CONSPIRACY, BRIBERY, BETTING AND DRUGS…..(OH MY!)

(ESPN, Associated Press)

(Lester Munson, Frazer Chronicle)

 

It’s been a bumpy ride since the first baseball scandal; it was way back in 1877, when four Louisville, Kentucky Grays of the National League were found to have thrown games in exchange for bribes from gamblers. The rub on the alleged case was that the players either had knowledge of such transactions, had participated, or would not cooperate during the investigation.

 

The players, Jim Devlin, George Hall, Al Nichols, and Bill Craver, were suspended by their club but later supported by the league. Louisville dropped out of the league, and St. Louis soon followed, partly in consequence.

 

Try something like that today and you’d get hung out to dry by your little short hairs. Baseball has always had its problems. I cannot figure out where baseball gets off with their holier than thou attitude, and that catch all “sanctity of the game” crap.

 

Baseball’s star has burned bright from the 1880’s on, through gambling, bribery, conspiracy to throw games, to World Series misgivings not once or twice, but three different times with regards to whether games were doctored with by certain players.

 

And can somebody please explain to me why black players were not admitted to the Major Leagues until 1947. Can you PLEASE give me a fricken break Bud Selig. Let me refresh your memory for just a minute:

1946, Jackie Robinson first black in minor leagues

1947, Jackie Robinson, first black to play in Major Leagues, for Brooklyn Dodgers in National League

1947, Larry Doby first black player in American League, pinch hits for Cleveland Indians

1959, Boston Red Sox last of non-expansion teams to integrate, when Pumpsie Green pinch hits, 7-21-59

 

Baseball has come a far piece in their racially dominated industry, but for MBL Commissioner to talk about the cleanliness of his sport…..maybe he’d just hold on to his cummerbund for a minute before it pops. Baseball is a long way from being clean in a whole bunch of different ways.

 

But today we’ll deal with just one scandal at a time, today it’s drugs 101, the big PED as it were, performance enhancing drugs. I played sports, I wasn’t very good, I won’t waste your time mulling over my athletic shortcomings, suffice it to say I lacked most of the basic skills. These guys today, well baseball players are better today than ever.

 

Baseball players today eat, study, work-out, and sleep the sport…..it’s their job, most realize it, and conduct their lives accordingly. Some even cut corners when it comes to bulking up, enhancing their abilities, and I guess, healing injuries at an accelerated rate.

 

Personally I don’t have much of a problem with that; their careers are short compared to a factory worker who works 47 years for General Motors. However…..the radical difference is on the pay stub that appears every couple of weeks. G.M. worker, gross, $1,760, or $22 an hour, Mr. Baseball player, $10,000 or more, and per hour…..&%#@+, how the hell can that figure be cumulated, hell I’m not even sure what cumulated means, it just sounded right for the question.

 

 

Mr. Selig defends MBL’s drug testing program and policy, and isn’t worried about his legacy, hell that’s great Bud, I guess if you want to be remembered like one of the bobble-headed figures that they give out during the season at ball parks, great. Or how about this one, you not only can be remembered as a bobble-head, but an older fellow that lives in a bubble. Come on Bud, if 20 guys are suspected, there’s another 20 or 30 that are cruising just under your radar.   

 

LET ME COUNT THE WAYS

At the present time, according to MBL baseball and ESPN there are 17 current players under the cloud of an investigation, they are Ryan Braun, Brewers; Everth Cabrera, Padres; (my old buddy) Melky Cabrera of the Blue Jays; Francisco Cervelli, Yankees; Bartolo Colon (who needs to go on a diet), Nelson Cruz, Yasmani Grandal, Fernando Martinez, Astros; Jesus Montero, Mariners; Jhonny Peralta, Tigers; Cesar Puello, Mets; and Alex Rodriguez, Yankees.

 

I don’t have any other names, and I’ve omitted 3 names because one is using legal prescription medication, and two others are free agents not affiliated with any MBL club. Major league active rosters number 25 players per team x 30 clubs means that there are 750 Major leaguers.

 

Each Major league team has a minimum of 5 minor leagues that employ another 110 players, or 3300 players. So whenever you’re talking about possibly 40 or 50 of your 4000 employees, that ain’t too bad, but still, but still, when the money engine for the baseball business is statistics, batting average, 2b, 3b, home runs stolen bases, rib’s, runs scored, outfield assists, errors made…..and that’s just the offense and the defense of the game, PED’s could loom large…..with regards to a paycheck.

 

However baseball will weather this storm, and Mr. Bud Selig. Baseball can’t be stopped and in the long run, won’t be fooled. People have a habit of finding out about the bad actors…..and they are by far the harshest judges of all.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!