The Noose Tightens
For years baseball fans and the media have dogged Barry Bonds, but recently it's gotten much worse. Last month Commissioner Bud Selig was added to the "Out to get Barry" camp when he hired former Sen. George Mitchell to investigate the bloated slugger's alleged steroid use. That, however, pales in comparison to Barry's newest adversary -- the federal government. If you believe the press reports, it seems that Uncle Sam has pretty strong evidence that Bonds committed perjury during his testimony in front of the BALCO grand jury. For those of you who don't remember, Bonds claimed he had never "knowingly" used illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

This scandal, like most of the others, is entirely Bond's making. All BALCO witnesses were specifically told that they would not be prosecuted for any crimes admitted to during their testimony, but that came with the warning that they better tell the truth or face perjury charges. Not to worry, I'm sure Bonds has never "knowingly" lied either.

Scrap Wood
It's already been eight years since Kerry Wood turned the baseball world on its ear with a 20-strikeout, one-hit performance against the Houston Astros in Wrigley Field. At the time, some dared to call it the greatest game ever pitched. Fast forward to the present -- and the former phenom is once again languishing on the disabled list and making news with 51-pitch bullpen sessions. For all of the hype, Wood, who turns 29 in June, has just 70 big league wins and has never won more than 14 games in any season.

Coming of Age?
Last year at this time, the Twins' Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau got all the hype. The duo was tabbed the new "M&M Boys," with comparisons to Mantle and Maris. As a team, they really didn't deliver as advertised. This year, however, they look ready to produce. Mauer, who had a solid, if unspectacular year in 2005, has established himself as the team's No. 3 hitter and most steady performer. Morneau, meanwhile, looks relaxed and has begun to unleash his tremendous power. If that doesn't convince you, maybe the two-run ninth inning comeback win the pair ignited against Yankee super-closer Mariano Rivera on April 15 will.