06-12-2003, 07:20 PM
The first time I saw the title.
Sammy was pretty stand up about the whole thing, I thought, even with the media breathing down his neck everyday. (The price of fame)
"Yep, my fault, I had an illegal bat, I expect to pay the consequences." What more could he say? What more was there to say? Take your lumps and hope you can earn your way back into the hearts of the fans.
I thought it was nice to hear that the investigation into the rest of his equipment showed that he tends to use clean stuff. (Or was that rigged? I sincerely hope not, baseball cannot afford to cover up, even though they know that Sammy is a huge fan pleaser and would hate to make him look even worse. He and Mark McGwire helped bring folks back to pro baseball back in 1998, or so the story goes.)
Good, as a fan it makes me feel better to learn that it was probably just a screw up. The Comish said "You broke the rules, suspend 8 games." Appeal, seven days. Seems fair to me.
The ethics of the media? While I disagree with Gary Sheffield's Great White Conspiracy theory, I will say that Rick Reilly of SI and a few others foamed at the mouth because they want, for reasons that confuse me, to make hay out of Sammy Sosa being brought up short. They seem almost joyful that he has, as we all do, feet of clay. When you look at his warmth, talent, charisma, and how much he is a fan favorite, which is important, why the venom?
If Sammy had stayed legit, and not used Maphack/corked bats ever for any reason, even for show, he would never have set himself up for this embarassment. Why he used a corker, even if for the BP show that he puts on Every Pre Game for the fans (Ya know, he knows the fans love it, so he does it to entertain them) is beyond me, maybe he figured more would sail out and be a better crowd pleaser. He is so powerful, though, that I am a bit perplexed as to why a man of his power even needs a corker, but that is on him.
As I see it, the accountability issue boils down to this: your equipment, your profession, you damned well better know what is in your hand, or for that matter, in your golf bag. Professional Golfers with illegal clubs in their bags are DQ from tournaments. Period. No appeal, you lose the dough. Tough. You may even get worse sanctions. Doctors with non conforming equipment or improperly prepared OR's can be sued, or debarred by the AMA.
I'd say Sammy paid twice: once to the Commish, in the lost dough for his missed games, and another, far tougher loss, in that he lost the trust of some of his fans who only really wished him well, and whose joy in watching him delight them may be lessened somewhat.
He's human, he erred, he will take his lumps, and I hope get right back to doing his thing out there on the baseball field: chase down flies and whack the ball out of the park, with a smile on his face. :) That last bit matters, and I wish more Pro Ball players would remember that.
Sammy was pretty stand up about the whole thing, I thought, even with the media breathing down his neck everyday. (The price of fame)
"Yep, my fault, I had an illegal bat, I expect to pay the consequences." What more could he say? What more was there to say? Take your lumps and hope you can earn your way back into the hearts of the fans.
I thought it was nice to hear that the investigation into the rest of his equipment showed that he tends to use clean stuff. (Or was that rigged? I sincerely hope not, baseball cannot afford to cover up, even though they know that Sammy is a huge fan pleaser and would hate to make him look even worse. He and Mark McGwire helped bring folks back to pro baseball back in 1998, or so the story goes.)
Good, as a fan it makes me feel better to learn that it was probably just a screw up. The Comish said "You broke the rules, suspend 8 games." Appeal, seven days. Seems fair to me.
The ethics of the media? While I disagree with Gary Sheffield's Great White Conspiracy theory, I will say that Rick Reilly of SI and a few others foamed at the mouth because they want, for reasons that confuse me, to make hay out of Sammy Sosa being brought up short. They seem almost joyful that he has, as we all do, feet of clay. When you look at his warmth, talent, charisma, and how much he is a fan favorite, which is important, why the venom?
If Sammy had stayed legit, and not used Maphack/corked bats ever for any reason, even for show, he would never have set himself up for this embarassment. Why he used a corker, even if for the BP show that he puts on Every Pre Game for the fans (Ya know, he knows the fans love it, so he does it to entertain them) is beyond me, maybe he figured more would sail out and be a better crowd pleaser. He is so powerful, though, that I am a bit perplexed as to why a man of his power even needs a corker, but that is on him.
As I see it, the accountability issue boils down to this: your equipment, your profession, you damned well better know what is in your hand, or for that matter, in your golf bag. Professional Golfers with illegal clubs in their bags are DQ from tournaments. Period. No appeal, you lose the dough. Tough. You may even get worse sanctions. Doctors with non conforming equipment or improperly prepared OR's can be sued, or debarred by the AMA.
I'd say Sammy paid twice: once to the Commish, in the lost dough for his missed games, and another, far tougher loss, in that he lost the trust of some of his fans who only really wished him well, and whose joy in watching him delight them may be lessened somewhat.
He's human, he erred, he will take his lumps, and I hope get right back to doing his thing out there on the baseball field: chase down flies and whack the ball out of the park, with a smile on his face. :) That last bit matters, and I wish more Pro Ball players would remember that.
Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the Men 'O War!
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete
In War, the outcome is never final. --Carl von Clausewitz--
Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum
John 11:35 - consider why.
In Memory of Pete