Major League baseball makes me ill...

[Juke99]

This baseball thing is disgusting.

Gee...what a shock. Players used steroids.

The powers....Selig...Fehr...are now discussing what Mitchell addressed. What took two years for Mitchell to uncover, we all knew in two minutes.

The digusting this is, everyone in major league baseball knew what was going on all along. Every one of them. So now, they call in an outside source, to give them a report, on what they already knew...so that they could act appropriately shocked and outraged. Truly disgusting.

Steve Phillips, ex GM of the Mets (I believe he signed Mo Vaughn who was on the list today) was on ESPN..as a commentator...and he's dancing around...talking about how awful it all is..blah blah blah...and then he finally says "We all knew, without knowing. But let me tell ya....if I had to go to the owner of the team and say "So and so is using steroids" and by doing that, it would weaken my team...and I have a family to feed...well, there's no way I was gonna do that. That's what we all did"

Fine. Understood.

But quit the friggin charade of today. Today's circus and all the Mitchell investigation stuff that lead to it, is about as bad as the steroid use itself.

And worst part is. it's all hearsay. Nothing could ever be upheld. So they named names, of guys who probably were in fact guilty, in order to make it look like they are doing something. They shifted the focus away from themselves and all act as if what Mitchell was telling them was news.

Please.

Fehr stands there and says "I really can't comment because I haven't read the report" As if he needs to read the report to know what's going on.

Selig talks about the call to action...after having his phone disconnected for a decade.

It's all disgusting.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

I agree with you for the most part but it's not just MLB, they're just the focal point right now. Performance enhancing substance use in the NFL probably dwarfs that of MLB. The current testing procedures are a joke.


But back to baseball...Yes, front offices knew and didn't care. Every home run added $$$ to the till so it was no coincidence that everyone from Selig on down pulled a Sgt. Schultz until they could no longer take the growing pressure. But a lot of that has to do with Selig personally profitting from the surge.

Most of the problems with steroids in baseball started under Bart Giamatti and grew slightly under Fay Vincent but then exploded under Selig. Too bad that Vincent wasn't strong enough to retain his position. He just never understood that tact and diplomacy were sometimes required.

 

[Juke99]

I agree with you for the most part but it's not just MLB, they're just the focal point right now. Performance enhancing substance use in the NFL probably dwarfs that of MLB. The current testing procedures are a joke.


But back to baseball...Yes, front offices knew and didn't care. Every home run added $$$ to the till so it was no coincidence that everyone from Selig on down pulled a Sgt. Schultz until they could no longer take the growing pressure. But a lot of that has to do with Selig personally profitting from the surge.

Most of the problems with steroids in baseball started under Bart Giamatti and grew slightly under Fay Vincent but then exploded under Selig. Too bad that Vincent wasn't strong enough to retain his position. He just never understood that tact and diplomacy were sometimes required.

Yep. Agree with everything you expressed.

Cheats have always been in sports. It's not something we embrace...we simply acknowledge that it goes on.

So, was I at all surprised about steroid use? Not in the least. I'm not sitting here today thinking "OH so, maybe Sammy Sosa didn't do steroids because he wasn't in the report" We all know steroid use exists and will continue to, in all sports.

What bugged me about today was the way they addressed the situation.

 

[Kangaroo]

This baseball thing is disgusting.

Gee...what a shock. Players used steroids.

The powers....Selig...Fehr...are now discussing what Mitchell addressed. What took two years for Mitchell to uncover, we all knew in two minutes.

The digusting this is, everyone in major league baseball knew what was going on all along. Every one of them. So now, they call in an outside source, to give them a report, on what they already knew...so that they could act appropriately shocked and outraged. Truly disgusting.

Steve Phillips, ex GM of the Mets (I believe he signed Mo Vaughn who was on the list today) was on ESPN..as a commentator...and he's dancing around...talking about how awful it all is..blah blah blah...and then he finally says "We all knew, without knowing. But let me tell ya....if I had to go to the owner of the team and say "So and so is using steroids" and by doing that, it would weaken my team...and I have a family to feed...well, there's no way I was gonna do that. That's what we all did"

Fine. Understood.

But quit the friggin charade of today. Today's circus and all the Mitchell investigation stuff that lead to it, is about as bad as the steroid use itself.

