Add this one to Goodell's mountain of Crap

I was listening to the Dennis & Callaghan Show on WEEI this morning, and no suprise they were breaking down the news that Rush Limbaugh was dropped from the ownership group trying to buy the St. Louis Rams. And they brought up a quote from The Commish Roger Goodell that irked them, and after reading it in context on ESPN.com, it sure as hell bothers me.

Goodell said (in his shameless promoting of his NFL) that, "I've said many times before, we're all held to a high standard here."

I've heard a lot of political and bureaucratic BS in sports, but this one just pushes everything off the top of that steaming heap.

WHAT HIGH STANDARD IS GOODELL TALKING ABOUT?!

This is the same league, and the same commissioner, that has let convicted criminals not only re-enter the league, but obviously play in large extents after the fact. Does Goodell really think that letting a blatant racist liks Rush Limbaugh become associated with a pathetic football team will unravel such a "high standard?" Really?

Goodell has his candy bars twisted so badly he could be drinking Silk Soy Milk for fun. He might as well keep with his track record and let a guy like Limbaugh take minority ownership of a team to hide the fact that he has murderers fleecing America in his league right now. I, in large part, consider myself a Liberal, and have never agreed with Limbaugh's social commentary, ESPECIALLY on race issues. The guy is a jerk. But I feel that the decision to leave him off the ownership group is solely based on his past troubles, not what is currently going on right now.

If Goodell REALLY thought this way as a principle, then Michael Vick would still be on house arrest, Pacman would still be a video game, and Ray Lewis would be an employee at McDonalds and none of them would be in the NFL. Furthermore, maybe taking Limbaugh away from the microphone would be a good thing. We wouldn't have to put up with HIS BS that is only second to The Commish himself.

Scary Seawolves in a Sleepy Town (From August 5)

Erie, Pennsylvania is a sleepy town.

There’s not much to see there, and for what it’s worth, the people seem to be happy with that status.

John Frey, the general manager of the Erie Seawolves, caters to the town’s needs and attitudes by making Jerry Uht Park a natural attraction to locals and baseball fans alike. Erie’s front office focuses on balancing in-game promotions with allowing the fans to watch the talent on the field.

“The people of Erie love a good deal,” said Frey. “We established Buck Night to give the fans what they want at a very reasonable price.”

Buck Night at the park consists of $1 hot dogs, drinks, beers, snacks, and formerly, $1 tickets to the game. The turning economy has driven Frey to raise the ticket prices to a whopping $3, but Buck Night still drives fans to the park nonetheless.

When it is not Buck Night, the low prices on food and drink still exist, with happy hour prices lasting up to the first pitch. The deals that the town’s population is proud of reflect the down-to-earth atmosphere that calls itself home in Erie..

The regular in-game events are seen during the night, including the hot dog mascot race, t-shirt tosses, and dancing on dugouts. With the park’s $4 million upgrade a few years ago bringing the fans closer to the field and the game, Frey’s staff wanted a way to keep them involved with the play. Fans can play Bingo throughout the game, using different plays to correspond with the bingo cards that are handed out before the first pitch.

It is the unique approach that has the Erie Seawolves setting themselves apart in the world of AA baseball. Everyone who works at the park is passionate about their profession, and the game that is their job. The ushers will adamantly tell a fan where the best seat in the house is, even if their ticket is for lesser value. The vendors will make a sausage right in front of you rather than pulling it out of a foil pouch. And the players themselves are happy to stick around to sign autographs or chat with a fan for a few minutes, adding to the experience that is rarely found in professional baseball

Where Pros Meet Players (From August 4)

I have now seen the differences between the Independent Leagues and affiliated ball, and I can say that the Independents do it way better. I love MLB and everything, but the business guys acts a lot more invested in their product.

Ryan Gates, the General Manager of the Lake Erie Crushers in the Frontier League, has been advancing his career for a decade, most recently coming from West Virginia. But in the Independent League, he stays in check with the players and coaches, along with balancing out what happens in the stadium. Seeing him milling among the crowd at the game against the Kalamazoo Kings convinced me that he is willing to be involved in all aspects of the business side of baseball.

