The Wages of Sin, Part I

A bunch of Pinstriped news items, and a few not-so-pinstriped ones to get through, in mini-posts:

Lawton Tests Positive for Steroids -- The longer MLB's steroid policy grinds along, the more pitiful the offenders get. Lawton's season flatlined when he was dealt to the Cubs from the Pirates. He was traded to the Yankees, and his performance somehow got even worse. No offense, no defense, no nothing. And this was a man in his walk year.

We don't know when he started taking the stuff. We do know that he wasn't even taking a steroid made for humans--this was a veterinary steroid, for horses. The one thing we can be pretty sure of is that it didn't help him, because his performance couldn't have been worse if he tried.

Now, anyone who picks Lawton up has to deal with that 10 day suspension. For a veteran trying to catch a job in Spring Training, that's murder. Look for him to retire.