How do we know Roger was clean?

During the Royals-Phillies World Series more than two decades ago, George Brett made headlines for his battle with ‘roids.  You didn’t know that, did you?  That’s right, the Hall of Famer himself, the guy who hilariously hides knives in “friends” carry on luggage and draws a paycheck, still, from the KC Royals, went public with his ‘roid problems.

When people talk about ‘roids, they talk boldly about Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, they mock indignation about Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, they hail Jose Canseco as a ‘stand up guy’ and they pity poor, dead, puffed up Gary Allan look-a-like Ken Caminiti.

But nobody says anything about Brett?  How is this fair.  If people credit all of Barry Bonds’ recent success on ‘roids, why not George?  He hit almost .400 in 1980.  Then, his secret got out.  In the World Series against the Phillies he had to leave game two because of the ‘roids.  Busted!

They caught him red-handed!  Or at least red pantsed.

Twenty-six years later and Barry Bonds is being booed mercilessly on the road.  He had a syringe thrown at him in San Diego (probably by an illegal immigrant) and a tube of toothpaste with a hilarious home-made “The Cream” label on it in Phoenix.

Nobody threw anything at George.  Why is that?  Why pick on poor Barry and not on George?

Is it because George is white?

Or could it be that we somehow find hemorrhoids to be more acceptable than steroids?  After all hemorrhoids are funny (as Don Zimmer proved in his epic commercial a few years back) as long as they happen to somebody else.

How could the world’s nastiest fans–the Phillies phaithful–not throw Tucks medicated pads or those bullet shaped Preparation H’s at George?  I’m aghast.

Now the focus is on how relevant any of the hitting records are.  Thanks to the juice crew, anybody in shape is under scrutiny.

If Tony Gwynn had hit .400 in 1994, that accomplishment would go unchecked because he’s fat.  It’s a known fact that if you take steroids you cannot be fat.  That’s why only the skinny NFL linemen ever flunk them.  Huh?

 How do we know Roger Maris was clean?  He looked hopped up on Mylanta to me.

I go back and forth with my reaction to the hand-wringing over Bonds.  Barry’s a five-tool tool, there’s no doubt about that, and his complete lack of likeability certainly makes him an even easier target.

If the whole thing though, has the feel of a witch hunt to it, at least Keith Olbermann has reminded us that in order for it to be a witch hunt, you can’t have any witches.  Barry’s broom may not have any bristles on it, but you half expect to see him in the dugout stirring a cauldron.  One that has his arthritic knee in it.