Nothing against Rob Marron, the GM of the Single-A Lake County Captains, but the job in the affiliated game is a lot less involved. Marron, the GM and Vice President of Player Development focuses on “everything in foul territory.” They do not really pay too much attention on the players themselves, and couldn’t really tell about what happens in the clubhouse. The upside is that he can focus on crafty promotions and events for the team, a skill that has landed him regards across the country for his efforts.

The experience leaves me wanting to see more Independent League baseball in the future. It is like a college game with advertisements and in-game fun that attracts baseball fanatics and baseball families alike.

Inspiration-Grown Talent (From August 3)

Barry Craddock’s Fighting Scots of Wooster College have been to the College World Series five times, along with winning 12 NCAC titles and appearing in 24 National Tournaments.

The assistant coach of the Scots’ has been apart of Wooster College’s baseball world since 1990, when he enrolled as a freshman. After graduating in 1994, Craddock eventually landed his first coaching job at Denison College, where he went 182-130 as a head coach from 2000-2007.

However, the Ohio native wanted to return to his alma mater to continue his career at Wooster, arriving as an assistant coach.

“I grew up around here. All of my family and friends live in the area, and I just felt right about coming back,” said Craddock.

Learning from head coach Tim Pettorini, he found his niche at Wooster, becoming the liaison between player and head coach, and recruiting the talent from near and far. Craddock usually draws players from Ohio and Pennsylvania high schools. But he is not afraid to pluck a flamethrower or a hitter from far away. In the recent past, he has recruited in Virginia, North Carolina, and California.

But Wooster mostly prides their approach on the team chemistry that has existed in most of Craddock’s years at the school. “The reason why we we’re good is because we all like each other. Chemistry is our number 1 strength,” said Craddock.

Craddock admits that the Scots were not the most talented team at the College World Series this year, but the bond that existed between the players and the coaching staff propelled them to their 2nd place finish. It was the co-highlight of his baseball career, going along with his appearance in the CWS as a player for Wooster 15 years ago.

At the end of a player’s career, Craddock only wants them to experience the best they can while at Wooster. Every year, he believes they can make the tournament, and anything short is a disappointment.

And Craddock is not going away anytime soon.

“I have coached elsewhere, both at different schools and in the Lake Erie League, and I have no desires to move upward. Wooster is my home.”

History's Pastime (From August 2)

A meeting at the Society of American Baseball Research and $10 later, and my notes are now worth the autograph of Hank “Pistol” Mason. He pitched in both the Negro Leagues and the Majors, and is one of the coolest people I have ever been in the same room with.

It is an interesting thing to talk about the men (and woman) who played in the Negro Leagues. At the SABR conference, the panel of former League players included Mason, Pedro Sierra, Sam Allen, and Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, the only woman to have ever played professional baseball.

These former players were, and still are, one of a kind. There are not many of them left, as six of the former Leaguers passed away over the last year. They all carry a unique sense of confidence about them, a well deserved confidence that represents how they defied social formalities and played professional baseball in a time before Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King. Earlier that day, I stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and inadvertently began to think of the historical moment that happened on those very steps, and the implications that it had on those Negro Leaguers who we were going to meet just a few minutes later. The League was a result of racism and segregation in America’s Pastime, and these former players, like many other African Americans during the era, used it not as a barrier, but as an opportunity, to create something to benefit them, and not their oppressor.

I posed a question to Pedro Sierra, asking him if he ever saw an instance where a player in the Negro Leagues did not respect the game as much as they should. Earlier in the conference, Sierra noted when he coaches baseball, he tells his players that in order to play the game well, they have to learn how to respect the game first. This point was particularly referenced to some of the current MLB players that, he feels, do not respect the game as much as players in his day did. But, as we all know, there are always exceptions to the rule. I asked the question to see if these players ever witnessed an example of disrespect during their time, because I know there were some.

But, they mostly dodged the question. It was apparent that they want to talk about the good times of the Leagues, and not dwell on the downfalls when so many other things held them back. In the larger picture, it was just not that important.

What was and is important to these players is how they played the game in their league. Hank Mason stated, “We played a different brand of baseball.” It was a game of small ball; steals, bunts, hit & runs, and the like. It is well noted the differences between the Negro Leagues and the Majors, with MLB priding themselves on power numbers. It was that type of game play that allowed Jackie Robinson to break the color barrier. But Mason believed that Robinson was signed out of an economical move, not necessarily because he was the best player in the Leagues. Robinson was college educated, and fit the “profile” that the Dodgers were looking for at the time. So to think that a player like Robinson, who was the epitome of Negro League ball at the time, was not considered to be the best by his peers. The Leagues were full of talent, and many of us, especially in my generation, are just beginning to realize how important these players are to today’s game.

swing and a miss on these blogs

I'll knock myself on the job I've been doing on keeping my fans updated. I know. I suck at it.

