Stupid Steroids

So many reactions, so little time (oh, who am I kidding? I've got plenty of time). The best reaction in my opinion to the 'news' that David Ortiz has been White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who simply wants the alleged confidential list just released. I do, too. Just get this damn thing over with. And can we stop with this lame notion that the game and certain championships are now tainted? Please, spare me.

Why is the game not tainted? Easy, because everyone was doing something. Look, there were 104 players on this list. We know about Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Larry Bigbie, Manny Ramirez, David Segui, Jason Grimsley and now David Ortiz. You can google and search on baseball and steroids, and I don't think you'd be shocked to see how many sites there are dedicated to this debacle. Most importantly, please remember that this list is from 2003, when steriods, while illegal unless prescribed by a doctor here in the US, were not considered illegal in Major League Baseball. So far, we've heard about 7 on the list of 104. Enough already, just give us the list. Yes, Major League Baseball and its Players Union has a serious issue on their hands. The issues are multiple, from the leaking of this confidential list to a potential lawsuit regarding the leak itself.

So, to go back, why is this game and it's records not tainted? For me, it's pretty easy. Up until Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier back in 1947, the game was all white. That means, at least to me, that some of those famed Negro League players like Satchel Paige, Cool Papa Bell, Larry Brown and Josh Gibson were never allowed to compete and change the landscape of baseball. I hold as a personal belief that Josh Gibson would have crushed Babe Ruth's Home Run record.
In the late 60's and all the way into the very early 80's baseball had a huge cocaine problem. Gee, is that to be considered a performance enhancing drug? Also, up until 2006, amphetimines were legal in the clubhouse. Well, I'm pretty sure the rest of us would have been highly likely to get arrested for having them. It's like legal speed. Does that mean that the players of those era's get to have an asterisk next to their names for being junkies? No, no it doesn't.

What I want people to do is relax and really think about the following question: if you had the chance to keep your job, and very well increase your income triplefold by jamming a needle in your ass a few times, would you do it? Mind you, that a lot of others in your profession are doing it and are surpassing you at an alarming rate. I'm not making excuses, just an explanation. I could not look anyone in the face and say that I wouldn't do it. I'd be lying. And if you can answer quickly and honestly with a 'No' and mean it sincerely, you're a far better person than I.

Oh, and for all those who think Barry Bonds juiced, get over yourselves. He may have done steroids, but it will never be proven. If he did, he got off of them and switched to HGH which is undetectable by Major League Baseball testing methods.

For those that say the Boston Red Sox and their two championships in 2004 and 2007 are tainted, I laugh in your general direction. Why? Because they weren't the only teams with alledged juicers on their roster. Don't believe me? Fine, how about we go down memory lane to the last 20 World Series and see if we can find any admitted juicers or alleged, shall we? All my info on rosters and matchups are from http://www.baseball-reference.com/:

