OPENING PITCH OF NEW SEASON: MUD

March 26, 2008 -- TAMPA - The Red Sox couldn't be happier.

Here they are winning their first game of the year in a faraway land using the same kind of late-game thunder they usually reserve for Fenway, and arch rival Alex Rodriguez The-A-Rod-Gamble is once again fighting off steroid allegations by noted author Jose Canseco.

Let the season and mudslinging begin. Since the players never got around to policing themselves and baseball didn't do the job, either, this is the state of the game today. Have mud, will throw.

Canseco has brought baseball to new lows with his latest indictment of A-Rod, saying that Canseco not only hooked up Rodriguez with a steroid dealer but that Alex was trying to hook up with Jose's then wife and that's why he hates the guy.

All this comes from Canseco's new book, "Vindicated'' - which was found in a Cambridge book store, of all places, on Monday by a humor writer named Joe Lavin and written about on his Web site. A few weeks ago Lavin wrote about performance-enhancing drugs in Hollywood and brought up the question that if an actor wins an Oscar while on PEDs, is the Oscar legit?

Canseco is essentially saying the same thing about three-time MVP winner Rodriguez, although he offers no proof, just a statement that he introduced Rodriguez to a steroid provider.

When Rodriguez was hit with this latest allegation yesterday in the clubhouse between the shower and his locker - he had stayed behind at Legends Field while his fellow Yankees went to Winter Haven, Fla. - he remained calm and offered, "I really have absolutely no reaction." Canseco took a personal shot at Rodriguez, saying that before A-Rod married Cynthia, he tried to put the moves on Canseco's wife.

After raising his eyebrows to a reporter who asked that question, Rodriguez said, "I don't know how to answer that."

Rodriguez had just come in from his workout and had yet to shower. After a few minutes of this, we all needed a shower. This is what Major League Baseball has come to in 2008.

On the day the regular season starts for the Red Sox, the reigning AL MVP is the center of attention because of Canseco's allegations.

"I think it's sad," Hall of Fame slugger Reggie Jackson said. "This steroid thing, there's no ending to it. I'm very close to A-Rod. I'm a big supporter. I don't think he deserves that. Give us some proof. Before you accuse somebody, you should have some proof. You can't just say things like that. If you don't have proof, just key down, let it go."

Yankees reliever LaTroy Hawkins stayed behind with Joba Chamberlain to pitch in minor league games. Hawkins is going into his 12th major league season and said now that he is Rodriguez's teammate, he has a much greater appreciation of the man.

"Canseco's a has-been. I hate to say it like that, but what he's trying to do is old news,'' Hawkins said. "He bought it out and got what he wanted out of it. I don't know, I think he's jealous of Alex because Alex is a whole lot better player than he was. You made money Jose, you blew the whistle on a whole lot of guys, just let it go. For someone who is not in the game anymore to tear down somebody in the game, I don't like that."

But that's the way the game goes in 2008.

Rodriguez will use all this as fuel to fire his baseball engine. This will be just another example of someone taking a shot at him and Rodriguez laughing all the way to Cooperstown.

Earlier, he was talking about how much he loves being in New York and that he made the choice to stay here. He did not want the opportunity of staying in New York to get away from him like it nearly did when he opted out and then had to come back to the Yankees. He had to take control of his situation, his life, not anyone else.

"There's no question,'' he said, "that this is the best place for me." No matter what is thrown his way.

News source：http://www.nypost.com/seven/03262008/sports/yankees/opening_pitch_of_new_season__mud_103516.htm?page=1