We're in Syracuse now. Cleveland was an awesome experience, especially seeing the Victor Martinez-less Indians get owned by the Twins. The atmosphere in the Jake is absolutely dead. The fans there are hurting, to say the least.

Michelle just reminded me of the day before the Indians game, which was an Independent League match up between the Lake Erie Crushers and Kalamazoo Kings. This game, by contrast, was AWESOME. The crowd loves the team, which is made up of all types of players--from former major leaguers, to aspiring major leaguers, to guys who just love to play ball. The GM of the Crushers, who we met with before the game, came down to where we were sitting to hang out with the USM group, a really unique gesture that makes you feel that the fans matter as part of the picture.

We also got to see an A-ball club--the Lake County Captains (Indians affiliate) and got to walk out on the field. It was neat to get that perspective of a stadium.

Tonight we watched the Auburn Doubledays (Blue Jays affiliate) play at Falcon Park, another Class A club. It was the first extra-inning game we've seen, with Auburn winning when Vermont's 3rd baseman bobbled a grounder, sending in the run from 3rd.

So we go to Cooperstown tomorrow. It'll be my first trip to the Hall of Fame, so I'm pretty stoked. We'll be in Albany for the night, then on to Fenway Park Saturday.

Holy CRAP. We have been busy.

I feel bad to all of those who I told to follow my blog while on this trip, because I have been absolutely horrible in keeping up with it. My only excuse is that we have been sleeping about 5 hours a night before hopping back on the bus to another location. My apologies.

We're in Cleveland now, and we're camping out here for 3 days at the Hampton Inn Downtown, right near Browns Stadium. Yesterday, we went to PNC Park in Pittsburgh to watch the NATIONALS (yes i cheered for the Nats) beat the Pirates 5-3. It is an awesome ballpark, very intimate, clean, and spacious. Too bad the Pirates suck so bad.

Going back a day, on Saturday, we drove from Allentown to Washington, DC to attend the SABR conference (Society of American Baseball Research) and listen to a panel of former Negro League Players, including Peanut Johnson, the only woman professional ball player in history. We got to do some touring around the city, and even though I've been there 30+ times, it never gets old. Look for pictures on the 'book soon.

That's the abridged version of what I've been doing. I have to go get ready for my book presentation on Juiced with my group (we're going to act a scene of Canseco getting injected...this should be interesting). Meeting's at 8:00, gotta go.

Iron Pigs Rock, DC will be warm.

Allentown is fun.

And the Iron Pigs are cool.

Especially when Pedro Martinez is pitching on his rehab assignment. It was my first time ever seing Pedro pitch, about 5 years removed from his last year on the Red Sox.

He got the loss, allowing 4 earned runs over 5 innings pitched (he ran into trouble in the 5th).

But it was still cool. Coca Cola Stadium in Allentown is one of the nicest ballparks I have ever been to, major league or minors.

Look for some pictures being posted on facebook soon.

Road Entry #1: Early Baseball Memories

It may not be that big of a deal to others, but the earliest and most prominent baseball memory from my youth happened when I played in little league in Freeport.

It was an inter-town league, playing with and against friends from school, and the league’s community reached to our parents, siblings, and family friends. Often, one of our parents would either coach or umpire games. One day, the ump didn’t show up for the game, so my dad volunteered.

Now, naturally I thought I would get a break at the plate because of this. So I decided I would not swing at anything unless it was right down the middle of the plate, an obvious strike, and I could just get on base the easy way. But my dad, who has always been a professional at anything he does (even when it came to my baseball games), was not fooling around.

In my first at bat, I followed my game plan. No swings.

Bad idea.

Three straight strikes later, I was back on the bench and feeling like an idiot because my dad just wrung me up looking

In my second at bat, I was so pissed off about what happened earlier that I decided I would swing at anything. I was never a good hitter and, 3 straight swinging strikes later, I was back on the bench again. This was getting a little ridiculous.

