This just in: Barry Bonds more of a jerk than previously suspected.

According to a New York Daily News report, Barry Bonds failed a test for amphetamines last season. And then blamed someone else. To wit:

"When first informed of the positive test, Bonds attributed it to a substance he had taken from teammate Mark Sweeney's locker..." -ESPN.com

So let's recap. The jury is still (literally) out on possible perjury charges pertaining to the BALCO scandal, where Bonds used the very similar excuse of "it was whatever my trainer gave me." Now, we get this. Barry Bonds is a cheat and a liar, and very simply, he should just hang it up. Better yet, someone should force his hand. The Giants organization should decide not to offer him a contract for the upcoming season. I don't know of any other team in baseball that would touch him. Unless there's more of a market for 42-year-old, slightly hobbled, slow-moving outfielders who have to put on a friggin' suit of armor before going to bat than I thought. Let's compare Barry, then and now.

This is Barry, circa 1986. A quick, lean, "five-tool" player, shown here at age 22.

And THIS...


Well, this hulking fella is Barry in 2005, at age 41.
One only needs to compare some statistics before things look a little strange. He's always put up respectable batting numbers, and his fielding stats in the early part of his career are amazing. His range factor from his first couple seasons is something to behold:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bondsba01.shtml

But then that number starts trending down, and all the while his batting (particularly home runs) keeps going up. My biggest problem with this guy is the fact that some people (apparently all Giants fans) are in such denial about this. Look at the other big names in the steroid scandal. Mark McGwire. Kept out of the Hall of Fame. Sammy Sosa. Can't even get signed to play for a small team in Japan. Meanwhile, they treat Barry like he's royalty. He isn't. Hank Aaron got in the record books with had work and determination. Babe Ruth worked on a diet of hot dogs, cigars, and whiskey. Barry Bonds stuck a needle in himself and lied about it. Here's hoping that this cheater doesn't prosper any more.

Adios to 2006.

Well, ladies and gents, 2006 is at a close. And what a year it's been. I've made some new friends, started a new career-I'm looking forward to more moving forward in 2007. Some things I'm looking forward to for '07:

1)More time with friends and family. It sounds sappy, but those are two of the most important things anyone can have.
2)Learning more. Trying to take a little something from every day.
3)The advance of time towards having a president not named Bush.
4)The Nashville Predators making another run at the Stanley Cup. This team is looking great right now.
5)The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series (ok, so this is one from every year, but you never know...).

So as the last few hours of 2006 tick away, I encourage you to take a moment and consider the things that are important to you. Now think about what you can do to improve them, and act on it. And for crying out loud, be careful out there. And be good to each other. See you in '07.

I stand corrected.

So the Tigers didn't quite live up to my expectations. I don't quite know what happened. They went from red-hot to downright terrible in a record time. Kenny Rogers had an amazing performance. That was the highlight. The Tigers' previously hot bats cooled off, and their infield apparently forgot the basics of minor things like catching and throwing. I (reluctantly) tip my hat to the Cardinals for coming in as the underdogs and making a statement. Too bad the Cubs are going to win it next year. And by "next year," I mean "hopefully sometime before I die." But who knows? Stranger things have happened...

TIGERS!

Yes, dear readers, it's time once again for the World Series. And this one has the makings of being a classic. The Tigers look to win their first series since '84, while the Cardinals look for their first under Tony LaRussa. My prediction: all Tigers. They have a great combination of lights-out pitching and big bats. Although the Cards have a good rotation, I'm much less impressed offensively. When you factor Albert Pujols out of the equation, there's not a lot left. Not to mention that the Tigers swept the A's in the ALCS, while the Cards squeaked one past the Mets in 7 games. I know some people might not like the analogy, but the Tigers are coming into this series looking a lot like the Red Sox in '04. I pick Detroit in six.