And worst part is. it's all hearsay. Nothing could ever be upheld. So they named names, of guys who probably were in fact guilty, in order to make it look like they are doing something. They shifted the focus away from themselves and all act as if what Mitchell was telling them was news.

Please.

Fehr stands there and says "I really can't comment because I haven't read the report" As if he needs to read the report to know what's going on.

Selig talks about the call to action...after having his phone disconnected for a decade.

It's all disgusting.

They only listed 80 names and we know there where more players than that using it. Jose was being truthful when he said 50% or more where on roids and all those players tried to throw him under the bus calling him a liar.

Haha funny how he got the last laugh

 

[Kangaroo]

I wish football would do a better job on cracking down on it and help even the playing field. Then again we are talking about billions of dollars so i doubt they will do more than they have to.

 

[Juke99]

Perfect....

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/saraceno/2007-12-13-Mitchell-Report-Selig_N.htm

By Jon Saraceno, USA TODAY
If Major League Baseball desired closure regarding its worst scandal in its 136-year history, wow, did it ever muff the proverbial can of corn. Instead of the Mitchell Report creating transparency, all it has managed to do is whip up more opaqueness, fostering suspicion, doubt and mistrust. The special investigation, probably because of its inherent limitations, opens another can — one of worms.

I never fathomed what Commissioner Bud Selig was trying to accomplish when he commissioned Sen. George Mitchell's panel to probe baseball's now-infamous "Steroid Era" of the last decade and beyond.

Was it to "out" the so-called guilty? Was it to mete out punishment for alleged offenders? Was it to pull back the curtain on what really transpired, so we can learn from the sport's sordid performance-drug history to prevent a reoccurrence?

Was it to, perhaps, reduce the appearance of culpability regarding the commissioner's office, hoping players and general managers would bear the burden?

Is this supposed to make baseball fans feel better?
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Major League Baseball | Commissioner | Steroid | Sen. George Mitchell | Mitchell Report

I know it doesn't make Don Fehr of the Players Association feel too warm and fuzzy. After refusing to rattle a news conference-saber, I can hear him stealthily sharpening his union blade for the next round of talks.

Thursday was a bad day for baseball, an even worse day for Roger Clemens and other baseball stars named in Mitchell's voluminous report. Guilty or not, those players are forever stained, and perhaps justifiably so. Still, we should have qualms regarding questionable issues of fairness, due process and confidentiality.

And misgivings regarding this Commissioner.

After being given the Mitchell Report three days earlier, would someone please explain to me how Selig addressed the media regarding the biggest bombshell in baseball history WITHOUT HAVING READ IT ALL?

"In the name of candor, I've yet to read the entire report," he said. "It's going to take me a long time …."

Sheesh. Baseball needs a new commissioner.

Unless you elected Selig. That would make you an owner — and happier than Thurston Howell III. In recent seasons, attendance and revenues have shot higher the launching of an old Mark McGwire … oops. Sorry, I'm not here to talk about the past. Anyway, if you want the status quo in office, Selig's your bobo.

After listening to the commissioner, I have no more faith in baseball's ability to "rid our sport of the use of performance-enhancing substances," as Selig said, than I ever have had. Quite simply, that is not even a realistically attainable goal, laudable as it sounds. The chemists always are ahead of the law. Perhaps Selig knows more than the rest of us. But I doubt it.

Perhaps Selig believes that if he repeats his mantra often enough, he will start believing it. Or we will.

Every time Selig uses the word "integrity," I feel like taking a shower. Integrity, what integrity?

Nevertheless, ample blame has been confirmed — players, owners, GMs, steroid-pushing clubbies, media, etc. — and, for that, a pox on all of our houses.

To his credit, Mitchell refused to let the commissioner's office off the hook. Unfortunately, when it was time for the Commissioner to look America in the eye and admit his failures, Selig was loathe to acknowledge that he alone is as responsible for the forever-tainted collection of records and statistics as anyone. He could not bring himself to say something as contrite and obvious as, "I'm sorry. I screwed up. As Commissioner, I clearly didn't act quickly and forcefully enough."