By that point, I was so discouraged that I was completely out of the game mentally. But my coach gave me one last at bat—against my will—and reluctantly walked back to the plate for my 3rd at bat.

This time, I just looked for a pitch, and swung at it. I made good contact, but it was a pop fly to right field. So my dad gave me no breaks, I was 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and a fly out. That’s my earliest baseball memory.

"american baseball swing"

I'm going to explain something real quick: I set up this blog mainly to serve as a journal for when I'm on my baseball tour, which I'll be leaving for this Friday July 31. Aaaand I never explained that. So on July 31, I'll be doing those entries from the road, and if you're confused by what's being said here, then keep reading.

I'm taking a class with USM that deals with Baseball in our society, and it involves reading a bunch of books all summer, then, going on a week-long bus tour throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, New York, and of course, Massachusetts.

TAKE A LOOK AT THE MAP

We will visit 10 ballparks and 2 museums (including Cooperstown), attend 9 games, meet at least 11 personalities, and take countless amounts of pictures.

The pictures will be for my photostory about the whole thing, which will revolve around Baseball being passed through various generations. There will be a wide rage of ages among the people I will be traveling with, and I'm hoping each person can have a unique story regarding the game.

So look for pictures, journal entries, and updates elsewhere to keep track of where I'm going. Check the map in the link above if you are wondering where I'll be that day.

IF the AL Cy Young was handed out today...

I still wouldn't give it to Mark Buehrle.

That is a tough call though, especially when you look at the 4 other pitchers that are racking in very similar numbers as of right now.

But lets pretend for a minute that the season ended today, AND that Buehrle did not just throw the 18th perfect game in MLB history yesterday. Who would be the top 5 candidates?

Well, in the Mind of Shinny, here are my picks (in no particular order):

-Roy Halliday
-Felix Hernandez
-Zack Greinke
-Josh Beckett
-Mark Buehrle

The Cy Young is for the BEST pitcher in baseball. To be the best pitcher in baseball you have to have the best command, the best pitches, the best stamina, and a lot of luck that doesn't get put into numbers. Most of the time it translates into helping your team win, but not all the time. And that's what the MVP award is for anyway.

Out of all of my top 5, Greinke is the only pitcher not in the 11-win club, and the only one in the group to mass 5 losses. But he does have more innings pitched than Halliday AND Beckett, along with the best ERA among the 5. But ERA and innings pitched doesn't quite convince me he deserves it. Or does he...

Keep in mind, we're JUST talking about the AL. Categorically, here's who is top dog:

Best command: Halliday, by a long shot.

His 17 walks are the fewest among my group of pitchers, and when you look at his AB statistics, he walks the fewest amount of batters after falling behind 2-0. The most amount of walks he has given up is when he gets into a full count. Better yet, when he gets ahead 0-2, he has only walked 2 (and just 19 hits allowed in that situation).

Best Stamina: Greinke

He has 5 complete games, 1 more than Halliday, and his 134.1 innings pitched rank top 5 among starters. He also throws about 105 pitches per start. He's the guy I want on the hill if my team is in the middle of a losing streak or if my bullpen is taxed. No longer the headcase he was from last year, and he's on pace to hit 19 wins.

Best "stuff:" Beckett and Hernandez

I'm looking at the Hits and Strikeouts categories for this one, because you will see everything in each start they put up. They will either take care of business themselves with a little help from his defense on a good day, or use their defense a lot and scatter a few hits on a bad day. Beckett and Hernandez both have identical records at 11-3, but Hernandez leads Beckett in strikeouts with 137. Both guys are hovering around 111-117 hits allowed so far this season, and have pitched a lot of innings.

Most efficient: Buehrle

He usually doesn't go above 100 pitches per start, and works quickly and attacks the strike zone. If you saw the perfect game yesterday, you know what I'm talking about. But his perfect game is just a microcosm of what he's been doing all this season (usually). He has only lost twice in a row once, and was unbeaten until the middle of may because of his efficiency.

So I have to pick a winner, but quickly, I want to snub some guys too.

Tim Wakefield and Edwin Jackson.

Wake would be my pick for Red Sox MVP because of how he goes out and plays "stopper" in mostly every start. Not to mention, he only has 3 no-decisions this season, putting together 9 consecutive starts with a decision between May 2nd and June 16th. But he still walks too many (yes he's a Knuckleballer), and while he does well with runners on base, he gets in trouble by allowing too many 2-out hits, home runs, and RBIs. So am I saying that Wakefield will never win the Cy Young because he's a Knuckleballer? No. But that still doesn't give him an excuse when comparing him among the other great pitchers in the game right now either.

