Roids anyone?

It's been awhile since we heard from the anonymous straw man in possession of the list of players that tested positive in the 2003 voluntary test. 104 names are on the list and we've already heard about Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz.
What's interesting is the timing of the name drops. They seem to be occurring right before a significant event on the MLB calendar. A-Rod was exposed right during spring training and Big Papi was "outed" at the All-Star break. As we sit on the cusp of the postseason tournament, it's reasonable to expect that a name or two is going to leak again. Rest assured, it will be a prominent player on one of the playoff teams. Be it Vlad Guerrero, Albert Pujols or Todd Helton, someone is going to be named as having tested positive six years ago. Six years ago when it was not against MLB rules to use performance enhancers. The entire story is mind-numbingly boring. Each new name brings with it the customary mock outrage by the mainstream media. The same people that are paid to cover the teams and make their livings from baseball feign outrage and demand action be taken.
The problem is the person or people behind the leaks will never be revealed. That's because it's Major League Baseball behind the leaking of names. MLB and Bud Selig are so intimidated by the U.S. Congress that they are slowly releasing the names of the high-profile players in an effort to punish them with the notoriety the leak brings. It's ridiculous, petty and plainly obvious.
So instead of focusing on the playoff matchups next week, we're going to get a New York Times special report on the latest player from MLB's "secret" list. Now if anyone listens to the story, that's their fault.
Personally, I'll be getting my snacks ready for game time.

Angels celebration inappropriate?

The Angels clinched the American League West Division Championship on Monday night and proceeded to celebrate as tradition dictates, by pouring champagne and beer over themselves, each other and presumably, into their bellies.  Thats all well and good, however they created a mild firestorm by including Nick Adenhart in the party.  Adenhart, a promising young pitcher with the Angels was killed in April after a game by an alleged drunk driver (who we kidding with this alleged business?  The dude was hammered.)  To their credit, the Angels players persevered and played championship baseball from about May on and all the while, bringing Adenhart's jersey to every game, whether home or away.  It was hung with care in the dugout and players would pay respects prior to games by gently placing a hand on the jersey.  All of this was looked upon with admiration, sadness and respect for the organization and their players.  But on Monday night during the celebration, the inclusion of Adenhart took an awkward turn, as the team heavily doused the jersey with champagne and beer.  Now fans around the country are voicing their opinion that this was an inappropriate and insensitive act, considering the nature of his death.  

Personally, I feel bad for the players.  They certainly loved and missed their fallen teammate.  I'm 100% certain they meant no disrepect to Adenhart or his family or the legions of families who have been directly affected by drunk driving.  However, my reaction is with the masses in that it took my brain about 2 milliseconds to register a feeling of uneasiness when I first watched the Angels pouring booze on his jersey and that feeling remains with the second, third and fourth viewing of said celebration.  The man died as a result of excessive alcohol and the players poured buckets of the stuff all over his "tribute" jersey.  Any reasonable person can see the sad irony in this picture.  Again, I would not accuse any of the players of intent and I believe them when they say they were treating him like a teammate.  But let me leave you with this:  The Angels are a well run organization, with involved ownership, a squadron of front office people and multiple experienced coaches.  The Angels have been in 1st place for a long time and had a sizeable lead over the Rangers and were certain to win the Division to advance to the playoffs.  Are you telling me no one saw this coming?  A gentle suggestion to some of the more sage veterans of the team like Tori Hunter to respect the nature of Nick's death would have gone a long way to making this a non issue.  

Then we could instead discuss the appropriateness of the team going through 210 bottles of champagne and 22 cases of beer during Monday's celebration.

Will blue snow fall again?

In 1964, Philadelphia Phillies fans witnessed one of baseball's greatest collapses when their beloved Phils blew a six and a half game lead with 12 games to play. The meltdown was even more dramatic than the 2007 Mets, who squandered a seven game lead with 17 games remaining.
That fall in '64, the Phillies and their fans rode a wave of confidence and momentum right up to the door of the postseason. Philadelphians were so sure the Fightins would play in October that Philadelphia's mayor famous proclaimed that "blue snow" would fall in Philadelphia before the Phillies lost the pennant.
The rest was history, and an unpleasant one for the Phillies faithful.
Monday night, the Atlanta Braves won their seventh straight to move within two games of the wildcard-leading Colorado Rockies. That's been the story everyone is focused on but the Bravos also cut the Phillies NL East lead to four. With just six games left, Atlanta overtaking Philadelphia would be a tremendous longshot. But mathematically, it could happen and both teams are moving in the directions it would require to make it possible.
The Phillies pitching is faltering at the wrong time. Their bullpen has been shaky all year and now their starting pitching has become somewhat suspect. Midseason acquisition Cliff Lee has struggled in his most recent starts and ace Cole Hamels has felt the effects of 2008's increased workload this season.
Meanwhile the Braves have won 14 of 16 and are enjoying some of baseball's best starting pitching. Even with their mediocre offense, the Braves pitching is so exceptional that it has carried the team. It remains a tremendous longshot for the Braves to overtake Philadelphia, but it's still possible. Anything can happen and baseball and the NL East race bears watching.