1988-LA Dodgers vs Oakland A's
The only guy on the Dodgers I'd suspect would be Steve Sax. As for Oakland, you're kidding me, right? Lets leave it at Canseco and McGwire for now, you can look up the team yourself and see if anyone pops out at you.
1989-Oakland A's vs SF Giants
Well, you've got Canseco and McGwire again for Oakland, along with the newly eery mention of a new HOF in Rickey Henderson. As for SF, Matt Williams is the only one that comes to mind, but not really.
1990-Cincinnati Reds vs Oakland A's
Do you see a pattern here yet? No one on Cincinnati sticks out to me, while there's Oakland with Canseco and McGwire again. Just check out the numbers on Oakland's outfield and tell me something doesn't start standing out to you.
1991-Minnesota Twins vs Atlanta Braves
I loved this Twins team and this was one of the best Series ever played. I've heard rumors, and I don't believe them, about Scott Erickson-he had a lot of arm trouble towards the end of his career. The Braves-I don't really see anyone on the roster, but I do remember Ronnie Gant being yoked. Doesn't mean he did anything, but it's not really funny how people are under suspicion either, now is it?
1992-Toronto Blue Jays vs Atlanta Braves
Toronto, I really have nothing. Atlanta? I don't really see anything that sticks out, other than Terry Pendleton's crazy year. Anomolies happen, people are allowed career years.
1993-Toronto Blue Jays vs Philadelphia Phillies
The only thing that strikes me odd is Roberto Alomar's HR numbers take a nice uptick, but that means nothing, could've been him getting used to the AL pitching. Of course, Rickey Henderson makes an appearance, too. As for Philly? Lenny Dykstra is in my mind guilty just because of what he looks like now. And Darren Daulton.
1994-we don't talk about this season, because Bud Selig is a dope.
1995-Atlanta Braves vs Cleveland Indians
Atlanta, Javy Lopez was always suspect to me, just because of how he dropped off the world at the end of his career. Cleveland? Well lookie, lookie, it's Manny Ramirez. And there's Albert Belle and Carlos Baerga, too...allegedly, just my speculation.
1996-NYY vs Atlanta Braves
For the Yankees, Ruben Sierra was their DH. So was Jim Leyritz. I think Ricky Bones was busted as well, along with Andy Pettitte. Atlanta, no one but Lopez is still sticking out to me, but maybe I just never liked him so I'm showing my bias.
1997-Florida Marlins vs Cleveland Indians
For Florida, there's Darren Daulton and known user of the cream & clear Gary Sheffield. Cleveland, there's Matt Williams and known user Manny Ramirez.
1998-NYY vs San Diego Padres
NYY, known users Chuck Knoblauch and Andy Pettitte. San Diego, known users Wally Joyner, Ken Caminiti and Jim Leyritz (they all admitted it).
1999-NYY vs Atlanta Braves
NYY, there's Knoblauch and Leyritz again, along with Grimsley (from the 2003 report) and our old pal Roger Clemens, allegedly, mind you, just took a B12 and lidocane shot to the posterior. His pal Andy Pettitte is here, too. Atlanta, Bret Boone and John Rocker are just under suspicion.
2000-NYY vs NY Mets
NYY, well don't you remember Clemens chucking a bat at Mike Piazza? Well, there's Knoblauch again, along with Jose Canseco, Jim Leyritz, Jason Grimsley, Roger Clemens and don't forget Andy Pettitte. As for the Mets, well they had Piazza, Todd Zeile and don't forget about Rickey Henderson.
2001-Arizona Diamondbacks vs. NYY
Arizona had Matt Williams and Luis Gonzalez (57 HRs!!!!), while the NYY still had Knoblauch, Pettitte, and Clemens.
2002-Anaheim Angels vs SF Giants
Anaheim had Troy Glaus, while SF had Barry Bonds.
2003-Florida Marlins vs NYY
Florida had Ivan Rodriguez, NYY had Jason Giambi (admitted), Zeile, Aaron F-ing Boone, Ruben Sierra, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens.
2004-Boston Red Sox vs St. Louis Cardinals
Boston, well we all know about Manny and David Ortiz. Who else, allegedly? How about Kevin Millar, Mark Bellhorn, Johnny Damon and Gabe Kapler, along with Bronson Arroyo, who today admitted he wouldn't be shocked if he was on the list. Read this, and you'll see it's all about tainted supplements. As for St. Louis, they have Albert Pujols (he can scream all he wants, and I hope he never touched anything other than a protein shake, but now everyone is a damn suspect-they're all bums, the lot of 'em), Jim Edmonds, Matt Morris and Scott Rolen.
2005-Chicago White Sox vs. Houston Astros
Chicago, no one sticks out at me. Houston? Jeff Bagwell, and our old NYY friends Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens.
2006-St. Louis Cardinals vs Detroit Tigers
St. Louis had Pujols, Rolen, Edmonds and there's Larry Bigbie, too. Detroit, there's Ivan Rodriguez, Chris Shelton and Magglio Ordonez (I've seen his name pop up on the rumor mill, and as I said before, nothing would shock me).
2007-Boston Red Sox vs Colorado Rockies
Boston as we all know again about Manny and Big Papi. Colorado, how about Todd Helton?
Lastly, we come to 2008, Philadelphia Phillies vs Tampa Bay Rays
Philly has no one that peaks my interest. I won't say Brett Myers, either-just because you beat your wife doesn't mean you did steriods. It means you're an ass. Tampa Bay, I've got nothing there, either.

But I'd be willing to bet you I can dig on each roster and start looking for statistical anomolies based on who was a teammate of the above mentioned, along with teammates of these teammates.

Someone again needs to apologize to Jose Canseco and really start talking to him about this problem. I'm more inclined to believe his initial comment that 80% of the players were on something. He stated this in his first book. Some mocked him. How does he look now? And he's stated that he never lied about steroids.

As a fan, I want the list out. Just get it over with already. I'm fine if the most Home Runs I ever see hit by one player in a season is 42. Either clean it up or 'Roid them all up, but stop playing this dance. It insults us as fans, and as people.