August MLB thread

[JMK]

And we got one!

Raffy Palmeiro busted for roids.

Let me guess Raffy, the little blue pill did it, right?

You can kiss your HOF chances goodbye.

Imagine, this was the guy who categorically and emphatically denied EVER using steroids. Ha! As if! Sucker!

[jjwr]

He's still saying he never intentionally took them. Considering Sheffield copped out on the same excuse I wonder if Raffy will get a break on it as well.

[CMJ]

There's one of the big names we were looking for.

[Darth McBain]

I'm glad they got someone - hopefully that will start to wake some people up to all of the rampant use out there. I thought this quote was funny:



In a prepared statement, Palmeiro said he could not explain how the steroids got into his body. "I have never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period."


Yeah officer - the drugs just jumped into my body - I didn't purposefully do it...

I have a little more respect for Palmeiro than I do for Bonds, but I still think this should knock him out of HOF consideration and he should be banned for good. Maybe a bit harsh, but on the other hand, a 10-day suspension is nothing but a slap on the wrist. If they want to see results in this steroid issue, they need to get tough and just throw the violators out...

[JMK]

Remember when he testified in congress. Remember back to when he pointed to the politicians, and told them that he never ever took steroids. Period. Now he's changed his story to say that he never intentionally took steroids. What a joke. Nice try. These guys have millions of dollars and have nutritionists, trainers, cooks looking after them every day of the year. To say that one of those people were slipping them roids without their knowledge is simply laughable.

I hope he never gets in to the Hall, but in the end, he may be a 2nd or 3rd ballot guy. It's a shame, someone needs to be a poster boy for steroid abuse.

[Ryan Pode]

:cry

He was framed!!!!

[JMK]

Nice try homer. ;)

[Jedieb]

Say it isn't so Raf! After his emotional testimony in front of Congress he looks especially bad now. The sad part is, this now lends even more weight to Canseco's book. There's no doubting that his book was a money grab filled with innacuracies, but this test just proves that underneath some of the exagerations there's some truth. On a positive note, this proves that the current policy and testing system are working. People were waiting for a big name and you can't get much bigger than the latest player to join the 3,000 hit club who just recently testified in front of Congress proclaiming his innocense.

HOF
Raf was an iffy first ballot HOFamer even before this. There's no way he gets in on the first ballot now. He and McGuire won't see the HOF until their 2nd-5th year of eligibility. I also think that the fact that he tested positive now, in the middle of intense controversy and a new testing policy, indicates he's been "accidently" using steroids for years. Here's a breakdown of Palmeiro's career:

Year HR RBI
86 3 12
87 14 30
88 8 53 * First full season, 580 AB's
89 8 64
90 14 89
91 26 88
92 22 85
93 37 105
94 23 76 *strike shortened season
95 39 104
96 39 142
97 38 110
98 43 121
99 47 148
00 39 120
01 47 123
02 43 105
03 38 112
04 23 88

Anyone care to guess when the "accidents" started to happen? Palmeiro spent 7 seasons in the MLB without ever hitting more than 26 HR's or 100 RBI's. He then goes on to hit 30 or more HR's and more than 100 RBI's in 10 of the next 11 seasons. The 9 in a row after the strike shortened season of 94 set a MLB record. That's his whole resume for the HOF, the numbers he piled up in those years. At least Mac came into the league as a tall beanpole that could hit dingers, even as a rookie. But Palmeiro came out of nowhere to become a consistent power hitter after years in the league. If I were a writer, he'd never get my vote. By all accounts, he's a nice guy and a great teammate. But his HOF case has always been one of numbers. Numbers that to me look like they were fueled by several years of "accidents."

[JMK]

Couldn't have said it better myself. Canseco's book looks a lot more credible now than it did 6 months ago. Canseco's recounting of when him and Palmeiro became teammates coincides exactly with when Raffy's power numbers not only improved, they SKYROCKETED.

The way these jokers walk around expecting us to not only to consider, but to believe their 'I didn't do it even though I was just caught red-handed' stories is insulting to all of us. If they're that stupid that in this day they still get caught, you deserve whatever punishment you get, and probably more. I wonder if he's going to be up on perjery charges at any point? How on earth can you let this happen? It's clear that these guys know what's going on, but so long as those closest to them don't specifically tell them what they're adding to their protein shakes or supplements, then they can always claim to not know what they've been ingesting.

