11/21/24
December 16, 2007
Where Do We Go From Here?: A rant on the recent unpleasantness in MLB.
One of the most glaring and important errors in the piles of analysis of the Mitchell Report is viewing its contents from the position of “defender of the purity of the pastime.” From that perspective, you immediately forfeit any legs to stand on…especially if you happen to be Bud Selig. We all found out thirteen years ago how greasy Don Fehr is, and anyone who has been in a labor union of any kind can tell you it’s no surprise that the members of the MLBPA weren’t exactly falling over each other to talk to Senator Mitchell. There is a great deal of suspension of disbelief (or is it plausible deniability?) involved. Then, there’s Fay Vincent’s 1991 ban…without testing. It’s like if, when we make a law against murder, we don’t set up any punishment—or even allow investigation! It was neutered from the start and all statements to the effect that this ban was a going concern are hereby inoperative. In order to actually have a fresh start, one must not look at this from a real-world point of view. There are some concessions that have to be made, some caveats to be enumerated, some horse-manure to be swallowed. First, we must view baseball more nostalgically and sentimentally than such bickering and backstabbing normally would be viewed; as an institution—a towering, historic symbol of our nation and its people. It is not an improvisational soap opera perpetuated as an opiate for the masses. It is not the closest our fragile modern sensibilities will allow us to get to the gladiators. Second, nobody can righteously blame anybody else. We—the fans—were happy to go back to the ballpark to see the drama unfold, blissfully ignorant of the fact that some of our diamond kings were growing elephantine heads while the lining of their hearts began more and more to resemble the film on top of old gravy. The players didn’t mind feeling a bit of a pinch where the sun don’t shine to make the papers as well as making more paper. These papers (and radios, and televisions, etc.) didn’t mind playing the slippery eel/babe in the woods since the general populace gobbled it all up. And on and on the carousel goes, up to GM’s and owners, and finally, as high as it can go in this context—the commish. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. For our own sake and for the sake of any number of players, we must not lump the guys who did it twice (and, in case you’re wondering, that is a perfectly legitimate claim) in with the guys for whom it was as much a part of their routine as lunch. And finally, just look at the baseball we have coming up! Webb, Willis, Cabrera, Pujols, Reyes, Holliday,…Big Mac deep-sixed himself in front of Congress with his “I don’t wanna talk about the past” line (when, unfortunately for him, that’s what they were there for in the first place), but now, I’ll be borrowing it from him. The MLB hierarchy has finally started moving—at what is, for the MLB hierarchy, unprecedented speed—in the right direction, and all they can do is all they can do. We all made mistakes, and we all need to move on. Of course, that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.
posted by newbie1412 to commentary at 12:04 PM - 0 comments