When an owner speaks, everyone listens. When steroids are brought up, everyone is sure to turn their head. Monday was no exception, when Astros owner Drayton McLane fielded questions on Congress’ investigation into steroids in baseball, saying:“There possibly could have been some other things for Congress to focus on…”
The fact is, because baseball is an interstate enterprise, it’s the job of Congress to inspect any venture that may have gone awry; and clearly something has gone awry. Not only is it Congress’ duty to inspect, how can you complain? Wouldn’t you want a “cleaner game”? Wouldn’t it be nice to know who was injecting what into their bodies? Shouldn’t that have been your job, Mr. McLane, about 10 years ago when steroids and other enhancers were prevalent? Hell, if I were an owner you can bet I would check up on every single player I sign a check to, especially with the inflated free agent market the last few years.
But I digress, because I actually agree with Mr. McLane on one point. Congress actually does have better things to do, and if people like Bud Selig, heads of the MLBPA, and the GMs and owners actually did their job and disallowed this drug culture in the first place, instead of secretly embracing it, our elected officials never would have had to step in and play the role they have been forced to play. Unless Drayton McLane has invented a time machine out there in
The issue I take with this owner’s comments is the gross conflict of interest. Only a man blind to the circumstances the Astros are in would call these comments partial, as the Astros have promised to honor a 10 year personal services contract to Roger Clemens; as well as allowing him to train with the team while remaining unsigned. And how could we forget the newly acquired shortstop Miguel Tejada, who was named in the Mitchell report not a day after he was dealt to
It really is disturbing to see how the decision makers in baseball seem to be the ones most apathetic to the steroids and attempt to brush off any attempt to uncover the truth and clean up the game, and its not just Drayton McLane. The powers that be refuse to accept culpability and pass regulations that would’ve been useful 15 years ago. Instead, players have moved from steroids to HGH, which would require a blood test to successfully find in a player’s body. What perplexes the mind is why is there such a controversy over something as standard as blood testing? Players at the international level in dozens of sports are tested constantly with far superior methods while Bud Selig makes fallacious statements reading something to the terms of “I consider Major League Baseball’s drug policy one of the best in the world and comparable with any other policy.” Lets face it, as of now the people with the power are incompetent and because of them baseball is in the tainted state we know it as today.
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