TOWER GROVE — Finally, a baseball player is pointing his finger with a purpose.

In a refreshing take on the news bombarding baseball this winter, Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell – who has a World Series MVP to stand on when he makes comments – told The Associated Press he knows what it’s like to play under suspicion of use. He also wondered, directly, why baseball players are subjected to different standards:

“I’m not sensitive to it, because I’m secure in what I’ve done,” he said. “But baseball players are put on a different stage.”

Lowell noted that San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman was suspended after testing positive for the steroid nandrolone, but was elected to the Pro Bowl anyway. Patriots safety Rodney Harrison reportedly admitted receiving human growth hormone and was suspended four games, but he’s still popular in New England.

“I don’t know Shawne Merriman. I don’t know Rodney Harrison. But nothing was made of it,” Lowell said.

Makes a fine point. There hasn’t been a news report this week coming out of the Cardinals dealings that hasn’t had to have some summary paragraph on the Mitchell Report or allegations relating to banned substances. Not the trade for Troy Glaus (SI.com, and therefore Mitchell Report). Not the potential invitation to Juan Gonzalez (Mitchell Report).

Not even today’s signing of outfielder Rick Ankiel to a deal that could pay him $1 million.

(New York Daily News, and therefore Mitchell Report.)

Ever since Rafael Palmeiro waved his finger at Congress, we have seen dozens of players had their reputations, their careers and their legacies erode before our eyes. Mark McGwire is unlikely to ever see Cooperstown (does he give a rat’s a–?); Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are tumbling after (we know the latter doesn’t give a rat’s a–, because he said so).

Any many, many more … individuals.

But what about teams?

Forget about the statistics, what about the standings?

Consider the New York Yankees.

Like the individuals who have found a new phrase attached to their statistics, the Yankees are not alone. Every team is mentioned in the Mitchell Report. Every team may have had their performance enhanced by banned substances. Scrubbing the standings of gunk is a fruitless task. It’s imbedded in the era. 

But the last dynasty we’ve seen serves as a parable. It was a boom for baseball, a great time for Yankees fans — and even for Yankee haters. It is also all over the Mitchell Report.

The Daily News has a rundown of the Yankees involved in four World Series championships and mentioned in PED reports, including the Mitchell Report. We all have a tarnished view of the Summer of ‘98 and its home-run chase, now do we also wonder about the best team we’ve seen in the past two decades — the 125-win Yankees of 1998?

The Yankees won four series from 1996 to 2000, including three consecutive from 1998 to 2000. Seven of the 22 players who appeared in the 2000 World Series were mentioned in the Mitchell Report.

Jose Canseco would make eight.

There were a dozen Yankees who appeared in all three of the three consecutive titles, and three of them — Mike Stanton, Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knoblauch – were mentioned in the Mitchell Report. Pettitte has reportedly acknowledged he used HGH. Knoblauch spoke to The New York Times about the report. The list of Yankees includes to who have been identified as ringleaders for drug distribution — Denny Neagle and Jason Grimsley, who acted, in part, like Johnny Appleseeds, spreading access to HGH to Colorado and other clubhouses.

A dozen Yankees from 1996-2000 are mentioned in the Mitchell Report, including a few like David Justice (title in 2000) who refutes the allegations. Some of those 12 players were alleged to gave received the substances after the titles, like Justice.

But once is often enough to cast doubt at everything before and after.

I started picking apart the box scores from the World Series games to see what key moments, what heroic feats now look different. Clemens allowed one earned run in 15 2/3 World Series innings from 1999 and 2000. Knoblauch had a key sacrifice fly. Pettitte had a 1.98 ERA in 2000. Heck, dial it back to the home run that started the dynasty in 1996 and its hitter, Jim Leyritz. The Yankees folk hero admitted years later that he used amphetamines and HGH as a player.

How do we reconcile our information with our memories?

Sen. George Mitchell didn’t rewrite history with history, but he changed the way we remember it.

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Will be at Winter Warm-Up all weekend, filing live updates into the blog from press conferences and panels. On Monday, I’ll be hosting a panel for fans. It’s opposite Tony La Russa’s Q & A on the main stage, so choose wisely … and get back to me if he says anything newsworthy.

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