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Can Baseball Be Saved? Only Through Zero Tolerance
Baseball is sick. Our national pastime is infected by a cancer that may very well be terminal. The sport we all grew up loving and playing is dying, not because of a crippled economy, but because of narcissistic cheats such as Manny Ramirez.
So far, the punishments doled out do not fit the crime. If we want to stop the destruction of our national pastime and save the game for the next generation, only a zero tolerance policy will stop players from using performance enhancing drugs. Get caught once and you're banned for life. Period.
I have played and loved the game of baseball for as long as I can remember. I watched and admired a man of courage, Jackie Robinson, play the game under horrific conditions. I was in awe of Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente and the pitching prowess of Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Juan Marichal. Back then, children could go to baseball games and their parents were comfortable in assuming the game and its players would have a positive impact. That has all changed now.
Sen. George Mitchell's report, after a 20-month investigation, has tainted baseball more than the 1919 Black Sox scandal. The Senator's report was clear and concise, fingering seven MVP's and 80 other players, while calling for an independent and less predictable drug-testing program.
Perennial all-star and former MVP Manny Ramirez is the latest cheat to be caught and exposed. Ramirez is baseball's second highest-paid player, and he has been suspended for 50 games for allegedly using the female fertility drug human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is popular among steroid users because it can abate the side effects that occur when someone stops taking the drugs. HCG can be used to stimulate testosterone production, which is severely diminished during steroid abuse.
Ramirez's explanation was contained in a statement he issued last week claiming that HCG was prescribed by his physician for a personal health issue. That is simply ludicrous.
I believe he and all the other players implicated in The Mitchell Report are a dead issue. But can baseball be saved? There is only one viable solution -- to expel the cheats from the game for good.
Based on my three decades investigating white collar crimes -- from a stint as an FBI agent examining corruption in professional boxing, to becoming New York State's first ever inspector general -- I am convinced that a "zero tolerance" policy is the only way to proceed and effect permanent change, whether it's in the dugouts of Major League Baseball or in the offices of Wall Street.
One infraction; one violation; you're gone. No second chances, no absurd explanations, and no more black eyes for baseball. Baseball is what is great; the players cannot pass the test of time. Players come and go, but baseball -- and the integrity of the game we love so much -- must always be a priority.
I purchased a Manny Ramirez uniform with the number 99 on its back last year for my seven-year-old son, Arjun. When I explained to him what transpired this week, he immediately said he didn't want to wear it anymore. We discarded it with the other trash.
I was amazed at his decisiveness. He truly loved that Dodgers' jersey, but right after he threw it out, he went outside and began throwing a baseball with his friends. I guess it was his way of reassuring me that the game is what really matters, and we must never forget that. It is our game, and it must be rescued from those who don't belong in it.
Joseph Spinelli is the COO of Daylight Forensic & Advisory LLC and has conducted investigations on behalf of Major League Baseball and other professional and collegiate sports programs.
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Speaking of performance enhancing drugs...Maybe they should ban Viagra and Cialis from the next Sex Olympics?
But that would make the next election cycle soooooo boooorrrring........
The moral indignation of those thinking they're above blame for this crisis is astounding. Cheaters and reprehensible practices have always been part of our national pasttime. Whether it's steroid abuse of recent years, amphetamine use of years gone by or outright racism once blighting the game, anyone who thinks baseball's ever been clean is delusional. A little perspective would go a long way here .
In the early 90's players and owners nearly destroyed the game with petty arguements and disagreements. It was during this time baseball came closest to imploding as fans disgust for the quibbling of millionaire players and owners sent them in throngs away from ballparks. Baseball needed an infusion to get fans back, so everyone turned a blind eye to steroids use by their favorite players and biggest draws. Homeruns, lots of them, were the only thing that saved the game. Big hitters got big over night and everyone knew why. Feigning ignorance is disingenuous. It's only now we hear cries from above, critical and condemning of the very thing that saved it.
I'll never condone the behavior of cheaters, but I can't help accept a little responsibility for creating an atmosphere in which owners, players and media turned their backs on a problem of their own making.
"The moral indignation of those thinking they're above blame for this crisis is astounding. Cheaters and reprehensible practices have always been part of our national pasttime. Whether it's steroid abuse of recent years, amphetamine use of years gone by or outright racism once blighting the game, anyone who thinks baseball's ever been clean is delusional."
Uhh, that's the problem. If you want to claim to be clean, fair and honest, you actually have to be clean, fair and honest. Words have meaning.
"I'll never condone the behavior of cheaters, but I can't help accept a little responsibility for creating an atmosphere in which owners, players and media turned their backs on a problem of their own making."
And that is the second part of the issue. If you know about the problem, and are either apathetic or enabling, you are part of the problem. Get up and DO something, even if it's just to turn off the TV and radio and write a letter to MLB Corp. explaining why you will no longer be a spectator in any way, shape or form. Tell them how much money you would have spent following and supporting the sport had they been serious about cleaning up the problems. Then follow through by taking up another hobby.
I gave up the Big Four pro sports years ago. Haven't missed 'em for a second, had a lot of time that I put to good use in a variety of other pursuits.
You missed some great games! Did you know the Yankees had the Red Sox down 3 games to none in the 2004 ALCS and the Sox won 4 in a row! It was breath taking! Tom Brady's miraculous Super Bowls or the return of the Steelers were all thrilling football moments. Look, you either like sports or you don't. I think all of the major games are cleaning up their acts but they never will and never have been perfect.
fans obviously don't care. baseball posts record crowds every year despite the outrageous costs and the constant scandal. shut up about it already.
