Rowand and Gordon on D.L.

Here's the official release from the Phillies:

ROWAND PLACED ON 15-DAY DL WITH ANKLE INJURY

Outfielder Aaron Rowand was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured left ankle, Assistant General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.

Rowand, 28, is expected to miss 4-6 weeks and will return to Philadelphia to see a foot specialist once he is medically cleared to fly. He suffered the injury in a collision with second baseman Chase Utley during the bottom of the 8th inning of last night’s game at Wrigley Field.

This is the second trip to the disabled list for Rowand this season. He missed two weeks in May with a fractured nose and non-displaced fractures around his left eye after crashing into the outfield wall at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies will announce roster moves at a later time to replace Rowand and righthander Tom Gordon on the 25-man roster. Gordon was placed on the 15-day disabled list following last night’s game (retroactive to August 13) with a right shoulder strain.

12 weeks to go

Here is last week's training regime for the Harrisburg Marathon on Nov. 12. A few readers have asked for my training plans so I will be publishing them here every week. So, without much more fanfare, here's the week of Aug. 14 to 20:

Hills, hills, roads and more hills this week. Did all of my runs over the hilliest loops with plenty of fartlek. Here it is:

Monday: 20 miles in 2:22. A little slow but I ran those hills.

Tuesday: 14.4 miles easy in 1:40. Hills.

Wednesday: 14 miles in 1:37. Cruised. Did I mention hills?

Thursday: 15 miles over hills with 3x1-mile in 5:30. This was a good one.

Friday: 15.6 miles easy. Hamstrings were a little tight.

Saturday: 14.2 miles in cruise control. A few surges here and there and some hills.

Sunday: 7.6 miles in an easy 53:04. Even wore my racing shoes for the first time in forever. I'd love to find another pair of Nike Air Mariahs in size 11 1/2 or 12, but I imagine they are hard to find.

Weekly total: 100.8 miles. Fourth straight week at 100 miles. 12 weeks to go.

Fun with Ozzie

When I was in high school, I was lucky enough to be neighbors with someone who had season tickets for the Orioles games at Memorial Stadium. Better yet, the seats were in the first row by the visiting team's on-deck circle where players warmed up just inches away from your head.

Once -- I'm going to say it was 1987 -- the neighbor gave me the tickets for an Orioles-White Sox doubleheader. So before each of his 9 or 10 plate appearances that day, White Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen chatted me up. All. Day. Long. He talked and talked and talked. He didn't hold anything back nor did he censor himself, which was fine by me. Then, like now, I was much more interested in reality than the airbrushed version. Like most people, I don't like to be told what to think or how to feel and if Ozzie Guillen wanted to speak to me frankly -- even though I wasn't old enough for a drivers' license -- I was going to enjoy it.

Twenty years later, Ozzie Guillen is still speaking frankly. Actually, his mouth has gotten him into a bit of trouble lately and some of his actions have made even his most ardent supporters scratch their heads and wonder what ol' Ozzie was thinking. In fact, there is even a funny story on The Onion spoofing the trouble Ozzie has gotten himself into.

Apparently, Ozzie was on a roll again yesterday in a little tirade when talking to writers about accusations of his team "cheating." Based on the story, Ozzie doesn't think much about the NL Central, nor does he think he can find a spot on his roster for the Cardinals' lefty Mark Mulder.

Sadly, I think Ozzie's run in Chicago is going to end badly. I'm not basing that on any inside knowledge or anything other than observations. It just seems that people who allow others to know what they are thinking never seem to have a long shelf life -- that's especially the case when the speaker isn't exactly "politically correct."

Nevertheless, it looks as if Ozzie keeps things loose with his team. Here's a video of a wrestling match with a professional wrestler during spring training. The best part is the look on Jim Thome's face. He seems to be thinking, "Geez, Bowa never did anything as crazy as this... and he was nuts!"

Finally, I would be remiss not to include one of the all-time great quotes from Guillen about making it in America as skinny kid from Venezuela. From The Washington Post:

"I'm smarter than a lot of guys who go to Harvard. When you come to this country and you can't speak any English at 16 years old, and you have to survive, you have to have something smart in your body. If you take one of those Harvard guys and drop them in the middle of Caracas, they won't survive. But if you drop me in the middle of Harvard, I'll survive."

How would Guillen do in Philadelphia? I think he'd be able to hold his own.

Phillies trade for Jamie Moyer

Remember all that stuff about Scott Mathieson remaining in the Phillies' rotation? Yeah, well, nevermind.

Chase Utley!

That's right... are there any questions about Chase Utley's fire after watching the second inning of the Phillies' game against the Nationals on Saturday night? Is it any wonder why so many people like watching him play?

