Quick Hits

I'm back with another episode of "Quick Hits", items that need to pointed out, but not necessarily big enough to warrant their own posts.

Dan Dakich Show

I generally like the Dan Dakich show. It is nice to have a local sports radio talk show and Dan does a decent job of hosting the show. However, he had a couple of trip-ups on Friday's show.

Regarding perfect games in baseball, "Perfect games never happen." Uhh, Dan it has happened 16 times in the modern era and 18 times overall. So they do occur. Really.

Regarding the NL Central Division, "The (Chicago) Cubs are in first place because they are one loss up on the Cardinals." No, dickhead, the Cubs are not in first place. The Cards were 52-46 while the Cubs were 48-45 before Friday's games. You can't assume that just because the Cubs have played five fewer games that all of them would be won by the Cubs. If you look at the standings, the Cards have a winning percentage of .531 versus the Cubs .516. By every statistical rule I know of, this would put the Cards in first place, Danny.

All-Star Game

Yes, I know that the American League now has a thirteen game unbeaten streak, which is the longest such streak in the series. However, I am tired of hearing all of the pundits go on and on and on about the woeful National League. The NL may be taking it on the chin since 1996, but I have not heard any of them mention that the NL won eleven straight from 1972 to 1982 and won 19 of 20 from 1963 to 1982. I guess since that occurred over 25 years ago, no one ever thinks to look back that far.

Hall of Fame & Steroids

This will be a bigger post at some point, but I still take the stand that if a player took steroids before it was made illegal by MLB, then technically, he did not do anything wrong. Yes, there are numerous players that are suspected to have taken steroids and several that have tested positive or been identified. Did it give them an advantage? Most likely, otherwise, players wouldn't have been taking them. Did it give them an UNFAIR advantage? No, because at the time it was not illegal and therefore, not unfair. So no asterisks are needed for those records that were broken.

Now in the case of someone like Manny Ramirez, it does bring up an interesting discussion about players who have tested positive and been suspended by MLB for PEDs. Do you start putting asterisks on their records? Do you throw out certain seasons of statistics? Do you totally bar them from consideration? Makes you think.

All right, its late and I need to get up early to drive to Chicago for a Cubs game...sweeeeeeet! Now, if they win today (Sunday) and the Cards lose, then the Cubs WILL be in first place.

I'm Positively Radiant About This Manny Ramirez Story

A quick hit on this Wednesday, thanks to a few-days old article from Bruce Jenkins:

Freedom comes early

Manny Ramirez is scheduled to begin his minor-league rehabilitation Tuesday...

Which he did, batting lead-off for the Albuquerque Isotopes. Manny went 0-for-2.

The Isotopes got their name from the made-up minor league team in the Simpsons: the Springfield Isotopes. And no, I'm not kidding.

As a nickname, "Isotopes" is a good one. I also like the Las Vegas Area 51s, the Caribou Caribou, and the Tacoma Saks. Two of those last three may not actually exist. Or do they....?

I'm sorry, where were we? Ah--

...joining the Dodgers' Triple-A lineup in Albuquerque, and with his 50-game suspension not ending until July 3, the question must again be asked:

Let me guess:

Will Manny wear a radiation suit when he plays?

Or, will Jon and Kate ever get back together?

No? Okay, Bruce--you go ahead.

If you're being penalized for the use of performance-enhancing drugs, how are you allowed to play anywhere? Why should the Dodgers get a sudden surge of revenue from the minor-league crowds flocking to see him? It's a suspension, not a vaudeville tour.

I think Manny Ramirez would be a great vaudeville act. He could go on between Topo Gigio and Petrushka the Dancing Bear.

Back to the question posed by Jenkins. Manny has been suspended for 50 games. The reason he's able to play in the minor leagues before his suspension is finished is so that he's ready to play when July 3 rolls around. If he were not allowed to play until then, it would take him a few days more to get back into playing shape. This would effectively amount to a 55-58 game suspension, depending on how long it took him to get his timing back.

The same thing is done with players on the disabled list--a player can start a minor-league rehabilitation stint before he's eligible to come of the DL (if you're not familiar with it, MLB has specific lengths to its disabled lists. Most commonly used are the 15-day, 30-day, and 60-day). Again, this is done so the player can be ready to play at the major-league level as soon as he is eligible to come back.