And I just don't like Edwin Jackson. His command sucks (40 walks), and he's a streaky pitcher. But as of now he does have a lot going for him, with a 2.52 ERA, 99 hits, and 129 IP, just below Beckett. He's on pace to reach 180 strikeouts, so his 7-5 record really doesn't do justice to how his season's going. But I just don't like him.

So my "1st Half Shinny's Mind AL Cy Young Winner" is....


HALLIDAY. With Beckett and Greinke in a CLOSE 2nd.

It seems like every time Halliday steps on the hill, it's a domination or a close game with few runs scored. This dude is electric, no way around it. It seems like the popular choice right now, but trust me, when you look at his numbers it's the obvious choice too.

Reiley needs to shut up

I'm going to deviate from baseball thoughts to address the latest "conniption" from Rick Reiley.

Rick Reiley recently published his idea of how the game of golf (aka the golf game to my WMEB peers) should be played. He, like every other professional sports purist out there, calls golf a gentleman's game; that players should police themselves and call their own penalties (read the article), and that Tiger Woods needs to stop his "Tiger Tantrums" and clean up his act.

While that is mostly true of the game, there is no need for Woods to do so. If this was 1997, then yes, Tiger shouldn't be acting like this. But he is at the very top of the PGA hierarchy. Without Tiger Woods, golf would be as popular as professional soccer in the U.S. If we were talking about any other player in the Pro Circuit, then Reiley would be right. But let me say this: Tiger Woods deserves to play the game the way he wants to, just like every other person who is the greatest in their sport deserves to. I am not saying that he can start breaking the rules because he had a bad day on the links, but as long as he stays within boundaries, the rest is just BS.

I am not the biggest fan of golf, but I am an admirer of anyone who works as hard as Woods does to become the top dog in their profession. Our generation has seen some of the greatest individual athletes of all time pass through--Lance Armstrong, Roger Federer, Woods, Bode Miller (laugh it up, but he was the greatest skiier in the world at one point)--and it is all because these guys took it upon themselves to not only work their asses off, but to make a point of becoming the faces of that profession.

So when they become arrogant, moody, greedy, etc--let them do it! Lance Armstrong deserves to be a cocky MF because guess what (we've all heard it): he's done more in life with one testicle than you or I or your next kid or that kid's dog will ever do in our lifetimes. Bode Miller can drink a 30-rack of Schlitz, come out of retirement, and STILL win a Downhill circuit if he wanted to.

Tiger Woods is just acting like the top dog in his sport should be. He has slipped a little bit, and he's pissed off about it. So what if Tiger curses and slams his clubs down after hooking a shot? EVERYONE who has made a bad drive has done the same thing. So what if he confronts photographers who snap their noisy shutters on an important tee-off? In Reiley's column, he criticized Woods' antics, saying, "It's disrespectful to the game, disrespectful to those he plays with and disrespectful to the great players who built the game before him." It's also disrespectful to make your camera go CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK during a tee-off. I don't hear photography critics saying that guy is disrespectful to his profession.

Before he had his knee surgery, fans and media alike were wondering if Tiger was even human! These "Tiger Tantrums" are only showing us that the greatest can have bad days, just like the rest of us. In fact, it makes me think higher of Tiger because you KNOW he is going to practice even harder for the next match.

So let Tiger drop a few f-bombs here and there, or huck his clubs into the grass. He deserves to get pissed off when he slips a few degrees below the perfection he has achieved for the better part of a decade. He isn't cheating, he isn't going out and shooting up night clubs or degrading women, he is simply a competitor.

Golf is a gentleman's game, but it is a GAME before anything else. And right now, it is Tiger's game. Let him play the way he wants to play. Are theses guys babies sometimes? Yes. Do I NOT enjoy watching some of these athletes piss and moan about little things all the time? You bet. But, when someone else achieves Tiger Woods' status, then they can play their game.

Buck O'Neil Wisdom....number 1

Buck O'Neil asked this question numerous times in Joe Posnanski's book, and I have been trying to answer it throughout the whole process. Now I finally have an answer. And there are a few things to go along with it.

