Indulging in the Irresponsible

by jscape2000 on Oct 22, 2007 4:01 PM EDT in New York Yankees News

I hate the "whisper campaign" that points the finger at certain players and not others. It generally reduces my ability to enjoy any professional sports, and when I consider that there's no way to test for even a fraction of the Performance Enhancing Drugs these guys take it makes me regret that we ever kept score in the first place.

This is all steroid conspiracy theory, but Selena Roberts makes some good points.

On the eve of the biggest game of the season, word that Paul Byrd was tied to HGH was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle. Check out Will Carroll for a clear rundown of the story.

George Mitchell is both the head PED investigator and the Director of the Boston Red Sox.

With so many names in the news through whisper campaigns and paper trails, it is essential that George J. Mitchell issue his report on steroids with a complete accounting of anyone in baseball linked to banned substances.

So I ask you, which would hurt the credibility of baseball more: for Mitchell to publish a list of names including Red Sox who were involved in this pennant drive; or, for Mitchell to publish a list of names with no Red Sox at all?

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They'd both be bad

How does baseball not understand the beast it's about to unleash to the media? They're going to single guys out and tear them apart. All the while, other guys are going to be sitting in their hammocks, sipping a fruity rum drink and basking in not being caught.

You can't just go feeding the media names of players who were on this list or that, or who some clubhouse attendant attested to. There's no proof. Yet, without a trial of their peers, these players are going to be deemed guilty by the media. Baseball has to know this.

I hate George Mitchell.

River Ave. Blues
Yanks and prospects

by PinstripePowerhouse on Oct 22, 2007 4:40 PM EDT reply actions

Sorry, rushed that

Should read: "without a trial by a jury of their peers."

River Ave. Blues
Yanks and prospects

by PinstripePowerhouse on Oct 22, 2007 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions

Could baseball do that?

Get the player reps together, toss in Selig and some of his cronies, and make them the panel. When allegations surface, 'try' the player?

The NFL allows players who have tested positive to retire without revealing their names. Could baseball offer the same olive branch to players found guilty of cheating?

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Oct 22, 2007 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Byrd timing awfully suspicious, but

my problem with the Mitchell thing is why are they teasing us with a name here and there...lets get it over with and move on. Now I understand due diligence so the Mitchell group is not slandering, etc., but I agree with the above...until someone develops a test for real time results of todays players, whats the point?

Oh...and Paul Byrd gave a great performance invoking god, family, truth, justice, little children and puppies. Have I forgotten anything?

Problem...the HGH he (allegedly LOL) consumed was prescribed by a dentist and filled through a mail order clinic in Florida that dealt with the aging.

Hmmmm. I guess he does not have a medical doctor, and there is no CVS in his neighborhood.

What Levine said..."one year with a base pay cut".............. What Levine meant: "You're fired, Joe".

by mickey07 on Oct 22, 2007 7:50 PM EDT reply actions

You're making a big-time assumption

You're assuming that a member of the Red Sox actually used banned PED's. If no members of the Red Sox show up on the list, how do you know Mitchell is protecting his team?

by Willton on Oct 22, 2007 8:47 PM EDT reply actions

If

the Red Sox were the only steroid free team, that wouldn't be suspicious?

In 2003 more than 5% of players tested positive. That's 2 users on every 40-man roster. That doesn't include players who were using drugs that can't be tested for- expensive designer PEDs a la the Clear, and HGH.

If 2 men on every team were cocky enough to take drugs that they knew were being tested for, how many more millionaires felt safe with their designer drugs? Another 2 per team?

In the same way that Canseco/MacGuire introduced these drugs to the teams they played for, similiar stuff has to have been introduced in other clubhouses. We just haven't uncovered the trail yet.

Remember, I'm not asking who is using, but who has used.

The current Boston 25 man roster has ties to the Marlins, the Dodgers, the Rangers, the Rockies, the Diamondbacks, the Cardinals, the Phillies, the Orioles, the Mariners, the Blue Jays, the Pirates, the Astros, the Indians, the Giants, the Padres, the Twins, the A's, the Devil Rays, the Braves, and the Yankees.

Not one of those guys has ever had a connection to steroids?

"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."

by jscape2000 on Oct 23, 2007 3:18 AM EDT up reply actions

It's possible

I'm not saying its the truth, but you cannot immediately assume that Mitchell is hiding something if there are no Red Sox on that list. It's like finding out that the high school football coach's son made the varsity team: you can't assume that the kid made the team because of nepotism and not because he was one of the better atheletes that tried out.

by Willton on Oct 23, 2007 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Have you ever seen Gabe Kapler?

I understand your point, but based on what we are learing on an almost daily basis steroids have tainted every clubhouse in baseball. Yes, I used taint on purpose.

Fear the Evil Empire

by pfistyunc on Oct 23, 2007 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions

As you sure

I prefer the term "Grundle."

River Ave. Blues
Yanks and prospects

by PinstripePowerhouse on Oct 23, 2007 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions

* as you should

River Ave. Blues
Yanks and prospects

by PinstripePowerhouse on Oct 23, 2007 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions

The thing is going to be a mess and a circus.

The only explaination I can come up with for what has benn done is this; They started intending to do a white wash.

I think they will still do a white wash. But I think they know that no one will believe it if they don't name anyone.

So, look for blood in the water. enough bleeding humans thrown to the sharks to try to hold off the press.

The thing will be a disgrace.

That's my projection.

Let's hit the gym and get ready for spring.

by Cbeck3 on Oct 22, 2007 10:34 PM EDT reply actions

The worst thing is ...

... it doesn't do anything. All it does is continue a witch hunt that's been going on since Canseco's book hit the bookshelves. No benefit to baseball will be had because of this report, as it's focused only on the past and not on the future. This is the crux of the problem with the muckraking of the steroid issue: instead of focusing on drug prevention and the health of young athletes, people are more concerned with the so-called "sanctity of the game" and all the statistical landmarks.

Which do you think is more important?

by Willton on Oct 23, 2007 12:30 AM EDT up reply actions