For those who missed it, Utley bounded out of the dugout after Nats' pitcher Ramon Ortiz -- a.k.a. The Gutless Wonder -- decided he was better off throwing fastballs at hitters instead of trying to get them out. So when Ortiz drilled Aaron Rowand in the ribs during the Phils' eight-run inning, Utley, still burning about getting drilled a few batters earlier, rushed onto the field to challenge Ortiz, man to punk.

Ortiz, who was immediately ejected, just walked away.

Good move.

Here's how it is: if my son has even the slightest interest in playing baseball when he gets older and wants to understand how to play the game the right way, I'm going to get video of No. 27 for the St. Louis Cardinals and No. 26 for the Philadelphia Phillies and say, "Son, watch these two men... this is how the game is played."

Damn right!

No more greenies?

When Major League Baseball announced before the season that its new drug policy was going to include amphetamines, or "greenies" there was a lot of jokes made at the expense of the players.

"How are they going to finish the season?" some asked.

"What's going to happen to half of the players in the league come September?" others offered.

Well, we're just about to the point of the season where some players hit the proverbial wall (it's a marathon, not a sprint, right?) and I'm even more curious about what affect the new policy will have over the final month of the season.

For the uninitiated, greenies are speed or a synthetic stimulant used to suppress the appetite, control weight, and treat disorders including narcolepsy and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is also used recreationally and for performance enhancement and is illegal without a prescription in most cases.

It's also been a popular drug used by baseball players for the past 50 years. In fact, there are many published stories about the widespread use of greenies in big league clubhouses, including somewhere the team supplied the drugs for the players. According to legend (and Tug McGraw), greenies were the drug of choice amongst the Phillies in the late 1970s and early 1980s, not that this made the Phillies any different from any other team.

All of that aside, there has been no reports of any positive greenie tests in the big leagues this season, and it appears as if the players who were using them have made the shift to other stimulants. Coffee as well as more mainstream energy boosters favored by runners and triathletes are more prevalent in big league clubhouses, though for whatever reason, Red Bull and other so-called energy drinks aren’t as visible as they were in past seasons.

In other words, it seems like the ban on amphetamines has worked.

Hitting the wall
Putting the greenie issue aside, it seems as if one Phillie is slowing down. At least that's the way it sounded when I read a few quotes from Mike Lieberthal regarding Brett Myers' latest poor outing against the Nationals on Friday night. According to the irrepressible Dennis Deitch of the Delaware County Daily Times, Lieberthal said:

"He seems a little tired," catcher Mike Lieberthal said of Myers. "The pop isn’t there on his fastball. He has seemed a little tired in his last few starts."

Lieberthal said Myers might be going through a "dead-arm phase." The last time that phrase was used in conversation, closer Tom Gordon was theorizing on his struggles. A few days later, he was shut down and having tests performed on a sore shoulder.

By no means am I suggesting anything about Myers, but based on a quote in a newspaper it sounds as if the big pitcher is getting tired. Perhaps it's Myers' fitness that has caused this downturn? Perhaps Myers might hit the wall in the final month of the season because he isn't in good enough shape?

Remember how Kevin Millwood folded like a cheap tent during the stretch in 2003?

What does this mean for Floyd?

Despite being smacked around like a pinata at a kids' party, the Phillies plan on sending rookie Scott Mathieson back to the mound for his next start in Chicago. Forget about Mathieson's 1-4 record with a 7.23 ERA, and forget about minor leaguers Gavin Floyd (7-3, 4.15 ERA), Eude Brito (9-8, 3.31) or Brian Mazone (11-3, 2.22) as possible replacements -- the kid is going back out there.

"(Mathieson) is young and he's definitely going to be a part of our future," Charlie Manuel told the writers before Friday's game. "He's got the stuff to be a big-league pitcher. That's how [Robinson] Tejeda pitched last year - all stuff and guts."

But what if he keeps getting his guts... well, you know?

What happens if Mathieson takes another tough loss is anyone's guess, however, the interesting part is the Phillies' brass really doesn't look at Gavin Floyd as a viable option.

Yeah, that's right, the fourth overall selection in the draft is not an option.

If I were Manuel or Pat Gillick, and I didn't want Floyd any more, I'd send him out there every five days -- he could pitch reasonably well and help the team win a game and he could improve his value for a potential trade.

Of course, that's only the case if you want to get rid of the guy.

Meanwhile, Tom Gordon is going to take the weekend off to rest his shoulder. It seems as if the closer's "injury" is just a flare up from overuse and will improve with some rest.

