to 1995, but according to the feds, was a supplier to former and current players from 1995 to 2005.

No specific players are named in the story, and it's not clear if the names he allegedly provided were names of just New York Mets. But in that 20-year span, some big names have put on a Met uniform, like Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Eddie Murray, former MVPs Keith Hernandez, Kevin Mitchell, Jeff Kent, Rickey Henderson and Mo Vaughn, former Rookies of the Year Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza, and Hideo Nomo, former Cy Young Award winners Dwight Gooden, David Cone, Frank Viola, Bret Saberhagen, Orel Hershiser, Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez, former and current managers Clint Hurdle, Ron Gardenhire, John Gibbons, Lee Mazzilli, Ray Knight, Willie Randolph, and Larry Bowa, current General Manager Billy Beane, current pitching coaches Roger McDowell and Mike Maddux, current hitting coach Dave Magadan, and All-Stars Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez, Jesse Orosco, Randy Myers, Rick Aguilera, John Franco, Gregg Jefferies, Howard Johnson, Lenny Dykstra, Todd Hundley, Vince Coleman, Bobby Bonilla, Jeromy Burnitz, Tony Fernandez, Fernando Vina, Brett Butler, Edgardo Alfonzo, Pete Harnisch, Jason Isringhausen, Carl Everett, Carlos Baerga, John Olerud, Preston Wilson, Al Leiter, Robin Ventura, Melvin Mora, Kenny Rogers, Armando Benitez, Mike Hampton, Matt Lawton, Kevin Appier, Roberto Alomar, Gary Matthews Jr., Jose Reyes, David Wright, Cliff Floyd, Mike Cameron, Scott Erickson, and Carlos Beltran.

Again, these are just some of the guys who wore a Met uniform between '85 and '05. Out of those 67 players, Matt Lawton is the only one we know for sure who's ever tested positive (Gary Matthews Jr. was implicated, but denied the allegations and it's been all-but-forgotten at this point).

Imagine what it would do to the game though, if just a quarter of those guys, or a quarter of any other team's high-profile players from the last two decades appear on Radomski's so-called "list." Baseball might never be the same.

There's Only 6 Weeks Left...

...in the 2007 regular season, and I'm not sure if people fully realize what a special year Alex Rodriguez is having, and is on pace to have. I sure wasn't aware of it.

Right now, A-Rod is projected to hit .304 with 51 homeruns, 151 RBI, 146 runs, and 21 steals.

Just for starters, nobody has enjoyed a 50-150 season since Sammy Sosa in 2001 and we all (*) know (*) about (*) what (*) some (*) people (*) think (*) about (*) numbers (*) put (*) up (*) in (*) the (*) late (*) 90s (*) and (*) early (*) 00s. Asterisks aside, Sosa had exactly zero stolen bases that year, meaning he was just a dangerous slugger, not necessarily a dangerous base-runner.

Prior to Slammin' Sammy (who did it again in 1998 and added 18 steals, to boot) you have to go back 69 years to Jimmie Foxx's 1938 season. And was it ever a season. He hit .349 with 50 homers, and 175 RBI. BUT, he stole just 5 bases, and scored (just, ha!) 139 runs. Foxx had an eerily similar season 6 years before, in '32 when he went .364, 58, 169, and 151 runs. But he only had 3 steals that year.

Hack Wilson's RBI-record-setting 1930 season also surpassed the 50-150 threshold, and did so by a wide margin. Hack went .356, 56, 190, and scored 146 runs. But again, he only stole 3 bases (noticing a theme?).

The list wouldn't be complete without a Bambino sighting or two, so here we go. Babe Ruth went 50-150 in 1927, knocking 60 over the fence, driving in 164, and scoring 158 times. But if you guessed he wasn't much of a base-stealer, you were right, at least not that year. He swiped just 7 bags in '27, although he did snag 17 in 1921, the same year he went .378, 59, 171, 177.

And that's it. That's the 50-150 list: Sosa twice in the steroid era, Foxx twice and Wilson once in the 30s, and Ruth twice in the 20s. And not one of those guys stole 20 bases in the same season.

So if A-Rod keeps up his current pace, he'll (a) become the first player to hit 50, drive in 150, and steal 20 in the same year (b) become just the fifth player to hit 50, and drive in 150 in the same year and, if he picks it up just a little (c) become just the third player to enjoy a 50-homer, 150-RBI, 150-run season.

Lest we forget this all could happen in the same season he became the youngest to 500 career homeruns. And people still hate this guy...go figure.

Why Bud Selig Is An Unequivocal Joke

When viewed with the context of Roger Goodell's handling of the Michael Vick fiasco, and to a lesser extent, David Stern's handling of the Tim Donaghy nightmare, it is now unmistakably clear that Bud Selig is the worst commissioner in pro sports. Selig announced today he feels it is "unnecessary to take further action" against Jason Giambi, an admitted steroids-user. Way to show baseball fans around the globe you're taking this issue seriously, Bud.

