I love Tommy Lasorda.  He has a great mind for the game he loves – the game that has embraced him for over five decades.  What he doesn’t have is a solid understanding of steroids, as witnessed by Ramona Shelburne’s recent article in which Lasorda defends Mike Piazza against accusations of steroids use.

Jeff Pearlman, of Sports Illustrated, wrote a book which mentioned Piazza’s alleged steroid use.  I never knew Mike during my time with the Dodgers organization, but the strong buzz  was that Mike was a user.  In fact, it was almost taken as fact, though I can’t tell you that any of the people I ever heard about it from had ever actually met Mike, much less had insider information on whether or not he used steroids.

But Mr. Lasorda’s comments defending Mike bordered on absurd:

“I don’t believe that at all. He worked so hard. I saw him in the weight room working out all the time.”

I don’t know the ins and outs of steroids, as my career line will prove.  But in the mid-nineties, at least, they simply didn’t do much by themselves.  They required the user to follow up with hard work in the weight room.  They would enable a player to work out harder, longer, and with a significantly-lower recuperation time.  In order for them to be most effective, a player would have had to work hard and put a lot of time into the weight room.

“I just don’t believe it. He comes from a family that’s full of good people.”

Everyone knows that Mr. Lasorda was a friend of Mike’s father, Vince, for a long time before Mike ever surfaced as a catching prospect.  He’s the godfather of one of Mike’s brother.  He can speak with absolute authority on the integrity of the Piazza family.

But, believe it or not, even people who come from families full of good people can do steroids.  Woody Booher, Roger Clemens’ stepfather (whom he considers his father to this day), worked long hours at a tool-and-die factory and brought a gallon of ice cream home for his family every other night.

It didn’t stop Roger from (allegedly) taking steroids.

“He has too much to lose.”

A twenty-year old catcher selected in the 62nd round of the amateur draft had nothing to lose by taking steroids, and everything to gain.  True that now, as a forty-year-old Hall of Fame candidate, he has a lot to lose.  But now isn’t when he’s being accused of taking steroids.  If he did take them, he has too much to lose now largely because he took them.

“And he’s such a nice young man. He goes to church, he’s got a nice family.”

Yes, believe it or not, even nice young men who go to church are not exempt from taking steroids.  Sammy Sosa is deeply religious.  It didn’t prevent him from (allegedly) sticking a needle in himself. 

“This is a guy that should be in the Hall of Fame. He’s out-homered every catcher that’s in there.”

This one really requires no comment.

As I said, I love Tommy Lasorda.  And I will not say that Piazza took drugs.  But saying that he couldn’t have, because of his family, or his faith, or his personal character, does not hold water.  In fact, he’s basically saying that Alex Rodriguez, Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Andy Pettitte, Ken Caminiti, and any other admitted steroids user comes from bad stock, is not Christian, and has questionable moral fiber.

But no one’s immune, Tommy.  Least of all a 62nd-round draft pick who went on to become the all-time home run king for catchers.