The Chris Moeller Archives

3000 hits, you must acquit

First of all, the title of this post doesn't apply. I just wanted to copyright it.
Nevertheless, here is some "nuts and bolts" steroid information that isn't getting much play in the media:
Approximately 1,000 steroid tests have been administered to baseball players by MLB this year. Of those, 100 are still being processed, leaving 900 results. Of the 900 results, eight have been positive. That means that fewer than one percent-- 0.89 of one percent-- tested positive. (Source: Murray Chass, NY Times)
Two years ago, the number was 5 to 7 percent. A high profile player (Hall of Famer?) has been caught using #24 on the list of anabolic androgenic steroids, covered by Schedule III of the Code of Federal Regulations, appearing on page 160 of baseball's collective bargaining agreement. It seems strange to me that so many in the media and Congress still think the system doesn't work. They babble on a lot to the contrary, but the last thing they want is for this story to go away.

Palmeiro may have enjoyed two months of lag before his results were made public, but this was because he was allowed to challenge the result before a four-man health advisory committee. If a committee member sees reasonable cause for challenge, the case goes to arbitration. Six of the other seven suspended players challenged the penalty, but did not get past the committee.
The whole process seems pretty effective to me-- and Constitutional to boot.

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A bumper sticker seen in Des Moines Wednesday-- An American Flag and the words, "These colors don't run--- the world."

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I'm a weak man, but I can't miss Jessica Simpson on Letterman Thursday night. Her "Dukes of Hazzard" clips have me drooling. I want to say something serious about her, though. If she's dumb, she's dumb like a fox-- a very wealthy fox. And we could all take a lesson in public relations from her Iraqi comments. She came back from the war and criticized her show's producers for their whitewashing of the dangers they faced. She did it eloquently and in deference to those who serve. She could have been another Southern-bred lighting rod to conservatives like Natalie Maines or Ted Turner, but she deftly avoided being "Dixie Chick-ed." That would seem to require a pretty bright person.

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The Beatles returned to Busch Stadium Tuesday night. Kind of. A few hundred fans showed up early for the Cards/Marlins game and watched The Liverpool Legends, a Beatles tribute band managed by George Harrison's sister. The real Beatles played at Busch before 23,000 fans on the rainy evening of August 21st, 1966, only three months after the ballpark had opened. Last night, fans were only swooning for Cardinals' stars Chris Carpenter and Albert Pujols, but news reports from the show 39 years ago indicate that several young women that night were treated for "mild hysteria." Symptoms included "weeping, wailing, and uncontrollable shaking."

For those who care, here's the Beatles set list from their August '66 Tour:

Rock and Roll Woman
She's a Woman
If I Needed Someone
Baby's in Black
Day Tripper
I Feel Fine
Yesterday
I Wanna Be Your Man
Nowhere Man (a sample of which the Liverpool Lads shared with the Cardinals' broadcast team on Monday)
Paperback Writer
I'm Down *(For some shows, the band substituted "Long Tall Sally.")

posted by CM @ 9:16 PM