Nomar Garciaparra's latest injury -- a torn groin muscle -- will sideline him for up to three months. AP

There's consternation in Chicago and, not surprisingly, subtle snickering in Boston over Nomar Garciaparra's latest injury. The latter includes this take from The Boston Globe, which suggests the s-word is involved -- definitely interesting, but it borders on irresponsible. This is what things have come to in the steroid age. Anything that happens on the field, whether a tape-measure home run or gruesome injury, is an invitation to speculate that a player is or has been juiced.

Ultimately, the leaders of the game are to blame for allowing the drug problem to go unchecked for nearly two decades. But the people who cover the sport have to be extremely careful about tossing around steroid associations. I'm not naive: Even before his body began breaking down, there were whispers that the ultra-chiseled Garciaparra (remember that 2001 SI cover?) looked like someone who might know his way around a syringe. He also looked like a guy who worked out fiendishly year round and, as far as I know, Nomar hasn't failed a drug test, been accused by teammates or had his name pop up in FBI steroid cases.

The point is, we don't know if Garciaparra ever has used steroids. It would be easy to name 50 other players about whom there were, or are, similar whispers. But there's a difference between rumors that swirl around the batting cage and what should make it's way into print or onto our TV screens. Let's face it: There's enough circumstantial evidence to indict nearly everyone who's worn a major-league uniform in recent years as a steroid user.

But without proof or probable cause -- a failed drug test, a public admission in court or to a journalist, even an accusation in a tawdry tell-all book -- reporters can't try to deduce who's using and who isn't based on appearance, home-run power or proclivity to major injuries. After years of being covered up, baseball's steroid problem finally is out in the open. That's a good thing. It doesn't give us carte blanche to throw the steroid flag on a whim.

Small-ball on the South Side

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Which team ranks last in the American League in batting with runners in scoring position, with a .204 average? Who has drawn the fewest walks (25) in the majors and has the lowest team on-base percentage (.288)? Which team demoted its closer less than three weeks into the season and has gotten exactly one RBI from the catcher brought in during the offseason to provide offensive punch?

The answer to all those questions is the White Sox -- who, naturally, are off to a 12-4 start, their best in 70 years. The small-ball approach we heard so much about during spring training hasn't quite clicked yet for Chicago. Scott Posednik has six steals but has only scored six runs, and the Sox have relied on home runs for a good chunk of their offense. But they're clicking thanks to an airtight defense and what so far has been the league's best rotation (2.91 ERA).

The question is, can it last? It might be a stretch to expect Orlando Hernandez and Jose Contreras to pitch as well as they have all season, but the top three -- Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland -- are enough to keep Chicago competitive in the AL Central. (Buehrle looks like he could be in Cy Young contention by September.) And there is good news for the offense, aside from the fact that Frank Thomas could be back next month (we think that's good news). The White Sox struck out only 87 times in their first 16 games; only the Twins (86) had fewer whiffs in the AL. Putting the ball in play always helps, especially for a team that has tried to inject a little speed into the lineup. And it doesn't seem like manager Ozzie Guillen will let his team get complacent in its early success. He had a minor media dustup with Thomas this week and went a little nuts on Magglio Ordonez on Thursday.

News & Notes

Just look at the trouble the Angels' name change has caused. The fight over an Internet domain name seems silly -- I'm guessing very few Web surfers have the attention span to type the ridiculous "LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM." .... It will be very interesting to see how new CEO and part-owner Sandy Alderson approaches rebuilding the Padres. When he built the championship A's teams of the 1980s and early '90s, Alderson was loath to sign players to long-term contracts. That philosophy will be tested when Trevor Hoffman, Brian Giles and catcher Ramon Hernandez, an integral piece of the Padres puzzle, become free agents after this season. ... Speaking of long-term contracts, that was an odd extension Tim Wakefield signed with the Red Sox this week. The knuckleballer signed up for $4 million for the 2006 season, roughly $700,000 less than he's making this year, and agreed to give the Red Sox a perpetual team option for every season after that. Good for Wakefield, who makes no secret that he wants to finish his career in Boston. But it's hard to imagine the union being happy about a deal that essentially reintroduces the reserve clause.