RAFAEL BETANCOURT NEEDS ANOTHER DENTIST VISIT

by Scott Sargent, Waiting For Next Year

Now, feel free to enlighten me in the comments, but are there any form of steroids that have a lagging effect of say...two years? If so, Cleveland fans may want to invest in something that lasts a little longer as it's pretty clear that a guy who was once considered a possible "closer of the future" is not his old self.

Some may forget that the Tribe's Rafael Betancourt was one of the players suspended for violating Majore League Baseball's performance enhancing drug policy. No, he didn't go down for 50 games like those amatuers - Rafy only had to serve 10 games. And really, what's 10 games to a set-up guy?

But if I were Betancourt, I would consider getting caught once again, regardless of the new rules. Because if he keeps this bullshit up much longer, he will be looking for a new occupation before too long.

Rafy, I'm willing to accept the fact that you don't have the good old closers "mentality." That's fine - and is well-supported by the fact that your ERA is barely under six for the month of May, a month that featured Joe Borowski on the DL. However, if you're going to be an effective reliever of any sort, I assume that the first plan of attack will be actually getting out right-handed batters.

Being that approximately 80 percent of the world's population is right-handed, it doesn't help your team when righties are hitting at a crazy-good clip of .364 against you.

Your team already has a lefty "specialist" in Rafael Perez. You rarely see two lefty specialists, let alone both named Rafael, on the same team. And your .256 opposing average against lefties is definitely beat out by Perez's .205, so the ball's in your court. Or mound. Whatever.

Currently, the Indians are putting up more than two runs in a game maybe once a week. They're not driving guys in, and have a team batting average dangerously close to the Mendoza line. The last thing they can afford is for a set-up guy who used to be lights out (take that, Merriman!) coughing up games in the later innings.

Oh, and Rafy...if you do give your HGH supplier dentist a holler later this week, please pay with cash. It may buy you a few more games. No pun intended. Okay, maybe just a small one.