Comments on: Bud Is No Friend to Baseball http://www.27pitches.com/2009/02/hello-world/ Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:27:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jack N http://www.27pitches.com/2009/02/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Jack N Sun, 22 Feb 2009 00:41:56 +0000 http://www.27pitches.com//?p=1#comment-6 In a sport more entrenched in its history than any other, it is sad we must submit to the fact that one era may be irrevocably tarnished. Whether it be juiced balls (questionable); smaller parks (only affects numbers to a certain degree); or expansion (the most significant and lasting effect to the era--talent saturated the market), none will be as publicly and historically scarring as actually CHEATING. An entire time period--where some of the most unbreakable records were broken--will be thrown out in the minds of many. Thus now is the time for Selig to act. The majority of these factors occurred under his watch--steroid (and amphetamine) use flourished under his nose. Instead of preempting the situation--an opportunity he blatantly missed--he must now react in a big way to repair the game. Blood tests are a no-brainer. With your biggest stars outed for cheating, you must leave no doubt to the renewed validity of the game. One-year bans on the first offense--and lifetime on the second--should also go unquestioned. It is the players' responsibility to know what goes into their body. But the true question of Selig's legacy will be his decision on Bonds, Clemens, and A-Rod's numbers. No action now will leave them OFFICIALLY unblemished. But placing the first asterisks in the record book is also a weighty decision. Why do we have such a doofus deciding our pastime's fate? Godspeed Selig. In a sport more entrenched in its history than any other, it is sad we must submit to the fact that one era may be irrevocably tarnished. Whether it be juiced balls (questionable); smaller parks (only affects numbers to a certain degree); or expansion (the most significant and lasting effect to the era–talent saturated the market), none will be as publicly and historically scarring as actually CHEATING. An entire time period–where some of the most unbreakable records were broken–will be thrown out in the minds of many.

Thus now is the time for Selig to act. The majority of these factors occurred under his watch–steroid (and amphetamine) use flourished under his nose. Instead of preempting the situation–an opportunity he blatantly missed–he must now react in a big way to repair the game.

Blood tests are a no-brainer. With your biggest stars outed for cheating, you must leave no doubt to the renewed validity of the game. One-year bans on the first offense–and lifetime on the second–should also go unquestioned. It is the players’ responsibility to know what goes into their body.

But the true question of Selig’s legacy will be his decision on Bonds, Clemens, and A-Rod’s numbers. No action now will leave them OFFICIALLY unblemished. But placing the first asterisks in the record book is also a weighty decision.

Why do we have such a doofus deciding our pastime’s fate? Godspeed Selig.

]]> By: Kyle Higley http://www.27pitches.com/2009/02/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Kyle Higley Sat, 21 Feb 2009 06:49:09 +0000 http://www.27pitches.com//?p=1#comment-5 No doubt Selig is a terrible commissioner and baseball has taken a giant step back under his watch. From a PR standpoint, he needs to do something to clean up the sport. If the federal government can trace rec. drug use years back, there's no reason baseball can't do the same w/ steroids. I think the vast majority of players from the past 15 years or so (or whenever salaries became ridiculous) used PEDs and those who didn't probably took "legal" supplements w/ the same effects. The line between legal and illegal in baseball is totally arbitrary. I could care less about who took what when; it doesn't affect my perspective of the game. Statistics were equally cheapened by juiced balls, expansion, smaller parks, etc. Players should be judged against their era period, regardless of who "cheated" and who hasn't yet been caught. No doubt Selig is a terrible commissioner and baseball has taken a giant step back under his watch. From a PR standpoint, he needs to do something to clean up the sport. If the federal government can trace rec. drug use years back, there’s no reason baseball can’t do the same w/ steroids. I think the vast majority of players from the past 15 years or so (or whenever salaries became ridiculous) used PEDs and those who didn’t probably took “legal” supplements w/ the same effects. The line between legal and illegal in baseball is totally arbitrary. I could care less about who took what when; it doesn’t affect my perspective of the game. Statistics were equally cheapened by juiced balls, expansion, smaller parks, etc. Players should be judged against their era period, regardless of who “cheated” and who hasn’t yet been caught.

]]> By: Jim Barnshaw http://www.27pitches.com/2009/02/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Jim Barnshaw Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:28:26 +0000 http://www.27pitches.com//?p=1#comment-4 Bud Selig is unbelievable. His inability to control the steroids situation is a prime example of a management strategy that has become all too familiar. Ceo's justify salaries by stating how involved they are in the entire process but then when the bad situations arise they plead ignorance or say the company (sport in this case) is too large for one person to oversee. Selig needs to be held responsible for everything that has happened under his watch and should have been more proactive in his dealings with steroids. His reign, his problem, his legacy. Bud Selig is unbelievable. His inability to control the steroids situation is a prime example of a management strategy that has become all too familiar. Ceo’s justify salaries by stating how involved they are in the entire process but then when the bad situations arise they plead ignorance or say the company (sport in this case) is too large for one person to oversee. Selig needs to be held responsible for everything that has happened under his watch and should have been more proactive in his dealings with steroids. His reign, his problem, his legacy.

]]> By: Brendan C Mooney http://www.27pitches.com/2009/02/hello-world/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Brendan C Mooney Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:34:01 +0000 http://www.27pitches.com//?p=1#comment-3 While I have never been a fan on A-Rod, mostly because of his demeanor with the media and the fans, I applaud his fundamental handling of his situation. This is by no means a defense of his irreprehensible actions, which are frankly despicable; but I respect his decision to come clean regarding his infractions, however I wish he was a little more specific and forward with his admission. This being said, when Selig condemned A-Rod and his admission of guilt, I feel that he is setting a standard that promotes lying among the players. In reprimanding him for coming clean he is simply upholding MLB's tradition of denial. While I have never been a fan on A-Rod, mostly because of his demeanor with the media and the fans, I applaud his fundamental handling of his situation. This is by no means a defense of his irreprehensible actions, which are frankly despicable; but I respect his decision to come clean regarding his infractions, however I wish he was a little more specific and forward with his admission. This being said, when Selig condemned A-Rod and his admission of guilt, I feel that he is setting a standard that promotes lying among the players. In reprimanding him for coming clean he is simply upholding MLB’s tradition of denial.

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