This got lost in the blog cracks, as Major League Baseball and the Players Association released the tweaks to their drug-testing program on Friday afternoon. By the time Monday morning rolled around, we were all thinking about how the Yankees and Mets were in major trouble.
But upon having a few moments to reflect yesterday and re-read the press release, I thought it was important to discuss how the agreement corrects some of the missteps that our pal George Mitchell made in his infamous report.
First of all, the wording in the press release is vague enough that, when I wrote this story for Newsday last week, I inferred that named players would have to perform community service in return for amnesty for Bud Selig. In other words, "If you don't do this, you're going to be in trouble."
That is not accurate. While no one (including Jay Gibbons and Jose Guillen, pictured, who had received 15-game suspensions and now are free) will be penalized, it's not like you'll see Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens co-starting in a public service announcement about steroids. The union promised only that "some" players named by Mitchell will participate. You can count on those who have publicly apologized, like Andy Pettitte and Brian Roberts, to be a part of that campaign. This allowed Bud Selig to save some face, in that he could say that he imposed "some" form of discipline on the players named by Mitchell.
Most interesting, to me, is provision 9 of the agreement:
In future investigations, allegations of player misconduct will not be disclosed publicly by the Commissioner's Office unless discipline is imposed. A description of the evidence and allegations against a player being investigated will be provided to him before any investigatory interview.
This is very much of an indictment of Mitchell's methodology. It was an abomination that Mitchell wouldn't tell the players what he had on them unless they ageed to meet with him _ and then went ahead and publicized what he learned, even if the allegations didn't violate the collective bargaining agreement. Now, that won't happen again.
Let's hope that history frowns upon Mitchell's conduct. Certainly, this concession by MLB doesn't reflect well on Mr. Impeccable. Not that Congress would ever challenge one of their former fraternity brothers.
By the way, did you know that Mitchell has done lobbying for a tobacco company? I wish I had learned that while the investigation was still ongoing.
Comments (20)
I think the controversy over Hawkins' choosing No. 21 is ridiculous. Fans made fools of themselves. You are right about Hawkins being a good guy, based on everything that I have heard - including reading his comments and hearing him speak. Once again, if the guy was pitching lights-out, he would be getting standing ovations.
Thanks for adding to the list of reasons to despise George Mitchell. Government statistics show that approximately 400,000 people die each year from tobacco related illness. At least Henry Waxman was consistent on this point and has been a strong advocate against tobacco use.
When they aggresively test fans driving away from the Meadowlands after 6 hours of drinking, I will endorse stricter drug testing in MLB.
I didn't like how Hawkins got booed for wearing 21 and don't think O'Neill deserves to have his number retired eiher. On that note, there are several Yankees whose numbers don't deserve to be reitred but that's besides the point. I always thought you should be in the Hall of Fame and play the majority of your career with the team in order to have your number retired.
Anyway, I think the next person who should wear 21 should be an up and coming homegrown Yankee and feel the fans will accept that a little easier.
And these Yankees-Red Sox games are too exhausting. 9 inning games shouldn't last over 4 hours.
Perhaps "The Captain" can step up and defuse the issue?
Maybe Jeter should wear #21 for a day - and instead of his usual vague comments to the press, actually use his leadership position to get angry and back his teammates for a change?
I agree, if someone else is going to wear #21 it should be a homegrown player. Many writers don't seem to understand that to the fans it is not about how good of a player O'Neil was or how impressive his stats were. It is about him being the heart of soul of the yankees late 90's dynasty. Not being the most phennomanal athlete, but always displaying such passion was what the fans loved about him. To have his number so easily given away to a free agent middle reliever showed an indifference to the fans and their memories, so they expressed those sentiments the only way they can. Good for them.
The Captain is probably more focused, at the moment, that he Tivoed last night's performance of American Idol, in which his former friend, Mariah Carey, looked pretty, pretty good.
I like Paul O'Neil. He was a good player. Sometimes he was a very good player. He wasn't a great player. Great players have their number retired. No. 21 should not be retired in Paul O'Neil's honor. The Yankees have retired too many numbers. It has cheapened the meaning of retiring a player's number. One number is retired for a great player who was a Yankee for only five years. He belongs in the HOF but his Yankee number shouldn't be retired.
Thanks for the shout out K-Dog (a.k.a. the original 50 Cent). However, I think I'll stir the pot and say that the tobacco lobbying by Red Sox-income beneficiary Mitchell doesn't bother me so much. Yeah, smoking is bad for you, and I'm all for trying to keep smokes out of the hands of children and such, but at the end of the day, many adults choose to smoke regardless of knowing the health risks, and our economy may as well benefit from the choice made by an adult.
And I agree w/ rmt's idea - step up Jetes and wear the freakin number.
