OPINION

By Sean Deveney

updated 5:27 p.m. ET May 6, 2008

Sean Deveney

Mike Cameron was, for the first time since late March, in his uniform, sitting among his fellow Brewers. He had cause to be giddy. It was, for him, opening day. He'd spent the past month serving a 25-game suspension, and finally, Cameron was eligible to play. "It's over and done with," he said of the suspension. "I'm excited to get a chance to play baseball so you guys, after today, can write something else beside my name besides that."

Thing is, us guys in the media haven't written much about what, exactly, Cameron did. He was suspended for using banned stimulants, but we don't want to make that part of the story. What us guys have written has been extraordinarily schlocky and sympathetic, the tale of Cameron's ordeal and redemption. In reading about the "pain" of Cameron's suspension, you'd be tempted to think he was emerging, falsely imprisoned, from a 10-year sentence in a medieval dungeon. One story even mentioned that, during his stint in the minors — which lasted four games — Cameron stayed in a $100-per-night hotel. The horror!

In fact, Cameron mostly spent the time away from Milwaukee (average April high temperature: 54) taking extra batting practice in Phoenix (average April high temperature: 84). And all this was his fault. The suspension would have been avoided if he had not tested positive for banned stimulants. To mention that, though, doesn't fit with the hero narrative. "It was tough mentally," Cameron says. "Knowing that I was physically and mentally well and having to shut it down, that was tough."

Perhaps it was tough mentally, but when he stepped out of the torture chamber of his suspension, Cameron went 3-for-5 in his debut. He was feted. He'd nudged awake the slumbering Brewers offense. He could now be judged not for the month he missed but for the five months ahead.

Indeed, Cameron figures to be a factor for the Brewers after moving over as a free agent from the Padres last year. Manager Ned Yost immediately plugged him into the No. 2 hole. Despite Cameron's prodigious strikeout totals, that makes some sense, based on his speed, decent on-base percentage and power. Defensively, he has already helped by allowing the move of center fielder Bill Hall to third base and Ryan Braun to left field. That has made the Brewers just about average defensively, after being one of the worst defensive teams last year.

Cameron is a good, levelheaded guy. He is active in the community and personable with the media. In spring training, Padres shortstop Khalil Greene said, "He's someone that we'll miss. Everybody liked him. He has a good presence."

Slide show   The Week in Sports Pictures Teeing off at the Taliban, death at the Derby, fans and ballplayers don’t mix, and more. more photos

But a good nature and a willingness to give interviews should not obscure the fact that Cameron failed those tests last year. Stimulant abuse is every bit the problem in baseball that steroids/HGH abuse is — stimulants are addictive, and they're deadly. Cameron failed tests in July and September (MLB rules allow one failed stimulant test with no penalty). He asserted that the test results came from tainted supplements, but by last year, the league had instituted a policy of selling approved supplements to players through team trainers. Cameron should have gotten supplements that way. Besides, the odds of getting two tainted supplements within three months are pretty slim. If he knew he had tested positive in July, he should not have been taking supplements in September.

Cameron is a clubhouse leader, which should help the young Brewers survive the season's grind better than they did last season. If this team is humming in September, Cameron will be a big part of the story. But we should not simply give Cameron a pass because we like him.

Cameron might be lying about his stimulant use. Even assuming he is being truthful, assuming the positive tests came from some sort of tainted energy drink, he still committed a sin of stupidity. That reality — and the resulting suspension — is part of this story, too.

Print this Email this Blog this  IM this

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Back-to-back homers help Mets beat Reds Opinion: MLB's integrity is Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz   Astros no-hit through 6, then beat Dodgers 8-5 Brewers pull slumping Gagne from closer's role Rangers' place Millwood on 15-day DL At Bat blog: High hopes for Josh Hamilton Blyleven: Ranking baseball's best aces Latest baseball videos Rotoworld: Latest player news, rumors, stats, more Big Payoff: 2008 key for free-agents-to-be   Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: