Sunday, December 05, 2004
*?!?
It looks like cartoon curse words. Instead, we've got the former AL MVP and the current NL MVP doping. There will be some other news on Dec. 7th (arbitration deadline), but this is the Big Story for a long time.
We now know that Bonds and Giambi definitely took steroids. Bud Selig is trying to deflect blame, the players' union hasn't commented yet. Clearly (pun not intended), there needs to be a more stringent policy. What MLB has right now is a joke. But apparently, it was such a sticking point that it could have caused a strike during the last Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. Is Don Fehr really willing to risk not just the "integrity of the game" but the health of the players he represents? Getting rid of performance-enhancing drugs does not seem to be a priority for the players' union higher-ups. If Selig felt as strongly as he claims, would anyone fault him for standing firm on this issue in 2002? MLB has looked the other way for so long (see: Mark McGwire and andro, Jose Canseco, etc.) that it is hard to see Selig's statements as anything other than ass-covering.
Bonds' already less than stellar reputation can't get a whole lot worse. He either wanted to maintain deniability (i.e., he knew what he was taking) or he lied to the grand jury (i.e., he knew what he was taking and committed a felony). They can't void his records, as steroids weren't banned in baseball until the end of the 2002 season (HGH is still ok with MLB). As for that asterisk? Don't hold your breath. It may end up being a worse punishment to let those records stand. Anytime anyone mentions the single season homerun record, the MVP award, or all-time homerun leaders, they won't talk about Barry Bonds, it will be Barry Bonds, Steroid User. Public humiliation is probably a better deterrent for these guys than losing a month's salary. Especially for someone as vain as Bonds.
So, MLB isn't going to punish him, because they can't, really. But the next two years will be filled with constant scrutiny from the media, constant booing at every park (except maybe San Francisco), and having records that no one believes he earned fairly. If Bonds weren't so damn full of himself, he might realize that retirement is a decent option at this point. There wouldn't be any awkward 715 and 756 ceremonies. He wouldn't have to deal with the media anymore (and the media wouldn't have to deal with him). After being compared to baseball's immortals, he's become it's biggest liability. If Bonds has any respect for the game and the fans that have given him so much, he should at least think about leaving as gracefully as possible. Instead he will want to prove he can excel without the roids no matter how embarrassing it is for baseball as a whole. And when he complains about not getting the respect he deserves for breaking Aaron's record (based on his testimony he'll no doubt be playing the race card, too), I hope the only sound he'll hear will be the sound of our laughter.
So what happens now? Well, it's probably "good for baseball" that this didn't break during the season. There was nothing on SportsCenter one day after the bomb dropped. But if Fehr and the executive board can't come up with something when they meet this week, Selig needs to invoke the "best interest" clause. With the game's biggest personality involved in this mess, that renaissance Bud keeps talking about is going to be very short-lived if something isn't done before Spring Training. And if they can't reach an agreement, John McCain will send legislation through Congress to impose a stricter drug policy on baseball.
I actually feel a little sorry for Giambi. He told the truth and will probably lose his job (and a whole lot of money). Bonds was evasive and he gets to keep playing. Plus, Giambi got the lovely side effect of a tumor near his brain.
We now know that Bonds and Giambi definitely took steroids. Bud Selig is trying to deflect blame, the players' union hasn't commented yet. Clearly (pun not intended), there needs to be a more stringent policy. What MLB has right now is a joke. But apparently, it was such a sticking point that it could have caused a strike during the last Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations. Is Don Fehr really willing to risk not just the "integrity of the game" but the health of the players he represents? Getting rid of performance-enhancing drugs does not seem to be a priority for the players' union higher-ups. If Selig felt as strongly as he claims, would anyone fault him for standing firm on this issue in 2002? MLB has looked the other way for so long (see: Mark McGwire and andro, Jose Canseco, etc.) that it is hard to see Selig's statements as anything other than ass-covering.
Bonds' already less than stellar reputation can't get a whole lot worse. He either wanted to maintain deniability (i.e., he knew what he was taking) or he lied to the grand jury (i.e., he knew what he was taking and committed a felony). They can't void his records, as steroids weren't banned in baseball until the end of the 2002 season (HGH is still ok with MLB). As for that asterisk? Don't hold your breath. It may end up being a worse punishment to let those records stand. Anytime anyone mentions the single season homerun record, the MVP award, or all-time homerun leaders, they won't talk about Barry Bonds, it will be Barry Bonds, Steroid User. Public humiliation is probably a better deterrent for these guys than losing a month's salary. Especially for someone as vain as Bonds.
So, MLB isn't going to punish him, because they can't, really. But the next two years will be filled with constant scrutiny from the media, constant booing at every park (except maybe San Francisco), and having records that no one believes he earned fairly. If Bonds weren't so damn full of himself, he might realize that retirement is a decent option at this point. There wouldn't be any awkward 715 and 756 ceremonies. He wouldn't have to deal with the media anymore (and the media wouldn't have to deal with him). After being compared to baseball's immortals, he's become it's biggest liability. If Bonds has any respect for the game and the fans that have given him so much, he should at least think about leaving as gracefully as possible. Instead he will want to prove he can excel without the roids no matter how embarrassing it is for baseball as a whole. And when he complains about not getting the respect he deserves for breaking Aaron's record (based on his testimony he'll no doubt be playing the race card, too), I hope the only sound he'll hear will be the sound of our laughter.
So what happens now? Well, it's probably "good for baseball" that this didn't break during the season. There was nothing on SportsCenter one day after the bomb dropped. But if Fehr and the executive board can't come up with something when they meet this week, Selig needs to invoke the "best interest" clause. With the game's biggest personality involved in this mess, that renaissance Bud keeps talking about is going to be very short-lived if something isn't done before Spring Training. And if they can't reach an agreement, John McCain will send legislation through Congress to impose a stricter drug policy on baseball.
I actually feel a little sorry for Giambi. He told the truth and will probably lose his job (and a whole lot of money). Bonds was evasive and he gets to keep playing. Plus, Giambi got the lovely side effect of a tumor near his brain.
