Blah Blah Steroids... What do YOU think?

Dearest BLB readers,

I just had to take a moment to ask your thoughts on Roger Clemens being indicted. Do you think he's delusional enough to believe that he never used anything? Do you think he'll go to prison? Do you think he deserves to go to prison if he's found guilty? What about that creepy Brian McNamee keeping all those DNA covered syringes? Do you think McNamee had planned to screw Clemens all along? Do you think Barry Bonds is next on the list to be indicted?

Jack Cust Denies Steroid Allegations

Jack Cust, whose bat we fell in love with last season, has spoken for the first time since his name was released in the Mitchell Report last month.

The Oakland Athletics designated hitter spoke to fans at the A's Fan Fest this weekend, saying he was "surprised and upset" by the allegations of former teammate Larry Bigbie. He went on to say that he has never used performance-enhancing drugs, not even once.

"[Bigbie] was a teammate of mine five years ago and we haven't talked since," Cust said. "I don't remember any conversations about steroids."

Cust, 29, hit .256 with 26 bombs and 82 RBIs in 124 games with Oakland last season, the first stint of more than 35 games for the six-year veteran slugger.

[San Francisco Chronicle]

Miguel Tejada Targeted by Congress

Remember when Miguel Tejada met with House Committee staff in 2005 regarding former Baltimore Orioles teammate Rafael Palmeiro's perjury case?

Tejada, who was traded to the Houston Astros the day before The Mitchell Report was released, claimed he never used illegal performance enhancers, that he had no knowledge of other players using or discussing steroids, and that he certainly never provided any players with them.

However, after Palmeiro wagged his finger in denial of ever using 'roids, he was suspended for testing positive for a steroid later that year, which he contributed to a B-12 shot given to him by Tejada.

Shady stuff.

Tuesday, Congress brought up Tejada's name once again, asking the Justice Department to investigate whether he lied to them in 2005, now that his name was linked to performance-enhancing drugs in The Report.

The fun doesn't end here! Be sure to check out Sarah's latest entry over at The Sporting Blog, a witty take on a recent PEDs debate.

[AP]

Mo Keeps His Pinstripes, Vina Comes Clean

A month after the two sides agreed, the New York Yankees and Mariano Rivera finalized their three-year, $45 million deal Monday.

The clubs' career saves leader went 3-4 with a 3.15 ERA and 30 saves in 34 opportunities last season, coming off a three-year, $31.5 million contract. Rivera is third on the all-time saves list with 443, and his 34 saves and 0.77 ERA are the best of the best in postseason history.

Rivera also said that he was impressed with teammate Andy Pettitte for admitting to the public that he did use human growth hormone in the past, after his name was included in the Mitchell Report.

"I might have done the same thing. Who knows?" Mo said.

By keeping Rivera around, the Yanks will be able send Joba Chamberlain to the rotation. The rookie earned a spot as Rivera' s primary setup man last season and finished with a 2-0 record and 0.38 ERA over 24 innings pitched.

In other MLB news, former big leaguer and ESPN baseball anchor Fernando Vina and his neatly-trimmed goatee have "come clean" about his past HGH use, after going into hiding for a few days when his name was included in the Mitchell Report.

Former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski claims he sold anabolic steroids or HGH to Vina 6-8 times between 2000 and 2005, with the personal checks to prove it. Of course, Vina denies having ever used steroids.

"Was it right? No. Obviously, it was wrong ... I'm embarrassed by it," Vina said of his past performance-enhancer use.

See Vina's interview with ESPN here.

[NY Yankees]

Another Denial, More to Come

Another big shocker in the underbelly of baseball, as former Boston Red Sox reliever Brendan Donnelly has denied allegations from the (tiring) Mitchell Report that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

The now infamous report stated that former Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski claimed Donnelly phoned him in 2004 looking for an anabolic steroid called Anavar. Radomski then sold Deca-Durabolin to Donnelly for $250 - $300.

Donnelly admitted to calling Radomski to talk about Anavar that season, when he was injured.

"Upon learning that Anavar was classified as a steroid, I realized that was not an option. That was the end of it," Donnelly said.

He went on to say that he was "sick to his stomach" when thre report was released and hasn't slept since then. He also fully supports the MLB testing program and would like to see wider testing adapted.

Same story, different teller.

Donnelly, who became a free agent Wednesday night just before the Report was made public, is recovering from tendon replacement surgery and is expected to miss most of next season.