And the Dodgers are not doing this for a revenue boost. Two reasons: 1) See above. 2) The Dodgers don't own the Albuquerque Isotopes--the Isotopes are independently owned (as are most minor-league teams). So the Dodgers really don't gain anything revenue-wise, though the Isotopes surely do: attendance on Tuesday night was an Albuquerque-record 15, 321, and by all accounts, it was a radioactive atmosphere!! (Rimshot) EDIT-- joke changed to reflect nature of isotopes, as the original joke was better to suited to ions...because I am an idiot.

Sorry about that.

Some may argue that the rules should be different for players serving suspension versus injured players coming off the disabled list. Perhaps the idea is that since the suspended player got himself into this mess, it's his responsibility to train on his own to be ready to play when the suspension ends. I guess I can see that point a little bit, but I really don't see a problem with the way it is set up now. And with the fan turnout Tuesday--and by almost all accounts, fans cheered Manny--I'm sure the Isotopes aren't complaining about the increased revenue and short-term fan interest.

More to the point, the current penalty system was negotiated between MLB and the MLB Players' Association when random testing began in 2004. Do you think the MLBPA will give ground on this issue, with negotiations for a new labor agreement on the horizon? Yeah, I doubt it, too.

The bottom line--Manny is not really gaining by playing these "rehab" games in Albuquerque. He's not getting paid, and the stats don't count. The minor-leagues are separate from the major leagues, but if Bruce Jenkins paid any attention to that, he wouldn't get to be able to act high-and-mighty in his columns regarding the steroids/PED issue.

But now Bruce Jenkins can feel better about himself, and the rest of us can just not care.

Its Here!!! Well, Almost.

Baseball season is finally here, at least sort of. Its Spring Training season and players are all reporting to Florida or Arizona this week to begin prepping for the real thing in April. So I thought I would take a moment to ramble on about a few things to start off the pre-season.

Nate McLouth re-signs with the Bucs

I was a big fan on Nate’s when he was with the Indianapolis Indians and have enjoyed following his progress in the Majors. Nate batted .276 with 26 HRs and 46 doubles, which was tied for first in the NL last year. I am both happy and sad that he stayed in Pittsburgh. I am happy to see him get a nice contract and will hopefully have a nice long stay in the Majors. I am sad that he is on a team that has not had a winning season since Barry Bonds and Bobby Bonilla were playing for the Pirates. Congrats, Nate, and I am looking forward to another great year out of you.

Adam Dunn signs a two-year contract with the Nationals

I have never really figured out why so many sports writers are so negative against Adam Dunn. Yes, I know that he strikes out quite a bit. Adam had 164 strikeouts lat year, but that was only third best on his team! However, he has hit 40 HRs each of the past four years and ranked ninth in the NL with an OBP of .386. So while he does strike out a lot, he still gets on base more than most and can clobber the ball as well. At 29 years old, he still has a several good years left in him and should be a boost to the Nationals. Although sadly like the Pirates, they will probably suck as well this year.

David Eckstein signs with the Padres

The poster child for short, white, average skill baseball players signed a one-year contract with the Padres to help give the team someone with playoff experience and a couple of World Series rings. Because that is the only reason I can see a team signing the Eck. And do not go mentioning he has a boatload of intangibles, GRIT factor or how he isn’t afraid to get dirty. If the man was 6’2” he probably would be in the minors at this point. But since he is short, white and has a couple of rings, GMs seem to have a hard on for the man.

Remember this comment from last year

If the Dodgers do make the trade and they somehow win the World Series, I will kill something.

Allow me to update it for this year:

If the Whale’s Vagina Padres win the World Series with Eckstein on the team, I WILL kill something.

Steroids

I am torn on the steroids topic at this point. I am tired of the whole discussion on the Steroids Era and whether records and statistics should be thrown out or whether the players from that era should not be voted into the Hall of Fame or whether Jose Canseco needs an apology from MLB. Yet I am not sure how I feel about Alex Rodriguez’s most recent explanation of why, how and what he took from 2001-2003. If you are going to come out and tell the truth, then tell the whole truth. His interview was full of contradictions from his first interview, suddenly there was a “cousin” involved, the stuff he took was supposedly available over-the-counter in the Dominican Republic, the two drugs he tested positive for, primobolan and testosterone, could not have come from one drug, he sad attempt at shedding a tear while looking at his teammates, the list goes on and on. I want to know more, but at the same time, I don’t care anymore.

