Yep, an obligatory steroids post.

The List-That-Would-Not-Freakin’-Die keeps…well..not. Even Hank Aaron wants the list put out now, and we agree with him.  Here’s why.

1. Some of the players on the list probably don’t know they’re even there.  Did they take sketchy supplements that year? Sure. Did they probably know they kinda sorta shouldn’t do that? You bet.  But let these poor guys get some sleep.  And for the few that did take something unknowingly, UPH for one would like to let them have their say.  Will some of them be lying? Probably. But let’s put it out there and let the public decide, yes?

2. People are speculating like crazy.  Even players.  Bronson Arroyo of the Reds “wouldn’t be surprised” if he’s on the list, for example.  Which brings us to…

3. MLB is lucky none of the leaked players has sued them yet.  How long will it be before the fact that the test results were supposed to be destroyed means a lawsuit?  How about all the speculation you (and we, and everyone else) have been doing?  Libel, perhaps?  And furthermore…

4. The people one thinks are on the list may not actually be the people on the list.  In fact, UPH has heard some convincing arguments recently that many of the people on the list are liable to be pitchers: journeymen relievers, fourth and fifth starters, people who were looking for that extra couple MpH, or coming back from injury. Meanwhile, everyone’s busy looking back and seeing which batter had suspiciously large arms.  Knowing whose actually on the list will provide some closure, certainly, but it may also give a sense heretofore lacking of who, exactly, used, and thus of what may well have been the prevailing culture for a decade or more of baseball.

As John McCain might say, steroids are “a matter of history.” (Go ahead and skip to 1:47 on that video, this isn’t a political blog.)

Point is, they happened.  So let’s put them in the past, allow those on the list to all put out their press released at once, and move on.  It’s killing the players, it’s killing UPH, and let’s be honest….too much more of this and it’ll start killing the fanbases, too.  It’s hard to get excited about taking your kid to a game when you aren’t sure whether the jersey you just bought him has a tainted player’s name on it. So let’s just find out, ‘fess up, and move on.

Anyone with me?