Spring comes none too soon...

With full squads starting to report across Florida and Arizona, 2008 Spring Training is finally upon us. After a winter of discontent for the game of baseball off the field, we get back to playing games on the field. As the press conferences and apologies for offending parties subside, the talk will shift from performance enhancers to performances on the mound, in the batters box, etc. Not to say that the steroids subject will go away- it just won't be all that is discussed when the subject of baseball comes up.

And maybe, just maybe congress can get back to trying to fix the economy or health care or social security, and stop worrying about trying to fix baseball. I understand that there may be a moral obligation for these lawmakers to show that they won't stand for such activities. And what better way to do that than take the power away from these athletes, sunpeona and make examples of them- and broadcast it simultaneously on multiple networks. It all just reeks of grandstanding, and it accomplishes very little. How about introducing new legislature- harsher penalties for steroid dealers and traffickers? Because when all the dust settles, and all the camera crews pack up and head home, we are back square one. The Clemens-McNamee hearing isn't the first of its kind, and probably won't be the last. And the only thing that ever changes is Major League Baseball tightening its rules a bit. Congress basically doing the work that MLB should be doing itself. And don't get me wrong, most of the blame on this one falls on MLB- but I can't shake the fact that if all that is accomplished is baseball changing its business practices a bit here and there, then this is a sorrowful waste of time on the part of these congressmen and women. There are other, more pressing matters at hand. I am talking in circles, but that's how this topic always seems to go.

So baseball then. Hot dogs and home runs and sacrifice bunts. Beats the hell out of hearings and reports and depositions any day of the week in my book. Play frickin' ball already.

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Oh, and unrelated yet so related- Senator Arlen Spector (R- PA), has taken this congressional oversight nonsense a step further in his desire to further the investigation into "Spygate"- the New England Patriots' video taping scandal. Now, while I am willing to give congress a little leeway in regards to the steroid issue- there is valid concern to the public in that regard- I don't understand what Spygate has anything to do with anybody other than parties invloved. Is the distinguished Senator from PA worried that the children of the nation are going run out and purchase video cameras, to record the movemens of their upcoming Pop-Warner opponents? Give me a break already.