Juiced

I'd like to go on record as saying that I've never liked Rafael Palmiero. Other than his being a Viagra pitchman, I didn't have a good reason to (unless one considers that moustache). Until now that is; because if there's one thing that makes me mad it's congressional perjury. Grrr. These guys like to talk up their hard-work, chalking the positive tests to flaws in the testing or dubious supplements, but lifting weights isn't going to help you catch up to a 95-mph fastball after age 40. Anybody who watched Edgar Martinez's chasing high heat in his final season know what an aging slugger's swing looks like.

Ryan Franklin picked a good week to get caught "shopping at GNC," but like every other caught ballplayer he hasn't copped to it. It'd make me feel a little better about Palmiero's 15-year assault on Mariner pitching if an M's starter wasn't juicing, but this does demonstrate that it's not just the stars but the guys trying to stay out of AAA, as well. It's too widespread to be shocking.

I hope a star finally being nabbed causes baseball commentators to stop playing coy on this issue. When asked about Barry Bonds and steroids on a recent "Daily Show" appearance, Bob Costas mumbled something about it being highly irregular for a player to add thirty pounds of muscle after age 35. I'd moving more toward the nuclear option suggested by Frank Robinson("Wipe it out...No numbers. It's like they didn't play."), but only if it's applied retroactively.