Jones fallout

Now that various outlets have confirmed that Marian Jones is just the latest high-profile American athlete to fail a drug test, the fallout and finger pointing has begun. On ESPN.com, Adrian Wojnarowski offers a very poignant column about how he really wanted Jones to be clean and her comeback to be honorable (it's a very good story). Now, alas, it seems as if those five World Championships and those gold medals won in Sydney are just as fraudulent as those home runs hit by Barry Bonds or Mark McGwire or any other supposed user.

Yes, sports is turning into pro wrestling, folks. But does that even matter any more? Is going to a game the same thing as checking out a movie on a Friday night? Well, the tickets to attend a game are much more expensive than a movie, and taxpayers aren't being hit up to pay for 45,000-seat movie theaters, but you get the point. Is what we are watching real?

Certainly, the idea of Jones as the American Princess has been debunked just like the Wizard of Oz. The problem is, there are many more curtains to pull back.

Like in golf, for instance. Last week in The New York Times, the excellent golf writer (and good guy) Damon Hack examined how the notion of illicit performance-enhancers in golf isn't such a laughable idea.

Yes folks, dope in sports is the biggest story in sports out there. Forget the drugs beat writer I suggested earlier -- how about an entire doper section in every paper.

Dope redux

The other day in the press box we had a conversation where I boldly stated that every big newspaper's sports section should have someone covering the "Dope Beat." No one disagreed with me. In fact, the consensus was that every paper should have a drug beat and it should happen soon. The reasons why papers don't have a drugs in sports guy is too myriad to get into now, though some of it has to do with sports editors, some writers and readers not truly understanding the issues... or the fact that the performance-enhancing drugs issue is the most important sports story happening now and for the extended future. Some day maybe the editors and the readers will catch up.

Why it's such a big issue is too involved, as well, but the very legitimacy of the sports are in danger. No one really know whether they are watching honest professional sports or pro wrestling any more -- then there is the whole issue of privacy, drug testing and the role of sports in society.

Actually, it's too big for even a really long book.

Anyway, another big star reportedly tested positive -- this time it is apparently EPO, an enhancer popular with endurance athletes. According to a story by Amy Shipley of The Washington Post, 2000 Olympic darling Marian Jones tested positive last June at the U.S. national championships in Indianapolis. That's apparently where 100-meter world-record holder Justin Gatlin failed his drug test, too.

Nonetheless, these stories are going to keep coming. Whether or not it will affect the numbers of people coming through the turnstiles remains to be seen.

Oh no, Vinnie

From the "now you see why we traded him for nothing" file, we give you the latest from Vicente Padilla. This time, instead of an arrest for suspicion of DUI, Padilla decided that throwing fastballs at the Los Angeles Angels was a smart thing to do. Here's what happened according to ESPN's Buster Olney:

On Tuesday night, Vicente Padilla stunk, and rather than just take some responsibility and do his job and try to make better pitches, Padilla started firing fastballs at the hitters. Then last night, with the Angels getting blown out, they felt the need to answer back, to retaliate, and that's how Kennedy wound up going after Feldman with two outs in the ninth inning.

That's what happened with Tino. In 1995, when he was with Seattle, and in 1998, when he was with the Yankees, Benitez made bad pitches, he got hit around and so he fired fastballs at Tino. To me, there's nothing more gutless in the sport.

You're mad because you're giving up runs? Well then, make better pitches. Don't take it out on the next hitter.

As the benches cleared in both instances when Tino got hit -- during play, while the players were still grabbing and pushing -- some of Benitez's Orioles teammates were apologizing to their opponents for the actions of the pitcher. And I suspect that this took place last night, in some form or fashion. The Rangers are a good team that plays hard, and they probably were almost as angry at Padilla as the Angels were. (And remember, the White Sox have had their issues with Padilla, too.)

Padilla will likely be suspended, but until he is manager Buck Showalter gave him an earful, while Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News ripped into the former Phillie.

Padilla is slated to be a free agent at the end of this season, and it's my guess that he won't be pitching for the Rangers in 2007.

On the subject of Padilla, I'll never forget the time last September when a uniformed member of the Phillies not-so subtly passed on information that it was highly unlikely that Padilla would return for 2006. The team had just grown tired of him.

I'll also never forget when he came four outs away from tossing a no-hitter against the Diamondbacks or sitting in the dugout during a simulated game at the Vet a few days after Sept. 11 when hitters refused to go to the plate to face Padilla. His stuff was just too nasty.

I'll also remember how Scott Rolen took a weird shine to the moody Nicaraguan. Rolen had taken to playfully teasing "Vinnie" on the field and in the clubhouse as a way of making the pitcher feel involved or part of the team... you know, one of the guys. The goofy part was that Rolen's jibes were often lost in translation since Padilla never took much of an interest in speaking English in public or communicating to teammates. Rolen said: "He has no idea what I'm saying and I have no idea what the hell he's saying. That's the beauty of it."

