I hate to say it, but the Royals could probably use Sammy Sosa.

Didn't Dave Nilsson play in the WBC seven years after retiring? Why would it matter if Sosa's retirement comes now or after the WBC? It seems entirely semantic.

BTW, the Indians could probably use Sosa and Nilsson at this point.

He would probably still be useful as a platoon DH/PH.

Hey, it's not an ideal use of a roster spot, but it's better than having that 16th pitcher on the roster.

Didn't Dave Nilsson play in the WBC seven years after retiring? Why would it matter if Sosa's retirement comes now or after the WBC? It seems entirely semantic.

Maybe he doesn't want to go up against Piazza or be lumped with Clemens and Bonds in the HOF voting? I'm not sure how savvy guys are about things like this. His agent probably is, though.

Maybe he doesn't want to go up against Piazza or be lumped with Clemens and Bonds in the HOF voting? I'm not sure how savvy guys are about things like this. His agent probably is, though.

He'd have to play in another game to avoid that. Clemens isn't officially retired, either, or Bonds.

Maybe he doesn't want to go up against Piazza or be lumped with Clemens and Bonds in the HOF voting? I'm not sure how savvy guys are about things like this. His agent probably is, though.

Very highly unlikely that he or his agent cares about this.

Maybe he doesn't want to go up against Piazza or be lumped with Clemens and Bonds in the HOF voting?

How is this possible? If none of them play an MLB game this year or any year after, they'll all go in together, right?

Besides, if I were Sosa, and no evidence existed or report published that I took steroids, wouldn't I prefer to go up in a vote with guys who had more tarnished records? It should make me look good. And given rumors, the converse would make me look worse.

That is, if Sosa is on a ballot without rogues, the unsubstantiated rumors are a detriment because they're rumors. If he's on a ballot with rogues, the unsubstantiated rumors are a bonus because they're unsubstantiated.

How is this possible? If none of them play an MLB game this year or any year after, they'll all go in together, right?

I know this. I'm just speculating as to whether he's thinking about it, or if his management team is. Being a HOFer is worth a lot of scratch, for better or worse. Otherwise why not just retire from MLB now? Or can he not play in the WBC if he's retired from MLB?

It says he's retiring from baseball next year, not from MLB. It will be like when I retire from whiskey and keep drinking hairspray.

Also, it occurs to me, would he even make the DR team? They are not exactly starving for talent.

Isn't Sosa extremely popular in the DR because of his charity work? I remember reading that Sosa and Pedro are the two most well-liked guys there. It'd probably cause an uproar if he didn't make the roster.

That is, if Sosa is on a ballot without rogues, the unsubstantiated rumors are a detriment because they're rumors. If he's on a ballot with rogues, the unsubstantiated rumors are a bonus because they're unsubstantiated.

I think the unsubstantiated nature of the rumors is largely irrelevant. He's been convicted in the eyes of most.

They'll have a helluva team. Albert, Hanley, Aramis, Vlad, Furcal/Tejada, Manny, Soriano...not seeing room for Sammy. I'd even take Wily Mo as a fourth OF.

Isn't Sosa extremely popular in the DR because of his charity work? I remember reading that Sosa and Pedro are the two most well-liked guys there. It'd probably cause an uproar if he didn't make the roster.

Weird. I've heard the opposite about Sosa in the DR. Anybody from the DR around to shed light on this?

I'd even take Wily Mo as a fourth OF.

Wily Mo is pretty terrible of late. There's probably some unsigned 17 year olds with better offensive approaches that would be ahead of him on the DR roster.

It would be great if folks can see me for the last time wearing the uniform of the [Dominican Republic] National Team

Gotta appreciate the man's ego.

if Sosa is on a ballot without rogues

Sosa is a caught cheater. I know, I know, he only used the juiced bat once -- just like all those PED users who used PEDs once. I, for one, hold ball scuffers and bat doctors in the same disdain as PED users.

I, for one, hold ball scuffers and bat doctors in the same disdain as PED users.

I do not. So we cancel each other out. Perhaps the Hall voters have the same ratio, but there's been a lot of innocent ink spilled in the name of purging the game of PEDs these last few years. Not so much on the corked bat. Even here in Chicago, he seems more reviled for walking out on the last game. The corked bat, by at least my biased observation, seems low on the list of public Sosa concerns.

I think the unsubstantiated nature of the rumors is largely irrelevant. He's been convicted in the eyes of most.

I'm not sure. As HOF voters write their annual "why I voted" articles, they'll be forced to address the differences in these players' candidacies. Moreover, one or more will author a pretty compelling piece about how they simply cannot dismiss Sosa given the lack of evidence.

I, for one, hold ball scuffers and bat doctors in the same disdain as PED users.

So do I: none.

Wily Mo is pretty terrible of late.

Well, that's kind of the point...would Sosa be an upgrade over him? I kind of doubt it.

So do I: none.
You had me going for the briefest of moments until I saw the word "none". :)

I, for one, hold ball scuffers and bat doctors in the same disdain as PED users.

So all the guys who file the handles of their bats, pretty much every single MLBer, equates to PED users in your eyes?

The HOF should basically shut down.

Wily Mo is pretty terrible of late.

So's your mom.

You had me going for the briefest of moments until I saw the word "none". :)

"Had you going"? I don't have the slightest bit of disdain for PED users or bat corkers.

"Had you going"?
Right, I thought you were stepping out of character for a moment.

