We got an admission, we got an apology, we even got the obligatory promise to do more community service in The Heights (even though no one was really stopping him from doing that the last 5 years). I, for one, am ready to digest this and move on. Call me when he fails a drug test from 2004 or later, other than that I think we've wrung about as much as we can out of this.

But I gotta ask Alex, did you believe his allegations about "Serena" Roberts?

Gut feeling, no. But who knows? It's going to turn into a side show of he said, she said.

Just finished listening to Selena defending herself on MLBN. She did go to his house in Miami -- to get his side of the story, and then to the campus where he was working out. I'm sure he's not happy with her to begin with. But to such high profile celebrities it may look like stalking to a degree. (Plus digging in his past all the way to high school). I'm not saying it was stalking, but that from his view point he could see it that way. Personally I think she did cross a line by trying to interview him while he was working out. That's his work time, I wouldn't want a reporter to try and interview me while I was working.

I don't think A-Rod told the whole truth, but it's a lot more than any other player has done.

My 2 1/2 year old thought he had lipstick on ... Oh A Rod, you even weird out the littlest ones.

As I said in the other thread:

I’m ready to re-trust him for now. He was all over the place, very A Rodian, but somehow I ended up feeling all right about it. Fish gotta swim, etc. He is, gloriously even, what he is. And maybe now that being the “greatest player ever”(*) is a highly questionable pursuit for him, A Rod’s karma will transform him into the ultimate clutch player and champion. Make it so!

As someone that is always on Alex for his seemingly constant media snafus, this was much better than I expected. Its the closest we're ever really going to get to someone taking full responsibility for their actions. Juxtaposing it against Pettites sham apology really made Alex look really good as well.

He should NOT have gone after Roberts. He accused her of stalking, and of breaking into his house?!? If what she said on MLB Network is true, that she was the one to contact the police to find out if the island Arod lives on is public or private, then what is he doing? He's giving an interview where he's supposed to come clean, and yet he's accusing the reporter of criminal behavior that he might not be able to back up??

I mean, he is getting coached on this stuff, right? Someone told him to go on the attack against Roberts? Because I just don't get it...

damn, with the 14-hour time difference it's crazy to wake up and see all the news..along with 7 gajillion comments on the Banter..

As someone said in the other thread: He got caught, he admitted it..can we move on now? and yes, I think he'll go crazy this year and hit at least 50dingers..

still waiting for the other 103 names to be leaked now. I generally hate "conspiracy" theories but it does seem a disproportionate # of Yankee names have neen "outed"..

Watching A-Rod bullshit his way through the interview, I could only think...

Old and skinny Derek Jeter, with your declining OPS+, VORP, BABIP, ZR, and RCAA...a nation turns it's lonely eyes to you.

Jeter is the Ripken of his time now. He's the "Say it Ain't So, Joe" guy. If a guy like Jeter ever
took a dive...oy, the wailing in the streets.

[7] It's not a disproportionate number if more Yankees were actually users, a possibility that makes me shudder.

[8] Who cares man--I've given up, so you should join the club too. Let them all roid up. I hope Jeter has used more than everyone else.

[9] I think it'd be fascinating to see people's reaction if Jeter used PEDs. Would they call for his head on a silver platter, or go out of their way to make excuses for him?

[7] Taking us back to real baseball for a moment, did you see this? Who knew Ichiro! could pitch?!

The more I read about this fiasco, the more I understand why professional wrestling is so popular.

[11] yikes, somone had an extra helping of cynic-monn on their toast today?

Do you really think the beauty of the game is just gone because these guys shot up? Again, we can still enjoy the tales of the Babe even though there was segregation..we can still love the Mick even though he was an adulterous drunkard..I think A-Rod got caught, he admitted it, and he's clean now..

14, I agree, dude.

I agree that Neyer was spot on.
What's interesting is how "indignant" Tom Hicks is. I mean, dude half your team was juicing. Didn't you notice the 40 inch necks and the shrinkage? Ultimately, I think accountability needs to go deeper. Here we're talking about a doping subculture and every manager says that they never saw a thing in their clubhouse. I heard Torre state that less than a week ago. I don't buy it. Or, denial is a beautiful thing.

Jeter caught doping......hmmmm. Nauseating thought. I'd much rather hear that he was taking a bong hit.