The only thing more overblown than Hawkins wearing 21 is the reaction by the media to the fans' overblown reaction. Enough already. A bunch of idiots booed Hawkins on opening night. And then he absolutely stunk it up, and they booed some more. How do events change if Hawkins didn't struggle so badly to start the season? We'll never know. He didn't help matters by getting shelled in his second apperance.
I think it's dumb how they treated him, but people act like they set his car aflame and kidnapped his children. Chill out, people. He got booed. It's not the end of the world.
Apparently Hawkins had no idea that 21 meant something to Yankee fans. If someone had simply explained to him what MIGHT have happened, then he probably would not have worn it. But at the very least if he knew, then he could have made an informed decision. As it was, he was walking in blind.
But seriously, outside of NY there's no way this is such a big story.
As for the steroids thing... I truly never want to hear another baseball-related steroid story again.
Paulie in the Hall? Not according to baseballreference.com:
Black Ink: Batting - 4 (408) (Average HOFer ≈ 27)
Gray Ink: Batting - 45 (543) (Average HOFer ≈ 144)
HOF Standards: Batting - 36.9 (173) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)
HOF Monitor: Batting - 69.5 (258) (Likely HOFer > 100)
Overall Rank in parentheses.
Ken, did George Mitchell do something to you personally to piss you off? Why all the hate?
I love what the Yankee fans did, though I didn't hear about it till just now.
I agree that had he pitched lights out they would have never said anything, but the fact that those fans loved Paul O'Neil and have a special attachment to him, they made the player and orginization know their feelings and should be commended for it.
On antoher note, its so funny how people panic early in the season. Funnier when it happens during Spring Training. Though I really think CC is overrated.
By the way, I didn't write that "did George Michell" piss you off post. Which Ken can see from the IPs. Someone posing as me -- weird, but oddly funny.
Thanks for the heads-up, baileywalk. I changed your impostor's handle to "fake baileywalk." fb, I don't like Mitchell because I think he's your standard-issue politican and businessman who has decided (and convinced much of the world to go along with him) that he is beyond scrutiny.
As for Hawkins, I think he deserved a little more benefit of the doubt, given that he chose 21 to honor Roberto Clemente.
Agreed Ken. Maybe the Yankee fans simply could have chanted, "Change your #."
That would have been cool.
BTW, Clemente would never have made it in todays game. WAY WAY WAY too classy.
Ken, Bud Selig should have appointed someone that have no ties to baseball, and doesn't sided with either the owners or the players union. LaTroy Hawkins dig himself his own grave with Yankees fans like myself by choosing No.21. What was he thinking? By the way, you know what the Yankees should do when Manny Ramirez comes to the plate? Throw at his head every single time and give him a concussion. This way Manny will know that he will pay the price for his antics.
Dennis, Hawkins was thinking, "It would be great to honor Roberto Clemente's memory by wearing #21." Paul O'Neill hasn't played since 2001. Hawkins is a good guy who deserved far better treatment.
As for giving Manny a concussion, that seems sort of harsh, no? How about just throwing inside, a little lower?
I've been used to idiotic behavior by some of my fellow Yankee fan brethren ever since the first game I ever saw at Yankee Stadium in 1962. They booed Roger Maris the first time up and all he had done was win two straight MVPs and helped return to Yankees to World Series after going 79-75 in 1959. Hawkins can wear any unretired number he wants. Just pitch well.
I've been re-thinking and if you asked me what player I respected most in baseball history its probably Roberto Clemente. From what I've heard he played the game the right way and died a very noble death, giving back to the community he loved. I wonder what % of major leaguers know who Clemente was??
Hawkins should not have been booed, but still, I think Yankee fans should have the right to want that # retired. Even though Paul O'Neil wasn't here for awhile, he's sorta like Adam Graves...the fans just identified with him. And we respect that. But Hawkins undoubtedly deserved better.
Paul O'Neill is a very cheap, very rude, self-centered, whiny baby jerk whose timing was very, very good--occasionally at the plate and especially with regard to getting traded by the Reds.
O'Neill landed with the Yankees in the middle of their revival, he was not largely responsible for it, and, like most of the players on that 1996-2001 teams, has had virtues ascribed to him that do not come anywhere close to matching reality. For example, he is constantly referred to as a "class act," a "true professional," and a "warrior."
The first 2 descriptions are too stupid to even comment on. As for the third, doesn't anyone remember that it was the writer of this blog himself who broke the story that Joe Torre had to institute a system of fines for the entire team specifically to address the fact that O'Neill was not running all the way to first base on ground balls. It wasn't that he wasn't running hard. It was that he wasn't even REACHING first base.
Also, please, let's not forget that he complained to the umpires on EVERY SINGLE strike call against him.
A very talented player who got some big hits without getting convicted of a major crime? Yes.
A Hall of Fame worthy player who should serve as an example to younger players? Only if you are hopelessly blinded by all things Yankee.
He's a pretty lame announcer as well, by the way.