I never INTENTIONALLY took steriods...

Some news stories can cause a man to scratch his head in disbelief. The Rafael Palmeiro story did that to me. The four years I lived in Fort Worth I got to see Palmeiro for two seasons. What I remember was a quiet man, a consistent player, not one to crave the limelight, and...oh, what a sweet swing!

Of the four sluggers who testified before Congress in March, the one man I believed was not a user was Palmeiro. His resolute, confident denial was convincing. Especially when watching the man sitting beside him, Mark McGwire. Big Mac (who we know certainly didn't get that big from eating Big Macs) didn't want to talk about the past, he told us in a quivery voice, he was just here to be positive about the future. Oh, in case you have forgotten, let me remind you, he's retired.

Palmeiro did not even look like he was juiced. Canseco, yes. McGwire, yes. Sosa, yes. But not Palmeiro; his power seemed to come from his flawless swing.

For all these reasons, and due to the fact that I don't trust Canseco, I was happy when Palmeiro reached the milestone of 3,000 hits. Enter elite territory: the 500 hr/3,000 hit club. Only the 4th player in Major League history!

Now it's all a wash.

The thing that disappoints me most is his pathetic apology/non-apology. He never knowlingly, intentionally took steroirds. But he is sorry for his "mistake" and wants his teammates and fans and everyone else to forgive him.

I have one question for you Raffy: Why? If you didn't intend to do it, then in my book it's not your fault. Some crooked, evil person must have messed up your sample. Don't apologize! Go on the offensive. Declare that you won't be satisfied until the evil person that did this is brought to justice!

Of course, if you really are guilty and your apology is warranted, then quit your semantic image games and come out with the whole truth. Expose the lies, admit the Oscar-worthy performance of last March was a farce, and cast yourself at the mercy of the fans. If they accept you and forgive you, you can have a redeemable future in baseball. If they do not, at least you will live the rest of your life in the peace of mind and the freedom that comes with integrity.

But whatever you do, ignore your spin-doctors and get off the dog-gone fence!