The question is: "What was the first baseball game your father ever took you to?"

Before I answer, you should dig through your mind and try to answer the same question. And don't settle for the easy answer, a story that maybe a dozen other people could tell. And don't count the first T-Ball game you played in as a toddler, although that could count in some other cases.

The first professional baseball game that I can remember going to, my father did not actually take me to it. But he did pay for my ticket. Rather, it was part of a summer camp field trip, and a bunch of us kids sat 10 rows up behind home plate at Hadlock Field.

It was the Portland Sea Dogs vs. Bowie Baysox, back when the Dogs were affiliated with the Florida Marlins. I don't remember the exact year either but I must have been between 10 and 11 years old, so call it 1996 or 1997. I do remember something that mostly everyone remembers when they go to their first professional baseball game: someone famous hitting a home run.

Now, don't go looking up archived Sea Dogs stats between 1996-1997 to see if I'm right about this, just enjoy my childhood memories for a minute.

The story goes, I was sitting in the stands next to my lifelong friend, Scott, who brought his glove with him. I did not. It was the 2nd inning, and the 5-6-7 hitters for the Sea Dogs were due up. Kevin Millar, the number 6 hitter, was an up and coming prospect in the Marlins system, and Scott was a huge Millar fan because his dad was a huge Millar fan. Earlier in the season, Scott's dad had Kevin sign his little league mitt for him. Earlier that day, I had some player named Damian sign my Miami Dolphins hat. Scott's autograph, I would realize, was way cooler.

Kevin Millar, batter number 6 for the Sea Dogs, stepped to the plate. And after a lengthy at bat, Kevin launched one over the spot where Hadlock's Green Monster is today. It was a towering shot, a monster home run that seemed to hit the highway. I would like to think that was in 1997, because Millar would set club records in hits, home runs, average, and total bases that year, most of which are still standing today.

He wasn't famous before that shot. He was just another prospect in a mediocre Marlins system (one that would win the World Series that year). But I like to think that that home run would pave the way for him and his "Cowboy Up" rally that would push the Red Sox into World Series Champions in 2004.

So, to answer Buck O'Neil's question: Portland Sea Dogs, 1996 or 1997, and Kevin Millar hit a home run.



Note: Go check out Joe Posnanski's blog at soulofbaseball.blogspot.com.

Baseball...number 1

I'm Matt, and you can find me here. I created this blog first and foremost to just write. I don't do it enough, so I'm giving it a shot.

Also, I'll be going on a trip up and down the east coast to a handfull of ballparks in August, both major and minor league, and I want to keep my friends and family informed on what's going on.

I titled this post "baseball" because I wanted to tell everyone why I'll be keeping this blog this summer. When my girlfriend, Michelle, saw this, she waned to know why I'm titling it "Baseball," even though I'm technically not even on our trip yet.

Well here's why.

Baseball IS America's sport, before football, basketball, soccer, tennis, hockey, batmitton, pingpong, beerpong, quarters, and thumper (all though the last 3 are sinfully fun.) Anyone who watches sports center or their local news sports update will undoubtedly know the current status of the game, which is shamefully in a gutter along with the American economy.

The power-king idols of my childhood--McGwire, Sosa, Palmiero, and even Manny F-ing Ramirez, have all fallen from starhood to roided-up scum with artificial numbers, and while the truth is undeniable, it is still sad. It's wicked sad. We have all heard the commentary, and I'm not going to provide any original thought on this issue. And while I maintain that baseball is and always will be America's sport, it needs to fix its internal issues before taking back it's throne atop public opinion. I say this, and I'm guesssing it's already being done.

But we can never be sure. The only way we can be sure is when we look back 20 years from now and evaluate the decisions made by MLB, the teams, the owners, players and trainers, and most importantly, Mr. A-Hole himself: former MLBPA director Donald Fehr.

With Fehr's retirement, maybe we can finally begin writing the "afterward" chapter of the steroid era and put the story out in the pasture with the dead ball era. Unfortunately, I feel that more big names will fall from the 101 remaining names on that dark list, the same one that exposed Sosa and A-Rod. Until that passes, the Steroid Era will remain in the dimming spotlight of today's game, the same game that former greats of the "Golden Age" watch with the same questions as the fans.

So, why did I title this post "Baseball?" Ask Michelle, because she just watched me type this whole thing.