The Blogger-Hunt: ESPN Takes Its Shots After Raul Ibanez Speculation

Written by Bob Biscigliano | 19 June 2009

This is long overdue, but there was a lot of discussion the last week and a half or so surrounding a piece written on the blogosphere about Raul Ibanez and the possibility that he's using PEDs.   JRod from Midwest Sports Fans wrote a piece trying to explain Raul Ibanez's amazing start to this season, his first year with the Phillies, and speculated that it could be due to the usage of steroids.  After all, is there anyone in this era we should fully trust as being clean?  Surprsingly, I thought A-Rod was clean. Busted. I thought Manny was clean.  Busted.  I'm sure there are oodles of clean players in the league, at least I'd love to think so, but the truth of the matter is steroids is prevalant in this era and it appears that in the MLB and its fans nowadays, it's guilty until proven innocent and not the other way around.

Anyway, JRod caught a lot of flack for his piece because some little Mainstream Media guy ran and told his mommy (Raul Ibanez) on him.  JRod was then invited to be on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" where he attempted to defend himself, yet MSM once again tried to make him out to be some average joe who lived in his mother's basement with a pea for a brain.  Watching the show, it seemed as if ESPN was just happy he was able to find a nice pair of slacks to wear to the taping.  No respect in my opinion.

Obviously, I disagree with how blown out of proportion this whole ordeal was.  I don't like it one bit.

Akecke of The Nine Commandments was kind enough to volunteer and write a guest piece that I think says exactly what I was going to say, puts it perfectly.

For the record, since this whole crap went down, Raul Ibanez has struggled.  In his last 22 ABs he has 11 K's and just 4 hits (.182).  He does have 2 HR, but only 4 RBIs.  Since June 2nd his AVG has dropped 28 points, from .340 to .312. He just recently went on the DL with a steroid induced groin injury.  Not much of a sample size, but I'm just saying.  Click "READ MORE" after the comments link.