from Amazon
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Players self-policing
No, I’m not talking about NHL and fighting, but:
I asked Rocker if he became a good pitcher because of PED use. “No. Can I throw 3 or 4 mph harder because of it? Yes. Was my breaking ball better because of it? No. The reason was (for taking it) with my teammates and their confidence laying on my shoulders, with the coaching staff and their confidence on my shoulders, with the millions of Atlanta Braves fans, I am not going to step on that mound with that kind of responsibility with my gun half loaded. Knowing the people I am going to be facing, I know what they’re doing; I am not coming to the mound halfcocked.
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
The issue of PED use has always been about a workplace safety issue. An MLB player’s career is short. And, his existence in MLB is predicated on someone else allowing him to be there. So, how can they make an effective change, unless they are there, and there for a long time? John Rocker was the exact kind of player that PED use was made for: expecting a short career, being able to add a couple of years, limited damage by overuse. Instead of being a career bank thief, he did the one big job and got out with millions basically.
It’s the stars that should be ashamed of themselves. They had huge talent, and they could have put a stop to it. They could have prevented middling talent from having a huge impact. They could have demanded more, from their union. They could have done an Occupy MLBPA.
But, no. The stars didn’t care, for the most part. The MLBPA always treated drug tests as a bargaining chip, something to negotiate away in return for concessions. Marvin Miller, of whom I am a big supporter, missed the boat here, by being indignant that the MLBPA would reopen the CBA and add provisions for testing.
The media of course will not rock the boat, unless others rock it first. Congress knows that if they talk about baseball, it’ll be on TV, and they love TV. Talking about real issues on C-Span doesn’t work for them.
The entire sports world, from top-to-bottom, was complicit in one way or another. No need to sacrifice the non-virgins (Clemens, Bonds) to the gods, to cleanse our souls. But, that’s exactly what the reactionary Holy Writers will do next year, when they will throw Clemens and Bonds into the volcano.
Recent comments
Older comments
Page 1 of 344 pages 1 2 3 > Last »Complete Archive – By Category
Complete Archive – By Date