His year-and-a-half investigation is over and according to some, he's going to call out 60-80 former and current players for using steroids. But what I want to know about former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's report is this: what happens next?
What if one or more of those 60-80 broke a single season record? An all-time record? Won an end of season award? Have since been voted into the Hall of Fame? Are still playing today? Are now managing a team? Are now working in a front office? Are now working as an analyst somewhere? What, if anything, happens to these people? Is the fact that they've been named as part of this probe punishment enough? And perhaps most importantly, is being named in this report sufficient proof that said player did, in fact, use steroids?
Commissioner Bud Selig never addressed these issues during his press conference on March 30, 2006, when he first announced what Mitchell would be doing. I would imagine he can't hide from these queries after today, though. Mitchell will announce his findings at 2 this afternoon, and Selig will follow up with his own newser at 4:30.
Let's just say it should be an interesting day for the game of baseball.
When viewed with the context of Roger Goodell's handling of the Michael Vick fiasco, and to a lesser extent, David Stern's handling of the Tim Donaghy nightmare, it is now unmistakably clear that Bud Selig is the worst commissioner in pro sports. Selig announced today he feels it is "unnecessary to take further action" against Jason Giambi, an admitted steroids-user. Way to show baseball fans around the globe you're taking this issue seriously, Bud.
The fact that Giambi cooperated with steroids investigator Senator George Mitchell, coupled with two charitable donations he plans to make totaling $100,000 (which is four-tenths of one percent of his 2007 salary, or roughly $256 to someone who earns $60,000 a year) is evidence he's learned his lesson, according to our commissioner, whose tough talk about restoring the integrity of the game was clearly just that.
What sort of message does this send to the millions of fans who want answers about players like Giambi, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and pretty much anybody who put up career numbers in the late 90s and early 00s, only to return to Earth shortly afterward?
And furthermore, does a drug user (let's not forget, that's what steroids are) escape the legal system unscathed if he cooperates with detectives and makes a small charitable donation? No. He or she has to pay the penalty, which in some cases, involves jail time. Can somebody please explain to my why this is any different?
Giambi shouldn't get jail time, but he should have been punished the same way any other steroid-user gets punished nowadays: 50 games for a first offense under the new policy adopted in November of 2005. Admitted use, while more admirable, should be no different than "getting caught" via a positive test. And it's worth noting Giambi only "admitted" using steroids and HGH to a grand jury. He's issued a few vague apologizes and has urged baseball to do the same, but has never said exactly what he's apologizing for.
The true crime in all of this is that it sets a precedent of complete and utter amnesty for anyone else implicated in the Mitchell investigation. Let's say Mitchell has the goods on Barry Bonds, has it right now and is ready to release it tomorrow. Selig has no way of disciplining Bonds any differently than he did Giambi, provided Bonds is willing to make a meager donation. He could potentially get him on the, "Giambi cooperated, you didn't" technicality, but that difference alone wouldn't justify something as serious (and appropriate) as a lengthy suspension, asterisks, or a ban. People would cry racism. And they might be right.
The bottom line is this. Bud Selig had his chance. He had his chance to prove that this Mitchell investigation, which has been somewhat loosely defined and ambiguous to begin with, actually meant something. Unfortunately for baseball and its fans, it does not.
His year-and-a-half investigation is over and according to some, he's going to call out 60-80 former and current players for using steroids. But what I want to know about former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's report is this: what happens next?