Padilla was also the last National League pitcher in the 2002 All-Star Game in Milwaukee that ended in a tie.

Coste to Coste

Chris Coste leaned up against his locker in the Phillies’ clubhouse casually chatting about Wednesday night’s 3-0 victory over the first-place New York Mets for the team’s third win in a row. Certainly it was no typical day for the Phillies’ catcher, who drove in the winning runs with a two-run home run in the second inning off potential Hall of Famer Tom Glavine on his way to a 3-for-3 game. After all, it isn’t every day a when a guy has a feature story written about him in The New York Times – the paper of record. On the strength of that story, Coste received two letters from literary agents that were set beneath his cell phone that blinked on and off like a faraway beacon on the horizon. Perhaps it was another (yes, another) Hollywood agent calling to check in about developing a feature?

Heck, maybe it was the president. After all, he spent the day campaigning for money in Lancaster.

So as Coste entertained the gaggle of writers and TV folks who formed a semi-circle about three bodies deep around him, it could have dawned on him that, yes, maybe I ought to pinch myself. How can all this be happening? A triple short of a cycle and two RBIs against Tom Glavine?

Is this a dream?

“I wouldn’t have ever guessed this,” Coste said. “My whole career has been a fight and I just never got a chance. Just to make the big leagues was enough.”

But that was before. Now, after 11 seasons in the minors and five different Major League organizations – as well as two independent league teams – the 33-year old rookie isn’t thinking about his one shot. He’s already accomplished the dream. Now his trying to live it.

“To say this is a dream wouldn’t do it justice,” Coste said.

The reporters didn’t gather around Coste to hear the fairy tale stories all over again – though it was interesting. Instead they came to ask Coste about another game in the big leagues. Another game in which he produced a clutch hit, and caught a good game just like he was any other player making his way through another long baseball season. It didn’t matter that Coste had the improbable story of winters spent playing in Mexico or spending Christmases at a Wal-Mart with teammates only to have the doors of the big-league clubhouses slammed in his face year after year. It didn’t matter that he was the 33-year-old rookie who Hollywood types were looking to cash in off of like that science teacher from Texas.

In this case Coste is sharing the starting catching duties with a guy playing in his 13th Major League season for a team very much in the middle of a playoff run, and is making a significant contribution.

In fact, Coste was calling the pitches for Jon Lieber on Wednesday night as the big right-hander turned in the team’s best pitching outing of the season. With Coste behind the dish, Lieber threw a taut five-hitter where he threw 101 pitches in nine innings without a walk in shutting out the Mets.

"It’s been awesome. He’s done a tremendous job back there, especially after spring training and going through that difficult situation,” Lieber understated. “He’s definitely building up his confidence.”

That difficult situation Lieber was talking about was when Coste was sent back to Triple-A even though he pounded the ball during Grapefruit League action in spring training for a .472 batting average. Instead of Coste as a backup catcher or a utility infielder, the Phillies opted to go with Sal Fasano and Alex Gonzalez instead.

Fasano, of course, was designated for assignment and then dealt to the Yankees, while Gonzalez decided to retire after hitting .111 in 20 games.

Said manager Charlie Manuel: “He’s doing a good job. He can put the fat part of the bat on the ball.”

That’s another understatement. Since making it to the Majors on May 26, Coste is mostly fattening up his stats. In going 3-for-3 on Wednesday, Coste’s average jumped to .359 to go with five homers and 22 RBIs. His on-base percentage is a robust .400 while his OPS, is a very lusty .973.

In 100 games from Fasano and 13-year veteran Mike Lieberthal, the Phillies have received seven homers, 30 RBIs and a .247 average. But take away the 0-for-13 Coste had when first making his debut, and the average climbs to .411.

Looks like the Phillies found their catcher.

Right?

Well…

“I sneak up on everybody. That’s my style,” Coste said about his red-hot start. “It’s nice being under the radar a bit. The second time through the league will be different. That’s what everyone is telling me.”

That certainly seems to be the case. Coste isn’t a secret any more. With the features in The Times, literary agents writing for ideas, and Hollywood producers looking for the latest feel-good story, it’s very likely that Coste is going to have to make some more adjustments in order to keep the good times going.

As far as that goes, Coste is ready.

“As a human you want more and you get greedy,” Coste said. “If you get up here for a year you want to stay for 15. I want to be like Julio Franco playing when I’m 47. You want more. That’s human nature.”

And at this point, more is never enough.