The fact that Giambi cooperated with steroids investigator Senator George Mitchell, coupled with two charitable donations he plans to make totaling $100,000 (which is four-tenths of one percent of his 2007 salary, or roughly $256 to someone who earns $60,000 a year) is evidence he's learned his lesson, according to our commissioner, whose tough talk about restoring the integrity of the game was clearly just that.

What sort of message does this send to the millions of fans who want answers about players like Giambi, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and pretty much anybody who put up career numbers in the late 90s and early 00s, only to return to Earth shortly afterward?

And furthermore, does a drug user (let's not forget, that's what steroids are) escape the legal system unscathed if he cooperates with detectives and makes a small charitable donation? No. He or she has to pay the penalty, which in some cases, involves jail time. Can somebody please explain to my why this is any different?

Giambi shouldn't get jail time, but he should have been punished the same way any other steroid-user gets punished nowadays: 50 games for a first offense under the new policy adopted in November of 2005. Admitted use, while more admirable, should be no different than "getting caught" via a positive test. And it's worth noting Giambi only "admitted" using steroids and HGH to a grand jury. He's issued a few vague apologizes and has urged baseball to do the same, but has never said exactly what he's apologizing for.

The true crime in all of this is that it sets a precedent of complete and utter amnesty for anyone else implicated in the Mitchell investigation. Let's say Mitchell has the goods on Barry Bonds, has it right now and is ready to release it tomorrow. Selig has no way of disciplining Bonds any differently than he did Giambi, provided Bonds is willing to make a meager donation. He could potentially get him on the, "Giambi cooperated, you didn't" technicality, but that difference alone wouldn't justify something as serious (and appropriate) as a lengthy suspension, asterisks, or a ban. People would cry racism. And they might be right.

The bottom line is this. Bud Selig had his chance. He had his chance to prove that this Mitchell investigation, which has been somewhat loosely defined and ambiguous to begin with, actually meant something. Unfortunately for baseball and its fans, it does not.

A Letter To Ozzie Guillen

Dear Mr. Guillen,

The last time I checked, Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire are not Latino.

Regards,

Baseblogger

I'm Curious

Why did it take more than two weeks for Gary Matthews Jr. to admit to doing nothing? I know I've touched on this before, but I just don't understand why it takes so long to deny something if you know you've done nothing wrong. Matthews says it took so long because he and his attorneys wanted to be sure he wasn't going to be the subject of any kind of investigation, or accused of any wrongdoing. Apparently he has assurances from Bud Selig that he is not.

I'd like to know why, in light of the fact that his name reportedly appeared on that client list. And I'd also like him to address why his name appeared on that list. He said he would address it, but didn't today.

The Angles may consider this matter closed, but I guarantee G-Mat can look forward to a season full of "H-G-H" chants on the road, and maybe even some at home. If he's innocent, this is an unfortunate penalty he'll have to pay for being so much as associated with the game's on-going performance-enhancing drug scandal. If he's guilty and covering something up, it's nowhere near punishment enough.

This Again

So Gary Matthews Jr. "wishes to cooperate," is "eager to tell his side of the story," and "looks forward to providing a statement" as to why his name allegedly appeared on a client list at a Mobile, Alabama pharmacy. Investigators say that pharmacy mailed the human growth hormone, Genotropin to him in August 2004. The co-owners of that pharmacy are under indictment.

Investigators also link the Alabama pharmacy with a pair of health facilities in the Orlando, Florida area. That's where a handful of people were just arrested as part of the same on-line, steroid distribution network investigation.

Oh, by the way, investigators say "Juiced" author, Jose Canseco's name was also on the Alabama list, and that former D-Backs pitcher Jason Grimsley is associated with the Florida pharmacy. I don't know about you, but I sure wouldn't want my name mentioned along with the self-proclaimed "Godfather of Steroids In Baseball," and an admitted HGH-user at a time like this.

It's no secret Matthews is fresh off a stellar 2006 where he set career highs in games, at-bats, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging, and OPS. It's also no secret he parlayed his career year into a 5-year, $50 million dollar deal this off-season.

At least Matthews says he wants to cooperate. That may be more than you can say for Barry Bonds.

But here's my question, Gary. Let's say your 2006 was about hard work. Let's say it was about a skilled athlete in his early 30's finally getting the opportunity to prove what he can do as a full-time starter. Let's assume it wasn't about cheating, just to cash in. If that's truly the case, why not hold a press conference tomorrow and tell the world that you've never, ever, knowingly or unknowingly, taken any illegal performance-enhancing drugs? Why do you need to wait until the end of the investigation to comment if you didn't do anything wrong?

I just don't get it.