Sunday, March 12, 2006

Where There's A Will...

...There's a whine.

"Sports Illustrated released excerpts of a new book, "Game of Shadows," by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, two tenacious and respected reporters for the San Francisco Chronicle.

It is no reflection on them to say that their book poses the kind of problem that ordinary people frequently face reading political journalism. Judging the accuracy of their conclusions requires weighing the veracity of their sources. That is problematic because many sources are not identified. An important one, Bonds' ex-mistress, may have an ax to grind, money to make and legal jeopardy to deflect. Some other sources are low-lifes who, in the initial frenzy surrounding this matter, faced federal charges involving, cumulatively, scores of years in prison, but when the dust settled only two people went to jail, and for a total of just seven months."
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It is a shame that George Will didn't think it wise to do some journalistic snooping on his own before commenting upon the Bonds flap. Two years ago there was a major story in Playboy, describing in detail the efforts by the Federal Government to gather evidence on Barry Bonds with regards to illegal drug use. It coincided with the BALCO affair, and the Feds had indeed planted an undercover agent in the gym that Bonds and his trainer frequented.

And he was getting oh so close to obtaining proof of flagrant drug abuse by both the ballplayer and his weight room guru. It takes time to become part of such an inner circle, and both suspects had begun to trust the agent and hint of things to come should he hop onboard the anabolic steroid express, and grow with them.

Then the entire investigation fell apart, as working out with hardcore gym rats took it's toll. Gym rats using performance enhancing drugs. The agent in question suffered a massive stroke that left him hospitalized and unable to continue the job. Nearly all of the evidence he had obtained was rendered useless, for he was in no condition to take the witness stand, so the Feds sprang the trap with what little proof they had.

And got little in return.

They KNEW they had Bonds dead to rights, but were forced to do nothing more than charge his trainer with minor drug violations and for all intents and purposes the investigation into Barry Bonds and illegal drugs had ended. He was almost trapped once, and it would be impossible to get anyone into his good graces ever again.

Bonds dodged the bullet. Baseball's hierarchy is of course privy to all of this information, but instead of launching their own investigations it took a whining Congress to get them to stiffen the penalties for drug abuse. And they certainly did not want their biggest star to stop starring. The absolute sham that we all saw on C-Span enraged even the most casual of observers and prompted the Commisioners office to get tough, but so very much of the damage had already been done.

The smart players aren't using quite as much steroids as before, and the seasonal records are returning to something along the lines of normalcy. But I strenuously disagree with George Will's opinion that the accomplishments of cheaters whould be overlooked because it would be too hard to make what happened simply go away.

That which can be done, can be undone. Sending such a message would strike these egotists where it hurts the most.

The Commisioner should use the Best Interests of The Game clause, and use it now. Stop this man from breaking Hank Aarons records. Punish the guilty or admit that you're nothing more than an enabler.

5 comments:

Lemuel Calhoon said...

Since the drugs make them play better baseball and the players know the risks going in why is it an issue? Football players and boxers ruin their bodies without drugs so how does it break my leg or pick my pocket if baseball players ruin theirs with drugs.

I care zero for any sport that doesn't involve firearms (and only then when I am one of the shooters) so the issue doesn't impact me one way or the other, but I'm just wondering.

Is consern for the players health so important? People go to car races hoping to see some driver staggering from a wreck on fire (the driver not the wreck) are baseball fans that much more enlightened?

Fits said...

I've agreed with that basic premise for decades. Plenty of athletes destroy their bodies day in, day out, and we pay good money to watch one disaster in the making after another. The problem for me arises when illegal drugs crawl into the picture, and right or wrong I'll simply admit that I'm an old fart, and as an old fart detest uneven playing fields where competitors must go up against opponents that are jacked up.

As kids we'd sneak into the old armories that were turned into boxing arena's after WWII. We had to be sure to bring along paper bags because if the ushers didn't chase us away we'd inch closer and closer to the action and always stood the chance of getting blood splattered all over our clothes. Big old bag, cut a hole for your head and hope nothing gets on your shoes.

Today this would be considered grotesque to most people, and the success of boxing and auto racing DOES rest with the gore factor so it isn't from a wimpy-willy stance that I decry drug cheaters. I still like boxing. Between trained athletes, not the beasts of today that haven't a clue, but I digress.

Baseball is all about statistics. Hank Aaron was the best home run hitter of all time with regards to longevity. Bonds went from 165 to 265, and made tens of millions by cheating.

Pisses me off. I pay to watch skill, to see people do things I cannot. Can't tolerate surly prima donnas who made the big time through a needle.

Lemuel Calhoon said...

I can understand that. Baseball does seem to be the only sport where statistical comparisons hold up over generations.

Fits said...

Something amazing happened when Babe Ruth led every other team in home runs all by himself in '27.

From that point on, players felt that they COULD hit a ball that far. Sort of like the 4 minute mile. Once the mental wall was assailed it became a common occurence. The great ones would come along and inch closer and closer to his prodigious power, but it took until '61 for Maris to pass him seaonally, then Aaron in '75 for the whole shebang.

When McGuiyer (SP.. fucker has a weird way to spell the name and I'm too lazy to look it up)loaded his biceps with synthetic androgens and passed Maris I was furious. When Bonds passed Big Mac I laughed my ass off. Everything had changed for the worst. What was once an awe-inspiring feat suddenly became available from a syringe. The season to season comparisons that you mention were tilted so far askew as to make them meaningless. The balls were juiced, the players were juiced, and the walls were brought in. All to make a fortune, not just an honest living. Or a comfortable living, let's say. Okay, a lavish lifestyle. But I paid good money to watch what was in essence a fixed horserace. My people hate not being in on the fix.

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