With recent tail-between-legs quit of Manny Ramirez from Game as result of inability to adhere to league’s newish substance policies, baseball’s Steroid Era finally has begun to wind into Post-Steroid Era.

Over many years Blog of Team has had many discussions with many fans who have many different takes on steroids and other performance-aiding drugs.

Some fans just don’t care that much, discounting notion that they help players play better.

Others accept as fact that steroids give players competitive advantage but suggest steroid use is less of sin than others that in past have given Game its blackest of eyes.

Still others believe that steroid use confers huge unfair advantage to players who use them and believe in retribution against players who use them, regardless of whether they ever “come clean,” up to and including denial of Hall of Fame eligibility.

Blog believes current players who have been forthcoming about their steroid use deserve benefit of doubt from fans and league that they won’t use them going forward.

Reason for this is because during height of abuses many players were pressured by coaches and others to use them and may have concluded that their shot at solid Major League career depended on it. This climate of abuse doesn’t make them innocent, but must be acknowledged.

That said, Blog dearly hopes baseball’s testing policy remains robust going forward.

Players who flouted their obvious use of steroids, lied about it, made up excuses for it or otherwise failed to admit their transgressions, Blog believes, deserve legal and popular scrutiny. Blog is thinking of Ramirez, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro for four examples.

Blog understands to limited degree notion that “cheating to win is better than cheating to lose” and that steroid users who seek or sought to improve their on-field performance probably would inhabit a lesser circle of offense than, say, those Chicago players who threw World Series for money way back when or — possibly — Pete Rose, who it’s said would play in games after betting against his Reds.

But problems with this line of thinking as view toward forgiving steroid users, whether repentant or not, are twofold:

First, like any business, any and all cheating undermines business integrity. Baseball, above all else, needs to protect implicit notion that people paying for product can trust product’s integrity.

Second, regardless of whether steroid use confers unfair advantage, it’s likely that people willing to “cheat to win” also would more likely be willing to ”cheat to lose.”

To put it another way: Motive isn’t everything, especially if said cheaters are in fact gaining unfair advantage. If you have unfair advantage there’s little or nothing to stop you from undermining integrity of game in ways that benefit you on any given day.

Here’s Vladdy, just resting those old dogs at third base, you know, in case anybody wants to drive him in. Always smiling, that Vlad. Blog of Team wonders if he’ll muster up his courage at Cooperstown to give thank you speech in Ingles. Either way, Vlad. They could probably find you a translator.

Image via MASN

Team got a pick-me-up win behind rookie sensation Zach Britton. April coming to close and ol’ Vladdy leads Team in hits (kind of neck-and-neck with Brian Roberts, but ahead as of this writing) and batting.

People are gonna hate, Vladdy. Who knows why?

6:02 p.m.: Team showed some mettle today. Unfortunately it was not enough. Yankees’ luck, a call or two, just enough offense and some great defense make them winners again. Um, not to mention an Oriole offense that continues to largely be anemic. With Boston winning handily on West Coast, it appears Team will sit alone in last place by later this evening.

5:51 p.m.: Another Jeter-esque hit for Storied Shortstop and another Orioles throwing error. Ball maybe is wet from recent rain. Game starting to feel out of reach. 5-3 Yankees, top of 11th. Make it 6-3 Yankees after diving Roberts can’t corral Granderson grounder on outfield grass.  

5:45 p.m.: Tough chance for Andino. Russell Martin is safe on a single and RBI scores Cano. But Andino charged with error because his throw into right field let Eric Chavez move up to third base. Andino made a diving stop on Martin’s ground ball in hole at short stop. Berken giving up a lot of long fly balls, all have been foul so far, and 2e really hasn’t been effective.

5:36 p.m.: Underway again after 40-minute delay. Cano nearly drives first Jason Berken pitch out to left field stands.

4:52 p.m.: Thunder and lightning!!!

Awnings, son!

4:43 p.m.: Jones comes up with big throw and Wieters’ stone-cold Steve Austin-style block of Jeter at home plate moves game to bottom of 10th inning and preserves 3-3 deadlock. Team is battling hard for this win.

4:32 p.m.: Under skies appearing to threaten rain, Brian Roberts’ double to left scores Jones and Andino is out at plate as game moves into extra innings. Hard to say for sure just how close play at home was but ball beat Andino.

4:29 p.m.: Spring home run aficionado Jake Fox on to pinch hit for Cesar. Fox can’t hit it out but his base hit moves Jones to second and keeps game alive for Brian Roberts. Buck pinch runs Robert Andino for Foxy.