Ol' man Lieby

Mike Lieberthal is in the lineup for Thursday afternoon's game against the Mets, which means he will tie Red Dooin for most games caught by a Phillie. The list: Red Dooin (1902-14) -- 1,124 Mike Lieberthal (1994-current) -- 1,124 Bob Boone (1972-81) -- 1,079 Darren Daulton (1983-95) -- 965 Jack Clements (1884-97) -- 953 Clay Dalrymple (1960-68) -- 944 Andy Seminick (1943-51; '55-57) -- 917

The Phillies sent out this little bio of Red Dooin:

Who is Red Dooin?

Charles Sebastian (Red) Dooin was behind the plate for the Phillies for 13 seasons starting in 1902. The last five years, he was the club’s player-manager (390-370 record), finishing second in 1913 (88-63, drawing 470,000). He was replaced by Pat Moran as manager in 1915, the year the Phillies won their first pennant.

In 4,004 career at-bats, Dooin (5-foot-9, 165 pounds) batted just .240, but he stole 133 bases, including double figures seven straight years. Not too many catchers these days can match his stolen base numbers.

Dooin reportedly was the first catcher to wear papier-mâché shin guards. He wore them under his stockings, according to various publications.

When his playing career was over, he performed in vaudeville as a tenor.

Dooin was born in Cincinnati, OH, in 1879 and died 73 years later in Rochester, NY.

Here's the list of games-played leaders by position:

C Mike Lieberthal (1994-current) -- 1,124 P Robin Roberts (1948-61) -- 529 1B Fred Luderus (1910-20) -- 1,298 2B Tony Taylor (1960-71; 74-76) -- 1,003 SS Larry Bowa (1970-81) -- 1,667 3B Mike Schmidt (1972-89) -- 2,212 OF Richie Ashburn (1948-59) -- 1,785 OF Del Ennis (1946-56) -- 1,610 OF Sherry Magee (1904-14) -- 1,415

So what does this list tell us? Well, because the Phillies played their first game in 1883 and have won just one World Series over that span, the names seem to indicate that the team has not been very good for 123 seasons. Just for fun, here's the what the all-time games played list should look like:

C - Bob Boone P - Ferguson Jenkins 1B - Richie Allen 2B - Ryne Sandberg SS - Bowa 3B - Schmidt/Scott Rolen OF - Ashburn OF - Bobby Abreu OF - Greg Luzinski OF - Chuck Klein

Remember, this is for amusement purposes only.

On another note, Lieberthal is also the franchise's all-time leader in times hit by a pitch.

Drink coffee... now!

Earlier this year I came to terms with something that had been troubling me for quite some time, and that's my addiction -- yes, addiction -- to caffeine. What I realized is that it's time for me to quit trying to quit caffeine. The monkey can not be shaken.

Of course, like any self-respecting caffeine addict, the delivery of the intoxicant to my blood stream is very important. Anything other than diet coke, green tea and the true nectar of the gods, coffee, is a waste of time.

So it was a delight to see the top e-mailed story in The New York Times today was one about the health benefits that come from drinking coffee. In fact, coffee just might have more antioxidants than drinking green tea, and green tea has been proven in some circles to stop some forms of cancer.

So drink up, people. Have all the coffee and tea you like... just have that one healthful glass of wine to help you get rid of those shakes and get to sleep.

Charlie vs. Dallas

Anyone who saw Jim Salisbury's story in the Inquirer this morning certainly has an opinion on the little dust-up between Charlie Manuel and Dallas Green, or "Coot-off" as it has been called in these parts. I'm not going to weigh in on either end, but Manuel is one tough dude. He's already survived cancer and a heart attack so he's going to be hard to beat in a urban combat setting.

As far as the tale of the tape goes, Dallas Green was 454-478 as a Major League manager (169-130 for the Phillies), while Manuel is 366-325 and 146-134 with the Phillies.

Dallas has that ring, though as the honeymoon reaches its 26th year.

Have a seat, Pat

Before the Phillies opened up the 10-game homestand with last weekend’s set against the Reds, one of the baseball beat writers made a bold prediction: "If the Phillies win five of their next seven, they’re going to the playoffs."

Seven of the 10 games were against the Reds and the Mets, both of whom should be playing baseball in October. Needless to say, winning five of seven was a pretty tall order and it looked rather impossible after the Phillies dropped two of three to the Reds.

But following the first two games of the series against the Mets, a four-game sweep – as well as that 5-2 stretch – is quite realistic.

Go figure.

The Phillies have been very good with the bats lately. That’s pretty obvious, especially when they have scored 24 runs in two games against the team leading the NL East by 13 games. Actually, the Phillies’ bats have been excellent when Pat Burrell has been on the bench and both David Dellucci and Shane Victorino have been in the lineup. Since the All-Star Break, the Phillies are 7-3 in games in which Burrell does not start.

