John Rocker, Gary Mathews Jr., David Bell...The situation involving performance enhancing drugs in baseball just isn’t going away. It’s strange. There isn’t a player now who can accomplish great things, especially involving power hitting, without the accomplishment being suspect. It’s totally unfair, I admit it, but I don’t believe what Ryan Howard did last season, or that Albert Pujols is really that good - unless something fishy is involved. I know Henry Aaron, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays didn’t use anything like that, but still had great power. So it is possible to be a tremendous power hitter without being on something, or even lifting a lot of weights. By no means has it gotten to the point where it has ruined the game, but there is little question it has tainted it. That’s why I hope baseball doesn’t celebrate Barry Bonds’ breaking Aaron’s home run record. It’ll be bad for the game, a real scarlet letter on it. What is worth celebrating about that?

Random Thoughts

- Something about Michigan playing Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament brings out the worst in college basketball. Good for the Wolverines - they won the game. But that was just an awful game. Same for last March when the two teams played in the conference postseason tournament.

- I have to admit I wasn’t too impressed by Joey MacDonald when he played for the Red Wings, so I guess it was a bit shocking he beat New Jersey like he did the other night for Dave Lewis and the Boston Bruins. I wonder if Lewie will start MacDonald Sunday against the Red Wings?

- Want my impression of the Tigers from when I was in Lakeland? Honestly, they looked terrific. The caliber of this team is so much better, even in exhibition play, than it used to be that it’s incredible.