4:25 p.m.: Rivera must have made right with Easter Bunny today. He just lucked out again after umpire punches out Reynolds on pitch that was six inches inside.

4:19 p.m.:Jones fights with Rivera, fouling off several 3-2 pitches, before drawing walk in fantastic at-bat to start bottom of 9th.

4:03 p.m.: Gardner makes great running catch in deep left field to rob Luke of  game-breaking hit. Yankees make another huge defensive play. Mariano will look good in box score but Storiedest Reliever of Storiedest Franchise was fortunate there.

3:57 p.m.: Base hits by Nick(y) and Vlad(dy) leave men at corners for Luke, who comes up in a clutch spot in bottom of 8th at crucial crossroads for Team desperate for something to build upon. Mariano Rivera up in Yankee bullpen. And he’s coming in game.

3:41 p.m.: Brett Gardner, pinching in about 100 feet on weak-hitting Cesar in left field, stifles a potential rally in bottom of 7th by grabbing Cesar quail shot – but not before Reynolds connects for a two-run home run to right-center. That came after Adam Jones smoked a single that almost decapitated Yankee reliever Joba Chamberlain.

Jones and Wieters give props to Reynolds
(Please have that obstruction removed…)

3:30 p.m.: Koji Uehara relieves Arrieta after Jake’s career-high nine strikeouts. Koji’s fastball hit 91 mph, per stadium radar…

Koji strikes out Storied Shortstop of Storied Franchise

3:08 p.m.: With Jake nearing 90 pitches, Jeremy Accardo starts to warm up in Orioles bullpen.

3:03 p.m.: Which Oriole batter looks most lost? Derrek Lee? Mark Reynolds? Nick Markakis? Cesar Itzuris? Wow… take your pick. Cesar doesn’t appear to have vaguest sense of what to do with bat.

2:54 p.m.: After cruising through 3+ innings, Arrieta suddenly back in trouble again after 1-out double by Curtis Granderson and hard Mark Teixeira single. Team can’t turn double play on A-Rod shot to short stop and Yankees pick up third run.

2:34 p.m.: Nice little gesture as Posada picks up Wieters’ mask after Wieters chases pop up unsuccessfully. Even nicer: Jorge K’s on next pitch.

2:15 p.m.: Luke Scott wants to be startin’ somethin’ with first Team hit on day

Then Adam Jones and Matt Wieters walk to load bases. But Cesar Izturis leaves ‘em loaded with feeble strikeout.

2:02 p.m.: Derek Jeter’s 2,943rd hit ties him with Frank Robinson on All-Time List.

1:50p.m.: Jake stops early bleeding with two Ks to Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher and a Jorge Posada groundout. It’s early in Game. It’s early in Season. But there’s just a sense of doom out from under which Brian Roberts and Co. must somehow escape.

1:39 p.m.: Four Jake Arrieta pitches. 2-0 Yankees.

1:03 p.m.: Maybe you didn’t dump entire beer on that Yankee fan. But maybe, you know, it spilled a little. Starts to smell during Amtrak ride home. BTW, Amtrak, can we fix rain leak that soaked inside of N.E. Regional 143? Thanks in advance.

12:53: This would be fine day to regress Freddy “the Chief” Garcia’s minutely sampled 1.30 ERA.

12:43 p.m.: Brian Matusz is in sunny Florida. Nick Markakis is scuffling. Derek Lee seems lost at plate and Fred Manfra’s computer is broken. Mood around Camden Yards today is a little bit toward edge of panic. Rumors of retaliatory plunkings are in air. Suzyn Waldman hasn’t cried … yet.

Just another day at the office…

Image via MASN

Dear Team,

Team is in bad spot, mainly because offense is pathetic.

Oh, sure, pitching hasn’t been what you’d call perfect, either, but bats, wow.

Blog isn’t throwing anybody under bus (unlike so many others who did so before season even began and continue to do so now but whatever). Blog wants to help. So Blog has concocted handy performance aid.

This flowchart is for your quick and easy reference. Please follow these simple instructions, and you will be OK:

1) Are you Vlad Guerrerro? If yes, read below. If no, skip to 2.

Yes? Keep doing what you’re doing

2) OK, you’re not Vlad. Are you a pitcher? If yes, read below. If no, skip to 4.

Yes? Keep doing more or less what you’re doing (and see 3a)

3a) Are you Kevin Gregg? If yes, read below. If no, skip to 4.

Yes? Do a little better

4) OK, you’re not Vlad and you are not a pitcher?

Yes? Be more patient at plate. You are not Vlad 

This concludes flowchart. Please consult this flowchart at any time if there are additional questions.

Looking forward to winning ballgame one of these days!
Thank you,
Blog of Team.