[12] Ichiro is the man!

I wish people in the US took the WBC a bit more seriously..it's a HUGE deal here and in Korea. I would imagine just as big int he D.R Puerto Rico and Venezuela too..

Let this be a lesson to all you kids out there:

Winners don't cheat.
Cheaters don't win.
And some Cheaters consistently choke in the playoffs!

hahaha, also I was bit disappointed that none of the tabloids ran the headline ALE*with a big asterisk instead of an "X".

Nuzzo! Long time. I was waiting for you to weigh in on YOUR BOY!. LOL

Okay now that the question was put to the President at this moment in history in his first prime time press conference ... Can we agree that Alex Rodriguez using PEDs IS a big deal? Even if you don't think it should be?

LET'S GO YANKEES!

[16] Tom Hicks, what a blowhard..

all the managers too, how terrible are they at their job if they never saw anything suspicious abotu guys coming back from the winter with 20 extra lbs of muscle?
"The whole thing stinks..it smells, it smells bad..."

This is by far the most honest and culpable apology we've ever seen from a player. I wouldn't be surprised if 50% of MLB was on something at some point.

That's why I have trouble with the asterisk. Yes, A-Rod was juicing, so was Bonds, so was Fernando Vina, so were a ton of opposing pitchers. So how do we adjust the stats for the era if we don't really know how unlevel the playing field was.

We should all shut up about this and just watch the baseball men play. Too much overthinking makes my head hurt.

I want to believe that Frank Thomas and Derek Jeter didn't use PEDs so I choose believe until I hear otherwise. It helps me continue to love baseball unconditionally. I honestly think that it would break my heart if I found out either of these guys cheated. I simply cannot accept that every single great player of my era has had no moral compass. Someone must have said, "no."

[6] Going after Roberts definitely wasn't smart. It will probably turn the media against Alex. They stick together like flies on a hot cross bun.

[14] I think the beauty of the game will be momentarily obscured by all the talk and focus on scandal; like the people in the balcony farting in rolling cadences inside a cathedral during services. But then the air will clear eventually and the service will continue...

(btw, that's what "The Wave" reminds me of...)

I particularly liked the part when he said he had no idea what drugs he was taking. Yeah, right. The guy has calculated every professional move he's made since he's 17 years old.

And he really seemed "naive" when he and Boras were playing the Mets and Tom Hicks like fiddles in the 2001 FA negotiations.

And the community service was an especially nice touch.

That's why I said that Gammons is the Larry King of the sports world.

The bottom line, however, is that A-Rod could have pulled a Clemens, and he didn't.

The media can hyperventilate if they want. I am giving A-Rod credit for his admission.

[26] Disagree! A Rod for all his faults is no Clemens. Not many players besides the man himself are crazy enough to pull a Clemens.

Did Gammons point blank ask him "Are you still taking drugs now?"

And how many folks here think he is?

[14]

"Do you really think the beauty of the game is just gone because these guys shot up?"

When did I say this? Nope--I'm going with the flow man. It's all good.

" Again, we can still enjoy the tales of the Babe even though there was segregation.."

That the talent pool was not as large as it is now was not the fault of the Babe. It is simply not equivalent to a player sticking a needle up his but in order to enhance his own physical attributes.

But then again, who cares. I've learned to stop worrying and love the Roid.

"we can still love the Mick even though he was an adulterous drunkard.."

This is such an absurd comparison that it really doesn't warrant a comment.

"I think A-Rod got caught, he admitted it, and he’s clean now.."

He's *clean*? How quaint.

Quite truthfully, at this point, I wouldn't even be surprised if we find out Jeter used as well. He's a competitive guy, plays through injuries, and wants to help the team as much as he could. Knowing how widespread PED use was and how MLB took a relaxed attitude towards it, why wouldn't he cross into that "gray area" if he thought it could help?

I think the only person left who could faze me would be Mo. Even then I wouldn't be shocked, just disappointed.

[28] Again, the more important question is what difference does it make? The Babe played under conditions of segregation, so what's the big deal if A-Rod or anyone else is enhanced now? Just enjoy the beauty of the game.

I hope Pujols starts roiding so maybe he can hit 900 HRs.