I’m not sure what that means, but it seems as if the team’s lineup has a little more pizzazz with Victorino and Dellucci.

Of course, pizzazz isn’t quantifiable by too many traditional statistical formulas.

The plan

A couple of regular readers were curious about my marathon training program, and what I did to prepare myself for those races. I really don't know how to answer these questions since everybody reacts to training regimes differently.

Personally, I like to run a lot of miles. It makes me feel better, though I have learned through trial and error that if I do too many weeks over 110 miles, I have a tendency to break down. Back in the old days, I cranked out months of 130-miles weeks only to get to the starting line worn out. That really sucked.

However, 100 to 105 miles per week seems to be the magic number as long as keep my interval sessions more strength-based than repeats on a track. I seem to recover pretty quickly from workout to workout when sticking to a steady and strict 100-mile plan.

Anyway, for those who asked, here's what I did last week and I'll try to keep this updated for the personal and public record. Why should there be any secrets?

Monday: 14.4 miles @ medium pace with hills. Surged on all hills.
Tuesday: 20 miles on grass @ 7:06 pace.
Wednesday: 13 miles easy.
Thursday: 17 miles on grass @ 6:50 pace.
Friday: 14.4 miles easy.
Saturday: 14.4 miles with 5x 1 mile in 5:45.
Sunday: 7 miles easy in 48:42.

100.2 miles for third straight week... fourth 100-mile week in last six weeks, with two weeks at 7,500-feet of altitude mixed in.

There are 13 weeks to go before the Harrisburg Marathon on Nov. 12.

More dope

The following received post of the week honors on Letsrun.com, a web site devoted to distance running, track and field, etc. We'll let readers make their own conclusions on the research. The post:

A list of T&F, XC and USATF Road-Race athletes who have been caught using illegal performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and sanctioned by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) over the past six years can be found at http://www.usantidoping.org/what/management/sanctions.aspx

To this list I added the athlete’s event, coach, sponsor and agent (see list below).

Since 2003, 20 athletes have received severe sanctions by USADA. 17 received 2-year suspensions, Michelle Collins & Regina Jacobs received 4-year suspensions and Jerome Young a lifetime suspension. Another 10 athletes received less severe sanctions (9 got warnings and Rickey Harris a 1-year suspension).

LIFETIME BANS: Despite all the talk about “lifetime bans”, since 2000, the USADA has issued lifetime bans for only three athletes across all sports. They are Jerome Young (T&F/400m, 2004), Tammy Thomas (Cycling, 2002) and Tony Dees (T&F/110mH, 2001).

DEMOGRAPHICS OF THOSE RECEIVING SEVERE BANS (2+ YEARS): GENDER: 60% male / 40% female RACE: 70% black / 30% white EVENT: 60% sprints / 20% throws / 15% distance / 5% jumps SPONSOR: 60% Nike / 15% Adidas / 15% all other sponsors / 10% no sponsor COACH: 30% Trevor Graham(Sprint Capital) / 15% John Smith(HS Intl) / 10% Remi Korchemmy(ZMA) 45% 9 other coaches (1 athlete each) AGENT: 15% Emanuel Hudson / 15% Renaldo Nehemiah / 10% Charlie Wells / 60% 12 agents (1 each)

OBSERVATIONS: - Distance events and the jumps appear to be fairly clean – or their athletes are smarter about not getting caught.

- 60% of those who caught doping were sponsored by Nike. But this is roughly in line with the percentage of all pro T&F athletes sponsored by Nike. I counted all the Nike sponsored athletes who participated in the 2006 USATF Outdoor Championships, and then counted the athletes sponsored by all the other shoe companies. Of the “shoe company” sponsored athletes at this meet, 60% were sponsored by Nike. Nike sponsored 70% of the shoe-company sponsored sprinters, 46% of the distance runners, 78% in the throw events, and 72% in the jump events. So it appears that Nike sponsored athletes are no more or less likely to dope than athletes sponsored by other shoe companies.

- The athletes of just 3 coaches (Trevor Graham, Remi Korchemmy, John Smith) account for 55% of all serious doping offensives since 2003. I’ve heard that Korchemmy (age 73) may yet be banned for life due to his involvement with BALCO (or at least retire). Graham is currently under investigation and could end up receiving a long or even lifetime ban. And there have been serious allegations linking John Smith to BALCO (http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-23-2004-54595.asp). - Three agents also account for 45% of the serious doping offensives since 2003. Like coaches, agents can be enablers, finding drug suppliers and doctors for athletes who decide to dope. A 2-year/lifetime ban on coaches, agents and doctors is something that I believe needs to be considered. Doping can end up financially rewarding for the coach, doctor, and agent -- not just the athlete who today assumes nearly all the risk. There needs to be a risk of severe financial loss for coaches, agents and doctors, if T&F’s doping problem is to be solved.

