The Character Assassination of Mark McGwire

"He doesn't want to talk about the past? Then I don't want to consider his past." -- Hal McCoy, Dayton Daily News sports writer

"He won't get my vote this year, next year or any year." -- Chicago Tribune sports writer Paul Sullivan

"I think he's a Hall of Famer, myself. He hit 500 or so homers, almost 600. I think we have no proof whether he did or not." -- Former player and Hall of Fame candidate Tony Gwynn

"I don't plan to vote for him on the first ballot, but I do plan to vote for him." -- Former Chicago Tribune writer Jerome Holtzman

All these quotes were extracted from an ESPN article in relation to Mark McGwire's Hall of Fame candidacy, with ballots being mailed out to BBWAA members yesterday, as reported by the New York Daily News. This is McGwire's first year of eligibility.

As even casual followers of baseball know, Mark McGwire's accomplishments on the field have come under suspicion with allegations of steroid use coming from a variety of sources. While McGwire has never been formally accused of any wrongdoing -- either by Major League Baseball, the U.S. Congress or a criminal court -- there are many individuals and entities, from former teammates to the FBI to journalists with inside sources, who claim that McGwire was indeed a steroid user. Given the opportunity to denounce these accusations under oath, he dodged questions relating to his playing days altogether, claiming that he didn't appear at the hearing to talk about the past.

Most of the world took this action as his admission to using steroids or other illegal performance enhancing drugs. A small percentage of blindly faithful McGwire fans continue to defend him, arguing on his behalf from all angles, from statements such as "He never admitted to anything," to "He never tested positive for anything," to "There was no drug testing policy," to "Steroids were never a banned substance during his career," to "He's not that bad, he never endorsed what he did," to "He's only human, we have to be forgiving," to "How much do steroids help an athlete, really?"

All of these arguments are weak, especially coming from people who wish to view McGwire as an All-American hero. While it is technically true that Big Mac never admitted to the world that he used any illegal substances, his inability to give a definitive answer under oath is a clear indication that he has something to hide. Some have argued that by offering no incriminating information he was merely protecting his loved ones from further criminal investigation. Had he been the model citizen that McGwire supporters make him out to be, there would be no need to be evasive in the first place.

Another argument suggests that nobody, including Major League Baseball, the Hall of Fame or the Baseball Writers Association of America, can punish McGwire for something they can't prove. This statement only holds true for the criminal justice system, and to be perfectly honest I believe McGwire can be convicted on steroid charges if the government chooses to pursue it. However, the BBWAA members can vote however they please and they don't need to justify how they chose. And history has shown that sports writers can be partial, as evidenced by the 1941 AL MVP vote. Which isn't to say it's OK, but it does happen. And back to the original point, just because you can't prove something doesn't mean it isn't true.

Some say, "Why should anyone adhere to an unenforceable drug policy?" Because it's a rule nonetheless. I believe that an All-American hero and a baseball icon should be interested in preserving the integrity of game by abiding to the league's rules, regardless of its enforceability. If this is supposed to be a role model for the youth of America, the message we are sending is, "It's OK to cheat if you know you can't get caught or punished."

Then there are those who'll say that steroids weren't a banned substance until 2002. I won't argue this point too heavily because it's technically true; there was no collective bargaining agreement to ban steroids or other performance enhancing drug use until 2002. However, the purchase and use of anabolic steroids without a doctor's prescription has been illegal since 1990. In other words, though his accomplishments may be in compliance with MLB rules on a technicality, McGwire is a felon. Not a role model.

One argument I heard suggests that Mark McGwire is not a bad man because he never endorsed steroid use nor the supplements that he is willing to admit to utilizing. He even went so far as to discourage minors from using anything that isn't prescribed. The problem with that logic is that he is a public figure, and whether or not he poses in front of a camera and says "Andro gave me this body" is irrelevant. If I'm an impressionable young person that admires Mark McGwire and I come to find out that he only wears blue underwear on Tuesdays, if I want to be like him desperately enough, I will only wear blue underwear on Tuesdays. He doesn't need to appear in a Joe Boxer ad to influence me.

There are also apologists who say we should forgive him for his wrongdoing since he is generally a good person who has done a lot for the community. Before I, personally, can forgive somebody for anything I need an admission of guilt. If he feels that he can't do that because it will bring unwanted attention to his loved ones, fine. But he won't use that defense to bypass the forgiveness process. Furthermore, there is a very big difference between forgiving misconduct and honoring it. Pete Rose has admitted to and apologized for his offenses (albeit showing no genuine remorse and poor timing), but he gets no brownie points at all for conceding the obvious.

And finally, there's the most absurd of all rationale for Mark McGwire's Hall of Fame induction: questioning the impact that steroids can have on a baseball players abilities. The simple fact is that Hulk Hogan can hit a baseball farther than Napoleon Dynamite; which of the two will make more contact is less predictable since higher muscle mass (and by correlation, steroid use) doesn't guarantee increased hand-eye coordination. Mark McGwire's career .263 batting average supports this. There are sillier rules that exist in MLB (fraternizing with opposing players) and continue to be enforced (corked bats).

