Everyone in baseball seems to be talking about the Donnelly Glove situation.
Anyone who gets up on a soapbox or behind a pulpit to preach about cheating should beigin their little sermon with teh phrase "Jim Palmer should be kicked out of the Hall of Fame and Nolan Ryan should be rewarded one of his Cy Young Awards." Then I will believe that this cheating thing is a serious issue to you and not just the topic du jour.
Frank Robinson's unctious reaction to Scioscia reeks of someone who has been untouchable royalty too long.
The vibe around Cooperstown reminds me of the Vatican - Holier-than-thou's who cannot be questioned by anyone not among their clique of elected members (and no women either).
Donnelly was probably using the pine tar to dry his hand, and he is a big sweaty pig of a guy.
That said, Brendan's no Saint.
In 1998 when I first saw the remodeled Anaheim Stadium, my first thought about the bullpens was wondering if trouble would ensue when they cleared for a bench-clearing fight. The two groups of pitchers ran out in a hurried, yet orderly fashion.
I cannot tell if this game was a momentum-inducer or an unexpected deflation. Hopefully they put it behind them.
That said, I'm wearing my Donnelly jersey to the game tonight and totally hoping for an appearance by #53, preferably against Jose Helmet-tosser Guillen.