FanNation - The Republic of Sport

In one of the most famous fables in American history, George Washington's father plays just as important role as the future President. Imagine for a moment that when little Georgie informed his dad, "I cannot tell a lie: Twas I who cut down the cherry tree," that his father responded with, "That was a very naughty thing you did. I'm going to have to give you quite a spanking, and I want you to tell your mother who gave you the axe!"

Perhaps MLB commissioner Bud Selig should consider what might have happened next. Washington wouldn't have learned a valuable lesson about remorse and honesty, and the early US government could have looked a lot more like...well, like the government we have today.

Now, Jason Giambi is no George Washington, but Selig's current plan to make an example of the Yankees slugger for his (alleged) steroid use is ill advised. Giambi is one of the few players who told the truth before the Balco grand jury. Giambi is one of the few to express guilt for his mistakes...even if contract concerns have prevented him from spelling out exactly what those mistakes might be.

Following Giambi's statement in USA Today that, "I was wrong for doing that stuff," Selig started visibly pressing Giambi to come clean to the committee investigating steroid use in baseball. If Giambi does so, he could be punished for what he says, because the Yankees are looking for an excuse to void his contract and the federal government is conducting their own steroid investigation. If he refuses, he could be punished for what he doesn't say, though the Players' Association would undoubtedly appeal any resulting suspension.

Is this any way to encourage cooperation from other players? And does Selig think he'll get to the bottom of what happened in the steroid era without that cooperation? That's like thinking you can try a mob boss without offering a deal to one of the goodfellas.

But Selig is in no position to grant immunity. The Feds would take any confession and run with it. Giambi's fellow ballplayers would never allow Giambi to name names. And again, the Yankees want out from under Giambi's current deal.

So all Selig can do, and should do-for now-is to put the screws to those who seem less willing to cooperate. Instead of trying to create a public relations firestorm for Giambi, who seems to actually want to redress old wrongs, go after those whose stonewalling still persists, but who don't face the high stakes of a grand jury investigation or a team that wants to rip up their contract. Go after the owners and trainers whose complicity made the steroid era possible. Steroid users should be caught and punished, but Selig's current efforts seem to be the wrong way to inject accountability into an already tarnished game.