newsdoctor's Blog

Remember when Mark McGwire testified at that congressional hearing and said he wasn't there to talk about the past, just the future? He was crucified for his remarks and frozen out of any consideration for the next Hall of Fame vote. But after the big investigation into steroids in baseball, we heard Senator Mitchell saying about the same thing.. we shouldn't get mired in the past, but look to the future. I agree to an extent. MLB banned steroids in 2002 and human growth hormone in 2005. I'd say if a player used before the rule changes, he doesn't get punished. If he used after the changes, he gets punished and we move on. The players mentioned in the report are going to get plenty of questions from the media and plenty of heat from the fans.  I'm not condoning the use of steroids and it really does muddy the waters as far as which records are legit. But at least it's out in the open and MLB, the players association and we fans can decide how to deal with it. The report really didn't reveal anything new about McGwire. The only thing we know for sure he used was Andro.. a legal, dietary supplement at the time that anyone could buy at the local nutrition center.

Give me a break!

My hat is off to Oklahoma. The Sooners beat the Tigers on both sides of the ball Saturday night. They deserve to be Big 12 Champs and they deserve to be in a BCS bowl game. But Missouri doesn't? They went from the number-1 ranked team in the country to out of the BCS bowl picture? Even with the loss they finished 6th in the BCS standings! I'm happy for the Illini, but the Tigers beat Illinois and they beat Kansas. They're both slotted for a BCS bowl game and MU is not? The bowl bids definitely show a lack of respect for Mizzou.. but also expose the flaws of the BCS. Maybe they should consider dropping the C out of those initials.

Missouri or Oklahoma... what do you think? I'm picking Missouri. My prediction...

Mizzou 34  Oklahoma 31.

What's your prediction?

That's my prediction (guess) for the big border battle this weekend. What's your prediction? Give it a shot.

We'll check them out Sunday and see who got the closest. No prizes, just Blogger Braggin' rights!  Go Tigers!

I hope Tony La Russa comes back to the Cards. I know some people think it's time for a change and maybe they're right. But he's done a good job with the club and kept us competitive even in the down years. I figure if a guy has more wins that just two other managers in the history of the game, he must be doing something right.

I'd be surprised if Joe Torre leaving the Yanks will make that much difference with the Cardinals situation. I'm sure the Yankees would have some interest in La Russa, but I don't see him going there. That's even farther from his family in California. And does he really want to work for Steinbrenner at this stage of his career? Then again, the lure of the pinstripes might be pretty strong if La Russa is bored here and looking for a fresh challenge. 

We should know before long.  He's managed us to the World Series two times in the past four years. I hope he's back to do it again in 2008.

I'm like every Cardinal fan when it comes to Rick Ankiel. It's great to see him come back to the bigs and make a big splash. He has weathered a lot of doubts and down times to resurrect his career after his pitching meltdown. It's really pretty phenomenal. He must be a very tough kid and he's obviously a very talented one. Tony La Russa probably knows better than anyone what Rick went through and Tony seems to really be enjoying the comeback. But he's also cautioned everyone to just let the kid play.  Even if Ankiel is here to stay, he's going to hit some slumps. You can bet those major league pitchers will find some weaknesses and exploit them. There's always a steep learning curve in the pros. We need to be careful not to be too critical when those times come.  But after what he's been through, Ankiel seems to be mature enough to handle it and  pretty well grounded. So yeah, reality will eventually set in, but in the meantime, he;s making the most of his opportunity and living his dream. It sure is fun while it lasts!