Howard's stellar slugging inspires more cynicism than awe

• In 2004 Howard hit 48 home runs in 524 at-bats in Double-A, Triple-A and the majors. His total led all of professional baseball.
• In 2005 he hit 38 home runs in 522 at-bats in Triple-A and the majors. Two years after being listed at 230 pounds, he was listed at 260.
• Now, listed at a more svelte 252 pounds, he has 56 homers in 519 at-bats.

To recap, Howard has added 25-to-30 pounds and evolved from a decent young slugger to a stalker of gods. All in three years.

Hey, it can happen. Mike Schmidt, who once had the Phillies season record of 48 homers, hit only 26 in Triple-A. Vladimir Guerrero never hit more than 24 in the minors, but -- 30 pounds later -- has averaged nearly 40 in the majors.

Plus, unlike the McGwire era, baseball now tests for steroids. Players are caught all the time, though the guilty are most often young pitchers from Spanish-speaking countries. The only bona fide slugger caught was Rafael Palmeiro, whose righteous finger-wagging for Congress in 2005 -- "I have never used steroids. Period." -- was followed four months later by news of a positive test. Have we earned our cynicism? Definitely.

Last week Howard told the Philadelphia Daily News, "I know I'm not using steroids. ... If they want to test me, they can test me."

For steroids, yes. Baseball could test Howard for steroids. No sport, however, has a reliable test for HGH.

Could HGH explain Howard's gains in size and power since 2003? It could. But unlike some recent bashers, whose bodies made improbable improvements in their 30s, Howard is only 26. He could be completely wholesome, man-made, legit. If that's the case, he is not only having one of the greatest seasons in baseball history -- he is doing it legally.

But if the sluggers who came before Ryan Howard taught us anything, it is this: We can cheer for anyone. But we can trust no one.