You got the sense that A-Rod was always MLB's golden boy.
But his clean-cut Yankeeness, lack of a World Series ring--and Huge contracts-- made him an easy target for ridicule.
And as much as I always kinda disliked the cut of A-Rod's jib, I realize now that I still believed--like a child--that he could break Barry Bonds home run record and save baseball.
Now I hear things like, "oh yeah, the so-called National Pastime."
On NPR, yet another Sports Illustrated reporter broke the story of a Dominican named Esmailyn "Smiley" Gonzalez who signed a $1.4 Million minor league contract with the Washington Nationals in 2006 as a 16-year old and he hit .343 last year.
1.4 at 16? .343? Well gee whiz, maybe S-Gon will save the game!
Or maybe they'll call him "Smile-Gone", because it was then revealed that his real name is actually Carlos Lugo. And he's 23.
And juicing? Why not?
Baseball is full of Liars, Juicers, Cheats, Scam Artists. Desperate individuals, looking for any way to get ahead.
And yet--because of that fact--don't give me that "America's so-called National Pastime" bullshit.
And if life imitates baseball. Just wait until America gets its hands on the list from UBS.
Just like A-Rod's anonymous urine sample, those famously anonymous Swiss Bank accounts are about to become public knowledge.
From Salem to McCarthyism to Steroids and Tax-Evaders, lets face it-- our Puritanical roots love a good Witch hunt.