- If I included in my analysis the 10 doping athletes who received less severe sanctions, the demographics of this larger group of 30 dopers would be: 70% male, 80% black, (66% sprints, 13% throws, 10% distance, 10% jumps) and (69% Nike, 10% Adidas, 10% other sponsors, 10% no sponsor).

DOPING LIST [Athlete (event) -- Coach & Sponsor – Agent]

2006 SUSPENSIONS (2+ yrs) Justin Gatlin (100m, 200m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah John Capel (100m. 200m) – Mike Holloway & Adidas – Self Serene Ross (Javelin) – John Zera & Unattached – Self

2005 SUSPENSIONS (2+yrs) Tim Montgomery (100m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Charlie Wells Chryste Gaines (100m, 200m) – Remi Korchemmy & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah Larry Wade (110mH) – John Smith & Nike – Emanuel Hudson Deeja Youngquist (marathon) – Teddy Mitchell & Saucony – agent? Erick Walder (LJ, TJ) – Dick Booth & Adidas – Bob Pelletier

2004 SUSPENSIONS (2+ yrs) Michelle Collins (200m, 400m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Jos Hermens Jerome Young (400m) – Trevor Graham & Adidas – Charlie Wells Calvin Harrison (400m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Karen Locke Alvin Harrison (400m) – Trevor Graham & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah Regina Jacobs (1500m thru 5000m) – Tom Craig & Nike – Emanuel Hudson Kelli White (100m, 200m) – Remi Korchemmy & Nike – Robert Wagner Torri Edwards (100m, 200m) – John Smith & Nike – Emanuel Hudson Mickey Grimes (100m, 200m) – John Smith & Nike – Kermit Foster Eddy Hellebuyck (Marathon) –Self & New Balance – Shawn Hellebuyck Kevin Toth (Shot Put) – Kent Pagel & Nike – John Nubani John McEwen (Hammer) –coach? & NYAC – agent? Melissa Price (Hammer) – Mark Colligan & Unattached -- self

2004 to 2006 WARNINGS Leo Bookman (200m) – coach? & Nike – agent? LaMark Carter (LJ, TJ) – Dean Johnson & Nike – Cubie Seegobin Chris Phillips (100mH) – Tim McCrary & Nike – Robert Wagner Bernard Williams (100m, 200m) – Mike Holloway & Nike – Kimberly Holland Rae Monzavous Edwards (100m) – coach? & sponsor? – agent? Tim Rusan (TJ) – Dick Booth & Nike – John Nebani Sandra Glover (400mH) – Don Glover & Nike – Renaldo Nehemiah Chris Phillips (100mH) – coach? & Nike – agent? Eric Thomas (400mH) – Kim Wrinkle & Nike – Caroline Feith Rickey Harris (400mH) – coach? & Unattached – agent? (Harris got a 1 year suspension)

Nevermind...

Remember all that stuff I wrote about believing Floyd Landis and about how a good Mennonite boy from Lancaster County would never, ever do something as silly as dope in the Tour de France when he had already been drug tested 20 times? Remember?

Well, if his T/E ratio was really 11 to 1 as been reported, and if there was really a synthetic found in the test after that amazing Stage 17, well...

Nevermind.

If all of that is the case, then it seems as if dopers can come from anywhere -- even old order Mennonites from Lancaster County.

Either way, the news of that long-awaited "B" sample should be revealed tomorrow at 5 a.m.. What that will solve is anyone's guess. What happens if the next sample comes back under 4 to 1?

Nevertheless, I am correct about one thing -- the issue of drugs and steroids in sports in the most important story of this generation. It supercedes everything.

In the meantime, here are a collection of stories about the on-going Landis case:

Inaccurate synthetic test?

Lancaster Newspapers collection of Landis stories

Michael Johnson on Justin Gatlin (and Landis)

Floyd Landis's Alcohol Defense -- The Wall Street Journal

Masseur Rejects Charge by Gatlin’s Coach -- The New York Times This story includes a claim that the masseur was beaten up at this year's national championships in Indianapolis.

Doping Scandal Could Hurt Track and Field on Financial Side -- Super Athletics To which I say, good. Perhaps with less interference and money from corporations only interested in their own gain (cough, cough... Nike, cough), maybe the sport will be more pure.

Floyd Landis Re-Considered -- Amby Burfoot

The Hall of Shame Gets Bigger -- Amby Burfoot

Friday morning musings

Here's one from a columnist named Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch where he writes that it could be worse for the Cardinals and their fans during the current losing skid -- they could be Phillies fans. Yeah, ouch. Either way, Gordon doesn't shed new light on anything. It's included here because I thought it was interesting how the Phillies and their organization are viewed outside of the vortex of the Delaware Valley. Judging from the column, it's safe to say that it's not very different.

