The toughest opponent Albert Pujols will face won’t be a pitcher. The toughest hitter Justin Verlander will stare down won’t be a hitter.
Credibility figures to be the biggest challenge facing major-leaguers when they report to spring training. The Mitchell report dragged up the past, exposing a fraction of players, most notably Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, as alleged cheaters. Once again, the issue of HGH and PEDs trumped HRs and RBIs.
The knee-jerk reaction is to scream for players to sign more autographs, to be more transparent with their vitamin cabinet. But the longer I cover baseball, I think that’s more cosmetic than significant. A lot of players already sign for fans and play in a way that makes you proud to pay for a ticket.
What would make a difference is a blood test.
By agreeing to have their blood tested, the rank-and-file players would eliminate all doubt about how serious they are about ridding their sport of performance-enhancing drugs. Remember, it was the silent majority that spoke up in 2002 for steroids testing, tired of living under the umbrella of suspicion.
“It’s hard when the fan base criticizes the clean players and places us under scrutiny when we did nothing wrong,” said Nationals reliever Ray King, a member of the players association executive board. “I think (the union) would be open to everything they want to do in terms of stricter testing. If you could tell players that we would have a blood test for everything at the beginning of spring training, I think they would do it.”
The union always has been against blood testing, but its flexibility in dealing with drug issues has been commendable the past five years. A blood test, which could target HGH, is not going to make the game drug-free, but the message would resonate.
The issue, according to King, might not be the test, but the frequency. Think in your own workplace, how many would object to getting poked by a needle once a month or more?
“I don’t think guys will go for that. What if a guy gives blood, then he’s not available to pitch that night because of bruising?” King said.
The drug-testing program remains critical as the game goes forward. In baseball, like no other sport, fans need to believe what they are watching is genuine.
“The credibility will come from fans seeing that it’s really working,” free-agent pitcher Jason Jennings said.
Tulo talks.
The Rockies are expected to open talks about a long-term contract extension for Troy Tulowitzki this week. Colorado never has signed a player to a multiyear deal after his rookie season. But then, the Rockies never have had someone like Tulowitzki before. The 23-year-old posted the greatest season ever by a National League rookie shortstop, hitting .291 to go with 24 home runs and 99 RBIs.
There aren’t many examples to use as comparables for Tulowitzki. The most pertinent probably is Cleveland outfielder Grady Sizemore. He signed the largest contract for a player with less than two years of experience in March 2006, agreeing to a six-year, $23.45 million deal.
Rockies owner Dick Monfort said during the playoffs that the length of the contract, always an issue for Colorado, would be less of a concern with Tulowitzki because of his age.