First, Manny's 50 game suspension is traumatic for Dodger fans. But give baseball credit, their program caught Manny and they immediately suspended one of the biggest stars in the game. Kicking him out of baseball for failing one test is ridiculous. He's a ball player, not an airline pilot!
Secondly, there has always been cheating in baseball! Corked bats, nail files used to scuff balls, Vaseline for spit balls, amphetamines etc., etc. were common back in the days of your favorite players.
I just watched my Red Sox sweep the Blue jays. Fenway has been sold out all year, again. Their TV ratings are phenomenal, Boston had a 20 share for a game in April!
Believe me, I feel your pain about Manny but you should make a donation to the Jimmy Fund for your comment regarding cancer. Outside Fenway Park is a statue of Ted Williams. Is he swinging for the fences? No. He is putting his cap on the bald head of a young cancer patient. Williams and the Red Sox have raised millions for the Jimmy Fund. The money was instrumental in developing chemotherapy. (Here's a link to the Jimmy Fund and their dedication of the statue: http://www.jimmyfund.org/abo/press/pressreleases/2004/041604.asp)
My advice for you is crack open a cold one, kick back, and watch a Dodgers game. Joe Torre is the second best manager in the game. ; )
Judging by the amount of money they're still making, you'll forgive me if I hesitate to worry. If there's any justice in the world, MLB will be rightfully hurt by its own mistakes where it hurts most - in the pocketbook. There's plenty of blame to go around : owners, coaches, commissioners, other players, and fans who essentially tolerate widespread cheating while only the biggest offenders are singled out all reap what they sow. Another case of big money moving in and destroying what was once a good thing, I only wonder what people expect when there's that much cash up for grabs.
Have 2 leagues with one for the juicers.
No, respect America's baseball traditons. Let both leagues be for the juicers.
Alas, you likely need to spend more time investigating the corporations and not worry so much about the players. They could not have gotten away with so much for so long if so many eyes were not closed all the while. And while you're flailing away on that moral horse, talk about baseball's exploitation of Dominican prospects because they are so easily exploitable. Then there is that old monopoly bug-a-boo. When does baseball lose that status and join the real world?
Suspend the owners or make 'em return all the money they made on the tainted game. Suspend the doctors and trainers whose heads must have been firmly inserted in their generously lubricated behinds. Let all continue to wonder at all the post thirties wonders.
Then there are the coke fiends of the eighties. Shall we dig them up and scrutinize their nose candy fueled accomplishments?
You want integrity in the game? Throw out all records before 1947. Surely you remember what baseball was like then. Lack of melanin was the drug of choice.
Plenty of players close their eyes too, not wanting to rock the boat. But your point is taken.
That is why I don't understand all of the fuss. It didn't seem to be a problem when everybody was raking in all that dough.
tainted. sorry. I shouldn't rely on spellcheck.
I love baseball and all of the steroid contamination hasn't dimmed my view . I have no respect for the cheaters. I love the Yankees but Alex Rodriguez can be traded anytime and I wouldn't miss him. The same for Andy Pettite. Former Yankees Giambi, Clemens are still cheaters and they should have to pay some sort of fine. I do agree that players should get tested, but the system is so convoluted and there are too many players to test and that may lead to mistakes and 'false positives'. It can happen, then some poor player gets tained with the label of 'cheat' and has to prove themself to their fans AND the commission.
Why don't they just test like they do in the military? Make it spontaneous and test those players whose last digit in the social security number end in 7 or whatever. When the tests are mandatory and spur of the moment, no has time to prepare their bodies for cleansing. It evens the playing field, so to speak.
Right now, the biggest threat to a player is suspension and not being elected (probably) to the Baseball hall of fame. Is that all they're concerned about? Shame on them. I hope no one in the Dodgers gives Ramirez an inch. I hope he is punished by his teammates with the silent treatment and cold shoulder. For an ego like his, he will be lost without all the attention.
I hope everyone takes heed. You cheat. You
Many non-players in MLB quietly condone this type of cheating, for two main reasons :
1) "Supplementing" is so widespread now, it is feared that an across the board crackdown would serve to expose to the general public to just how common this type of cheating really is and has been over the last few decades. A real crackdown would cause many heads to roll, not just the big players that have been singled out.
2) Even if a real crackdown worked, many would then fear a widespread performance degradation, decreasing the wow factor and potentially hurting attendance, etc. Again, the extent of the problem before such a crackdown would then be clearly evident, and indicate that it's really much more systemic than we're being led to believe today.
The dollars.
Hey that's no way to treat A-Roid - oh, sorry, I meant A-Rod.
Simple solution.
For the next 5 years, every player gets tested immediately after every game. During the off-season every player gets tested 5 times at random intervals. No exceptions. Fail - you're out for 10 years. Skip a test - you're out for 10 years. Tests to be paid for out of each players own pocket. Coaches/staff with failing players - out for 10 years. Team owners fined 5 million dollars for every failed test. Three failed tests and the league sells your team to someone else. NO EXCEPTIONS.
You want to take something stronger than caffiene? Start your own Juice League and see what happens.
ten year ban? you're a pompous little dictator aren't you? natural ability is a matter of debate in any professional sport.
And testing for drug usage is a fairly well established science, very little ambiguity or debate. Dirty is Dirty.
And thanks for the personal attack. You will notice I provided an alternative, yes? Two leagues, one CLEAN, one anything goes. So go find a warm, comfy cornor and continue your self-masturbatory personnal expression. Bring something to the debate other than name calling, or go home.
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