For Your Health; Last Man Standing; Albert Pujols

Baseballs steroid era, the asterisks, the names, the guessing, and the soap opera that has ruined my sanity. I was listening to sports radio the other day, as I find myself doing many times, and one particular call-in guest decided to spark my attention with one phrase that really got me thinking. “There is no one player in baseball that would surprise me in the Mitchell report,” is what he said. No hesitation or resemblance of a pause, just the cold hard fact that not one single baseball player in the Mitchell report would shock him because supposedly, “too many players, who no one ever thought would have, have already come out as steroid users".

Let me first throw this out there; No organization in America (and Toronto?), have ever handled a situation with as much disregard for intellect as the people managing the steroid issue in baseball have. You got a clear problem in an organization, than fix it. If people are breaking a company policy (as well as the law), do something about it. This is honestly not that hard of a concept. It’s literally like placing two hands on the side of my head and squeezing as hard as possible when I think about this. MLB has a list of names and won’t release it? I’m still having trouble fathoming this. Dear commissioner, you want the steroid era discussion to be over? Then release the list of names that exists, and stop the guessing game. Release the list, the users will take what they got coming to them, and a la, steroid era in baseball over.

Oh, and who the in the heck is this Mitchell? (Reveal yourself).

Its times like this that I find myself oddly dreaming about Jose Conseco as the commissioner of baseball. Ah those are the good dreams...nightmares. Obviously the next part of the equation involves the ever so important question pertaining how to place the steroid users in the history books, but I think we can manage that part on a completely different occasion.

So now back to my call-in guest radio friend. Albeit, I will first state that I completely agree, in fact there are some players in baseball that would have no effect on me if they were found as to having used steroids. But this call-in guest is telling me that there is not one player in baseball who would shock him? Not one? Derek Jeter, David Wright, Joe Mauer, Ichiro, Mariano Rivera, Manny Ramirez….ok just kidding about Man Ram, but not one of the other guys?

Well ok, well then let’s take a look at power hitters. Take a second to rack your brain for power hitters in baseball right now. Take a moment to dig deep. Well, there’s Ryan Howard; we could make an argument for absolutely no not ever, but he is still young, let’s see his numbers in the next few seasons just to make sure. Prince Fielder? The guy is a vegetarian; you think he would put steroids in his body? After all, his power numbers have dropped…we could say maybe. Adam Dunn? I think he just swings as hard as he can…but I guess maybe. Oh but there is one that there is no argument for. After all is said and done, one man is left standing. Albert Pujols.

He is the only player in the history of the MLB to have at least 30 home runs in his first 9 seasons. He was voted the most feared hitter in baseball in a poll of all 30 major league managers in 2008. He has never batted below .314, batted in less than 103 runs, hit fewer than 32 home runs in a season, or slugged less than .561
Not a bad first baseman defensively either.

Let’s go beyond the numbers. Pujols adopted a daughter with Downs Syndrome. He owns his own foundation devoted to disabilities; the Pujols Family Foundation, which is dedicated to "the love, care and development of people with Down syndrome and their families," as well as helping the poor in the Dominican Republic. He was the face of the all-star game; he is the face of the MLB.

This guy is the best star we got right now on and off the field.

Now, tell me one more time Pujols wouldn’t surprise you in the Mitchell Report.

P.S- Pujols just hit his second homerun of the night….