Monday, August 01, 2005
Take Me Away From The Ballgame
I sat in a dugout next to Rafael Palmeiro, shortly before he slugged his 500th home run, marvelling at baseball's quiet model for consistency.
I listened to Palmeiro--as the only believable member of a pumped-up panel of future Hall of Famers--testify before Congress that Jose Canseco is a liar. That Raffy had never touched steroids.
I sit here now, after hearing Palmeiro try to cover his tracks, and I wonder if the National Pasttime isn't just one big joke.
MLB has suspended Baltimore's first basemen for violating baseball's steroid policy. Palmeiro claims he never intentionally took steroids--much the same way Barry Bonds claimed he thought the "clear and the cream" were forms of flaxseed oil.
I was born at night, but not last night. Somehow, I just can't believe that a world class athlete, who won't eat anything without knowing the effects on his body, would use any kind of supplement, carte blanche.
In his book, Jose Canseco pointed a finger at Palmeiro--albeit a guilty one. Jose, an admitted steroid user himself, claimed he injected the drug in Raffy, too. Suddenly, Canseco doesn't appear to be so far-fetched. Words I never thougth I'd type.
The problem is, I considered Rafael Palmeiro a Hall of Famer. He's one of four players to reach 3,000 hits and 500 home runs in his career. But did he do so cleanly?
Today, players' statistics don't just come with an asterisk; now, they require a urine sample. Who wants to root for that?
Palmeiro will sit out 10 games for violating baseball's steroid policy. But for violating the basic sanctity of the game, he should sit out of the Hall of Fame. Period.
Baseball fans, are you outraged, too? Let me know what you think by e-mailing me at chandler@wews.com We'll post some of your comments.
I listened to Palmeiro--as the only believable member of a pumped-up panel of future Hall of Famers--testify before Congress that Jose Canseco is a liar. That Raffy had never touched steroids.
I sit here now, after hearing Palmeiro try to cover his tracks, and I wonder if the National Pasttime isn't just one big joke.
MLB has suspended Baltimore's first basemen for violating baseball's steroid policy. Palmeiro claims he never intentionally took steroids--much the same way Barry Bonds claimed he thought the "clear and the cream" were forms of flaxseed oil.
I was born at night, but not last night. Somehow, I just can't believe that a world class athlete, who won't eat anything without knowing the effects on his body, would use any kind of supplement, carte blanche.
In his book, Jose Canseco pointed a finger at Palmeiro--albeit a guilty one. Jose, an admitted steroid user himself, claimed he injected the drug in Raffy, too. Suddenly, Canseco doesn't appear to be so far-fetched. Words I never thougth I'd type.
The problem is, I considered Rafael Palmeiro a Hall of Famer. He's one of four players to reach 3,000 hits and 500 home runs in his career. But did he do so cleanly?
Today, players' statistics don't just come with an asterisk; now, they require a urine sample. Who wants to root for that?
Palmeiro will sit out 10 games for violating baseball's steroid policy. But for violating the basic sanctity of the game, he should sit out of the Hall of Fame. Period.
Baseball fans, are you outraged, too? Let me know what you think by e-mailing me at chandler@wews.com We'll post some of your comments.
Posted at 12:43 PM
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