The Moral of the Story

The big fish never get thrown back.

I've said before, but it's worth repeating: we don't know how all the designers 'roids work.  They don't all effect the body in the same way.  There's no way to eyeball it and say, "him, not him."

And frankly, it's not worth the effort.

There are 104 names on that 2003 list.  And Arod is the only one who got named.  The Mitchell report named a slew of Yankees and Mets, but only one recently acquired and soon-to-depart Red Sox (Gagne).

Leaks are designed to make news.  So this did.  The question is, who benefits from this leak?  If it was somebody who fantasizes himself a whistle blower, we'd have the complete list.  My guess is it's someone in the federal government who hopes that kicking the hornets nest will raise enough public/ Congressional pressure to force MLB to "willingly" give up the full list so the feds can use it in court against Bonds and the rest.

As for the baseball side, the lost innocence and betrayal of trust?  Screw it.  I gave up my illusions a long time ago.

They're all on something.   Every player in every clubhouse.  Why would you play the game fairly when you know tomorrow's pitcher added 4 mph to his fastball?  Why would you play clean when a few shots mean the difference between the league minimum as a role player when you could make millions in arbitration or free agency?

I suspect them all because I would be taking something.  In the same way that I'd want an agent willing to wring every last dollar from the owners, I'd want a supplement to my natural skills.  Maybe not testosterone- that's got a particular side effect I wouldn't be ok with.  But with all the miracles of modern science at my disposal, and a minimum $400,000 salary, someone would whip up a batch of something to make me better.

Trust no one.