Earlier in the year all kinds of hispanic players were getting caught and using the 'we can't read english' excuse, the 'we didn't know any better' line. Some people bought it. I'm not one of them, but I'm a cynic when it comes to this topic. What's Raffy's excuse? He DOES know better, and the last time I checked, he speaks and reads english quite well, so I can't buy any excuse he lays out there. There's simply no reason why pro athletes can't keep tabs on what's being put into their bodies. None whatsoever.

[CMJ]

I still think the sportswriters should vote him into the Hall - in his last year of eligbility. I may be biased though...I always liked him a lot and felt he was way underrated. This is a sad day.

[JMK]

I say he's got to be left out all together. Decades from now when he's gone, baseball fans will think of him as one of the greats with Aaron, Mays and Murray as the only guys with 500 HRs and 3000 hits. IMO, Palmeiro now has lost the privelege of EVER being mentioned in the same breath as those guys.

[Jedieb]

Man, makes you miss the days when players abused drugs that actually shortened their careers.



Earlier in the year all kinds of hispanic players were getting caught and using the 'we can't read english' excuse, the 'we didn't know any better' line. Some people bought it.
Que? ;) It's not just the language barrier. Many of these drugs are legal in their home countries so they don't think twice. But you're right, it's still a lame excuse. You want to play in the big leagues, you better learn enough English to read what's on the bottle.

[Jedieb]

And while we're on the subject of roiding power sluggers....

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds doesn't expect to play again this season becaise of his injured right knee, putting the San Francisco Giants slugger's quest for the career home run record on hold until at least 2006.

"I don't think you're going to see me out there this year," Bonds told MLB.com. "That's the reality of the situation. I'm improving. I'm happy with the progress. I'm working out hard on the exercise bike and the elliptical machine, but I'm just not there yet. The last thing I want is to get back on the field and be out again a week later."

Damn, it's taking him a whole season to get clean! He'll be that much older, and that much farther away from the juice when he comes back next year. If the new steriod policy does anything, I hope it helps protect Aaron's record from the likes of Bonds. He'll stay in the game long enough to pass Ruth out of pure spite, but I'm hoping without juice he'll decline enough that he won't hang around and amass those last homers to pass a class act like Aaron.

[Jedi Master Carr]

It is defintely a big shock, and makes me think he has been taking steroids for years. I think at least he will not be a first ballot HOF, I wish taking steroids though would keep you out.

[JMK]

You're right Eb, it isn't just language barrier, but even though the roids may be legal in their countries, doesn't mean they shouldn't be smart and have their people look into the consequences of taking a supplement. They just can't afford to be that careless anymore. There's no excuse for it.

As for Barry, I think his knee is that messed up and I also think the stars align for this guy. What better excuse to hide behind besides 'my chronic knee won't heal'? It gives him a reasonable alibi while he cycles off the juice, or finds a new supplement to get on.

And now Raffy is saying that it didn't make sense for him to start taking roids now, at the end of his career. Well you're right, it doesn't make sense. It makes even less sense for someone to slip you some steroids while you weren't looking at this point in your career. Anyone who believes this guy really needs a reality check. People who believe this guy are people who have had suspicions about their husband/wife/significant other for years and years, and then finally catch them, but believe it when they're told that it's the first time they've actually cheated on them. Utterly hilarious stuff. At least we have something to talk about now, other than exciting pennant & wild card chases. Thanks for nothing Raffy.

[Jedieb]

Things are actually getting worse for Palmeiro. Yesterday his story was featured on morning shows like Today and GMA. Today the NYTimes is reporting that Palmeiro was busted for taking Stanozolol. That was the same steroid Ben Johnson was busted for. It's also not the kind of steroid that can be "accidently" taken with an over the counter supplement. To make matters worse, Palmeiro was busted back in May, well before he closed in on 3,000 hits. Selig and MLB knew for months that this was coming but still tried to take advantage of the great story that was Palmeiro's historic achievement. This just gets worse.

