April 14, 2005 [LINK]

Steroid silver lining?

I just learned of a (relatively) new baseball blog, United States Of Baseball. It's by Peter Hendrinos, a sports writer who recently wrote a rather provocative take on the steroid issue: "The Scandal That Doesn't Exist." I think he's downplaying it, but it's good to hear from a contrarian perspective and avoid the herd mentality of too-pious outrage. (Gambling? Drugs? I'm shocked! Shocked!!) Indeed, there may be a "silver lining" around the dark cloud of doping: Fans may lose interest in the crowd-pleasing Long Ball and regain an appreciation for the finer points of the sport: the art of pitching, base running, the smart tactics of "small ball," and fielding excellence.

I caught a glimpse of the Dodgers game on TV sports highlights, but couldn't see the new up-close box seats. FYI, Mike Zurawski sent this link with a photo of the new, more intimate Dodger Stadium, from ESPN.

There are a few minor touchups on the Baseball main page, aiming at easier navigation, plus a new map of the cities that currently have big league baseball teams MLB franchises page.