So if a player registers as positive again, that happens months after the first test, the announcement, and any subsequent suspension has happened. In Castillo’s case, his positives were over seasons, not a matter of weeks.

I’m certain that part of any suspension for steroids there’s follow-up testing, be it for Herrera or Castillo or (I can but dream) guys like Bonds, Giambi, Palmeiro, MgGwire etc.

One thing that can’t be denied is that steroids screw up the integrity of the game, and Barroid Bonds has been their biggest user/promoter/financier/advancer over the past five years. He’s filth.

I agree that what he did was wrong, the thing that doesn’t sit right with me is that the NEW baseball Performance Enhancing Drug Policy is flawed beyond belief. Before you call my bluff, hear me out………1. They can tell if you took a substance they have a test for…”YES”. 2. If you test positive, there is no way to tell if your next test (which could be one week after the first positive) is showing a decrease in the substance suggesting you have not taken any and it’s just taking time to get out of your system and leaving the player with another positive test. 3. There are some substances that will leave a trace in your system for up to and including a year, so why do some players like Castillo get tested every 2 months and players like the previously stated Herrera get tested only once???? Seems kind of fishy to me.

Until baseball has the technology to test if a substance is decreasing in the body over time or increasing or staying the same they should not be allowed to give multiple tests in a season resulting is positives because they don’t know if it’s just the first positive’s residue still in the body, or a whole new chemical. Which to me sounds just utterly rediculous, “hey, you tested positive for this, we’ll try again tomorrow but if it’s still there, then that’s another positive, after that we’ll give you a week and if it’s still there, you’re out of baseball; BUT, somebody else could get that one test, be positive and not get tested again all year. Either do it every three weeks to every player or don’t f*$#(ing do it. It’s a waste of time and just a band-aid put over the huge cut steriod abuse has caused in MLB and MiLB!

Look, dude, I’m not singing Herrera’s praises like he can do no wrong. For mine, any ballplayer who puts something in his system that he doesn’t know is 100% clean is a moron. Is Herrera a moron? Absolutely. But I’m prepared to give him benefit of the doubt for one infraction as a minor player, moreso because he’s not someone for whom English is a first language, so I can see where an error could occur - maybe.

That certainly doesn’t mean he gets a break from here on, especially if it happens again. In fact, if you did a little digging on this site you’d see I’ve been damning a guy called David Castillo for several seasons now. Castillo is a catcher who hasn’t got above AA ball yet, but has been busted for steroids THREE TIMES so far. What he’s doing still in organized ball is beyond me.

As far as Bonds goes, the fact that you claim I’m “jealous” of Bonds tells me everything I need to know, Giants fan. You mentioned other people have done steroids before, and that’s true. But here’s how I look at it - you’ve got guys that break the rules and should be punished for doing so (if it was up to me, they’d be booted from the game for life), and you’ve got guys that go the extra mile and break the rules so much, so often, and to such great effect that they cause Senate enquiries to be launched.

In ‘murderer’ terms, every murderer is a scumbag and deserves to be punished. But serial killers have a special place in hell.

In the world of steroid abuse, Bonds is the ’serial killer’ equivalent, and I won’t ever watch an A’s game where he’s involved, unless he’s an opponent I can yell obscenities at.

To Jakarta, I hear ya, man. If the A’s aren’t going to sign Bonds, and aren’t interested in doing so, then this is all moot. But to me, it’s such an important issue, that I’d much rather be heard ahead of time and maybe, just maybe, help sway Beane from signing him (along with thousands of other outraged fans) than stay quiet and see him walk out there in white cleats.

Keep on readin’!

I have no problem with the Fremont move at all. None.

I was unhappy about Geren getting the nod over — well anyone else really.

I am upset that Big Frank is leaving, though the numbers probably don’t add up for the A’s to sign him.

Zito leaving is more upsetting, but not surprising.

But Bonds, with the A’s would end it for me as well. That’s it. Instantly.

I don’t want to dwell on this though, because if it doesn’t happen, then it was time wasted thinking about something very unpleasant. And if it does happen, then I’m already … gone