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Q.  How disgusting, eh.  And here we thought this was a good lad.

A.  As y'know, Dr. D is a "dove" on steroid use.  

But in the defense of The Man And His Hammer, we will allow that our society has voted to outlaw (anabolic) steroids used with this intent.  And we'll allow that our BASEBALL society has decided to protect non-users.

I don't have (that much of a) problem with Rollins' suspension, if that's what the players have agreed to.  I do have a problem with moral outrage against users.  A big one.

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Q.  James argues that steroids are not nearly as unhealthy as the propaganda makes them out to be.  What's the short version of that again?

A.  Speaking in very simplified terms ... anabolic steroids seem to be a way to drive your testosterone (and hormones) up.  So the normal range is 300-1100 ng/dL.  If mine was 600, and I drove it up to 1000...  What's so dire about that?  Is that comparable to meth addiction?  You be the judge.

Granted, if you're not blood-testing yourself, what if you hit 1500 ng/dl?  That's where the legit concerns come in.  This is the most basic concern that doctors have with you medicating yourself:  you aren't measuring the results carefully.  Dr. G can correct me if I'm wrong.

...

Go to a pop med site and ask "why are steroids bad?"  And they'll preach a sermon ending with the side effects:

• Acne
• Baldness 
• Aggressiveness
• Mood swings 
• etc

In other words, you'll be more male than you were?!  :: shudder ::  

Granted, they'll also have in there that it's hard for your liver to process the stuff.  (How hard is it for your liver to process a fifth of Paddy's Irish?  How hard is it for your pancreas to deal with a pint of Haagen-Dazs every night?  Is that punishable by a year in jail?)

I think that to be perfectly frank ... with some drugs, a person might decide to "eyeball" the results.  Do you blood-test yourself when you crack open a half rack of beer?  

(A doctor was once being too strident about treatment to Dr. D.  I quipped, the only thing that gives me a say on treatment choice here is that it's my kidney.*)  ... and they didn't always have blood tests, you know.  Doctors were willing to medicate you before blood tests existed.

NEEDLESS TO SAY it's far preferable to have a speedometer on your car when you are driving, and far preferable to know the blood chemistry after dosing.

........

A debate over steroids would be much more complex than this.  And I respect that it's technically illegal for a doctor to prescribe them "for athletic performance."  ... I've had doctors wink at me and prescribe drugs for secondary purposes quite a few times.  

I'm not a biochemist; I stand ready to be corrected if an intelligent case is presented the other way.  Let's not get self-righteous in the debate, is all SSI would ask.  

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I don't think David Rollins is less than me, because he chose to dose himself with hormones.  I've done worse.  'Course, those of yer who are without sin, cast the stones.  With gusto.  ;- )

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Q.  And you've been prepared to face the music, of course?

A.  Yes, as Rollins is now doing.  ... You got to love his statement, right?  No baloney about slipping and falling on a needle.  He said, yep, this winter, I wanted to build myself up quicker after a setback and I shouldn't have done it.

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Q.  My fave solution to a problem.  Wait for it to go away.

A.  SSI wanted Tyler Olson in the bullpen, and David Rollins stashed as an Elias-type asset for 2016.  There was simply no way to do that.  :: sigh ::

If you'll take it in the spirit it's meant, the Mariners rolled their car over the cliff and landed in a thick bed of four-leaf clovers.  David Rollins is going to be quite okay, thanks.  As fans, we're golden.

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Q.  Olson appeared in back-to-back games?

A.  Made you sit up in your chair, the first game when Olson was brought in for one hitter.  Then when you saw him scheduled for the next game ... that's kind of like the Chinese army performing "practice maneuvers" within 200 yards of the Tibetian border.

Two 1-hitter appearances, one against somebody and the second against Alex Gordon His Ownself.  Same thing both times:  

• Miss with the first pitch
• Get behind
• Come in with a challenge, rakish fastball
• Batter comes nowhere near squaring it up (topped grounder, then high IF pop)

In other words, in that role when Olson gets Strike One it's just about over.  And even when Olson does not get strike one he still looks tough out there.  Hard to say what else you want to see.

Not that Olson is inherently a Left hand One Out Guy.  He ain't.  Call them Charlie Furbush Squared.

Roster set?,

Dr D