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Posted Jun 23rd 2009 11:22AM by Tom Fornelli

Filed under: Cardinals, Phillies, MLB Media Watch, MLB Rumors, MLB PEDs

A few weeks ago there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez, steroids and a blog. More specifically, a media firestorm started when a blogger named JRod wrote a post on MidwestSportsFans.com that looked at the possibility of Ibanez using steroids because of the way he'd been playing in the 2009 season.

The Philadelphia Inquirer then picked up on the story, brought it to Ibanez, Raul responded and then the next thing we knew Jerod Morris, JRod, was showing up on ESPN's Outside the Lines and was berated by Ken Rosenthal and John Gonzalez. Morris was shown off as the latest example of all things wrong with blogging and had to be reprimanded for his seemingly innocuous deed.

The whole catalyst behind this affair was bloggers and personal responsibility, or more specifically, their lack of it. All Morris did was express his opinions that Ibanez could possibly be using, which is something every baseball fan can't help but think of when it comes to any player in the game these days.

We may not like it, but with all the players who have been outed as steroid users in recent years, we're not left with many other options.

Of course, openly speculating about a player's possible steroid use without any proof isn't something a real journalist would ever do, only a blogger like Morris. Right?

Apparently not. I wonder if the Los Angeles Times' Jerry Crowe is going to be asked to go on Outside The Lines so he can be set straight. This is from Crowe's latest column.

Thanks to [Manny] Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, etc., fans outside St. Louis must wonder, 'Do we celebrate Albert Pujols or suspect him?' . . .

Pujols has batted four times with the bases loaded this season and three times has hit grand slams. . . .

In his only other at-bat with the bases loaded, the St. Louis Cardinals slugger delivered only a two-run single. . . .

Sadly, it makes you wonder. . . .

It does make me wonder. It makes me wonder what exactly the difference is between what Jerod Morris did on a blog and Jerry Crowe did in the Los Angeles Times. Frankly the only difference I see -- aside from the fact Morris did actual statistical analysis and Crowe just threw his opinion out there -- is that Crowe speculated about a specific player's steroid use in a major newspaper that I'm sure has a far greater reach than MidwestSportsFans.com, yet for some reason I doubt there will be as much of a reaction to it.

I guess responsibility only applies to those without press passes.

Tags: albert pujols, alex rodriguez, barry bonds, Jerod Morris, Jerry Crowe, John Gonzalez, Ken Rosenthal, Manny ramirez, mark mcgwire, Outside the Lines, Philadelphia Inquirer, Raul Ibanez, sammy sosa