Now, there's a shocker.
Here's a guy who was a decent player, who shows up one year at spring training looking like "Mr. Universe" and proceeds to become the first slugger in baseball history to hit 60 or more homers in three different seasons.
The real shocker here is that it took so long for this news to become "official.''
Anyone with half a brain (Are you listening Mr. Commissioner?) realized that Sosa, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, etc. didn't obtain those muscle-on-top-of-muscle bodies merely by eating their Wheaties and pumping iron.
Of course, most of us have become innured to this type of news. And, as a result, baseball continues to be mired in quicksand born of greed and a lack of ethical and moral leadership on the part of Commish Bud Selig and Union boss Donald Fehr.
It's funny in a sad way, but Slugging Sammy told reporters earlier this spring that he was officially retiring from baseball and would "wait quietly for my induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.''
I hope you are prepared to wait forever Sammy because it's not going to happen.
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My friend, Tom Weir, at USA Today says baseball's MVP award has become the most tainted in sports. He proposes that MLB follow the International Olympic Committee's lead and strip awards and records from athletes who cheated.
I'm in total agreement.
Hey, look at the number of gold medals that had to be returned after Olympians tested positive for using performance-enhancers.
Do the same in baseball, and give the MVP to the guy who was the runner-up.
This would impact a total of 18 MVP awards during The Steroid Era.
Among those who would be forced to give back their plaques:
- Barry Bonds (1990, '92, '93, '01, '02, '03 and '04)
- Alex Rodriguez (2003, '05 and '07)
- Miguel Tejada ('02)
- Sammy Sosa ('98)
- Ken Camaniti ('96)
- Juan Gonzalez ('96 and '98)
- Jose Canseco ('88)
- Roger Clemens ('86)
And while we are at it, Clemens also can fork over those seven tarnished Cy Young Awards.
As I've said on many occasions, I'd also restore Hank Aaron as baseball's all-time home run king and Roger Maris as MLB's single-season record holder.
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Did you hear that USC is looking for a new basketball coach with pro experience? Isn't that what got them into trouble in the first place? Tim Floyd and his assistants thought they could pay their players?
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2 comments:
I dont have a problem with recognizing the career achievements of anyone on your list and allowing them to be elected into the hall. But....anyone under the steroid cloud (and baseball can decide who that is) shouldnt be allowed to hold any individual records.
One of the things that bothers me the most about the continuing series of revelations of players who have used PEDs is that baseball will never have the chance to heal and move on as long as there remains the infamous "list" of "anonymous" players who tested positive. With all due respect to the fact that the disclosure of the entire list would contradict the concept of anonymity, let's just get it over and done with, and move on. As bad as it may be that some players chose this route, MLB and the MLBPA should both be held much more accountable for this problem than they have been. The game is bigger than all of these imposters combined; let's put them behind us.
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