It Ain't Just Barry Bonds
God bless George Mitchell.
Earlier Thursday, the former Senator made public his report on steroid use in baseball, and it was a bombshell, to say the least. Mitchell named 91 players, including 33 all-stars, 10 most valuable players, and two Cy Young Award Winners, including seven-time winner Roger Clemens.
I was saddened to see the names of some of my favorite players on Mitchell's list, but somehow one had to know that many of the game's best were going to be ensnared in this whole mess. It was just a surprise to see how many players were on the juice, and we can be fairly certain that there were other names that were missed. At the same time, I was happy to see that Barry Bonds wasn't the only big name caught up in the foolishness.
As you may know, Bonds was indicted by the Feds for perjury among other things, and there was much hue and cry about how Bonds had sullied the game and should have an asterisk placed next to his home run record. Essentially, Bonds became the poster-child for everything wrong with baseball. But now that at least part of the truth has emerged, I wonder if there will be as much scrutiny heaped on some of these other members of baseball's elite class.
Please understand that I am not defending Bonds nor offering justification for his actions; he was wrong and deserves some punishment to be sure. But it seemed as though everyone in the sports world -- fans, and pundits alike -- were attempting to cast Mr. Bonds as some huge bogeyman, responsible for all the ills of the game.
But now, what will the outcry be in response to these new revelations?
It appears now that about 1/2 of the premier players in the game may have been on the juice, but the biggest stunner is finding that the only man with seven Cy Young Awards joined in the fun. Roger Clemens has been an ageless wonder in professional baseball, but now questions will arise as to how he kept himself from showing the effects of time on his performance. And Clemens' can't make any excuses about his actions, as his personal trainer states that on many occasions, he gave the Rocket injections in his buttocks.
So, should Clemens' record performances be marked with an asterisk as well? And should he become the new demonic face of cheating in America's Pastime?
I'm waiting to see what the reaction of sports fans and writers all over the country. By tomorrow, most interested parties will have had a moment to fully digest the report, and I'm interested in observing any tap-dancing or obfuscation that people will engage in, when trying to shelter certain players from the results of their own deeds.
There was no tap-dancing, or obfuscation in the condemnation of Barry Bonds. And we'd better not see any fast talking or dippin' and dabbin' as we crown the next bogeyman in baseball.
Earlier Thursday, the former Senator made public his report on steroid use in baseball, and it was a bombshell, to say the least. Mitchell named 91 players, including 33 all-stars, 10 most valuable players, and two Cy Young Award Winners, including seven-time winner Roger Clemens.
I was saddened to see the names of some of my favorite players on Mitchell's list, but somehow one had to know that many of the game's best were going to be ensnared in this whole mess. It was just a surprise to see how many players were on the juice, and we can be fairly certain that there were other names that were missed. At the same time, I was happy to see that Barry Bonds wasn't the only big name caught up in the foolishness.
As you may know, Bonds was indicted by the Feds for perjury among other things, and there was much hue and cry about how Bonds had sullied the game and should have an asterisk placed next to his home run record. Essentially, Bonds became the poster-child for everything wrong with baseball. But now that at least part of the truth has emerged, I wonder if there will be as much scrutiny heaped on some of these other members of baseball's elite class.
Please understand that I am not defending Bonds nor offering justification for his actions; he was wrong and deserves some punishment to be sure. But it seemed as though everyone in the sports world -- fans, and pundits alike -- were attempting to cast Mr. Bonds as some huge bogeyman, responsible for all the ills of the game.
But now, what will the outcry be in response to these new revelations?
It appears now that about 1/2 of the premier players in the game may have been on the juice, but the biggest stunner is finding that the only man with seven Cy Young Awards joined in the fun. Roger Clemens has been an ageless wonder in professional baseball, but now questions will arise as to how he kept himself from showing the effects of time on his performance. And Clemens' can't make any excuses about his actions, as his personal trainer states that on many occasions, he gave the Rocket injections in his buttocks.
So, should Clemens' record performances be marked with an asterisk as well? And should he become the new demonic face of cheating in America's Pastime?
I'm waiting to see what the reaction of sports fans and writers all over the country. By tomorrow, most interested parties will have had a moment to fully digest the report, and I'm interested in observing any tap-dancing or obfuscation that people will engage in, when trying to shelter certain players from the results of their own deeds.
There was no tap-dancing, or obfuscation in the condemnation of Barry Bonds. And we'd better not see any fast talking or dippin' and dabbin' as we crown the next bogeyman in baseball.
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The ol' double-standard...we just can't seem to get away from it!!! I would hope that sports fans could look beyond race in this case, but I highly doubt it. Who am I to say, but this may be the last nail in the coffin for the business of baseball.