SNY: Salfino: First base, DH home to many not-so-fearsome hitters

Or...why the hell is Billy Butler still on my team? No enchanter, he.

This year, there are more homers in the National League than the American League for the second year in a row. The average AL team is on pace for 138 homers compared to 154 in the NL. Both figures would represent declines near enough to 10 percent from 2007.

I quarrel less with those who assume steroids work than with those who assume steroid testing works. If the former is true, as it appears to be, players can make so much more money figuring out ways to keep using. And they have manufacturers and dealers helping them. There’s no economic incentive for the testers to adapt since they get paid regardless of the test result. And do you believe baseball really wants the rash of positive tests that an evolving testing program might produce?

Another factor may be the cold spring across much of the country. Hot air is less dense than cold air and thus offers less resistance to the ball in flight. And since water vapor is lighter than air, humidity has no detrimental effect. So a change for these sluggers may come with the weather.