I'm sorry I got caught

Before Alex Rodriguez hurts his arm by slapping himself on the back for admitting he's a roider, remember he's only apologizing because he got caught.

He has had ample time to come clean, including his now infamous 2007 interview with Katie Couric and last week when first confronted by Sports Illustrated. But he lied and stalled in hopes his real-life image would just magically match the one in his mind.

Too late. Just like your ill-advised attempt to slap the ball away from Bronson Arroyo in the 2004 ALCS, it's all over for you, A-Roid.

I would like to give him credit for going beyond the usual athlete apology of "I got caught, so I'm going to apologize for this one-time transgression." But I find it too convenient that his apology, while covering a longer time span than most, ends right at the year of the drug test.

If you lie once, you can lie again. If you cheat once, you can cheat again. How do we know he hasn't moved on to other drugs that MLB does not, or cannot, test for?

This whole steroid mess only opens up question after question, and I find myself having to pick and choose which bit of information I believe. I can only hope I'm right.

The other night Christine and I debated whether prominent members of the 2004 Red Sox are on the list of 104 who tested positive along with A-Rod. It wasn't quite a debate because I can't say for sure.

Take Curt Schilling, for example. He's been so outspoken against steroids and those who used. He seems to understand public relations and would know that if he's on Slappy's list, his reputation and the great 2004 will forever be ruined.

So that part of me says there's no way he ever used, but as with A-Rod, Palmeiro and Clemens ... we've heard strong denials before.

When does spring training start?

{Saturday!!}