Are you kidding me?

Korea 2 – Japan 1.

Which means tonight’s team USA game versus Mexico means everything.

I, uncharacteristically, fell asleep early last night, fully expecting to wake up and find that Japan won by a score of 10-7, or something similar, rendering tonight’s game meaningless.  I think there was a small part of me HOPING that would happen.  I just want Jason Varitek back in Ft Myers (I’m convinced his not being there is one of the reasons some of our pitchers are struggling).

Oh well…at least now I still have team USA to root for.  And Roger is on the mound.  So he gets yet another chance to prove he can step it up when it counts.  Should be an interesting game.

In other news…the San Francisco Giants have announced that they will honor Barry Bonds if he passes Babe Ruth on the career homerun list.

Now, I’m all for innocent until proven guilty…but proof is exactly what this new book seems to be offering (and if it doesn’t…than just based on the excerpts that have been released, why hasn’t Mr. Bonds threatened to sue?).  So once again we have an instance of MLB and especially the Giants, turning a blind eye in the name of generating some revenue.  "Come to the park; maybe YOU’LL be at the game where Barry beats Ruth’s record!".  And based on polls and interviews I’ve read with Giants fans, they’re buying this.  I’m disgusted by the entire thing.  I caught a bit of Best D*mn Sports Show Period last night and Rodney Peete was arguing with Ken Rosenthal that Bonds didn’t do anything that was "illegal" at the time and this is all a witch hunt.  Guess Rodney doesn’t know about the memo from Fay Vincent circa 1991 (or this one from 1997) outlining that steroids were not acceptable in the league.  Good thing ESPN.com is being less biased about this than people expected because few others seem to be.

Rosenthal did say something that I don’t agree with.  He has a Hall of Fame vote, and he says he won’t vote for anyone from "this" era on a first ballot.  He then went on to say that it doesn’t mean he won’t eventually vote for Bonds, or others, but not on the first ballot.

What is the point then?  I had a teacher in grade school who didn’t give out straight A’s, even if you earned them, because she didn’t believe ANYONE was a straight A student (and let me tell you, that irritated the HECK out of THIS straight A student!).  Her logic was flawed and so is Rosenthal’s. 

I don’t think, based on all the evidence gathered thus far, that Bonds deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.  BUT if others DO then why wait until he isn’t a first-timer on the ballot?  Sounds to me like Ken’s preference is to wait until the furor dies down.  Grow a backbone, Ken.  (Rodney too…the guys on BDSSP tend to defend athletes they are friends with without paying attention to facts…these are the same guys who love Mike Tyson and Pete Rose for crying out loud!)

My favorite part of the 1997 memo reads:

The basic drug policy for the game is simply stated:  There is no place for illegal drug use in Baseball.  The use of illegal drugs by players, umpires, owners, front office, League or Commissioner’s office personnel, trainers or anyone else involved in the game cannot be condoned or tolerated.

Pretty cut and dried to me, fellas.

Current pictures of my guys Timlin and Millar for my personal enjoyment!

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(Go team USA!)