In Major League Baseball, players who still use PEDs are no longer big news

Ryan Braun has already survived one case where he was accused of using PEDs. Now he has been tied to a Miami anti-aging clinic called Biogenesis along with Alex Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz and Melky CabrerShow more

So, what did we learn when ESPN broke the news last week that baseball had lined up its drug evidence against Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Bartolo Colon and perhaps two dozen more players?

That big stars may be cheating?

No. That's old news.

That testing has not stopped everyone from trying to beat the system? Nope, not that, either.

While it is laudable that MLB is doggedly pursuing players suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), the shock factor, even involving names such as Rodriguez and Braun, lasts only a split-second now.

Some players will always try to gain an illegal edge over their fellow union members. Insert yawn.

Not surprisingly, the same story continues to repeat itself. A decade ago, it was leaks from the Balco lab in Northern California, run by a man named Victor Conte, that led to the ostracising of the home-run king, Barry Bonds, the implication of others and a long-needed drug-testing and punishment system.

This time the lab is in Florida - Biogenesis, founded by Anthony Bosch. According to ESPN, Bosch has agreed to provide testimony to MLB supporting the validity of documents from his clinic, records that allegedly tie dozens of players to banned substances.

While the eradication of drug cheats is a worthy goal, PEDs really are not much different than no-hitters and triple plays - just periodic headlines from the sport that probably should not trouble fans to any great extent, even if 100-game bans follow.

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