FanHouse Philadelphia Inquirer

A few weeks ago there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding Phillies outfielder Raul Ibanez, steroids and a blog. More specifically, a media firestorm started when a blogger named JRod wrote a post on MidwestSportsFans.com that looked at the possibility of Ibanez using steroids because of the way he'd been playing in the 2009 season.

The Philadelphia Inquirer then picked up on the story, brought it to Ibanez, Raul responded and then the next thing we knew Jerod Morris, JRod, was showing up on ESPN's Outside the Lines and was berated by Ken Rosenthal and John Gonzalez. Morris was shown off as the latest example of all things wrong with blogging and had to be reprimanded for his seemingly innocuous deed.

When the Phillies signed Raul Ibanez to a three-year, $30 million deal this past offseason, there were quite a few people skeptical of giving a then-36-year-old (Raul turned 37 last week) outfielder $10 million for three years. Especially when we all saw how much other free agent outfielders ended up getting elsewhere. Plus there was the fact that, at 36 years old, no matter how well he's played, he has to start declining at some point.

Well that decline is yet to start. Ibanez is hitting .327 with 20 homers and 55 RBI for the Phillies this year, exceeding just about anybody's expectations. Of course, given the culture of today's game, in which we seemingly find out about a new superstar using steroids (though not raping or killing anybody) every few weeks, it's only natural to be somewhat suspicious of Ibanez's performance.