Thoughts To End The Week....

Despite the WBC embarrassment of the U.S getting knocked off in the second round by Korea and Mexico, you know Bud Selig is breathing a huge sigh of relief that Japan did our dirty work by beating Cuba in the finals.

Can you imagine if the inaugural tournament was won by a team that we tried to block from getting in in the first place?

For the record, I think that this tourney can work if they correct a couple of things.

Play it in either November or in the summer. That way you get players who are in game shape rather than guys who look like they're coming off three day bender in a Tijuana brothel.

If you have to do it in March, then make sure everyone reports for training camp in late Janauary or early February at the latest.

Stop the farce of trying to convince people that you're selling the game to the world. You're selling it to the coutries that already have a following. Do you think the Chinese were inspired by Japan's win in the WBC. They're still holding a grudge against them from the atrocities committed against them in World War II! Just admit that you're doing this to sell merchandise to current baseball fans and you'll be fine.

I don't know about you, but I like the fact that outside of the whole BALCO mess, I like that Yankee camp has been quiet. Just focus on getting in shape for the season. Leave the drama to Port St. Lucie.

One of the good things about the WBC is that we've gotten to see kids play that normally wouldn't have gotten the light of day. It makes me excited to see what they might do on the next level. Or it gives us some trade bait if we need to make a move somewhere down the line.

As for the BALCO mess, what is there to say? Until Sheff or Bonds test postive or someone provides video evidence of them shooting up, what can you do? Does it bother me that Sheff might be a bold-faced liar? Hell yeah. But anyone who says that this wasn't at least in the back of their mind as a possibility is a liar. The fact that someone is writing a book about it changes nothing.

Will I feel a World Series won with Sheff or Giambi is somehow tainted? Hell no. When fans of those Cowboy and Steeler teams of the 70's (Randy White admits experimenting with steroids and Jim Haslett says that the Steelers were among the first to use steroids) say that they're denouncing those teams, then maybe I'll consider feeling guilty if the Yanks win it all this year. But not likely.

Besides it's not like people need a reason to hate the Yankees. If the team was clean as a baby's ass, infidels would still find a reason to hate us. So why pay attention?

If we're fortunate enough to win this year, it'll be sweet just like any other year. I refuse to let any infidel take that joy away from me.