This happened several years ago and he has not tested positive since. He won two additional MVP since the first one he won in 2003, so he is still a very good player without the PEDs. People have pointed out that his home run totals during the three years he said he took PEDs are higher compared to the years after he stopped. However, you cannot necessarily point to steroids as the main factor in the increase. A-Rod signed with Texas in 2001 and Arlington Stadium is a hitters ballpark. After the 2003 season, A-Rod was traded to the Yankees. Yankee Stadium is not suited for A-Rod to hit as many home runs. So this would have also attributed to the decrease in home runs after 2003.

Bud Selig

You’re still a fucktard!

Wrigley Field

I have had the pleasure the past couple of years to bask in sun in the bleachers of Wrigley Field. There is nothing like sitting in the bleachers with a group of great friends with a beer in one hand and a brat in the other, baking in the sun and watching a baseball game in one of the greatest stadiums around. As a Cardinals fan, I’m definitely not a Cubs fan, even though I would like to see them actually win a Series so they can go another hundred years without one. But Wrigley is one of those places where it doesn’t matter what team you are rooting for, you are there to take in the whole experience of “the friendly confines”. I am looking forward to making another trip or two this year.

Like every other fan of our national pastime, I am so looking forward to the two words we long to hear every year:

“PLAY BALL!”

Let It Die

"It's not my fault!"

This phrase has been declared many times throughout antiquity. Reportedly, Custer said it at Little Big Horn. Han Solo said it when the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive wouldn't work trying to escape the clutches of the Empire after leaving Hoth. And now, this fucktard has said it:

Is it too early to give the 2009 Fucktard of the Year Award?

Anyway, on to the Wallace Matthews article in Newsday:

Commissioner Selig defends his record

Bud Selig to baseball fans: Don't blame me. In a lengthy telephone interview yesterday, the commissioner of baseball strongly disputed the widely held perception that he was in any way complicit in the proliferation of steroids in major-league baseball during the past 15 years. "I don't want to hear the commissioner turned a blind eye to this or he didn't care about it," Selig said.

"That annoys the you-know-what out of me. You bet I'm sensitive to the criticism. The reason I'm so frustrated is, if you look at our whole body of work, I think we've come farther than anyone ever dreamed possible."

Yeah, why would anyone say that the commissioner "turned a blind eye" to the steroids issue? Are you kidding me?

Selig pointed to the reduction in the number of positive steroid tests among major- and minor-league players during the past three years, as well as the institution of amphetamine testing as evidence that baseball's 2005 drug policy is working.

Sure--Major League Baseball has had a testing policy since 2004. I think it's reasonable to say testing is a huge success after a three-year decline in positives. Of course, by "reasonable" I mean, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND????

MLB has made progress, sure. The fact that there is even testing now is a progress compared to five years ago. But come on. Even the commissioner can't say that MLB's program has been a success, right?

He also defended his efforts to stop the use of performance-enhancing drugs as far back as 1999, the year after Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, two now-suspected steroid cheats, staged a seasonlong (sic) home run derby that helped pull baseball out of the tailspin it went into after the work stoppage of 1994.

Selig's "efforts" included waiting for a report on the effects Androstenedione (what McGwire was taking during the 1998 season) and doing nothing else.

You remember 1998? Sosa/McGwire? In case you missed it, McGwire and Sosa both eclipsed Roger Maris' single-season home run record of 61, set in 1961. McGwire ended with 70 homers, Sosa 66 (Barry Bonds then set the current record with 73 homers in 2001). In '98, an Associated Press reporter noticed a bottle of Andro- supplements in McGwire's locker and asked Selig about it. Selig's response? Wait for a study, then do nothing.

"I'm not sure I would have done anything differently," Selig said. "A lot of people say we should have done this or that, and I understand that. They ask me, 'How could you not know?' and I guess in the retrospect of history, that's not an unfair question. But we learned and we've done something about it. When I look back at where we were in '98 and where we are today, I'm proud of the progress we've made."

Proud. Of the progress that's been made. Like this progress?