Instead, Selig batted .210 with this weak reply: "Well, you know, hindsight is wonderful. … I understand (Sen. Mitchell) feels that way. There are a lot of people in baseball who clearly feel differently."

The commissioner then launched into his "We need to look forward" mantra. Baseball's performance-enhancing drug program, he said, is "clearly working."

"We've taken care of the present and the future."

Baseball, sadly, is not free from the scourge.

You had to listen very carefully for the word-parsing regarding a reduction in numbers for steroids violators.

"Detectable steroid use appears to have declined," Selig said. The two words that should make your ears stand up are "detectable" and "appears."

Selig, who seems to fancy himself these days as "The Anti-Drug Czar Commissioner," actually said with a straight face, "Nobody's more frustrated by the lack of a test for human growth hormone than I am."

I'm sure it keeps him up all night. Actually, I think it's the long arm of congressional inquiry that really has him tossing and turning. "This report is a call to action — and I will act," Selig said, trying to sound forceful.

Right, Commissioner. Just tell me one thing.

What took so long?

 

[GTaylor]

I agree whoreheartly, after hearing Mitchell I had a feeling that baseball was going to finally shape up...then I heard Selig talk and immediately lost all hope, after listening to Fehr I knew nothing is going to change unless Congress jumps in and threatens to take away their exemption.

Really sad how great this sport could be if owners and the union worked together instead of treating this like a whizzing match.

 

[smarta5150]

I agree *****heartly

1st off... GREAT typo :laugh2:



But as I was going to say... This is why I gave up on the MLB a long time ago.

We can sit here all day and come up with a list of whats wrong with the sport.

 

[big dog cowboy]

After the way baseball has treated it's fans the last few years, I can't believe anyone seriously follows the sport. I did in the 70's and into the 80's. Now I couldn't even tell you the nicknames of all the teams. For that matter I couldn't tell you how many teams there are.

 

[03EBZ06]

MLB is in a sad state. Yes, players used the steriods, at the sametime, Selig, Fehr, and owners aren't innocent either since they all closed their eyes on rampant steriod use in the league.

Especailly, Selig. you simply suck as a commish.

As for non-steroid MLB players, many of them knew some of the players were using HGH or steroids but they turn blind eye, build a wall of silence.

So, MLB, I don't feel sorry for your organization or the players, you all are a black eye to our national pastime game, they should be ashamed of themselves. You make me sick.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

This is also an embarrassment to our country. We devoted a senator and 60 million dollars to determine if entertainers were taking substances. Give me a break!

60 million dollars could be use for a lot of other causes and instead it went to this. This is a joke.

Seriously, our country should be ashamed we've devoted this much time and resources to this tabloid-like incident.

 

[Nors]

The NFL is and was hip deep in Steroids but did a better job of hiding it. Seems its "accepted" when roided up Lineman can bench 700 pounds. HGH and synthetic steroids were a step ahead of NFL all along.

It's well known the 70's Steelers were Roided up. But its ok - football players being football players.....

But god forbid a homerun hitter or pitcher takes the same stuff...... It's a witch hunt candidly, reminis of the Communist witch hunt, and the great real witch hunts.

I love baseball, go to at least 10 Red Sox games a year and love the game.

I have more contempt that MLB went to this length to slander and hearsay just 80 guys.

They missed another 40% of the players on that stuff. Canseco was dead right on this.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

The NFL is and was hip deep in Steroids but did a better job of hiding it. Seems its "accepted" when roided up Lineman can bench 700 pounds. HGH and synthetic steroids were a step ahead of NFL all along.

It's well known the 70's Steelers were Roided up. But its ok - football players being football players.....

But god forbid a homerun hitter or pitcher takes the same stuff...... It's a witch hunt candidly, reminis of the Communist witch hunt, and the great real witch hunts.

I love baseball, go to at least 10 Red Sox games a year and love the game.

I have more contempt that MLB went to this length to slander and hearsay just 80 guys.

They missed another 40% of the players on that stuff. Canseco was dead right on this.

Another solid response Nors. I agree, the double standard for football players is ridiculous. They act like it was okay for the Steelers in the 70's to use roids. They are still celebrated as mythic gods on ESPN. But now Barry will get slammed the rest of his life.

The sad thing is if Barry was a personable and well liked guy, none of this may have occurred.