Baltimore — It was the anabolic equivalent of "Tastes Great!" "Less Filling."
When Rafael Palmeiro strode to the plate Sunday for his first plate appearance since he was suspended for a positive steroid test, the boos showered down like rain. Then, just when you thought that there would be no ambivalence from the sweat-soaked crowd at Camden Yards, a cheer rose up to drown out the righteous multitude.
The scene would be played out at a lower volume the next time Palmeiro was introduced.
First boos. Then cheers.
Raffy, I think this is the beginning of a great love-hate relationship.
No one should be surprised. The reaction in Baltimore has been mixed from the moment that news broke of Palmeiro's positive test and 10-day suspension. Some fans wanted to believe his contention that he did not ingest any illegal substance intentionally, and some wanted to crucify him. Some fans have grown weary of the lingering controversy. Others are just as angry as they were two weeks ago - which was apparent by their behavior on what was supposed to be the day of the Rafael Palmeiro 3,000-hit celebration.
It was a strange scene that got stranger when a surprisingly large number of fans got up after the first inning and left the ballpark, apparently braving the 106-degree heat index just to register their disapproval at the first sight of their fallen hero.
No doubt, the response Sunday was muted by the heat wave that likely kept thousands of fans at home, but enough of the announced crowd of 30,954 showed up to give a reasonable representation of the mixed emotions that have gripped this baseball town since this sad story invaded our lives.
The hardcore Palmeiro supporters continue to hold out hope that there is some logical reason why he has passed up several opportunities to demonstrate his innocence, though there really is nothing preventing him from clearing his name if he really is the victim of some terrible miscarriage of the steroid-testing program.
The indignant Palmeiro critics still want him to either come clean or go home, though he has every right under baseball's collective-bargaining agreement to resume his career even if he has been using steroids since college.
There also are plenty of fans caught in the middle who just want this whole tawdry episode in Orioles history to be over, one way or the other. Count me among them.
When Palmeiro came up for his third plate appearance, the pro-Raffy fans were ready. They beat the anti-Raffy crowd to the punch with a positive ovation, but it would be followed by another hearty chorus of boos.
His fourth trip to the plate garnered a decidedly negative reaction, but the Orioles had just given up three runs in the top of the eighth, and Palmeiro was still hitless. He got a better reaction when he came up with a chance to save the game in the bottom of the ninth, but he flied out to end the game and complete a hitless afternoon.
The day ended in a split decision, but - clearly - a lot of people still have a bad taste in their mouths.
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