Putting up numbers? Must be juicin'

Major league players, be warned -- there's a new standard of proof when it comes to performance-enhancing substances.

It doesn't take elevated testosterone levels or underhanded prescriptions.
The undeniable evidence is on-field success.

Eight home runs in April? Must be HGH. Sixty RBI before the All-Star break? He's gotta be back on the juice.

This season's biggest culprit has been Raul Ibanez, who had 21 home runs and 58 RBI entering Saturday after signing a three-year, $31.5 million contract in the offseason. On Thursday night, he cracked a three-run homer in the 10th inning at Citi Field to send Philadelphia to a 6-3 win. Ibanez, turned 37 last week, had a career year of sorts in 2006, when he batted .289 with 33 homers and 123 RBI. Otherwise, he had never hit more than 24 home runs in a season.

People have been taking notice. On June 8, a blogger named Jerod Morris posted a lengthy entry on Midwest Sports Fans in which he analyzed the jump in Ibanez's numbers and found no plausible on-field cause.

He concluded: "Maybe the 37-year old Ibanez trained differently this offseason with the pressure of joining the Phillies’ great lineup and is in the best shape he’s ever been in.
"And maybe that training included ...
"Well, you know where that one was going, but I’d prefer to leave it as unstated speculation."

As expected, Ibanez angrily fired back a day later, denying any steroid use. But it didn't really matter how Ibanez responded. After all, who hasn't spoken Ibanez's name and "steroids" in the same breath this year?

Post-Mitchell Report, post A-Rod admission, that's the new reality for baseball players, fans and the media. Used to be, when players put up amazing numbers they inspired awe and wonderment. Now they just inspire accusations and speculation.

It's only natural, after you have seen so many heroes fall, to not trust anyone else who comes along wearing the same clothing.

Toxic as it may be, that's the new atmosphere in baseball.

Be warned.