Rafael Palmeiro suspended

Rafael Palmeiro suspended 10 days, effective immediately, for reported steroid violations. Color me naive, but wow.
Not only is a top superstar being made an example of, but a top superstar who has already been at the center of a hurricane this year concerning his hall-of-fame eligibility.
If baseball had a reason to protect anybody, it was Palmeiro. He is one of baseball's nice guys, one of the men baseball is proud to bestow the title of "ambassador" upon.
In a summer filled with the flaky aloofness of Barry Bonds and the blatant thuggery of Kenny Rogers, Palmeiro offered us lifetime achievement as he became just the fourth hitter in history to reach both the 3,000 hit and 500 homerun plateaus.
I was among the legions who consider any argument that Palmeiro doesn't belong in the hall of fame to be outlandish. I still feel that way, but the events of the past 24 hours certainly gives the side that believes Palmeiro isn't good enough for Cooperstown a lot of momentum.
ESPN reported this morning that Palmeiro probably ingested something he shouldn't have. In other words, this was probably a diet supplement or "pep pill" that contained something banned by baseball. This probably wasn't something straight out of Jose Canseco's brain, with Palmeiro baring his buttocks so a teammate could shove a needle in.
Physically, Palmeiro doesn't even look like a steroid user. He's big, but not ogre-like as Bonds and Mark McGwire are. Not that it's any type of argument in Palmeiro's favor, but if you did a lineup of major-league sluggers, Palmeiro wouldn't be suspect No. 1 as far as steroids.
Having said that, Palmeiro is nearing 40, nearing the end of his career, and was probably thinking about his place in history. He knew as much as anyone that 3,000 hits and 500 homeruns would all but punch his ticket for the hall, and might have been looking for something medicinal that could trim a few years off his body for the time being.
With five years to meditate on this until he is eligible (assuming Palmeiro still plans to hang 'em up at the end of this season), Palmeiro has plenty of time to atone and sail into the hall of fame with flying colors. But the debate just intensified.
I thought the battle lines over steroids and the hall of fame would be drawn over Bonds. Turns out, the lightning rod might be decidedly skinnier.