Meanwhile, the Phillies have won three games in a row, six of their last seven and eight of the last 10 games to climb out of oblivion to just 2 1/2 games off the pace in the wild-card race. That makes the Phillies and the Yankees the hottest teams in baseball.

And to think, all it took was a little trade for both teams.

Ex-Phillie watch Vicente Padilla, who general manager Pat Gillick shipped to Texas for, well, nothing, during the off season, was picked up for a suspected DUI last night.

Soapbox time: As a father of a two-year-old boy and uncle to three kids all under the age of three, irresponsibility while driving is very troublesome -- and this has nothing to do with Padilla because he hasn't been indicted and is only a suspect. Nevertheless, it's hard to have any sympathy for jackass drivers who could do damage to themselves or a child. I've lost one too many friends because of car accidents that could have been avoided.

Rant over.

Back to Padilla -- now does everyone understand why the Phillies cast him out for nothing? Certainly, Padilla's habits in Philadelphia were no secret and this doesn't take into account his fitness, or lackthereof. In fact, a bunch of writers knew that the team was going to let him walk as early as last September when the Phillies were still in the wild-card race and Padilla was pitching quite well. But whether he pitched well or not, the enigmatic Nicaraguan just wasn't worth the trouble.

Padilla definitely has a few demons brewing beneath the surface. After all, he was in the car during a car accident in his native Nicaragua where his best friend was killed a few years ago. Through it all, the Phillies always denied -- at least officially -- that Padilla had a problems. It always seemed as if the Phillies were more concerned about touting Padilla's potential as a pitcher than anything else. Yes, he was very talented -- actually, there was a time when hitters feared Padilla like no other pitcher. I still remember Padilla coming four outs away from a no-hitter in a game at the Vet against the Diamondbacks.

But Padilla, from a severely rural and poor upbringing in Nicaragua, never really knew how to fit in with his teammates on the Phillies or the media. He spoke English and could communicate with teammates, but often refused to do it. Sometimes it seemed as if he was from another planet.

Lets hope the Rangers are less worried about what Padilla can do on the mound and help him get himself together.

More Abreu trade fodder In today's edition of Baseball Prospectus, Jim Baker wrote a story about how Bobby Abreu and his penchant for drawing a walk per game makes the Yankees almost unbeatable. Almost.

Here's a graf from the opus:

I'm not saying that Abreu in and of himself makes the Yankees unbeatable, but he assures them of having more of the type of individual games where the records show teams have a much easier time winning. Ideally, that is what all deadline deals should do for those in competition.

Abreu had another multi-hit game for the Yankees last night and the Bombers are undefeated since his arrival. Based on wins and losses it appears as if the trade worked out well for both clubs.

Reading:

Lidle’s First Win as Yankee Comes With a Sweet Reward -- The New York Times Looks like the Yankees like ice cream, too.

Best Hitters Still Chasing Yankee Clipper -- The New York Times Every one is taking notice of Chase Utley.

Abreu Is Just the Latest to Get in Line for a Ring -- The New York Times

Ex-Phillie alert

Ice cream and online-poker lover, and budding pilot, Cory Lidle made his Yankees debut this afternoon and turned in another decent performance in the Bombers' 8-1 victory over Toronto. Lidle's line: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 1 WP, 1 HBP on 80 pitches.

Lidle's batterymate was Sal Fasano, who went 0-for-4 at the plate with three strikeouts to help his batting average dip to a not-so robust .111. Can't say we're surprised.

On another note, Bobby Abreu was flip-flopped in the batting order with Jason Giambi, going from fifth to third, and responded by going 3-for-5 with his second double (padding?) with a pair of runs. In the three games since joining the Yankees, Abreu is hitting .385 and has only walked once.

I suggest you check out Dan McQuade's "Ex-Phillie Watch" page on his trenchant site, Philadelphia Will Do.

According to the page, it appears as if Abraham Nunez has performed a little better than David Bell since last week's deal with the Brewers.

On another note, here's why the Yankees are a great organization as written in the Associated Press recap of the game:

The gametime temperature was 97 degrees as much of the East and Midwest continued to deal with a stifling heat wave. The Yankees offered free water at various points throughout the stadium, opened some air-conditioned suites to use as cooling rooms and aired public address announcements from manager Joe Torre and pitcher Mike Mussina urging fans to stay hydrated.

It should also be noted that the Yankees did not use the big jumbotron in the stadium to further conserve energy.

Who says the Yankees are wasteful? They're green, too!