[Red Sox]

Juiced Up Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles have asked you, the baseball-loving public, to please not judge them based on "unsubstantiated allegations" brought on by the Mitchell Report, which named 19 former and current O's players, along with 60-some others. I'm not sure how "unsubstantiated" the allegations are, considering some of them have admitting to using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

All-Stars Miguel Tejada and Brian Roberts were among the current sluggers named, which was no surprise to their former teammate, Larry Bigbie.

An open former steroids-user, Bigbie told investigators that in 2004, Roberts admitted to him that he had "injected himself once or twice with steroids in 2003." He also claimed to have seen Tejada inject himself with B12 in the bathroom... which sounds kinda seedy and gross.

Rafael Palmeiro, who shook an undaunting finger before Congress, asserting that he had never used the cream or the clear, was suspended from the club in August 2005 after a positive steroid test. He credited the failed sample on a spiked B12 shot he supposedly received from Tejada, who was traded to the Houston Astros the day before the Report came out.

Another current Oriole, Jay Gibbons, was grounded for the first 15 days of next season after the commissioner's office learned he received HGH after January 2005, when it was banned by MLB. Gibbons admitted he was at fault and promptly apologized.

Other former Baltimore players named in the report -- some of whom still play baseball -- include: David Segui, who came clean just before the Mitchell Report was released, Jerry Hairston Jr., Jason Grimsley, Jack Cust, Tim Laker, Gregg Zaun, Kevin Brown, Howie Clark, Todd Williams, Manny Alexander, Kent Mercker, Gary Matthews Jr., Ricky Bones and Darren Holmes.

Listen to Anthony from the Oriole Post and Ian from SOX & Dawgs at 3pm ET Sunday for a special edition of The Hits Keep Coming, their weekly radio show (which regularly airs every Wednesday evening at 7pm ET) where they'll be discussing the findings of the Roid Report.

[Baltimore Sun]

'Twas a Night in December

As the media and members of the baseball world salivated over the release of the Mitchell Report, it was reminiscent of kids at Christmas waiting for Santa. So to that we, the Babes Who Love Baseball, bring you:

'Twas a Night in December
by Sarah, Sooze, Melissa, and Lizzy

'Twas a night in December,
When all through the league,
Anticipating the report
Had brought much fatigue.

The reporters were waiting
With pens in the air,
In hopes that St. Mitchell
Soon would be there.
[Editor's note: click on St. Mitchell above to see our gift to you]

The media was nestled all smug in their row,
With visions of pages wrapped up in a bow.

Buster in his 'kerchief, and Bud in his cap,
Had just settled down for three hours of crap.

When out in the press room, there arose such a clatter,
Oh, it's just Canseco... he doesn't really matter.

Away with the printout Gammons flew like a flash,
Scanned through the names listed and started to bash.

The spotlight on the face of the Mitchell we know,
Gave the lustre to the ticker of juicers named below.

When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a list of the ones who bought "cream" and "the clear".

With the testimony of tattletales, so dumb and so thick,
We knew in a moment this wasn't a trick.

More rapid than eagles his pages they came,
And he paused and he waited, then called them by name.

Now Barry, now Roger, now Damon and Pettite,
On Rocker, on Randolph, Lo Duca and Bennett.

To the top of the order! To the bottom of the 'pen!
All kinds of names- hey, McGwire's outed... again.

As we drew in our breaths before turning around,
We thought of the cheaters St. Mitchell had found.

Clemens' face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he pitched like a bowlful of jelly.

Bonds, chubby and plump, a big lying old crank,
Whose drug use helped give him more homers than Hank.

Sheffield and Giambi, reputations as dicks,
Were both near the top of the Roid Report's picks.

Mo Vaughn's giant head shoulda' made it clear,
He wasn't too scared to stick needles in his rear.

And then there's Tejada, every little leaguers' fave,
Whose tarnished reputation may not be saved.

As Gagne listened, goggles fogged up with tears,
Wondered if it was worth juicing all these years.

Emails were quoted from GMs to scouts,
Asking questions about players they had doubts.

From Knoblach to Stanton, and Herges and Nook,
Red-faced Pujols stats were a fluke.

Of course we have Lo Duca, with eyebrows so thick,
And into his ass, a juiced needle he did stick!

Anderson's name, while he didn't tattle,
Was used all throughout to make cages rattle.

As St. Mitchell finished his revealing of names,
We wondered on the future of these baseball games.

But I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,

"This is not the end! We'll continue to fight!"



P.S. Go Elf Yourself.

For another version, check out the hilarious post at Deuce of Davenport