[31] I really am unclear on the reason for your cynicism..the reason for the Babe and Mick comparisons is that with some distance, we can look back and say that although there were VERY objectionable things going on at the time, the game and their achievments are still worth our respect. Do you think that the 15-year (roughly) Steroid Era really will destroy baseball??

As others mentioned, it survived the Black Sox, segregation, greenies, cocaine. strikes, cookie-cutter stadiums, Brown & Mustard uniforms..in 30 years won't this just be a footnote? I know I will tell my son "thesy guys used a lot of crazy drugs at the time, so their stats may be inflated..A-Rod and Bonds were still two of the greatest of all time"...

[26] Disagree! A Rod for all his faults is no Clemens. Not many players besides the man himself are crazy enough to pull a Clemens.

Um, I said that he did the opposite of what Clemens did, so I'm not sure what you are disagreeing with.

Hey there Alex...I want to apologize for insinuating that you were forced into your apology. The fact that you felt compelled to apologize on your own is very impressive. Incidentally, I would be dubious about that claim if it came from someone else, but I inherently trust your integrity. Having said that, I still don't think you needed to apologize for your gut reaction.

Along those lines, I think Arod was very clumsy in the way he counterattacked Roberts. I like that he was still feisty and have no problem with him shining a light on her methods, but I think he spoke with emotion instead of using facts. Regardless of how she wants to couch, we know that her scoop hinged on someone's criminal action. It's bad enough that she is benefiting from a crime, but it's even worse that the criminal action seems too targeted.

Because Arod went over board with the stalking theme, his complaint will be easily dismissed, but the reality is that Roberts, who does not, as many at SI claim, have an impeccable reputation (see Duke lacrosse) went well beyond the pale of ethics in pursuing this story. Also, if anyone believes that Roberts tracked Arod all around Miami to give him a fair chance to see her evidence, they are being naïve. Her goal could only be to catch Arod in a gotcha moment. Otherwise, she could have simply used the telephone to elicit comment or schedule a meeting. I really hope someone will pursue this line, but I have a feeling that the “journalism” community will close ranks around her. SI gave Alex a chance to question Verducci about his book; maybe they’ll let him question Roberts in a real hard hitting Q&A (I volunteer to draft the questions).

Also, in a related note, it looks like this Arod situation has been a real first battle between ESPN and the MLBN/SI camps. Roberts must have been on MLBN two or three separate times today, and her absence, Verducci was assigning to her credibility that she does not have. Meanwhile, on ESPN, Gammons allowed Arod a free swipe at her. This should make for an interesting rivalry between the networks.

In recap, I think Arod got off topic a bit, but essentially did a good job coming clean. Whether he will be able to restore his reputation or not is another question. Regardless, I did get a real sense of determination from Arod, which I think bodes well for how he will perform for the Yankees. Ultimately, that’s all I care about.

I always wondered why my sisters watched soap operas. Like sands through the hourglass....
[31] Some comedian has a similar shtick on steroids. He's all for it. I presume your joking, but if not someone did mention wrestling. It's a shame my students today don't know what WWF is. Ha. Then again, I hear UFC is now the ultimate (roid) rage. Whatever.... Play Ball.

[32] The issue is not whether they were objectionable and or "deserve respect." The issue is whether the players behaved in a way that compromised the integrity of the game on the field. Ugly uniforms matter not one whit in this regard. Neither do cookie cutter stadiums. In thirty years, my kids and I can laugh at ugly uniforms. In thirty years I am not sure it will be a footnote that the violation of the fundamental trust which separates competitive sports from pro wrestling, will be footnote.

Yes, baseball survived the black sox scandal. But that episode is not a mere trifle, a footnote to be scoffed at. It tarnished the reputation of the game and inspired a raft of rules, some draconian, that are still in place in order to safeguard a sense of competitive "fairness." This era will be the same.

And no, I never said that this era will "destroy" baseball. In fact, the evidence seems to point in the opposite direction: inflated numbers, HRs by the boat load, pumped players in smaller parks, and booming attendance and television dollars. All the while, increasing numbers of fans seem willing to accept their enhancements. So, no. This era will not destroy the game.

But it has destroyed some naive enjoyment that the game holds for me.

So, as I say, fuck it. Load them all with roids.

A-Rod has had some head scratchingly Clemensian moments.

