Thanks to the magic of Youtube, Internet outlets across the globe are starting to realize that they no longer control their own video content.  Try as they might to deter it, someone will post something of their's on Youtube.  Instead of continually clamping down, some of the outlets are starting to catch on and create their own video. 

Cheers to ESPN and the folks in Bristol for doing just that.  For without ESPN, we wouldn't get to show the great Mustachioids of JoeSportsFan Fernando Vinarunning circles around Bob Ley's solid questions. 

As one JSF colleague noted to me in a corporate email, "Vina is nervous when describing Rays-Royals highlights, I can’t wait to see what he’s got to say about steroid accusations." 

Indeed. 



It's the typical nonsense that we've seen from Andy Pettitte and countless others.  At least someone like F.P. Santangelo came out and admitted that yes, he took steroids.  It doesn't make him a hero, but at least he's not lying. 

In a bit of an interesting twist (loose use of the word), Vina is one of many former or current St. Louis Cardinals who played under the watch of Tony LaRussa, who were cited in the Mitchell Report. 

Rick Ankiel
David Bell
Gary Bennett
Larry Bigbie
Ryan Franklin
Cody Mckay
Kent Merker
Fernando Vina
Mark Mcgwire
Jose Canseco

What does it mean?  I certainly don't think it means that LaRussa encouraged it, but he probably looked the other way if he knew of any drug shenanigans simply out of loyalty to his players.  Vina was with the Cardinals from 2000-2003.  He says he only used HGH in 2003 and that he had "pressure from the team" to get back and heal from his injuries.

That still doesn't mean anything, especially given Vina's ridiculous response as seen above.  And we know that Rick Ankiel took drugs in the minor leagues and Ryan Franklin did so before the 2007 season, his first with St. Louis.

All told, you could probably lump a lot of players with one manager.  As an example, Joe Torre at one time managed:

Roger Clemens
Chuck Knoblauch
Andy Pettitte
Jason Giambi
Gary Sheffield
Glenallen Hill
Rondell White
Randy Velarde

... and all of them appeared in the Mitchell Report.