LIES, DAMNED LIES, AND STATISTICS
I just want to publicly apologize to my father.
Dad, you were right. You were always right.
Dad, you were right. You were always right.
posted by Anthony at 7:31 PM
“Against stupidity the very gods themselves contend in vain.”
posted by Anthony at 7:31 PM
8 Comments:
What does this say about managers? And more so than any other, Joe Torre?
Also, does this increase the HOF chances for clean players? For instance, does Bernie Williams now have a shot, considering he competed against the cheaters?
You know, reading the stuff about the Mets clubhouse guy (who was there for 10 years) and hearing Steve Philips saying basically "I had a wife and kids and I needed to worry about my job first" I think this whole thing is a tragic moment for a sport that has already lost a lot of its luster. This is a rich man's game now-- for both the players, owners and the fans who can afford to go to games. Things changed drastically after the '94 strike. And for the worse, it seems. Where a player who never broke 20 HRs a season had a contract year coming up, he'd take substances and hit 50 homers and cash in big. Owners, hellbent on lucrative TV contracts and new stadium funding, sought to ratchet up fan interest by putting big boppers out on the field. And yeah, managers and GMs looked the other way. Brian Cashman and Joe Torre had to have known this was going on. And I suppose this collective denial was shared by the fans to some degree. Back in 2001, how many Yankees fans were stoked by the idea of Jason Giambi hitting a trillion HRs over the RF short porch? At any cost? A bad day for baseball, a bad day for all of us.
I agree. And reflecting on my last comment, I have to qualify it to some degree, because cheating does diminish the game itself, it goes to its essence. If some players and teams have an illegal advantage over others, it goes to the heart of it.
So yes, this is a sad day.
From Tom Boswell at the Washington Post:
"Now, Roger Clemens joins Barry Bonds in baseball's version of hell. It's a slow burn that lasts a lifetime, then, after death, lingers as long as the game is played and tongues can wag. In baseball, a man's triumphs and his sins are immortal. The pursuit of one often leads to the other. And those misdeeds are seldom as dark as their endless punishment."
Baseball, being so insular, has the epitome of an institutional memory. It must be absolutely crushing for Roger Clemens to know that he will *forever* be remembered for this day.
Another guy who comes out of this looking great: David Wells. The diametric opposite of these guys, but a top performer for almost as long. (His prime, ironically, is why he's not going into the HOF.)
from the Baseball Hall of Fame's website:
5. Voting: Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.
This differs from the Football HOF which concerns itself solely with achievements on the field. Character and integrity matter.
I was going to write something else a longer piece but I just don't know what to say. I'm disappointed in all parties involved. Everyone gets the blame for letting this mess get out of hand.
Players should be held accountable for tarnishing the game. They're frauds.
Owners need to stop rewarding enhanced stats.
The Players Union needs to take blame for standing by the phonies.
Selig needs to resign. He's let everyone who cares about baseball down. This entire era was under his watch though he didn't appear to watch anything.
I'm considering severing my ties to baseball.
I'm not severing anything. Baseball needed this.
Every year we watch homerun and RBI numbers skyrocket. Along with pitcher's ERAs. Huge contracts, bigger stadiums. Cohen made a great point saying it's a rich man's game. It really is.
The game isn't a game anymore, and it hasn't been since before my lifetime. It's all about statistics, fame, and money.
Maybe this report will help change that idea a little. Knocking down some of these big egos, showing these players that they are human.
But, I can't say I won't watch just as ferociously as I did before. I still love the Yankees, and even those that cheated.
Also, I think worth noting again is this point: HOF chances for clean players. I certainly agree that it does increase their chances, but more so for pitchers who had to face all of these roid-heads. Good news for Tim Stoddard.
I believe Andy Pettitte's explanation and I would have expected no less from him. He's a class act in my book.
Roger?
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