Ankiel's Achilles Heal

I couldnt believe it....I had just gotten done watching the highlight.
Rick Ankiel, an outfielder for the playoff contending St. Louis Cardinals, went like 3 for 5 and hit a game deciding homerun that sent the Pirates back to Pittsburg without a series win. I told my buddy AJ who was watching Sportscenter with me, "Good for him, I'm glad he's having a career year, he deserves it". The words had barely left my mouth when a Sportscenter "breaking news" headline slide across the screen..
"Outfielder Ankiel linked too reports of HGH drug scandal"
I was speechless, but then again, I probably should have known...
The steriod scandel that has engulfed Major League Baseball is sickening. I have to admit, I thought the league was making progress, no new stories had been released in quite some time. However, the Ankiel allegations blasted me back into reality.
The integrity of baseball is in ruins; America's national pastime is tarnished.
When I heard the news of the Ankiel story, i remember feeling a stinging mixture of annoyance and rage. I had fallen for it...
For thoose of you who don't know the Ankiel story, here it is...
Ankiel started out in the Cardinal farm system as a pitcher, eventually making it to the big leagues after moving up through the ranks. After experiencing major league success, the fear ever professional pitcher has, became a reality for Ankiel, he needed arm surgery (Tommy John) To make a long strory short, he ended up coming out of surgery unable to pitch a baseball every again. However, this did not start Ankiel. He somehow convinced the organization to let him tryout as a positional player, a conversion unheard of in major league baseball. In nearly no time, Ankiel worked his way back up the pros and this year was in the process of having a career year. He had become the "feel good" story of major league baseball.
Not anymore...
This year has been a tragedy for baseball. The most coveted record in baseball, all time homerun leader, was broken by a cheater. Barry Bonds. With so many players being linked to steriods, I don't know who to trust anymore. My only hope is that the game will make it through these dark times and return to the glory days of the past middle of the century.
((Alan))