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Insider | Short Hops | Love Letters
Baseball collared its second steroids offender this week, socking Colorado outfielder Jorge Piedra with a 10-day suspension.
Uh, that's P-i-e-d ...
The powers-that-be will tell you the steroid testing is working smartly, and granted, early season projections are that 26 different players will be suspended for juicing. That formula is simple: Two players have been suspended in the season's first two weeks, so that equates to, yep, one a week over a 26-week season.
But if baseball is going to keep Congress off of its back and if the testing program is going to have any credibility in the eyes of the public, eventually, somebody folks have actually heard of is going to have to get caught with his chemicals in the urine jar.
Right?
"Whoever tests positive will test positive," commissioner Bud Selig said this week. "I spend no time worrying that I hope they get somebody big. We're testing now. Those who have done wrong will test positive. We will test a lot."
Piedra, who will turn 26 on Sunday, batted .297 with three homers and 10 RBI in 38 games for the Rockies last season. He had just been recalled last week when news of his positive test came through.
As for Congressional demands that baseball toughen its steroid testing policy, there are no indications anything is happening on that front.
"Do I believe we should have stronger penalties?" Selig said. "I do. That's more important, frankly, than if you catch somebody big. We need tougher testing."
But Selig did not indicate that he is prepared to take unilateral action by invoking the "best interests of baseball clause" that's available to the commissioner.
"I haven't made any judgment on that," he said. "The season's on. I'm trying to keep the focus on the field. As I said in Washington, I'll do what I have to do."
smf52 
