Talking Baseball

Hey look at the top of the page. See the new logo? I made it pretty fast so please tell me what you think of it, if anything needs to be changed or just general comments. Depending on what you write I may heed it or flat out ignore it.

I am a huge Yankees fan. During baseball season if you cut me I bleed pinstripes. (during football season my blood is Giants blue, go G-Men!) Needless to say that when I found out that Alex Rodriguez admitted to using steroids I was hurt. Upon hearing that news I instantly thought of when he hit his 500th home run in 2007 how excited I was, and how from that moment on I would tell people that he did it without cheating because he is all talent and that is what baseball needs. Now I feel kind of embarrassed having said that, which is a shame. However, I for one do accept his apology.

He claims to only have done it from 2001 - 2003 when he was with the Texas Rangers (pre drug testing years). It is unfortunate that he did it then, but in my eyes as long as he didn't use them when he because a Yankee in 2004 that softens the blow a bit. For those who are unaware in 2003 Major League Baseball decided to do a ramification free anonymous drug test of all it's players to see if there really was a steroid problem, and depending on the results they would start mandatory testing the following year. 103 tests came back positive forcing MLB's hand into a full on testing program. Here is what gets me this test was supposed to be anonymous, but each player had to write his name next to a number that would be used to identify their sample. Not very anonymous to me. Here is the clincher this list was not destroyed, no, it was given to the players union who by rights shouldn't have access to that at all. It was from here that A-Rod's name was leaked to the press, (someone's bank account just got padded). I feel it is unfair for A-Rod to have to shoulder the blame for the other 102 players who also popped for steroids.

As much as you assign the blame to the individual players for jucing, I place the majority of it on MLB itself and the clubs for allowing, even pushing for jucing to happen. In the Steroid Era (early 90's - 2003 or present) Everyone knew about steroids being in use even though it was banned from baseball in the 70s and reiterated in 90 or 91. Just look at the home run spree that Mark Mgwire and Sammy Sosa had a few years back. They were jucing and MLB and the clubs took a blind eye to it because baseball was getting media attention and it was putting asses in the seats. So the average joe player who is struggling to stay in the majors is forced to compete with juice heads who are getting payed tons more than he is because of their juice enhanced performaces. They wind up taking performance enhancing drugs just to keep up, and since all of this is illegal in baseball but rarely enforced everyone gets away scott free. This is why it was so previlent in the steroids era. Most players were doing and getting away with it while others felt they had no choice but to use them in order to stay where they were at. I think MLB and the commisoners office itself should have to answer to congress not the players. MLB is supposed to be enforcing it's anti-drug policy not tipping of players that they will be tested on "X" date so clean out your system. ( I'm looking at you Orza) It makes me sick when I think that players are using drugs but it makes me feel even worse when it's MLB who let it happen and is running a shoddy ship. Your job is to watch for these offenses and exact appropriate punishment for those who commit them. Not tip off players and turn a blind eye just because it generates revenue.

Anyway, back on subject. I believe A-Rod is sorry for what he has done. I can see how both sides point of view. In a time of low morals and basically lawlessness not everyone has the fortitude to take the high ground and stay pure especially when the powers that be don't care about what is right and what is wrong.

I have read the Sports Illustrated article that broke this shit storm and it is kind of weak. It doesn't live up to the hype or the PR that the 24 hr news cycle has created around it. To summarize my thoughts on this before I go deeper into a rant.

-Alex took the roids from 2000 - 2003.
- He poped on the anonymous test that was ramification free.
-He hasn't failed one since that initial test
- I can see both sides of the story when it comes to him not knowing his results
- The media needs to stop going after the individual players even if they deserve it (BONDS!) and focus on Bud Selig and his administration's short comings on this issue.
- I still like A-Rod as long as he has never done and continues to never take steroids while wearing pinstripes.

If anyone reading this feels I have missd a few points or has some new information I would be more than willing to listen and tender a response. I still love baseball, and I still love the Yankees. We as fans of this great sport need to find a way to put this behind us and learn its valuable lessons so we may never repeat them again.

I want to end it on a good note so I am going to modify Joe DiMaggio's quote.

"I'd like to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankees Fan."