[JMK]

You can tell just how much MLB wants this to go away. They won't even expose their stars until they have to. How crooked can MLB get? And yet we can't, and most likely won't ever stop loving them. I'm very excited to see how Raffy dances around this one. Will he use the same excuse that Ben Johnson used, the 'my trainer must have spiked my water bottle' line? This guy needs to be crucified, big time. Lie after lie from this jackass. What did he do? Accidentally sit on a syringe filled with a powerful anabolic steroid? Every day for the duration of the juicing cycle? I hope this guy NEVER EVER gets into the hall of fame now. Not on any ballot. I don't care if there are cheaters in the hall of fame now, their inductions should have NOTHING to do with players of today.

And now Mariner Ryan Franklin has been caught. His excuse? 'I didn't do it, there's a flaw in the system.' This is ridiculous now, if it wasn't ridiculous already.

That's another angle to the whole steroids debate that we haven't really talked about. The fact that pitchers are probably just as guilty as position players of juicing.

We as fans are so quick to bring down guys like Bonds and Sosa (rightfully so), but have we ever stopped to consider that maybe guys like Clemens (just to throw a name out there) have been cheating all this time as well? In fact, if you look at the careers of Clemens and Bonds, they both started playing their best into their mid-late 30's, yet we are all over Bonds, but no one has even suggested that guys like Clemens have been cheating. Ugh, what an ugly, ugly mess MLB has worked itself into.

[CMJ]

http://www.laweekly.com/ink/05/36/features-kotler.php

Whether you believe this or not, it gives you something to think about.

[JMK]

Wow that's a long article. I started, but then realized that I don't have the time right now to go through the whole thing.

Summary?

[jjwr]

I for one hope Bonds doesn't reach the Babe's 714. At his age, with a bad knee, no roids he should have trouble adjusting and with luck he just won't make it. Theres also hope that the other players will not pitch to him out of spite, either just walk him or give him horrible pitches the he can't easily jump on.

[Darth McBain]

Unfortunately I think Bonds will make it there, but I definitely hope he won't make it. Even if he does make it, it won't mean squat to me - Aaron and Ruth are still the home run kings in my book. Bonds is an anomoly with a huge asterisk next to any record he has.

[JMK]

I think Aaron and Ruth will always be the home run champs that people mention. Bonds will always have the stigma of being in a tainted era.

Bonds will be back next year and he will pass Ruth. That much is certain, and I'm sure MLB will do whatever it can to shelter him from any more steroid allegations. We know they tried to keep a lid on Raffy's positive test just long enough until he reached the 500/3000 milestone. What would they do to have clean press for this?

[CMJ]

Originally posted by JMK
Wow that's a long article. I started, but then realized that I don't have the time right now to go through the whole thing.

Summary?

Steroids may be the key to longer, healthier lives.

[JMK]

I intend to read the article, but he is aware of the potentially fatal dangers of steroid use, right? Is he saying that with a little more refinement, steroids can be made to be safe?

[CMJ]

Basically yes. In fact he has medical studies to back him up. Also in my own life, my last girlfriend needed steroids to treat her asthma a few years ago.

[JMK]

Yes, I've used a steroid as well for a medical reason, but I can almost guarantee you that your girlfriend didn't use an anabolic steroid for her asthma. The anabolic stuff that athletes use is specifically designed to grow muscles. The article is right in that context, steroids can be used to improve health. But not anabolic steroids.

[CMJ]

From article...


“As used by most people, including athletes, the adverse effects of anabolic steroids appear to be minimal,” says Di Pasquale. “Steroids do not cause cancer. They don’t cause kidney failure. There have been thousands of steroid studies and about a hundred of those point out bad side effects. But if you look at those studies carefully, there’s no one-to-one correlation, and a one-to-one correlation is the hallmark of good science. Do anabolics produce ’roid rage? They produce an incredible amount of energy, but you need to think about the kind of people taking steroids. If really competitive and aggressive people start taking drugs that give them more energy, then common sense says that sooner or later you’re going to have some problems, but are steroids the problem or the fact that this person didn’t know how to control their anger long before the steroids came along?”

