Eight reasons for suspicion

Thirty-six-year-old Raul Ibanez is off to an amazing start (.325 average, 20 homers. 55 RBIs entering Friday's games), leading to press and blogger speculation that the Phillies outfielder is on the juice.

Which has Ibanez fuming.

“I'll come after people who defame or slander me,” he said. “It's pathetic and disgusting.”

For all I know, Ibanez deserves the presumption of innocence, but there are several good reasons he doesn’t get it. They are, in no particular order

1) Barry Bonds

2) Mark McGwire

3) Rafael Palmeiro

4) Roger Clemens

5) Manny Ramirez

6) Gary Sheffield

7) Troy Glaus

8) Paul LoDuca

I could go on, but you get my point. Rather than fuming at bloggers, Ibanez might direct his anger at those players who, cowed by the union or just content with rising salaries, didn’t complain — loudly — against the suspected use of steroids and human-growth hormone by some of their bretheren.

Come to think of it, I don’t recall Ibanez speaking out against chemical cheating. And he's been in the league since 1996.