Sosa and Pudge

Often when I'm on the road, I'll turn ESPN or ESPN 2 on the TV in the hotel room and just leave it on during the night while I sleep (or try to sleep). Doing that has made it hard to escape the news that Sammy Sosa tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003. SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight all leading with Sammy testing dirty with anchors taking about the news accompanied by a video montage in the background. What's been amusing to me is once they are done talking about Sammy eventually the program gets to Ivan Rodriguez and how he just tied the record for most games caught by a catcher. A video montage paying homage to Pudge Rodriguez playing in the background while the praises and hosannas are sung.

What amuses me is the question whether the same video montage played last night for Pudge will be used when the news breaks that Pudge used performance enhancers too. I can't help but remember that Ivan Rodriguez was one of the players that Jose Canseco singled out by name in his book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big Time and again players who Jose Canseco specifically named has proven to have been dirty. Why should anyone think that Pudge Rodriguez will be any different?