I agree. Saying "baseball survived the Black Sox" in such a flip manner doesn't appreciate the scope of the disaster that could have been.

Your too nice a man Alex. I thought your initial reaction to the way this story came about was perfect. You were not too harsh or hotheaded, and there was nothing half baked in what you said. You simply voiced, and quite well I thought, what a lot of people were thinking. Which was, when there were 104 names on that list, why does the one name that came out happen to be the name of the player that Selena Roberts is writing a book about?

This is not rocket science. Sensationalism sells books, and you can be sure Ms. Roberts will will leave no stone unturned in her quest to come up with the juiciest morsels she can find to write in her book on ARod. Which brings us to a question that Alex raised in his initial response: How long has she been sitting on this information? Did she decide to write a book on ARod after she found this out, like a while back, knowing this steroid thing would be the crown jewel of her book? Or did she just happen to stumble on the holy grail of ARod secrets while gathering info for her book? If it's the latter, she must have peed her pants when she learned ARod's name was on "the list".

As for the stalker aspect, well, if she's going to his apartment in NY, trying to gain access to his home in Miami, and followed him to a gym where he works out in Miami, which she has apparently confirmed, uh, what can you say?

[33] You said he could have pulled a Clemens. I'm disagreed. I don't know what else to tell ya.

[38] It also elevates the use of steroids well above its proper place. If baseball has really been threatened by its lax steroid era, there is no evidence in terms of attendance and revenues (the same is true of the NFL).

[40] I mean "I disagreed" not "I'm disagreed"

[40] Is your point that he didn't have an option to lie, as Clemens has done?

Here is some explanation from Newsday about Roberts' "trespassing":

"I've never set foot in the lobby of Alex's New York apartment. I've never set
foot on his property. It's pure fabrication," said Roberts, who did say she
drove by Rodriguez's house after receiving permission from Miami Beach
police to drive on public property near A-Rod's house. The Miami Beach
police have a "miscellaneous incident" report of that conversation, but
Roberts was not cited for anything.

Roberts also asked for and received permission from security at the
University of Miami to enter the school's workout facilities and talk to
Rodriguez on Thursday.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/ny-sprobers0210,0,4352753.story

Maybe his kids were scared by the sound of her car engine? Ugh Alex, I don't know why you make it so difficult on yourself sometimes...

[43] No, as I said - nobody besides Clemens is crazy enough to do what he did. He didn't just deny, he DENIED on an insane scale and with outrageous force. I mean, can you picture anyone getting as pissed off as Clemens? There was steam coming out his ears as he indignantly lied his ass off before Congress!

A Rod is delusional but not like THAT. I think Clemens had hot liniment rubbed on his nuts before his 60 minutes interview.

I'm just saying "pulling a Clemens" should be reserved for the most aggressive push back in the face of pretty obviously truthful accusations.

I think the Yankee organization, Boras et al encouraged (forced) him not to go the Clemens route, seeing that he has nine years left on his contract and nobody could face the fallout of a denial of usage. I don't think he had the choice. His career would be compromised.

I had a feeling, however, that he was going to go the victim route with regards to Roberts.

Peter Gammons was struck by how emotional A-rod became. That bodes well in his favor.

[44] The irony is that if Clemens just backed everything McNamee said, he'd have a great case for his career not being enhanced. Regardless of whether you believe HGH and other steroids enhance performance, I think most would agree Clemens' infrequent and erratic usage schedule would have had very little impact.

[46] I don't think most people are that sophisticated. They just don't want athletes to lie to their face.

Here's some more irony: as Keith Law smartly pointed out, Arod spike in slugging between 2001 and 2003 can almost entirely be explained away by the Ballpark at Arlington. Of course, not too many will be sophisticated enough to follow that line of reasoning. The irony, however, is that ignorance actually supports Arod's contention that he did steroids between 2001 and 2003 only. Before 2001, he averaged about 37 HRs; between 2001 and 2003, he averaged 52 HRs; and between 2004 and today, he has averaged close to 40 HRs. I am sure someone will map that on a graph and point to the curious spike, and in doing so, back up Arod's story.

[48] So A Rod's still juicing?

[49] You can reach that conclusion if you think MLB's post-2003 testing era is a myth. If that's true, then obviously MLB doesn't want to get rid of steroids, so I am not sure why anyone would care.