Di Pasquale says the same thing is true about all the scary steroid stories hanging around cautionary-tale cases like Lyle Alzado and Steve Courson. Alzado was the All-Pro-defensive-lineman-turned-actor who died of inoperable brain cancer in 1992 at the age of 43. Alzado blamed longtime steroid use for his condition. Steve Courson, who once lined up opposite Alzado, wrote the tell-all book False Glory: Steelers and Steroids about the juiced-up ways of the ’70s Steelers. Courson was recently on the heart-transplant list before correcting his gravely enlarged heart with diet and exercise. Both were known for living large as well as being large.

As Di Pasquale and many others have pointed out, people with a proclivity for risk take steroids; people with a proclivity for risk also play professional sports, drink too much, take recreational drugs and have unprotected sex. For almost every famous steroid-related tragedy, there are a host of underreported extenuating circumstances, but sports are big business, and pill-popping booze hounds with a penchant for unprotected sex don’t sell tickets like they used to.

[jjwr]

To veer off course for a second...

4.5 Games!!!

[Jedieb]

Yep, the Sox and A's are on tears right now. The Yanks are lucky to be playing .500 ball with the shape their rotation is in. The A's beat the Twins again and the Sox were winning big the last time I checked on them. The Yanks play tonight and I believe the newly aquired Chacon takes the mound. Ugh, the rotation is being held together by duct tape.

[JMK]

Well it looks more and more like the Yankees are going to have to win the division in order to get in the post season. The Angels and A's look like they will both be there come October. The White Sox are a lock. After that, the Indians and Yankees will be battling the wild card leader should the A's or Angels falter.

And I would like to take this opportunity to snicker at how absolutely pitiful the NL West is. The division leader is not even playing .500. That's pathetic.

[Jedieb]

The NL West is a perfect example of why the WC is good for baseball. The idea that the Cubs, Astros, or other NL contender well above .500 misses out on the playoffs while the pathetic D-Backs or Dodgers makes it is a crime. Now, if records would be allowed to determine HF in the playoffs I'd really be happy.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah the NL west is pathetic, the winner of that thing will lose in 3.

[Jedieb]

Huge win last night. Clutch homers by Rodriguez and Giambi. Please, please, please let Giambi's resurgence be the product of hard work and Mattingly's coaching. I don't think I could stand a Raffy type of humiliation. Giambi is on the hottest tear of his career. Something no one thought he had left in him.

[JMK]

I didn't think he had it in him, not after the start he had. He looked finished. I really hope this is the result of his natural born talent and hard work, as well as finding his confidence. But given his track record, and that of other MLBers I remain very skeptical. On the other hand, he couldn't be that stupid, could he? He was in very poor health last year, possibly because of his steroid abuse.

[JMK]

Good article today from Skip Bayless about Raffy's lying.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/050805&num=1

[Jedi Master Carr]

Speaking of the Palmerio situation what about the O's man have they fallen apart. They looked liked division winners at one time, now they are below .500 and in a mess. Here is a good article about that situation
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=2125185

[JMK]

Yeah but you and I called it (and probably some others too). We didn't believe their pitching would hold up and it hasn't.

My only problem with the article is the fact that he references 3 dates as to when their collapse started. May 22 when Bedard went down, June 22 when nothing in particular (or that he mentioned anyway) and July 1st when the top 3 hitters went cold.

The end is pretty telling:

Now he's (Mazilli) gone, so is Palmeiro's reputation and the Orioles' pennant hopes for '05. All gone in six weeks.

Ouch.

[CMJ]

You also called the Yanks to be in first for good by the All-Star Break. ;)

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yep we called it, I had no faith in that pitching, however I didn't think they fall this bad, I figure they hang around .500 and finish third. I didn't see their hitting going this cold. As for the June 22, I think that is when they got swept by the White Sox, I think.

