Not anymore. As of Aug. 24, Bautista is just 10 home runs away from the most unlikely 50-home run season since Brady Anderson.

A player destined to be remembered only as a utility guy has turned into an All-Star, power-hitting third baseman on the verge of reaching a home run total that was all but impossible to achieve just a quarter century ago.

And the one question you have to ask is, what’s this guy on? Of course, as of now, there’s no  proof Bautista is on anything more than Gatorade and Power Bars. But you still have to wonder, right?

We can thank The Steroid Era for that cynicism. Maybe if that had existed when Anderson was turning in his career year, things would be different.

Let’s go back to Anderson. For those who don’t remember, he hit exactly 50 home runs for the Orioles in 1996, 26 more than he hit in any other season. That year, only Mark McGwire hit more home runs (52), and we now know how he did that. Those two were only the fifth players since 1965 to hit 50 or more home runs in a season, joining George Foster (1977), Cecil Fielder (1990) and Albert Belle (1995).

There were certainly questions at the time of how Anderson could have topped his career total in one season, but the word “fluke” was used more than the word “steroids.”

Not today. Not after the Mitchell Report. Not after the greatest hitter – Barry Bonds – and the greatest pitcher – Roger Clemens – of that era are facing federal indictments based on their alleged steroid use.

Before the 2010 season, Bautista, who as of Aug. 24 had 40 home runs for the Blue Jays, had a previous high of 16 home runs, which he accomplished in 2006 while a member of the Pirates.

At 29 years of age, Bautista is having a career year and on the verge of the first 50 homer season since 2007. Who saw this coming? No one, that’s who. Anyone who tells you differently – including Bautista – is pulling your leg.

It’s unfortunate for the player, but it’s a lot harder to prove he isn’t taking anything. It would be nice to think that since there is drug testing in baseball these days, if Bautista or anyone else was juicing, he’d get caught. But be realistic, there will always be ways for players to cheat the system.

Not to say that’s what is going on here, but after what has happened in the last 15 years, the questions have to be asked. It’s too bad, but MLB – owners and players alike – brought it on itself.

Technorati Tags: Barry Bonds, Brady Anderson, Jose Bautista, Mark McGwire, MLB, Roger Clemens, steroids

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Damon has informed the Detroit Tigers, his current team, that he won’t be waiving his no-trade clause and return to the Red Sox.

Damon had until Wednesday to decide, but apparently went with his heart, which is what Detroit manager Jim Leyland told him to do.

Maybe Damon really does love Detroit, as he’s quoted as saying. But there’s gotta be more to it, considering the animosity felt by many Red Sox fans after Damon left as a free agent after the 2005 season and signed with the – gasp – Yankees. While I’d guarantee fans would cheer Damon now, he can’t possibly forget the way they’ve booed him ever since he left.

One somewhat odd aspect of this story is what Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon had to say about Boston’s potential addition of Damon.

Maddon told the St. Petersburg Times that if Damon can’t be a Ray, he’d rather he stay a Tiger. Or go somewhere else. But then Maddon followed that up with this.

“Johnny Damon is a very good baseball player. He still has a no-trade clause in his contract. I think he needs to really, really understand what a great community Detroit is. It would be a great place to raise a family, even if he explores some of the suburbs, for instance, Birmingham – it’s a beautiful little enclave over there. If you really sat down, Jim Leyland, a great manager – not that Tito (Terry Francona)’s not, Tito’s wonderful - but there’s a lot of good things going on in Detroit. I’m sure he does not want to miss it. … ’’

Someone should pass that along to the people at visitdetroit.com and get Maddon a job for the offseason.

Technorati Tags: Baseball, Joe Maddon, Johnny Damon, Red Sox, Tigers

Neither one has watched the HBO  series “Hard Knocks,” which this season features the New York Jets. While Dungy said he wasn’t a fan of the cursing from Jets coach Rex Ryan, Brady said he wasn’t watching because he isn’t a fan of the Jets.

“Honestly, I haven’t turned it on. I hate the Jets, so I refuse to support that show,” Brady said. “I’m sure it’s great TV. I’m glad people are liking it. But that’s just something that I have no interest in watching. I’d love to say a lot of mean things, but I’d rather not do that, either.”

After Dungy’s comments, which came on Dan Patrick’s radio show last week, Ryan responded by saying he was disappointed that Dungy would say anything. But that didn’t keep the two from reportedly having a heart-to-heart over the phone.

Based on the Jets’ response to Brady’s comments, I doubt there will be anyone from either team exchange calls this week, or any time in the near future.