Selig said he pushed for a more stringent drug policy during the labor negotiations of 2002 but ultimately settled for a watered-down version out of fear that the players association would force another work stoppage. "Starting in 1995, I tried to institute a steroid policy," Selig said. "Needless to say, it was met with strong resistance. We were fought by the union every step of the way."

Yeah, blame it on the union. It's all the players' fault.

In fairness, the MLB Players' Association is the most powerful union in sports. Since the era of collective bargaining began in sports in the late 70s, the MLBPA has seldom had to give in on anything. When the owners have tried to stand firm and make the players break, it hasn't worked out well for the owners.

But Selig admits that he "settled for a watered down version" because he was afraid of another work stoppage. Even if that were true, why would he have worried? The players would have had to publicly say that they were against testing, which would have given MLB the moral high ground. Selig at least could have tried!

Also, note that he pushed for a more stringent policy in 2002--four years after McGwire/Sosa. Why not push for it before then?

As bodies expanded and home run totals ballooned in the late 1990s, Selig said he consulted with baseball men he knew and trusted, such as Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin (then a coach with the Milwaukee Brewers), Braves president John Schuerholz and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to gauge the extent of the problem. "They all told me none of them ever saw it in the clubhouses and that their players never spoke about it," Selig said. "[Padres CEO] Sandy Alderson, as good a baseball man as you'll find, was convinced it was the bat. Others were convinced it was the ball. So a lot of people didn't know."

Except all the players who were using. And the trainers who were injecting. Did Selig or anyone else in his office ever think to ask players or coaches--you know, people actually close to where the drugs may have been used? I mean, there was no evidence of anyone using steroids before 2002, right?

Selig said that although only eight major-leaguers have tested positive for steroids in the past three years, he continues to be concerned about the possible use of human growth hormone, for which baseball has no approved test. "On HGH, I'm as frustrated as anyone," he said. "Right now, we're funding a program at UCLA with Dr. Don Catlin to come up with a test, any test, that's reliable."

That's good--it's needed. Then again, MLB could just talk to these people, who may be pretty close to offering a test up for widespread use.

I'm sure that I'm not the only person criticizing Selig today. However, this article shows how much of a fucktard Selig is.

This website does a pretty good job of explaining the role Selig has played in this whole steroid mess and his lack of action throughout the years. To sum it up, Selig did nothing when McGwire was linked to Andro, mainly because Selig was too worried that any noise about it would ruin the attendance boom baseball enjoyed in the late 90s. Then, he ignored all of the allegations and stories (Jose Canseco, Ken Caminiti) from former players who said steroids was a problem. When MLB was finally pressured by congress to have a policy with teeth in it, he first instituted a weak program, then modified it after widespread criticism (and more pressure).

One thing that's sad is that Fay Vincent, baseball's commissioner until 1992, was working on a plan of random testing that he outlined in a 1991 memorandum. So if Selig did "all he could do" to try to combat the steroid problem, why did he do absolutely nothing until 1995 (if you believe Selig, though there is little evidence to support that he did anything of consequence before 2002)?

This whole thing needs to go away. MLB now has steroid testing (with penalties) in place, and presumably a test for HGH is on the way. It should be a dead issue. However, with Selig saying stupid things like he might alter the record book in regards to players who are associated with steroids (statements which he has since backed off of), Selig is showing how much he doesn't want to get blamed. Suggesting to alter the record book is idiotic, since the players who have admitted to or accused of using weren't breaking any rules in using steroids! Oh, sure, there were rules against using steroids in place before 2004, but there was no testing, and no penalties! Even if a player had injected right in front of Selig, there was nothing he could have done to penalize the player. So why threaten belated punishment now?

Yes, the players are the ones who used steroids, so they are the most responsible (those that did use, anyway). But for the commissioner to say that he and MLB are not at least partly responsible is just stupidity and arrogance on his part. Bud, you are a fucktard.

And to the media who keep rehashing the same goddamn story: enough! Let the fucking thing die already!

Phelps vs. A-Rod

This is from a couple of days ago, but I could not get the chance to post it. Enjoy.

Phelps gets suspended, A-Rod gets ... nothing

On the surface, this statement is correct…at least for now. It has only been two days since the story broke. We do not know if any of Alex Rodriguez’s sponsors will drop him like Kellogg’s did to Michael Phelps.