[JMK]

Originally posted by CMJ
You also called the Yanks to be in first for good by the All-Star Break. ;)

Chalk that up to the small market team guy thinking the inevitable was going to happen. :p

[Jedieb]

Originally posted by JMK
I didn't think he had it in him, not after the start he had. He looked finished. I really hope this is the result of his natural born talent and hard work, as well as finding his confidence. But given his track record, and that of other MLBers I remain very skeptical. On the other hand, he couldn't be that stupid, could he? He was in very poor health last year, possibly because of his steroid abuse.
Well, who would have thought that Raffy could be so stupid. One thing that Giambi has going for him is that because of his health problems last year he's constantly undergoing blood test to monitor his pituitary gland. I think it's a good bet that the tumor he suffered was very likely the result of steroids. If they weren't entirely responsible, I don't think they helped the situation.

I read CMJ's article. It was very interesting, but let's not forget that there's probably plently of research supporting the popular notion that steroids are harmful. Especially if those steroids are taken for prolonged periods and in large amounts. Teenagers certainly shouldn't be abusing them. Aside from Palmeiro and company, there were parents who testified in front of Congress earlier this year. Some of those I believe had children who either got very sick from using steroids or died from abusing them. I don't think the negative reputation that anabolic steroids have is totatlly unwarranted.

[CMJ]

Seventy percent thru the season. Gave Angels division even though it's tied up.

AL EAST
Boston Red Sox

AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox

AL WEST
Los Angeles/Anaheim Angels

AL WILDCARD
Oakland Athletics


NL EAST
Atlanta Braves

NL CENTRAL
St. Louis Cardinals

NL WEST
San Diego Padres

NL WILDCARD
Houston Astros

[Jedi Master Carr]

Boston sure beat up on Texas especially in the 8th man that was a laugh.

[JMK]

Poor Rogers gets roughed up like a cameraman. I guess he would have rathered stayed home.

[Jedieb]

Originally posted by JMK
Poor Rogers gets roughed up like a cameraman. I guess he would have rathered stayed home.

:lol
Watched a lot of baseball this week with the old man. The Yanks lost 2 out of 3 to the White Sox because Chicago made all the key plays the Yanks use to make. Rowland made one great defensive play after another and basically won that series for the Sox. Put him in CF for the Yanks and Rivera doesn't give up the triple that helped win the last game of the series. Poor Bernie, I think I could cover more ground in CF right now.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The Red Sox have been beating up on that vaulted White Sox staff. They have the best offense in baseball and they are the hotest team right now the same as it was this time last year. It looks like right now the only way the Yankees are getting into the playoffs is through the wild card.

[Jedieb]

The D-Rays are the bane of my existance! We must be something like 4-9 against them. Back to back games blown by the bullpen. Today Leiter was pitching great and Torre yanked him as soon as he got into some trouble. Small and Sturtze then gave up 5 runs. Ugh, I wanna puke. If not for these 2 losses we could be right behind the Red Sox.

[CMJ]

I'll be in Anaheim tommorrow night to watch Wake pitch against the Angels. Look for me on Sportscenter. :D

[Jedieb]

Wow, wish I could be there rooting for the Angles! ;) Where are the seats?

[CMJ]

Right field porch...so if Papi goes yard I might get me a homerun ball. ;)

(No worries Eb, the friend I'm going with is pulling for the Angels)

[Ryan Pode]

500!!

[Jedi Master Carr]

That is very cool, last year I got to see Boston play at Atlanta had great seats too in Left field, I was upset to see them not play them this year but oh well.

[CMJ]

Well....we lost 13-4. Had a great time though. There were a TON of Sox fans there. I'd venture 1 out of every 5 people was pulling for Boston.

[Jedieb]

Clemens went the distance last night and lost 2-0. That's the 5th time this season the Astros have been shut out with during a Clemens start. In those 5 games Clemens has given up 5 runs while he's been on the mound. In last night's game the Astros had the bases loaded twice and failed to score both times. Unreal, that's why Clemens won't win yet another Cy Young award this year, because the Astros hit like a bunch of girls.

[jjwr]

Whats even worse is the game Garcia from the White Sox pitched.

9 Innings - 1 Hit - 1 Run(homer)

Lost the game 1-0

Ouch!

[JMK]

That has to suck - in both cases.

I can't believe the luck Clemens has had this year - as in no luck. He'd be 14-2 this year (or better) if he got any support at all and would be all but a lock for yet another Cy Young. Unreal.