[50] "then obviously MLB doesn’t want to get rid of steroids, so I am not sure why anyone would care."

I'm not sure how this follows logically, or at least not necessarily. If one is concerned about steroid use, then the realization that the league is "guilty" in their use should be of profound concern.

Agree (habit forming!) with William also on the Arlington factor that will be MISSED by a huge percentage of casual fans and reporters. The spike there is easily a ballpark spike, especially after Seattle. I also found it credible that Rodriguez talked about Texas as a place where the 'booster' drug culture is stronger because of the heat. I can see that. We all hear about it every game broadcast from down there. At first I'd have thought that leads to greenies, not steroids, but they aren't exclusive, anyhow, and feeling 'stronger' can be a factor in the dog days. (Incidentally, if anything ever emerges on Jeter I'd bet a lot it would be greenies not steroids. He's a traditional kind of guy. And yes, I'm aware I'm following in the wake of some of the cycnicism here.)

What I'm waiting on now? If any of the other 103 come forward. Won't happen unless the full list is leaked, though. But for discussion: does ARod not look 'better' if 50-60 players make similar statements and apologies? We all KNOW by now that there are hundreds, but he stands - for the moment - just about alone in doing what he did today. Forced? More or less, with nine years to go, but it'll be interesting to see if he leads the way for others with this.

'Stalking' ... has become a celeb's buzz word, but it is also a fact of life for them. I'd say it was a bad tactic in THAT interview to go after the reporter, could have been raised by agent and others, or even ARod tomorrow ... but he was also (to my eye and ear) genuinely indignant that she was digging into his high school years and 'chasing' him around.

[52] Grrr...that referred to [51].

I hear steroids can help with eyesight.

Ya know, the more I think about, I've come to the cynical conclusion that everyone turns the other cheek because people at all levels within the organizations, from players up through management are only too happy to see players do whatever it takes to put the team out front. Even if that means putting player's health in jeopardy.

There is a stunning complicity. Will someone write the next Ball Four? Or, is this even too clandestine and nefarious to expose to the public?

It remains to be seen.

william,

I may be in the minority, but I think even the intent to cheat is a black mark on someone. These people could have all been injecting themselves with apple juice for all I care. In my book. the very fact that they all made the conscious decision to cheat, acted upon it, and thought they were cheating is just as bad as whatever affect these drugs actually had.

Bill Madden of the Daily News has gone off the deep end. He insists the Yanks have to dump ARod and eat the 270 mil. he's owed, BUT , he predicts, will gain a measure of satisfaction when no one picks up ARod, even for nothing. What is wrong with this guy?

[52] My point was that if MLB's testing program has not been designed to catch players using steroids now, then they can't be taking the problem seriously, and we should be focused on that, as opposed to individual player's tests.

[56] I used to feel the same, but i was disavowed of this quaint notion when it was pointed out to me that Mickey Mantle was a hard drinker and lots of players were juicing.

[54] I'll bet "The Clear" would be a little better >;)

[58] OK, but in either case, it is assumed that steroid use is a "problem," whether on an individual or systemic scale. That is, for those who still adhere to the notion.

[56] That's fine. You can draw all kinds of conclusions that you want from Arod attempting to cheat. The main thrust of so many arguments, however, is the integrity of the stats. If that is a real concern, then the attempt to cheat isn't enough. We have to know that the cheating worked.

Also, if we narrow it down to the attempt to cheat, then Jim Kaat's comments today about most pitchers using pine tar should be taken more seriously. With interesting candor, Kaat stated that the pitchers of his era knew pine tar was illegal for a pitcher, but they used it anyway because everyone did. In fact, when someone would joke about it being an illegal foreign substance, Kaat said he would joke that it wasn't foreign because it was manufactured in North Carolina.

[57] Bill Madden..why even bother reading at this point?

[56] [59] I still fail to see how injecting yourself with a steroid to get stronger is any more cheating than having a tendon taken from your leg and put into your arm..

I brought up Mantle and his partying because so many in the media are pulling this awful holier-than-thou routine towards A-Rod. The Mick admitted it openly late in his life that he was an apalling father and husband..sorry but as a family man that to me is much more damning than someone who takes a shot so they can be a better player.

