Rincon? Steroids? Yep

The latest Major League Baseball player to receive a 10-day suspension for violating the new drug policy is our very own Juan Rincon of the Minnesota Twins. It may seem odd to many that a pitcher, and a pretty scrawny one at that, would be suspended for using steroids (or some other "performance enhancing drug). In all likelihood, steroid use among pitchers is just as high as the big power hitters.

The reasons, when you think about them, make perfect sense. The drug is just used for a different purpose. Power hitters use steroids in coordination with a vigorous weight lifting routine. As a result, they develop strength that never would have been possible without the drug. Pitchers, of course, aren't worried about getting that big and don't even want to. But it they use steroids and then throw 90 pitches, or even work out playing long toss, the drug helps their bodies recover more quickly, which builds muscle in the important places for them and allows them to pitch more frequently while keeping that lively 93-mph fastball that Rincon loves to use.

Juan Rincon may be the first MLB pitcher to be suspended for steroids, but he won't be the last.