“Hell, he knows we hate the Patriots so what’s the difference?” Ryan said in response Monday. “That’s great. Hey, join the club.”

I’m sure there are plenty of clubs, ones who hate both teams, and there always will be as long as both teams – and their fans – exist.

But in this day in age, when athletes on different teams are turning out to be friends instead of enemies – I’m looking at you LeBron – it’s refreshing to hear there’s some good old-fashioned hate left out there.

Now what we really need to find out is what show Brady does watch on HBO. Is it “Entourage?” Or maybe “Hung?” Or how about “Eastbound & Down?”

Technorati Tags: Hard Knocks, HBO, Hung, Jets, NFL, Patriots, Rex Ryan, Tom Brady, True Blood

Now, Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated is saying it was the Red Sox who claimed Damon. However, Damon has eight teams to which he can be assigned, and Boston is not one of them.

While Damon can agree to go to Boston, would he do it, considering the way the fans reacted to him leaving town after the 2005 season?

Of course, it’s possible the Red Sox put a claim in for Damon just to keep the Yankees or Rays from getting him. Damon has also said that if he’s traded, he’d like to return to Detroit next season.

At 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot and two “ace” pitchers with ERAs over 4.5 and an injury list long enough to be its own team, even if Damon agrees to come to Boston, it’s still too little, too late for the Red Sox.

Technorati Tags: Baseball, Johnny Damon, MLB, Red Sox, Tigers

According to doctors, 19 of the players suffered from muscle damage from an enzyme known as creatine kinase, or CK.

While one of the doctors, Dr. Craig Winkler of Willamette Valley Medical Center in McMinnville, is calling it a weird case, it sounds like the cause of the injuries was an intense training camp put on by McMinnville’s first-year coach Jeff Kearin.

Players and the coach have said that the camp, which began on Aug. 15, was done indoors in non-air-conditioned rooms on days where the outside temperature was over 90 degrees. Players were not allowed to take water breaks until every exercise was done, and if someone messed up, everyone started over again.

High CK levels can result from vigorous exercise, or the use of supplements. The lack of water and extreme temperatures – one report estimates it was close to 115 inside the room – compounded the problem.

According to The Associated Press, of the 19 players admitted, five were treated in the ER and sent home and 14 were admitted to the hospital. Three of those players required surgery to reduce the soreness and swelling in their arms.

There are a few things here that are quite alarming. One is how close to serious injury some of these kids were.

The normal range for CK is 35 to 232 units per liter, but some students showed levels as high as 42,000, putting them at risk of kidney injury, Winkler said to the AP. Those with levels in the 3,000 range were treated in the hospital’s emergency room and released, while those with levels above 10,000 were admitted.

And even once players began falling ill, the camp was allowed to continue. Despite all this, no one in the school district, or anyone who has worked with Kearin in the past, seems to think there was anything excessive or extreme done.

Kearin, who according to oregonlive.com was asked by the school not to comment, said he “didn’t know it could get that hot in Oregon.”

Blood tests for the players are expected back by Wednesday, which would show if any of them had taken any supplements that contained creatine. While creatine is a legal supplement, the players have denied taking it. Most of them were surprised they landed in the hospital at all.

Maybe Kearin isn’t in the wrong here, but he has to know better. He’d have to have been living in a cave for the last 10 years to not know how serious his actions were.

Withholding water during a practice in a sweltering gym? It’s just plain reckless.

Technorati Tags: high school football, Oregon

That’s the cover of the August issue of Men’s Journal, but on the inside is where the good stuff can be found.

According to the magazine’s website, the month’s cover story is about Favre and “the private world and tough choices of a very happy man.” But the excerpt posted below is about – surprise, surprise – the quarterback’s solo saga that’s three years running.

Will he or won’t he? Will Favre be back for another season of football, or is he going to finally do what he said he was doing in 2008 and 2009? Will he finally retire.

A lot of people are sick of hearing about it, and apparently you can include Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, among them. After learning that Favre had talked to an ESPN reporter about his upcoming ankle surgery, Cook got a little upset and is quoted in the story as saying the following.

Goddammit, why does he have to be such a goddamned drama queen? Play, don’t play, goddamn, people are getting sick of it. I’m getting sick of it! Why does he have to talk to these people? What good does it do?

For those of us who are sick of this game, it does no good. But for ESPN, it’s a great topic to have their talking heads yap about for an hour or two. It’s going to be big for Men’s Journal. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a bump in the magazine’s single-copy sales this month.

Maybe it’s good for Vikings coach Brad Childress. Favre said in the past that if he were going to play another year, he’d need the surgery. He’s having the surgery. So does that mean …

Whatever it means, Childress wanted to find out, so he’s on an indefinite visit to Hattiesburg, Miss., to visit with Favre.

