I absolutely agree.  There isn't a single industry or profession that doesn't have it's share of greed, corruption, and cheaters who will cross the line for their personal benefit.

Now imagine an environment where from a very early age, you're pushed to work harder, train smarter, and provide better results and with each success, you're team heaps you with praise, and your family is rewarded for their sacrifices and support.  Where injury is no excuse, and mediocrity is quickly forgotten and marginalized.  Where competitiveness is worshipped and expected, and the difference between hero and has-been is a thin line.

If I'm one of these athletes, and I have a chance to gain an edge, I'd be nuts not to consider it.  And if I'm one of these athletes, and I suspect that some of my competitors ARE taking advantage of roids (and getting away with it), and they're outperforming me on a regular basis, I'd truly be going against all my years of training and learned behaviour to not at least experiment with it, especially in a contract year.

Especially for injuries, when you're being highly-paid and not contributing, and your team/city/fan-base/family all are wondering when you're coming back, and IF you'll be able to perform when you do, and you think roids might get you back in action even just 10% or 5 days less bench-sitting, you'd almost feel selfish NOT to take them.

Would someone like to actually compare the level and volume of the condemnation heaped on Ramirez with that heaped on Tony LaRussa? Did any of those people call for LaRussa to be banned from baseball?

Ramirez is more blameworthy because his sins mess with the integrity of the game? Gimme a break.

What La Russa did resonates a little too well with John Q Public, many of whom have probably driven legally impaired, or worse, once or twice. To condemn La Russa would be to condemn ourselves. On the other hand, few of us have stood in our bathrooms, gaping into a mirror, taking a syringe to our buttocks. That, then, becomes behaviour that we can safely elect to find despicable, particularly when we throw in a touch of jealousy over the millions professional athletes earn.

Baseball's integrity has long been an amazing marketing tool, though obviously a red herring as any historian of the game would quickly point out. That this particular fish continues to live is perhaps a Norman Rockwellian response to the irony of our times. In a world where nothing matters, and stylishly so, at least give me baseball, the last bastion of honourable behaviour. The whole Marquess of Queensbury thing.

There is certainly nothing wrong in preferring honourable behaviour to its alternative, but the rancor aimed at the likes of Bonds, Rodriguez and Ramirez just seems so out of proportion to the offenses at hand, and the vilification shown these men is probably better reserved for the wife beaters and deadbeat dads who grace our sports pages.

Oh, and I am a criminal as well. That 100 km limit on the 401? I'm going to flaunt it later today. I may even go as fast as 120. Can't have the man telling me what to do.

To be 'clear', I was not stating that these athletes that take steroids are without fault, and doing no wrong.  And I really applaud those athletes that have been able to resist this temptation, even at the expense of their careers and success.  My point was supporting the discussion about the extreme sentiments against these users, where it almost seems like a witchhunt... media scrutiny is rarely fair, and it definitely is not about fairness when it comes to steroids usage.

I think if you can't walk a mile in a man's shoes before judging them, you should at least try to imagine being in them.  The vast majority of us speed regularly, jaywalk, perhaps not declare every item we've purchased when returning to Canada, possibly smoke an illegal yet easy to find substance, etc...  acting indignant that someone else might break a law isn't very helpful or productive without asking the question "why did they do it?", and if it's happening in large numbers, perhaps it's time to recognize that the system, laws, or culture that has encouraged this behaviour needs to be changed.

Now on to a baseball question!  If I'm a manager of an opposing team looking to beat the Jays, at the moment I'm thinking the best chance I have is to start a lefty pitcher, and quickly replace him with an all-right-handed relief line... without Overbay and Snider, the Jays don't seem to match-up well against decent right-handed pitching, and this seems to have hurt them a couple times already this year.  Either they have to start late game platooning, or they can just teach a few of the righties to switch-hit!  I'm thinking Rios, Wells, and Hill switch-hit and this team is sipping champagne this year!  And trading for that Yank's minor-league switch-pitcher wouldn't hurt either!

Don't understand the need for Downs here. We will need him lots this season. 5 run lead in the 9th? Just plain silly. This is why Wolfe and Murphy are around. Or even Camp or League.

MG, I hope you're...feeling alright.

Anyways, I've got to leave before I start to scream.

From Jeff Blair's latest report:  "Casey Janssen and Ricky Romero are pitching in Double-A New Hampshire on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, and are on the verge of returning."

So what does Cito do with them?  I'd suggest that Janssen replaces Ray.  That's the easy decision.  Then what?  If Cecil pitches well against Oakland today, do you keep him in the rotation?  Tallet has been doing great for six or seven innings -- should he stay in the rotation?