So why does it seem like A-Rod is getting off scot-free? Glad you asked.

My opinion on this is the fact that A-Rod actually came out and said that he did in fact take steroids. Roger Clemens did nothing but deny, deny, deny that he took steroids. Barry Bonds claims he did not know what he was taking or putting on his body. Mark McGwire pleaded the Fifth Amendment before Congress. Rafael Palmeiro testified before Congress he did not take steroids and then tested positive the next year.

A-Rod bucked the trend of other current and former players and owned up to the fact he did it and why he did it. He did not do anything illegal under Major League Baseball rules at the time. Baseball did not suspend players for a positive steroids test in 2003. It was frowned upon but that is MLB’s fault for not implementing a stricter steroids policy sooner.

Phelps got caught doing something illegal in smoking marijuana, something he could have gone to jail over (and possibly still could). The IOC is extremely strict on any drug use. Phelps knew this. Yes, this is minor compared to if he had taken steroids. However, marijuana is a banned substance by the IOC. It shouldn’t be a shock to him or anyone else.

The league knew that this was going on, but Bud Selig and the other owners did nothing about it. They were profiting from the boom in attendance because of the home run races of McGwire, Bonds and Sammy Sosa. After the strike in 1994, the league and owners were happy to have fans flocking back to baseball. Only after a few elected representative threatened to look into revoking MLB’s anti-trust exemption did they finally start cracking down on steroids.

Had A-Rod came out and denied he took steroids or stated he may have taken something but didn’t know what was in it and he would be dragged through the streets and tarred and feathered if it was proved he had knowingly taken them. We will not know the full extent of any backlash from this coming out for a while. Will this have any effect on his potential Hall of Fame voting? No one can really say at this point. The HOF voters have shown intolerance to known or suspected steroids users up to this point, but they are going to have to face the fact that there was wide use of the drug for that baseball era. They will be forced to either blacklist the entire group from that timeframe or judge the players by a different set of criteria.

Another influence on the lack of impact on A-Rod is the fact only his name was released from the list of 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003. Since only he was outed by Sports Illustrated, I believe that may have minimized some of the retribution against him. Likewise, who knows how he would have been affected if all 104 names had been released and what other superstars may be on that list?

Were A-Rod and Michael Phelps subject to different standards? Yes. However, that is due to the different standards between the IOC now and MLB then. Phelps is still a young athlete who did something incredibly stupid in smoking marijuana and even more stupid in getting his picture taken doing something illegal! Olympic athletes are expected to be squeaky clean and the sponsors of Olympic athletes also expect that. MLB athletes can get away with a lot more in the media. That’s just the way it is. I don’t think the punishment of Phelps was too extreme and I do not feel that the lack of punishment of A-Rod is too lenient either.

One other tidbit that rankles me. Why do sports media writers continue to think that if you take steroids your numbers should drastically increase? Athletes do not take steroids just to potentially increase their power number. They also take them to help recover faster in the case of pitchers or more endurance over the entire season. Oh, maybe that is why you work for ESPN. They hire morons and put them on TV.

You may think I am way off-base on this but I’m sure that is nothing new. Opinions are like assholes – everybody has one.

Quick Hits

Once again it seems the entire group is either on vacation or too swamped to keep the entries going. So while I have a few minutes, I thought I could at least throw out some comments on various topics or articles.

U.S. Open/PGA

Personally, I like the 18-hole playoff format the U.S. Open uses even before the climactic outcome of this year’s tournament. It is unique to that major and adds to its mystique. It was obviously a boon for the PGA to have Tiger Woods in the playoff this year. I wonder how people would have felt if the playoff had been between Rocco Mediate and Lee Westwood?

Also, according to this article, Rocco Mediate is the David Eckstein of the golf world.

NBA

Congratulations to the Celtics! The NBA still puts a horrible show on the court and until the league understands that, they will continue to fall further behind the NFL and MLB. At this rate the NHL may be closing the gap.

Next year’s Oscar nominees should include Paul Pierce for his extraordinary acting performance when he “injured” his knee in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. I haven’t seen acting in sports like that since Reggie Miller retired.

Instant Replay

I had intended to do an in-depth blog on instant replay and some of the sorry excuses some writers against replay were giving. However, time just has not been on my side as of late. Hopefully I will be able to get to it before they actually implement it.