So all the guys who file the handles of their bats, pretty much every single MLBer, equates to PED users in your eyes?
I'm sorry, I forgot the word "illegally". I hope my intent is clear now.

Right, I thought you were stepping out of character for a moment.

Ah. Nope. I remain firmly in character.

Sosa is a caught cheater. I know, I know, he only used the juiced bat once -- just like all those PED users who used PEDs once. I, for one, hold ball scuffers and bat doctors in the same disdain as PED users.

That kind of changes up things a lot. Single use of PED or corked bat eliminates Bonds (duh), Aaron (said he tried amphetamines in '68), Ruth (caught doctored bat 1923), Mays (used and dealt amphetamines), Sosa (corked bat), Griffey (Monahan said that it was widespread in Mariner clubhouse), and Robinson (said he tested out a corked bat).

Well, Harmon Killebrew did look like someone who should be the home run king!

I'm sorry, I forgot the word "illegally". I hope my intent is clear now.

How about guys who illegally steal signs?

Well, Harmon Killebrew did look like someone who should be the home run king!

Which is proof that he used PEDs.

How about guys who illegally steal signs?
How about the punishment fits the crime? (Regardless of how inane I think sign stealing being illegal is)

How about guys who illegally steal signs?

Spitballs, anyone? Gaylord Perry?

Single use of PED or corked bat eliminates Bonds (duh), Aaron (said he tried amphetamines in '68), Ruth (caught doctored bat 1923), Mays (used and dealt amphetamines), Sosa (corked bat), Griffey (Monahan said that it was widespread in Mariner clubhouse), and Robinson (said he tested out a corked bat).

How about guys who illegally steal signs?

Spitballs, anyone? Gaylord Perry?

This has always been my stance on PEDs as well. If we're talking about asterisks and HOF banning for Bonds as a punishment for the principle of the moral transgression of cheating, then the same has to go for anyone else caught cheating, not just for PEDs. Otherwise, once you start discriminating, the whole notion of "justice" gets thrown out the window.

If Bonds gets an asterisk, then so does Ruth. Otherwise it's a travesty.

Too much pine tar on the bat!

Spitballs, anyone? Gaylord Perry?
That should have been dealt with as specified in the rules. Toss the bastard from each game.

This has always been my stance on PEDs as well. If we're talking about asterisks and HOF banning for Bonds as a punishment for the principle of the moral transgression of cheating, then the same has to go for anyone else caught cheating, not just for PEDs. Otherwise, once you start discriminating, the whole notion of "justice" gets thrown out the window.

Some overall themes that shape my thinking of PEDs:

1) No evidence that PEDs significantly increase baseball performance in the first place (certainly not HGH).

2) PEDs weren't against MLB rules until recently, and everyone had the same opportunities to use.

3) Shockingly little evidence required for the public to brand a player a PED user.

4) Shockingly little awareness that PEDs have been available for half a century.

5) Shockingly little attention paid to amphetamine usage.

6) Shockingly little attention paid to pitcher usage of PEDs (except for Clemens, of course) or to the fact that just one star player (Palmeiro) has failed a drug test.

7) Dishonest treatment of testing results as lose-lose, after originally pretending that drug testing was needed (if the player fails, he's a cheater, and if he passes, he's probably just ahead of the testing).

8) No way to quantify the effects of PED use vs. other forms of "cheating".

9) The MLB playing field has never been level.

10) Nobody cared about PED usage when most of the players are alleged to have been using, including the players themselves.

How many innocent sheep were emasculated just so that the Bambino could make obscene Sicilian gestures at Charlie Root?

If Bonds gets an asterisk, then so does Ruth.

Run this by me again. What is it exactly you have a problem about eating 50 hot dogs?

In 1924 Ruth was caught using a bat which consisted of four pieces of wood glued together. This, like PEDs, wasn't against any pre-existing rule at the time, but Ban Johnson considered it "cheating", and issued a policy prohibiting trick bats.

To me PEDs and trick bats are essentially the same thing.

1) No evidence that PEDs significantly increase baseball performance in the first place (certainly not HGH).

Even if all they did is help with recovery, ray, that's still very beneficial. A guy like Clemens being able to recover faster in between starts and workout harder could EASILY prolong his career. The same goes for other great athletes.

In 1924 Ruth was caught using a bat which consisted of four pieces of wood glued together. This, like PEDs, wasn't against any pre-existing rule at the time, but Ban Johnson considered it "cheating", and issued a policy prohibiting trick bats."

Ruth used a corked bat for what, a week or two? Ok, take 2 or 3 home runs off of his total. Bonds (probably) 'roided up again and again over a period of years. They're not comparable.

There were MLB rules against illegal drugs at least starting in the early '80s. Steroid use became illegal in something like 1986-87 in the U.S., so steroids have been illegal in baseball for all of the so-called steroid era.

There were MLB rules against illegal drugs at least starting in the early '80s. Steroid use became illegal in something like 1986-87 in the U.S., so steroids have been illegal in baseball for all of the so-called steroid era.

You don't have that correct, but as to your broader point, if steroids were illegal in baseball for all of the so-called steroids era, all that means is that the records players put up in the 60s, 70s, and 80s are tainted by definition, since during that time steroids were not illegal.

And, by that logic, most of the performances of the last five years should be viewed as being pure, since the current players are tested and witchhunted.

Run this by me again. What is it exactly you have a problem about eating 50 hot dogs?

Dude--you know how many steroidal compounds are in the average hotdog? It's all hormones and sodium nitrite.