For some reason I'm king of entranced by the baseball-steroid mess, in a car-accident kind of way. Rarely have so many cheated so blatantly, lied about it and then pretended it had no affect on astronomically inflated numbers. An entire era of baseball has its records tainted and influenced by illegal drugs. Think about it … it would be like me plagiarizing everything I wrote for years, then shrugging it off and saying I didn't understand writing word for word what someone else wrote was plagiarizing – and it didn't matter anyway because I won a Pulitzer for plagiarizing (Note: That will the LAST time you see the word Pulitzer in a sentence related to me).
Take Bud Selig (please). He addressed the Sammy Sosa/positive steroid story on the radio the other day.
Sometimes when guys address things, you want to comment. Other times, when guys address things you shake your head. Bud produces guffaws and wonderment in his string of denial.
Here's Bud, with the transcript provided through deadspin from sportsradiointerviews.com:
Asked to comment on the Sosa story, the commissioner of baseball said:
"I don't have any comment but I'll tell you what I told everybody else, we now have the toughest testing program in American sports. We've had one positive test this year in over 1,500 administered. In the previous three years, we've only had eight positive tests. We're talking about test results in 2002 and 2003, and I don't know whether this story is accurate or not, I'm not gonna comment on that. But, I do find it somewhat curious, my minor league program is in its eighth year, which means all the great young players, the young players on the Diamondbacks and everybody else have been tested over and over. The major league program is in its sixth or seventh year, we've banned amphetamines, we're leading the fight to find a test for Human Growth Hormone. So, this sport has really addressed that problem …"
Sure glad he didn't comment.
Asked his feelings for Sammy Sosa, Selig said:
"I have great affection for Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire for different reasons: I got to know them well, they were always very cooperative, but time goes on and people are gonna have to make their own judgments in the future. The fact of the matter is that this is a problem that has been addressed a long time ago. And, I wanna underscore the 'long time ago' because it is irritating to me that people keep wanting, these are old stories, these are stories that are no longer germane. Are they accurate? I don't know. You all will have to make that judgment."
No longer germane???? Ask Congress about that. As for having great affection for Sosa and McGwire, go right ahead. Why not send Alex Rodriguez a bowl of candy while he's at it? If Selig wants to be that fond of guys who besmirched their sport and themselves by cheating, then perhaps they and all of the cheaters from that era – including any Indians who prove to have been involved – could have a Hands Across America day.
Asked if he was appalled that the results were leaked, he said:
"By the way, I'm told by a lot of lawyers today that any leaks out, whether they're accurate or not, are illegal and unethical. And, so, if you wanna ask me if I'm appalled? Yes, I am appalled… It is not affecting our popularity, it is not affecting the sport… You have me on today, and you're doing everything but talk baseball. I must admit to you, it is stunning to me, because the fact of the matter is that's not what our fans want to do. There are so many great stories happening in this sport right now and have for the year – it's been a remarkable season, it's ten and a half weeks old, it's been absolutely remarkable. We have great races, we have great races in all divisions, and you're talking about tests that happened eight years ago. You want me to be candid with you? That's appalling."
Well … yes it is appalling. But it's really not the problem. All the needles Sosa stuck in his right cheek is the issue.
And obviously somebody got Sosa's attitude stuck in their craw, because recently Sosa said he would wait patiently for his election to the Hall of Fame now that he's retired. Said leaker obviously knew Sosa had tested positive, so said leaker got his panties in a bunch and leaked the information.
Me, I'm appalled that a commissioner would say things like this about a guy who blatantly cheated. And I'm appalled that one of his "fondest" players might have lied to Congress. That's a lot more appalling than someone leaking the truth.
Here's one more quote on the Sosa situation, from Congressman Edolphus Towns, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He refers to Sosa's statements in front of Congress that he never took steroids and didn't understand English well enough to answer questions.
"The Oversight and Government Reform Committee always takes seriously suggestions that a witness misled the committee while testifying under oath. Investigators will begin a review of this matter and, upon learning the results, I will determine appropriate next steps."
Maybe Donte Stallworth can pass on his lawyer's number to Sosa.
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What's appalling, Bud, is that you and baseball execs were aware of this steroid issue looooooooong ago, and turned a blind eye. Now it's all blowing up in your face. It's a self-made problem that's destroying the credibility of the game.
Jim Rome laid out exactly why it matters more in baseball: Because no other sport is so "statistically" recorded. The numbers in baseball are supposed to MEAN something…..300, 715, 755, 3000,….but suddenly, we're not comparing apples to apples anymore. Juiced up apes are swinging the bat.
Pat,
I agree with your outrage, and I'll add this. How does Bud Selig still have a job? With all of the embarrassments that have taken place in his tenure it's not like the 2003 steroid testing results are a tiny blip on his record. Obviously he wasn't sticking himself up with needles during the time, but the fact that baseball turned a blind eye to this rampant cheating is underscored by these recent comments on his adoration for Sosa and McGuire.
Selig really seems to be catching Gary Bettman in the race for least effective pro-sports Commish.
bud selig has a job because he was an owner and is pro-ownership. when fay vincent was booted as commissioner it ended any impartiality from the baseball commissioners office.
It's the first name. You can't respect any leader who goes by the name of "Bud." But the downhill slide started before then. I have a huge problem with any professional sports league that trots out a commissioner named "Fay."
It used to be that major league baseball had manly names as commissioner. Like "Mountain." Or "Ford." Names you could respect. I'm sorry, but even the WNBA has never had a commissioner named "Fay." The WNBA has had quite a few players named "Bud," but they've never had a commissioner named "Fay."
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