If Mark McGwire wants to get into the Hall of Fame, he's gonna have to pay admission, just like the rest of us.

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The Gyroball's Not Worth That Much

ESPN has released a report stating that the Boston Red Sox may have the highest bid for the rights to negotiate with Japanese star pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. The report estimates the bid between $38 and $45 million.

If everything in that report turns out to be accurate and the Seibu Lions accept the bid, I'll be glad it wasn't my team putting up all that money. I've never been a person to worry much about my team's payroll (you really can't do that as a Yankee fan), but when numbers in that range are being offered just to TALK with a player, you gotta start playing the insanity card.

There's really no team that can justify wagering more than $20 million for the simple privilege of offering to spend even more money. I don't care what kinda of mystery pitch he throws, how young he is, or how well he did at the World Baseball Classic; putting that much money on the line is very risky.

According to the same article, the Texas Rangers reportedly submitted a bid of $22 million with the intention of offering Matsuzaka a 5-year, $50 million contract. In other words, it's essentially $72 million for 5 years, or $14.4 million per. A pretty serious attempt at gettin a legitimate ace for the Rangers, but it's gonna burn a hole right in the Red Sox's wallet.

The thought is that if the Red Sox outbid the Yankees (who are also rumored to have made a bid), it would work in Boston's favor twofold as was the case when Johnny Damon left Boston for New York. On the other side of the scale, if Matsuzaka turns into a flop (like Hideki Irabu), they'll be stuck paying a heavy contract that they can't get rid of (like Kevin Brown and Carl Pavano, to name two).

The possibility of the Red Sox signing Matsuzaka doesn't scare me very much. The Sox have more than just one rotation spot to fill, and their lineup is only two deep. Meanwhile, the Yankees are helping themselves by trading away one of their aging (albeit more time tested) stars and replenishing their farm system in the process.

And if the Red Sox are really risking that much money on one player, that's less money on their payroll to fill other holes in their roster, especially if the posting fee is due in a lump sum. Even for a person with little regard for payroll constraint, that's a major investment for a right-hander most famously known for a pitch nobody can confirm exists.

Of course, nothing is confirmed yet, and my team could still be the one shelling out too much money. Until the Seibu Lions announce their intentions (the deadline is Tuesday), it's all speculation. Be eazy, my peoples.

BruGz..

iz..

out..

1...

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Un Género No Saca a Otro

Un tema que ha llegado a la atencion de la prensa Dominicana es de la supuesta batalla de generos tradicionales como Merengue, Salsa y Bachata contra sonidos relativamente nuevos como el Reggaeton. Sin nadie haber declarado guerra, los promotores de Merengue y Bachata aseguran que el Reggaeton no le superara.

Lo ridiculo de esta declaracion es que el Reggaeton busca superar a nadie. Esta competencia es un invento de las mismas instituciones que intentan poner nuestros ritmos por el piso. Una "competencia" creada para distraer a uno de la verdadera razon por la cual hoy se oye menos Merengue en la radio.

El Reggaeton no va a tumbar el Merengue ni la Bachata, porque no pueden. Un genero no saca a otro. Cuando el Hip-Hop nacio en los Estados Unidos, eso no mato ni al Rock ni el R&B. Al contrario, cuando el Hip-Hop se establecio el Rock le dio un abrazo, igual que el R&B. Y asi mismo lo hace la Salsa con el Reggaeton. Lo ha hecho el Merengue tambien, aunque ha sido un poco forzado.

Hay dos hechos que mucha gente no entienden del Reggaeton. Una es que el Reggaeton ya es un ritmo establecido. Ya este genero ha tenido su epoca en el "underground," o sea, fuera de la vista de los medios de corriente. El Reggaeton ya tiene una fanaticada mundial y esta aqui para quedarse, guste a quien le guste. El otro hecho es que el Reggaeton no pretende ser competencia para ningun otro ritmo. Todo lo contrario, cuando se habla de la historia del Reggaeton siempre se oye las influencias musicales que contribuyeron a su creacion, etre ellas el Reggae Jamaicano, el Hip-Hop Americano, y ritmos Latinos como Bomba, Plena, Cumbia, Salsa y mas reciente Merengue y Bachata. Como puede creer uno que el Reggaeton quiere ver a ningun otro genero morir, si se incorporan todos en si mismo.

Siempre habran aquellos que oponen el Reggaeton, igual como 30 años despues de su nacimiento hay quienes oponen el Hip-Hop. Solo les digo asi: no esperen que caiga el Reggaeton. Esto no es un capricho que viene y se va y el mundo sigue como a ustedes les gusta. Asi como la Bachata, ya el Reggaeton paso por el purgatorio y esta firmemente en nuestra cultura.

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Even 8-Year-Olds Know O'Reilly Is Full of Shit

Long time no blog. I've been "busy..." ::ahem:: LIAR! ::ahem::

Found this video clip on YouTube of an 8-year-old girl making Bill O'Reilly look like a fool. Of course this is all scripted by someone older, but the point is she hit the nail on the head.

Of course O'Reilly will never concede that he's wrong on these things, especially on the rap issue, despite the fact that he was outdebated by a rapper. On his own show! With a high school principal on as a guest to back O'Reilly.

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