[Jedieb]

Actually, I got the stat about shut outs wrong. The Astros have actually been shut out in SEVEN Clemens starts. At one point, he got no decisions or losses in 3 consecutive starts in which he gave up 1 run. Put him on the Red Sox or the Yankees and he's got 18-20 wins right now.

[JMK]

I think the Astros lost 1-0 in 3 of his starts in April alone. How pathetic is that? Imagine if he were a Cardinal this year? He'd practically be undefeated.

[jjwr]

Randy Johnson had a similar thing going the past few years, he would lose games 2-1 or something silly like that. It does make you feel for them.

Damn those Sox, would it kill them to win a game when the Yankee's lose one?

[JMK]

I thought the same thing this morning when watching the highlights from last night. Yanks get their rear ends whipped and the Sox can't outlast the mighty Royals in extra innings. If somehow the Sox lose the division (and it is possible - nothing has gone the Yankees way this year, and yet there they are 3.5 back and 30 games to go), they can look back to games like last night, where they could have put another full game between them.

[JMK]

Sidney Ponson busted again for DUI. What is it with criminal athletes in Baltimore? Ray Lewis, Jamal Lewis, Sidney Ponson...am I missing someone?

[Jedieb]

Schilling is getting rocked by the mighty Royals. Wow, they come off a 19 game losing streak and may end up taking 2 out of 3 from the Sox. Boston can easily get back into the game in the late innings, but the lead will be down to 2.5 if they don't come back. Not only that, but Boston is coming back to Cleveland and Oakland. Both those teams are tied with the Yanks for the AL WC lead.

[JMK]

The Sox love to make things difficult for themselves. 2.5 up on the Yankees and they have 2 series left against each other I believe. And the last 3 games are the last series of the year, it could come down to that for the division, if not the WC.

[CMJ]

Don't remind me. It also looks increasingly likely that even if we hold off the Yankees, NY will get the WC. :\

[Jedieb]

Despite having a ton of home games down the stretch, the Sox have to play many of those games against the AL East. Neither the Sox or the Yanks have done that well in their own division, go figure. The last 3 games of the season will be Yanks V. Sox, at Fenway. The best scenario would be to have the loser of that series calling for early Oct. tee times. If they're both in then those last 3 games really won't matter all that much.

[Jedieb]

What's that, down 7-3 to the Royals, bottom of the 9th? No problem! Yanks win, 8-7. :cool

[JMK]

And the Sox blow one to the Tigers, 12-8 after being up 6-0. Wow. 1.5 games up on the Yanks.

[CMJ]

Now approximately 80% of the way thru the season, playoff positions.

AL East
Boston Red Sox

AL Central
Chicago White Sox

AL West
Oakland Athletics

AL Wild Card
NY Yankees


NL East
Atlanta Braves

NL Central
St. Louis Cardinals

NL West
San Diego

NL Wildcard
Philadelphia Phillies

[JMK]

We forgot to mention this again, but Clemens got screwed out of another win. 6 innings of 2-hit, shutout pitching, and get gets nothing for it. He lowered his ERA to 1.51 at 42 years old. This is a total joke. He's going to lose the Cy Young because his teammates can't score runs for the guy. Wouldn't it be nice if when Chris Carpenter wins it (or maybe someone else) they refuse the award and give it to Clemens?

Oh, and while we're at it, can we take a moment to laugh at Kerry Wood? This guy is more frail than my grandmother. More season-ending surgery? What is this guy made of? Spaghetti?

[Jedieb]

He's made of balsa. Get it? Because his last name is Wood and balsa is........... ughh, that's lame. He was doomed the second he put on a Cubs uniform. Prior will be next. Another line drive will come back at him and this time he'll end up in a coma. Or perhaps Bartman will accidently run him over driving home from work one day. They're doomed, the Cubs are all doomed!!!!!!! :crack

[JMK]

You're a sadistic man Eb.


And I love it!


Take a look at that NL East, it's ridiculous how close it is. ^_^;

[JMK]

At least getting busted for steroids doesn't weigh on a player at all.

Oh yeah, I forgot, it does.



TORONTO (CP) - With the boo birds in full voice, maligned Baltimore Orioles' slugger Rafael Palmeiro tried using earplugs to break out of his slump on Tuesday.