Hopefully Brett makes a decision before July 30. That’s when the Vikings open training camp, something that Childress probably won’t want to miss.

Technorati Tags: Brad Childress, Brett Favre, Bus Cook, NFL, Vikings

• Not the way Boston wanted to start the second half, losing to Texas 7-2. After overachieving for most of the first half, the Red Sox look to really be in trouble. One good reason: someone said to me last night that he had never heard of some of the guys on the roster. My response: welcome to being a Pirates fan.
• The Celtics finally announced Paul Pierce’s new four-year contract, and Boston’s captain had something interesting to say about the direction of the team. Although it was nice they kept himself and Ray Allen, Pierce commented on how the Celtics seemed out of the loop with all the big free agent signings and now there were “slim pickins” among free agents. So after the team had locked up the Big Three, who did Pierce expect them to go after? And what money were they going to use to sign someone?
• John Daly is among the leaders after the first round of the British Open and all anyone can talk about is his pants. Given his history, we should be happy he’s wearing some.
• Remember, if you’re going to be a cyclist, you can’t headbutt the competition, even if you’re doing it to help your team captain. Mark Renshaw learned that the hard way at the Tour de France, when he was tossed out of the race for headbutting Julian Dean. One other possible reason for Renshaw’s actions: he is from Australia and Dean is from New Zealand.
• The MLS has said it won’t allow US World Cup hero Landon Donovan to be loaned to anyone outside the league. Meanwhile, Donovan has denied the reports that he has a British “love child.”

Technorati Tags: Celtics, golf, John Daly, Landon Donovan, Paul Pierce, Red Sox, soccer, Tour de France

Favre isn’t sure if his surgically-repaired ankle – remember this – will hold up through the season, but if it can, he’s not worried about long-term injury. It’s too late for that, my friends.

Even though Favre hasn’t made an official announcement, his decision already seems to be the worst kept secret in sports since LeBron James was leaving Cleveland.

Favre is going to come back, and he’s going to drag it out for as long as possible. Why? One reason is so he won’t have to participate in training camp. Another reason is because like most modern-day athletes, he likes the attention. The only surprise here is that we never saw a tear-eyed retirement during the off-season, and that there hasn’t been more done on Favre before this.

As long as someone will employ him, Favre will continue to play quarterback in the NFL and he will continue to throw costly interceptions at the end of crucial games.

Technorati Tags: Brett Favre, NFL, Vikings

• The Red Sox moved closer to getting Manny Delcarman, Clay Buchholz and Josh Beckett back from injury. All three will make rehab appearances in the next three days. Barring set backs, it’s not impossible to think all three will be back before the trade dealine.
• While there’s been talk of potential trades for the Red Sox, another AL East made a deal on Wednesday. The Blue Jays sent shortstop Alex Gonzalez to the Braves as part of a five-player deal.
• The Celtics introduced Jermaine O’Neal and announced the re-signing of Ray Allen. The team is said to still be looking to add big men, along with former Gonzaga star Adam Morrison.
• Speaking of the NBA, Billy Hunter, the executive director of the players’ association, says the union doesn’t believe commissioner David Stern when he claims the league lost $370 million. I find it hard to believe when LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh just signed for a combined $327.7 million.
• If James, Wade and Bosh are going to win a NBA title, next year might be the time to do it. With the league’s current labor deal set to expire in 2011, there could be a lengthy lockout.

Technorati Tags: David Stern, Dwayne Wade, Jermaine O'Neal, Josh Beckett, LeBron James, NBA, Red Sox, trade deadline

Unless you’re ESPN.

If “The Decision” wasn’t enough self-promotion for you, at around 7 p.m., the front page of espn.com announced Wednesday night as “The Biggest Night of Sports.”

This, despite the fact that the NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and NASCAR were not in action.

But it was something bigger; it was the ESPYs, ESPN’s yearly sports award ceremony.

The event was so big, ESPN had the results not only on its rotating centerpiece online, but also as the top item on its list of news stories.

The ESPYs also made the front page of SI.com and Yahoo! Sports front page – as an ad. Both announced that Seth Meyers would be hosting the show, but by midnight Thursday, both ads were gone.

But as far as a news story, those two, along with Sporting News and AOL Fanhouse, had nothing.

Odd if its supposed to be the biggest night in sports.

Of course, should anyone really expect ESPN to say anything less about its own programing?

Technorati Tags: ESPN, ESPYs, MLB, NASCAR, NBA, NFL, NHL