A-Rod steroid shake-up

Although never a club employee, Persinal had full run of the clubhouse and workout facilities as the Rangers did everything to keep Gonzalez happy. Major League Baseball security had to come in during the 2002 season and remove Presinal from the clubhouse.That did not end the pattern.

The 2004 club included outfielders Chad Allen and Gary Matthews Jr., who shared a condominium. Outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. and closer Eric Gagne also played for the Rangers. All were examined in the Mitchell Report.

Matthews is the most interesting case.

The report detailed reporting by other sources that showed Matthews received human growth hormone from the same South Florida anti-aging clinic that Canseco used. Matthews had a career season in 2006, setting personal highs in average at .313, homers at 19 and slugging percentage at .495.

Matthews parlayed that spike season into a five-year, $50 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. In the first two years of that deal, his performance has markedly declined from the 2006 levels.

Daniels defended the Rangers, pointing out this is an industry-wide problem. The Rangers have taken steps to counter the use of steroids, and their steroids-education program received praise in the Mitchell Report.

The damage has been done. Any accomplishment by a Texas player of the last generation is viewed skeptically.

Consider Alex Rodriguez. He led the AL in homers during all three seasons with the Rangers, averaging 52 annually. He has dropped to 41.6 homers annually since forcing a trade to the New York Yankees in 2004.

Rodriguez left behind a hitters' park when he left the Rangers for a park that was hard on right-handed hitters. He also may have left behind that little extra something that has become a Texas tradition.