It didn't work, as Palmeiro went 0-4 in a 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Palmeiro is hitless in his last 18 at bats and is just 2-26 with one RBI in seven games since returning from a 10-game suspension for alleged steroid use.He was batting .280 with 18 homers and 59 RBIs at the time of his suspension. This was only the second road game Palmeiro has played in since serving his suspension.

"It's a situation that you wouldn't put your worst enemy in," said teammate Brian Roberts. "You want to be accepted by people and for 99 per cent of his career he has been.

"For that to completely change now is something I don't think any of us can comprehend. From his expressions, you can tell it's definitely beating him up."

The Cuban-born Palmeiro, who recorded his 3,000th hit earlier this year, declined to talk to reporters after the game after he was told by a team employee that the media would likely ask questions about his earplugs.

Still hampered by a sprained right ankle that sidelined him for a further five games following his suspension, Palmeiro started as DH one day after after interim manager Sam Perlozzo suggested the 41-year-old had lost his job as the Orioles' regular first baseman.

Perlozzo had little to say about Palmeiro's use of earplugs.

"I don't worry about that," he said. "I can't make up the lineup worrying about who's going to boo and who's going to cheer.

"That doesn't come into the equation. I'm rooting for him to get a hit. He's in our line-up and we want him to get a hit."

Palmeiro struck out swinging in his first at-bat and popped out weakly to the mound in his second. He lined sharply to first base to open the sixth and struck out looking in the eighth, stranding runners at first and second.

The Toronto crowd of 25, 311 booed him during pre-game introductions and whenever he stepped into the on-deck circle, adding chants of "Steroids" and waving signs.

Palmeiro, one of only four players ever to collect 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, is the most prominent major-league player punished for taking banned drugs.

Last March, Palmeiro testified before the a U.S. congressional committee about steroid use in baseball. He jabbed his finger in the air for emphasis and declared: "I have never used steroids. Period."

Imagine if this guy retires in shame after so many years of juiced up fun? His whole career will have been a joke.

[Lance Casey]

That's his own fault. Instead of lieing to people, he should have just come out with the truth. Look at Giambi, sure he was heavily booed everywhere at the beginning of the season, but over time the fan as well as the sportcasters have eased off of him.

[Jedieb]

He's done. There's no way the Orioles will have him back next year. There's no good reason for any team to take a chance on him. The sight of him wearing earplugs to fight off the boo birds is just sad. I bet he wishes the season were over today so he could just slink away.

The A's beat the Angles last night so the Yanks retain the WC lead despite losing to the Mariners. Like JMK said, the NL East and WC are tight and September looks like it's going to be a blast.

[JMK]

The easiest thing for Raffy to do now is just to come out and admit what he did, and for how long he did it. People are sick of the lies. Maybe some people don't even care that he took/takes steroids, they just don't want to be lied to. If he admitted it, the boos would probably get worse for a while then slowly fade away as people began to appreciate the (overdue) honesty. It would be a shame for him to just run away from the game with his tail between his legs.

[Jedieb]

Hank Aarron recently said something that applies here. When he hit his 40's his HR totals went from 40, to 28, to 12. (I could be wrong, I'm sure statboy will check for us. ;) ) Now, that's what happened to the home run king when his body hit 40. What's going to happen to Raffy now without 'roids? I don't think he'll physically be able to play well after this season. I can't wait to see what happens when Bonds comes back. I have no doubt he'll try to do it clean, but I wouldn't be surprised if he never hits more than 30 HR's in a season again. Without the juice I doubt his body will be able to produce the way it has for the last 5 years. Hell, I think there's a good chance he never plays again. I hope that knee of his just turns to solid bone.

[JMK]

I'm not so sure. These guys have displayed stupidity that just boggles the mind. Raffy got caught with a highly illegal roid after he testified in front of congress. Then he denied knowing how it got into his body. Are you kidding me? These guys are playing Russian Roulette. I'm sure there are those who are continuing to juice and just praying that they don't get caught. I really don't think Bonds will try to go at it clean. He's doomed if he does. He was never a power hitter to the degree he is now when he was in his youth, how is he going to maintain that power without roids? He simply can't. I'd bet my last penny on it.