[59] Also, if we are going to get into character issues, cheating doesn't rank high on the list. I love Mickey Mantle, but his character issues, ignored at the time, have been well documented. The same is true of Joe D and Babe Ruth. You know what...the same is true of us all.

[62] Excellent point William..oh man, I agree with you 100% on this issue! Can't we go back to arguing about hip-hop?? :)

[61] Yes, but there is a thrid case: that MLB has an effective steroid detection policy, so we can be more confident that the players are not taking them. Now, someone will bring up HGH, but the research leans so heavily against that being a PED, that I don't even think it should be an issue. Baseball shouldn't waste any money trying to detect HGH...instead, it should it educate the players about how useless it is and use the savings to do research on real performance enhancers.

[62] "If that is a real concern, then the attempt to cheat isn’t enough. We have to know that the cheating worked."

Perhaps, but it' not that simple. It is likely that there will never be enough conclusive evidence to prove the impact of steroids on the integrity of the games' stats: we'll never know precisely how much was used, by whom, for how long, let alone the near impossibility of knowing just how much specific performance could have been improved by PEDs even if we know how much a given player used.

Thus, there will forever be a cloud of suspicion cast on the entire generation of statistics, on players both "clean" and "dirty." We'll never know if Frank Thomas' career should rank higher or lower relative to his contemporary competition, and thus relative o historical comparisons. The entire enterprise of comparing stats across eras is, potentially, blown up.

"Also, if we narrow it down to the attempt to cheat, then Jim Kaat’s comments today about most pitchers using pine tar should be taken more seriously."

I agree. Or at least I used to, when I still cared.

Tokyo

if Tommy John surgery is on the same level as steroid usage, why are the players keeping their use hidden? Hell, announce it. Broadcast it even.. It will up the female demo.

And A-Rod was a pretty appalling husband, wasn't he?

[65] You mean I wasn't able to sway on that issue?

[63]

"I brought up Mantle and his partying because so many in the media are pulling this awful holier-than-thou routine towards A-Rod. The Mick admitted it openly late in his life that he was an apalling father and husband.."

Cripes. I am only concerned with on-the-field behavior in this discussion. I too find Mantle's abusiveness as a father more serious from a societal perspective. BUt from a baseball (statistical integrity) perspective it is irrelevant.

"I still fail to see how injecting yourself with a steroid to get stronger is any more cheating than having a tendon taken from your leg and put into your arm.."

This is a more interesting point. I could counter by arguing that reparative and palliative medicine is different from "artificial" enhancers. But I don't really subscribe to that old-fashioned view any more. Like I said, y'all have convinced me. Ty Cobb was a racist so I shouldn't care how Mark McGwire hit so many home runs.

[63] I could be wrong, but if a pitcher does not have Tommy John surgery, he will be unable to pitch again. Bye-bye career. The surgery is due to an injury. I've heard commentators joke in recent years that pitchers should go ahead and have the surgery even if they don't need it. With rehab and such they will be that much stronger and less injury prone when they return. Now that, is shady. Shooting up with a needle and receiving a necessry surgery to prolong a career are not on the same page in my book. : )

[67] I don't want to give the impression that I don't care about the concerns you raise. Rather, I just happen to think that the environment that fostered PED use is no worse than other elements that influenced other eras. Maybe I am being naive here, but I think as time goes by, we will learn more about these things we collectively call PEDs, and perhaps that will change our perspective.

[65] Quick, whose better in their prime, Jay-Z or Rakim?

The contextual cheating issues to consider are: spitballs, greaseballs, corked bats, superballs in bats, scuffing balls with a belt buckle.

It may be a difference in degree, but it's not a difference in kind because all are against the rules.

[68] merely asking, what is the difference? both are highly unnatural aids to performance..being Steve Austin is OK, but taking an enhancer through a syringe is not?

[69] errr..let's just say at the eventual Banter Bonanza party we'll be sure to have a seperate room for the hip-hop fans, but I hope you and OYF can dig some Miles Davis??

ESPN Fan nation as spoken...38% forgive him; 33% don't; 29% said no apology is necessary. Of course, New England does not forgive him.

[73] cmon man..it is not even close.."I'm schemin like I'm dreamin on a couch wit my feet up"..Rakim is the G.O.A.T, Chuck D a distant second.

