The moment of truth is set for Mike Piazza. His book, “Long Shot,” is scheduled for publication next February, the publisher, Simon & Schuster, said Thursday.

About six hours after my column about Piazza and other steroids suspects was posted on this site, an aide to Bob Bender, the book’s editor, called with the answer to the question I asked a day earlier. Because the book had been in the works for three years or so, I sought to learn its status.

Now I know, and while I am not a conspiracy theorist, I smell a conspiracy here.

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The 23rd grand slam of Alex Rodriguez’s career quickly gained a lot of attention early this week because it tied Lou Gehrig’s career major league record. It caught my attention for the same reason but with a twist.

Tying a significant record held by a great player is noteworthy, but it also is controversial and raises the primary question of the time in which we live:

Should we give Rodriguez the credit a record holder would deserve if he were free of the taint of performance-enhancing substances?

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Even Mr. Met is embarrassed. He should be. Everyone associated with the Mets should be.

The Mets, who staked out a unique claim in baseball history by playing for more than 50 seasons before one of their pitchers pitched a no-hitter, have come up with a harebrained scheme to acknowledge Johan Santana’s feat. Well, it’s not quite recognizing or honoring Santana’s beauty of a game.

It’s a money-making scheme that is about as fraudulent as the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme that stole many millions of dollars from the Mets owners and threatened to undermine the team’s financial foundation.

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