FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Interesting blog. I don't think A-Rod is the only one to tip off games but I also think baseball has to investigate the allegations. Sure there are different levels of cheating - but some are considered "part of the game". For example, stealing signs, penalties such as holding in football as you mentioned all fall in that category. Baseball, more than any other sport is records oriented - particularly the biggest records like All- Time HR & single season HR record. When you cheat in a way that allows you to break records you normally wouldn't or tip off pitches regardless of the score you are destroying the integrity of the game. Baseball has to investigate! and if these allegations are corroborated baseball has to take action. Otherwise why have rules in the first place? When a Rafael Palmeiro or a Sammy Sosa wind up with more career home runs than Mickey Mantle by juicing, what does that say about the integrity of the game? And when you say these are great ballpllayers in the first place who hit all these HR's on steroids, let me paraphrase Jose Canseco: If it wasn't for steroids I would have never made the major leagues - steroids will make an average player very good, a good player great, and a great player unbelievable. If you and other fans want to avoid opening up a pandora's box I understand your logic. But I don't think baseball can turn the cheek.

I don't think that Baseball should ignore these problems. I think they should do all they can to prevent these things from happening again. But I don't think they need to keep digging up the dirt on stuff that has already happened. We can't take back what has been done, and the more we talk about it the more we tarnish the great All-American image of Baseball. Even if we knew all the people who cheated, it would make no difference. By leaving things alone, we can put this dark era of baseball behind us and move on into the future of a great sport.

Also, in reference to your comments on cheating, I am not against your opinion that some cheating is just considered part of the game. But if you're going to attack certain things, you have to examine them all. Where do you draw the line on cheating? Holding could adversely effect records. Without it, many plays would be completely different, resulting in more pass and rush yards. Also, what about people who already hold records? What about the old spit-ballers and ball doctors? They are in the record books and the Hall of Fame without dispute. They don't even get asterisks. How is that fair? That was against the rules, and definitely gave them an unfair advantage. The point is, like you said, the rules are supposed to be followed, why have them otherwise? So either we prosecute everybody for everything... or we drop everything, forget it all, and get on with our lives, policing things the way they should be policed from now on to prevent this cheating from happening again.

As I pointed out..there are different levels of cheating. Holding, which you like to bring up is considered part of the game and is penalized. Stealing signs as well as bases are considered part of the game. While it is debatable whether it's worthwhile to open a pandoras box by reversing the Hall of Fame status of admitted spitballers like Gaylord Perry, you have to investigate current findings of recent events which may affect the most prestigious records in sports - the all-time home run record and single season HR record. These records are or should I say was limited to one sport. Baseball also has to investigate tipping signs as all of these issues affect the integrity of the game. . If you find that a ballplayer broke Aaron's record by cheating as Bonds did and you wanna say lets move on - that's your business. If you find a player continued to take steroids and banned substances as is alleged with A-rod and you say let's forget it - again that's your business. But I think most purists feel that these allegations have to be investigated. And if corroborated Baseball should take action. In my book Hank aaron is still the all-time HR leader and Maris the single season HR leader. And as long as there is no test for HGH, if you can corroborate usage it may be time to set an example. I am a Yankee fan. I was an A-Rod fan. I still feel symapathy for him for reasons too long to go into here. Ultimately he will probably get off the hook anyway because he can just deny the allegations. I doubt anyone from the rangers or Yanks will come forth and corroborate them. But that doesn't mean Baseball should overlook it just because it was in the recent past.

You make valid points, and I see where you are coming from, but it seems to me that the past is the past and the future is the future. If you want to put blame on those who played in the recent past, you need to go back into the record books and put blame on those in the distant past too, at least those that you can. I for one, don't want to publicly shame the game that way, but it seems only fair to do one or the other.

Also, as a side comment, I'm not completely convinced that A-Rod did tip pitches. Apparently no one saw him do it (accept for Mrs. Roberts' unnamed sources), and while you may chalk that up to people not wanting to blab, I don't believe for a second that everyone who ever saw him do it on the teams he played for or the teams he tipped would keep quiet on the issue, even if it meant going public and risking a little shame. Jose Canseco's not the only person who likes to kiss and tell.
I read the article in SI today that was an excerpt from Mrs. Roberts' book, and it just doesn't smell right to me. In my above blog, I give her credit as a respectable reporter, but that's because I like to assume that the New York Times hires respectable reporters. Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to judge.

I agree - I'm not completely convinced A-Rod tipped pitches either. I will say I found the timing of the book's release despicable, Selena Roberts supposedly has a great reputation. When A-Rod made his initial remarks saying "don't believe anything this woman says in the future", David Cone came to her defense. To paraphrase, he said that he held her in the highest esteem as far as credibility & professionalism was concerned and that A-Rod should offer an apology to her (which he eventually did). As to whether A-Rod tipped or not, if he did it was on a quid pro quo basis. Would anyone who participated tell? -no way as it would be implicating them. There is also a brotherhood among the players regardless of team. It took 57 years till the public learned that the Giants stole the Dodgers signs which may have led to Bobby Thompson's "shot heard round the world" in 1951. And that was before the players union ever existed! Additionally, despite what ballplayers may say to the press if A-Rod did tip in blowouts I'd bet there were quite a few others. I guess we have to agree to disagree. I see your points as well but as I view the steroid era as doing more to damage the validity of the cherished baseball records I referred to than any other violations you brought up -spitballs, etc. And now they caught Manny - surprise, surprise.