A-Rod and Steroids: Beating a Dead Horse

The latest word is that A-Rod could be returning in the next 10 days. And of course, as the media likes to do, they seize the opportunity to release more dirt on the controversial star. In a report by the New York Daily news, the idea that A-Rod may have used performance enhancing drugs (PED's) more than he admitted. (I'll pause while we all pretend to be shocked) I'm a die hard Yanks fan, no one would question that, but I've never been a huge A-Rod supporter. He's dug his own ditches as far as I'm concerned and he's responsible for the stupid decisions he's made. But seriously, is anybody else tired of this story? Based on the reports so far, this book by Selena Roberts may only include speculation about what A-Rod may or may not have done. It supposedly includes information that suggests A-Rod took substances in high school and while with the Yankees, and here's a headliner, apparently the girls at hooters don't like him because he's a cheap tipper. And I ask again.. WHO CARES? If I want to read gossip, and half-truth stories I'll pick up US Weekly, or People Magazine, the Inquirer, or the New York Times (couldn't resist). Now, if there is hard evidence of the substance use, than okay I accept that, but it's starting to sound like Selena Roberts found a way to the gravy train and she's going to ride it for all it's worth. One last thing, I'm sick of the media treating people like A-Rod and Clemens like they're isolated cases and everyone else is clean. Was lying about all this abuse stupid? Of course it was, but let's not act like they're cheating scoundrels among pristine players. Plenty of people in the game have come out and said they would bet 90% of the guys in the game have juiced in one way or another. This was not a clean game. I don't mind punishing the offenders, but let's not crucify the big names just because they're big names.

Houseflies

You may be thinking, this is a Yankees blog right? What do houseflies have to do with the Yankees?First let me say yes, this is a Yankees blog, and second houseflies have everything to do with the Yankees. I'm not talking about musca domestica, the "common housefly" (Incidentally, it's a scientific fact that houseflies vomit on everything they land on, but I digress). No, I am referring to the "big fly" and specifically the big flies in the new "house that George built (Babe's first name was George and so is Boss Steinbrenners, so it works on two levels). In the first 4 games at the new park, 20 Homers were hit between the Yanks and the Tribe. Some have tried to pass it off as fluke, but it seems that after further research that the airy design at the new ballpark is creating a jet stream rather than the more common swirling effect, especially to right field (where 14 of the 20 HR's have gone).  Some have asked the question "what's the big deal? doesn't this help the Yankees?" at first these might seem good arguments, but the answer is a resounding "NO". The men in pinstripes are stacked with big time power, able to hit a home run at any park at any time, so it doesn't really help them. On the flip side, they've poured millions of dollars into a new pitching staff who will need all the help it can get. Statistics show that teams in pitchers ballparks have much more success in the regular and postseason than those who play in hitters parks. In short, the Yankees have a problem, balls are flying out with ease and we're still in July, I hate to see what will happen in the mid-summer. It's time for the suits to make some decisions and put up a wind net or something, but until then have fun watching the derby every time the Bombers take the field.