Other times a ball player ain’t so lucky.

Take Baltimore’s Vlad Guerrero last night, for example. He went 0 for 4 at the plate with 0 walks, dropping his batting average to .272 and his on-base percentage to .305. Of course, in the top of the 7th inning, he totally killed a pitch from Minnesota’s Carl Pavano. The ball shot like a rocket to the deepest part of the ballpark, but Minnesota center fielder Ben Revere tracked it down to make a spectacular running/leaping catch up against the wall, robbing Guerrero of extra bases.

This is absolutely, positively one of the best catches in baseball this season. Revere has to sprint to the wall while tracking the path of the ball by looking over his shoulder. Then all he does is make a brilliant Willie Mays-style over-the-shoulder catch as he plows into the wall.

At the end of the day, though, my mind comes back to Guerrero. If he had whiffed on the pitch and it dribbled out between the shortstop and third basemen, his average would have gone up a point.

With the Rangers down 3-0 in the fourth inning. Vlad stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded against Scott Kazmir. He promptly jacked one over the fence for a grand slam which gave the Rangers a lead they would never relinquish. For good measure — and possibly some revenge against the team that no longer wanted him — Vlad hit a bomb off Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez to add an insurance run in the 8th. The Rangers won it 6-4 and increased their lead in the AL West to 4.5 games.

Vlad finished the night going 4-4 with the 2 homers, a double, 2 runs scored and 5 RBI. Vlad is headed to the All-Star Game later this month and he has The Stat Line of the Month for 6/30/10.

If you are unaware of what has been going on with Alex Rodriguez the last few weeks, you must be living under a rock (tell cousin slug I said hi). Here is a quick recap. A-Rod was exposed as a steroid user by Selena Roberts of Sports Illustrated. He then grants an interview with ESPN’s Peter Gammons, in which he admitted using steroids from ‘ 01-’03, his years with the Texas Rangers. Many people were dissatisfied with the interview, poking holes in A-Rods story. Rodriguez then holds a massive press conference upon his arrival to spring training. A few more details (the cousin), but pretty much more of the same. The public and the media having a field day ripping Alex apart,as he attempts to excuse  all his actions by either saying he was ” young and stupid “, or that he didn’t think that they even used the steroids properly.You want to know something ? Personally, I couldn’t give a flying (insert your own word here!)

The thing is this, I don’t think I am the only one. I want to get to the business of baseball. I love the game and I really am tired of hearing all this garbage. Can we get to the part where we debate about who has the best pitching staff, or who is going to have a break out year ? No. This truly is the NEVERENDING STORY.
I keep hearing how the steroid guys have cheated the game, how they have tarnished the record books, how they have set a poor example for young athletes. You know what? Stop ! If you are that disgusted with this era, then boycott the game! Don’t go to the park, don’t watch it on T. V. and stop buying merchandise. No one is forcing you to participate. Sound extreme? I suppose but the point is I won’t, I love the game I love my Mets, I am a little saddened that all these players felt the need to put poison in their bodies, but who am I to judge? The fan does have some power here, it’s like I said you can boycott the game, but I can’t. I tell all of you this because as disgusted as you may be, it’s not going to go away anytime soon.

Yesterday it was reported that A-Rod has been linked to Angel Persinal. Persinal is a trainer from the Dominican Republic, who has been banned by MLB because he is a suspected steroid guy. Rodriguez was linked with this guy as late as 2007. What does that mean for A-Rod? I don’t know, but it certainly makes it hard to take him at his word about being clean since he has been in New York. It doesn’t end with A-Rod either. Persinal has been linked with other players: Juan Gonzalez, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Miguel Tejada, Adrian Beltre, Moises Alou, Jose Guillen, Ervin Santana, Ruben Sierra, Francisco Cordero, Jose Mesa and Juan Guzman, among others. Now this doesn’t mean that the players listed above are roid users, but you know it’s going to cause much speculation.

I do not condone steroid use. I feel badly for the fan who feel they have cheated. All I am saying is this; the steroid era is far from over. There is a lot more to come, and I am afraid some of the names you are going to hear are going to be guys you would not have ever suspected. I for one am done, I really don’t care what they do anymore, I am a fan of the game, and nothing is ever going to stop that.