So What's Next Bud?
I don't know if you were as disgusted with the "dog and pony" show put on Thursday by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig as I was. This was nothing more than a vaudeville act to get you, the baseball fan in his corner. Hopefully you were able to see through the insincerity that in my opinion oozed through every pore of the former Milwaukee Brewer's owner when he addressed the media after "The Mitchell Report" was released. All of a sudden after at best benign neglect, or even possibly involved in a pro-active way, Selig has hit his "Popeye Mode." He's had all he can stands and he ain't gonna stands for it anymore. Now he's going to become MLB's answer to Roger Goodell and become a tough Commissioner? Sorry Bud, but here's one guy that just won't buy it!
For those of you who were somehow out of the loop on Thursday, former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, released his report on his investigation into use of steroids in MLB. It is a 409 page PDF file that I have scanned, but honestly will take me at least a couple of days to fully digest. A list of current and former players were named as allegedly involved with steroids. The list is on this site, you can peruse it for yourself, you maybe surprised at some names listed, you also may be surprised at some names not on the list. Although, I have my own private conjecture on certain players who were left off, I will keep them to myself. I will not drag somebody's name through the mud, based on suspicions.
I was a guest on a Sports Talk Show on a radio station in Pensacola, Florida Thursday afternoon. I brought up the point that if it were not for the "tell all" book by Jose Canseco that MLB players would never have had to testify in front of Congress in March of 2005. Selig and MLBPA Union Chief Donald Fehr also testified. The reason that MLB enacted more stringent penalties for use of steroids, and eventually amphetamines, was Congress told MLB to get their act together. Congress in no uncertain terms, told Selig and Fehr, clean up your house or we will clean it up for you. The time period that is covered by the names in the "Mitchell Report" the penalty for a first time offense was counseling. That was it, no suspensions, no fines, you had to talk to somebody about your problem. Selig can not possibly impose tougher sanctions now than were in place when the infractions took place. The Union would not stand for it, and no way would it stand up in a court of law.
So basically Selig saying he was going to handle current players on a case by case basis is meaningless. Unless there is solid proof, of these players taking banned substances, after tougher sanctions were imposed, Selig was just full of hot air. This Pandora's box opened on Thursday will not be closed any time soon. Let's see what the Commissioner does next.
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