Indianapolis Indians Coverage

I know that the Indians are only a AAA minor league team in the International League and there are five MLB teams within a five-hour drive (Cards, Cubs, White Sox, Tigers and Reds), but I have been ashamed of the coverage the Indians get in the Indianapolis Star for a long time now. The Star typically gives the Indians only two or three paragraphs and the box score. The Indians give a 16-page press release on game days and the Star can only give them a couple of paragraphs?

There is a shit-load of material the Star ignores. You almost never see information such as hitting streaks, call ups or send downs, hot streaks, cold streaks, how Indians alumni are doing for the parent Pirates, or hot prospects on the move in the organization. Looking at the Pittsburgh Gazette, it gives a daily update of all of the teams in the Pirates organization.

I guess a newspaper that employs a columnist like Bob Kravitz doesn’t really care all that much about sports unless it is a big-time professional sport, or deals with IU, Purdue, Notre Dame football or high school basketball.

Ken Griffey, Jr.

Why does Mr. Nice Guy Ken Griffey, Jr. seemingly get a free pass on the steroid front while Mr. Locker Room Cancer Barry Bonds is still steroids poster child for “allegedly” taking steroids?

And lastly…

Vegas

Remember…what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!

Embrace This

Sorry we've been gone awhile, but we had someone on vacation and someone in mourning because his favorite basketball team lost (and, apparently, favourite soccer team). And we're too new for anyone to have an expectation about how much we'll post.

I thought I'd come back to the grind with a bit of a controversial idea. Of course, I'll start with a dopey article:

No buzz for a star in a city that rarely embraces them

Ken Griffey Jr. slow-dances toward 600 home runs to the beat of one hand clapping. Until the weekend just passed, when the bandwagon finally tilted from the weight, libraries held more energy than the stands at Great American Ball Park.

Idiotic meatphors/cliches anyone? And the last line makes no sense, other than Reds fans weren't excited enough for Mr. Daugherty. But does he mean that fans were finally onboard? Or does he mean that this past weekend the fans were on the bandwagon, but up until then they weren't? We're one paragraph in and already nonsensical.

(Great question to ask the 111,542 who went to the games Friday through Sunday: Did you go for the possibility of 600? Or to see Jay Bruce?)

That total represents an average attendance of more than 37,000/game, so I'm guessing he's not complaining about fan support. Though, admittedly, I'm not sure.

And are the only two possible reasons for going to a Reds game Junior's 600th home run and phenom Jay Bruce? Not that the weather was awesome? Not that people just may be Reds fans? Or Braves fans? Or baseball fans?!?!?!?!?

Why so little love for Junior?

Pick your poison:
Griffey symbolizes an era of Reds underachievement.

No, the Reds have sucked for awhile now.

Griffey has never embraced his hometown. Griffey doesn't run out ground balls or sprint around the outfield like Ryan Freel.

Oh, brother. Maybe Griffey doesn't run out routine grounders as hard as he used to, but the "little white guy plays with hustle and grit while the black superstar doesn't play hard or care" narrative is getting very old.

Griffey is an innocent victim of baseball's cynical Steroid Era.

We'll come back to this.

Six hundred is the new 500.

And 50 is the new 40.

Did we miss anything?

Yes. Ken Griffey Jr. is actually a Beta Unit. The real Ken Griffey Jr. is defending the Star League.

Here's what it really is. Here is why, even as Griffey was third nationally among National League outfielders in the most recent All Star balloting, he can't get a superstar's love in his own town: We don't love superstars. Name one that's been loved here.

I'll name 3: Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, and Joe Morgan. That was easy.

Oh, you were going to name some and tell us why they weren't loved. Sorry:

Eric Davis? He was as good as it gets. It took colon cancer and a cameo re-appearance in 1996 to get him on the local good side.

After the 1990 World Series win, any one of the Reds could have gone on a killing spree and Cincy fans would have still loved him. Eric Davis was very popular then, especially after his kidney injury and the Marge Schott won't-fly-him-home-because-she's-too-cheap controversy.

Barry Larkin was a hometown guy who will get considerable Hall of Fame consideration. Our last impressions of him were the money Carl Lindner gave him (too much) and the leadership he showed (not enough).

But, while he was playing, he was extremely popular in Cincy, right? Right? Hello?