[76] So Alex didn't have to write the last post if he didn't want to. Great! But to be honest, I never figured Banter to be that popular up in Beantown anyway (especially after yours truly was there >;)

[74] Agreed. Though for whatever reason, we (ie, society at large and sports culture in particular) seems to find the doctoring of equipment a less grave crime than doctoring of the body itself. expect perhaps for sports where the equipment hold a particularly significant position in the sport (like car racing).

I'm not arguing that I agree with this differentiation. I am only saying that I can see where one could, not unreasonably, place scuffing the ball in a different category than blood doping.

That said, it does raise Tokyo's interesting challenge: what is the difference between good medicine (Tommy John surgery) and bad medicine (PEDs). Here again, I suggest that some draw a distinction between reparative (surgery for injury) and palliative (pain killers) treatment, and "unnecessary" enhancing treatment (PEDs, eye surgery to create super-vision).

[76] Until Ortiz or Varitek are nabbed. Then it'll be 100% for "no apology necessary."

[77] "Screamin' I'm lazy, you must be crazy/thought I was a doughnut; you tried to glaze me"

Yeah, just checkin' your reflexes...

[79] That is actually a good distinction. However, it could always be said that HGH/steroids (and to be honest I do not understand the difference between the two in terms of what they do to the body..) help the body recover from injury, making them reparative..I don't know. But Tommy John surgery always fascinated me, it's the first step towards the Bionic Man..

[80] Trot Nixon, Nomar, Papi, captain Tek..lot of Qs about those guys...

[81] But if you REALLY want to get the debate started, it's got to be Miles or Trane..? but then you'll be up all night and I'll do less work than now..(which is very little indeed..)

[83] No fair, they actually played together. How about: Bird vs. Goodman?

[84] You been watching some Tarkovsky or something, got your brain slowed down?? :) Goodman was awesome but Bird..Bird is Babe Ruth man (and I'm now even a huge fan of his, prefer more modern sounds myself). But methinks you are not serious.

Like Buck O'neil said, "baseball and jazz, life is good!" or something along those lines..

[85] Yeah, I'm just throwing stuff out there right now because I'm tired. Man, it would be cool to run into thelarmis if he''s still up here; maybe not now because I'm still recovering from another flu. Missed a chance to meet Bama because of work. Ah well, I'm an optimist at heart (go watch Benjamin Button, btw) I'm going to sleep so I can dream again that it's Christmas and my apartment's a little bigger than it really is, complete with decorations, flood lights, and a giant meat locker where the bathroom is now, with freezer doors resembling the ones with soda racks that you see in bodegas... g'nite! >;)

Not sure about Benjiman Button but I'm all about the optimism these days, it's the Daisy Age, isn't it?

get some rest, pal. 6 weeks till Opening Day...

I feel so much more relaxed after the interview. The air has been released from the balloon.

Full disclosure: I was a huge supporter of Alex before this past weekend, so I was bound to find the positives, but, still, how much more genuine and real does he seem now compared to a few years ago?

People have to stop taking apart everything he said. HE ADMITTED IT! This is what we've always wanted from the stars that got caught.

He could have tortured us all like Bonds, Clemens or McGwire, but he didn't.

I can start to feel myself thinking again about the opening of the stadium and the new team....

Arguing that PEDs didn't help Alex perform extremely at Arlington ignores the known benefits of PEDs. PEDs helped Alex recover from workouts, playing the game and build muscle so he was stronger and not as tired as other players who didn't use them. With this advantage from using PEDs, his natural power, hard work and innate ability, Alex was able to over perform in a hitters park. Can we count how many more home runs he hit as a result of PEDs? Of course not, but using them damn sure helped him.

What is it with the comments explosion at such late hours? This happens often here.

A couple interesting things from the interview:

Not long after divorcing his wife and mother of his kids, he calls using PEDs the biggest regret of his life. Now maybe he meant professional life, but if there's anyone that makes you wonder, it's A Rod.

Also - he basically said that he was free now to concentrate on baseball. Well, then what was he focusing on before? Reading between the lines, I took it to mean now that he's blown his chance at being the clean stat king, he won't have to think about himself so much and will turn more towards just trying to win.

I wait with bated breath for his first sac bunt.