Standup Guys and Nude Pullups

I posted this over on The New York Post, on the Yankees blog, in response to two ladies whom I enjoy discussing baseball with. One is a True Yankee Fan, and the other cheers for the Red Sox, and I like both of them very much.

Ladies, please allow me to speak on this one incident [Andy Pettitte] for a moment. I have not taken the time to read through the entire Mitchell Report, so please forgive me if I speak out of turn. I DO have an initial reaction to the report, rather in the direction that Tanya hints at, but I am going to reserve it for now.

Now, as to Andy Pettitte, it is my understanding from reading summaries of the Mitchell report that Andy is alleged to have used HGH - Human Growth Hormone. He is not alleged to have used anabolic steroids.

Here is what I understand the findings are, in relation to Mr. Pettitte: that he used HGH [only] on between two and four occasions in 2002, for the purpose of speeding his recovery from an elbow injury. Now, here is the most important point in this instance: HGH was not illegal under the rules of major league baseball in 2002. HGH was added to the banned substances list in 2005.

The Jerry Springer acolytes who are calling for Andy's head [not either of you two, Tanya or Italiana, I want to make that clear] are doing so because of the media furor/lynch mob bloodlust, which I find intolerable. I will say this, on the part of the media, it is sensationalism, and no different in that way from the "yellow journalism" with which we stripped Spain of her empire in 1898 [Remember the MAINE? How apropos ;-) ]

As both of you ladies have intimated here, something is curious about this entire report. I wonder.

Postscript. A new article has come to light, revealing information to the effect that Johnny Damon was slandered by station WCBS in New York, as it had him listed on a preliminary report as a steroid user. Johnny Damon, a really nice guy, was not named as a user of anything in the Mitchell Report. Here's a link to that article in the Post: http://www.nypost.com/seven/12142007/sports/it_sucks__damon_furious_at_being_named_o_848324.htm/