Daugherty then goes on to mention Chad Johnson and Johnny Bench, saying that Johnson has not been loved because of his on-field behavior and Bench isn't loved because he's not always fan-accessible. He also mentions Anthony Munoz, who is loved, but not a superstar since he's an offensive tackle. No real issues here.

Nearly 20 years after Pete Rose departed, his stamp remains. We prefer our heroes wear dirty shirts and say nice things about our town.

That's logical--I can't imagine Cincy fans embracing a guy who says, "the best thing about Cincinnati is that radio station they used to have."

...Griffey has been a part of an empty nine seasons, largely because ownership never built a team around him, as promised. He hasn't embraced Cincinnati because the town wanted him to be someone he wasn't any longer: The Kid came here at age 30, married with two children. That said, Griffey hasn't helped himself with you. His reticence has been seen as indifference. You respect him. You don't love him.

Part of that is Cincinnati sucks as a sports town. At least, the fans do.

I realize that's not really fair, given that Cincy only has two major league teams, and they've been pretty weak for awhile. So there's not been a lot to cheer about. But for a city that calls itself "the birthplace of professional baseball" (which is bullshit, by the way), Cincy has a hard time supporting the Reds without the help of Dayton, Columbus, Louisville and Indianapolis--even when the team was doing well (I know attendance was down for everyone in 1995, but the games in Atlanta sold out).

Reds fans have always seemed to be the very definition of fair-weather fans, so I guess it makes sense they've not been big to embrace players as their own unless the team was especially good.

That doesn't explain why San Francisco stayed blindly loving to Barry Bonds, who allegedly cheated, and whose personality makes Griffey's seem giddy.

(Emphasis mine on "allegedly." Interesting to note that the print version of this story did not include that word).

I'm getting extremely tired of people saying Barry Bonds, among other alleged steroid users, cheated. They didn't cheat, because baseball had no rules prohibiting steroids until 2003, when testing began. So if there were no rules against it, was it really cheating? Of course not.

And don't give me this bullshit about the integrity of the game. First off, I'm probably one of the youngest baseball traditionalists around. I'm not a fan of the DH. I hate Interleague play. As nice as the new ball parks are, I think they're too small. I like the idea that the last player to hit .400 in a season was this guy. There are some days where I wish MLB would go back to non-divisional play. But you can't punish someone--or claim that he cheated--if there are no rules prohibiting what he did.

I'm not condoning the use of steroids. And I want the players to be clean, since there are now rules against using, and it's better for the game, and the players, etc. But this should be a dead issue. Columnists, TV talking heads, and sports radio dunderheaded hosts keep bringing it up--the typical fan is sick of hearing about it. We don't care--move on.

Besides, there is no way of knowing who was using during that time--the Mitchell Report has more than 90 names, and you can bet that doesn't cover everyone.

As for the Steroid Era dulling his achievement, that's crazy. Parents should be taking their impressionable kids to the ballpark now, pointing at Griffey and telling them that Junior restored some nobility to baseball greatness.

I gotta ask: how the hell do you know?

I think many reasonable people would agree we don't know exactly all of the baseball players who used steroids. So how do you know Ken Griffey Jr. didn't? Because he used to wear his cap backwards in batting practice? Because he's nice to the media, unlike a certain former left fielder whose name rhymes with "Ponds?"

Look, I know there's been no reasonable suspicion regarding Junior and steroid use. But part of that may be because no one investigated him. Obviously, there have been no stories linking Junior to any steroid or HGH dealers, but to assume that he "did it the right way" when you assume that everyone else didn't is wrong. One could make the argument--which was made in the case against Bonds, by the way--that many of Junior's injuries in the late 90s early 00s were consistent with steriod use--namely, torn tendons and ligaments.

Of course Junior isn't Bonds--Bonds was implicated in BALCO, after all--but how can you possibly know anyone has been clean in the last 10 years? My point is that you can't know, and Griffey gets a free pass in part because the sports media like him.

Ken Griffey Jr. likely will get No. 600 on the road, possibly during the next three days in Philly. Citizens Bank Park is almost as made-for-softball as GABP is. We'll applaud Griffey when he returns. We might even stand up, briefly. In Cincinnati, we're nothing if not polite.

You're also crappy sports fans.