Say It Ain’t So
December 14, 2007So the Mitchell report is out, naming names in major league baseball, of players who aren’t “clean”. The blame is all laid on the players, like bloated superpitcher Roger Clemens, not on major league baseball that never made any attempt to do drug testing, ban substances or set penalties.
U.S. baseball fans who bought $6 billion worth of major league tickets are complicit too; the ‘chicks dig the long ball’ (and blazing strikeout) entertain-me-at-all costs philosophy excuses the players and the leagues. Yes, I booed Barry Bonds this summer–but I paid for our tickets to do so.
As long as there are sports there will be cheaters. Some countries like made a national fetish of creating super-athletes, often using the same tools today’s baseball players tried.
But baseball, with its focus on records, history and tradition (from the national anthem to the 7th inning stretch and ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’) will suffer more than most sports if the playing field is not leveled. The hallowed Hall of Fame will be hollow indeed if cheaters and man-monsters like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire and the rest are ‘enshrined.’