Random notes for an endless offseason

• Via FJM: Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi referred to the Red Sox and Yankees as "dirt bags". But he also said that about new Blue Jay Scott Rolen. And then Rolen himself announced "I need to play baseball and be a dirt bag." Apparently they think that's a complement.
• Great article by Doug Glanville (remember him?) in yesterday's NYT on motivations for players to use steroids.
  
• Q: How do you make Bud Selig and Rob Manfred seem like sympathetic figures, reasonable guys with cogent arguments? A: Pit them against the biggest blowhards of them all in this steroid mess, the World Anti-Doping Association. Apparently my favorite official, Dick Pound, stepped down as WADA head, and has been replaced by some guy named "Pubus Sweatsack". (Correction: his name is "John Fahey". My bad.)
  
• Bill Simmons just keeps getting worse. As if the rest of the nation didn't need more reasons to hate Boston sports fans...