Selig Says "MLB Can Solve The Roid Problem Without Congress"

[Lynch]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2137726



I'm not going to post the whole article cuz it's pretty long. I will comment on it though.


First off, this is BS. Selig and MLB and the Players Union are ALL a bunch of candyasses that wont' do squat as they haven't in the past. I don't understand why they are so afraid to punish players who break drug laws. Steroids are illegal. Coccaine is illegal. Marijuana is Illegal. Slapping your wife around is illegal. Yet major sports are spineless pussies when it comes to punishing the players, especially star players, for breaking the law. Not just breaking MLB rules, but the law.

Second of all..... the way that MLB allows players to sit and play until some BS hearing at which is done at the player's convenience has GOT to stop. Immediate penalties are a must! If a player is busted for something illegal, whether it's a corked bat, driving drunk, carrying a loaded handgun through an airport, or taking illegal drugs, they should suspend the guy immediately. Penalty to be paid upon being caught. Not when the player feels like it.

Third: The players need to be punished harder than they are. Stiffer penalties (along with point #2 above in immediate penalities) might deter some of the activities. Rather than giving the guy a couple days off, give them a couple of weeks off, without pay and then fine them as well.

Fourth: make the guys subject to the laws of the land AS WELL AS the rules and regulations of baseball. Ie: Someone is busted for a loaded handgun in the car next to a bag of weed ... that player should be slapped around by the league AS WELL AS the city/state/nation. Too often, it seems they get one and not the other. That's the fault of both the court systems as well as the leagues that the players play in.


In summary, in Lynch's America, the league wouldn't be gutless pussies. Instead, they'd hand down fast, hard, swift punishments without remorse and without coddling the law breaking "employees". Hit these guys where it hurts .... their wallets. Jailtime if applicable.


Selig "we can take care of it without the help of congress"!??!?!? Yah, you gutless pussy. I'll be holding my breath.

[awefullspellare]

They can, but the won't.

[Halladay_is_God]

I agree to all 4 points Lynch

and I believe the MLB actually hides some names that were caught

[Lynch]

Yeah, that's something else that I really can't stand. Why do they hide/cover up the names of the criminals they employ? Sports is a private institution that is entierly funded by the public. Personally, I feel that any offense, drug test, etc should have the results published.


THe other thing I forgot to mention. Standardized testing should be done at random and be done far more often. Both during the season and during the offseason.

[Fishercat]

You have to wonder when the players union would stop taking Selig's shit if he went through with that plan. I'm assuming the drug testing program is part of the CBA, which would mean if he were to do that right now, he would have to invoke the best interest clause for commish power.

That would be a viable solution, but the second he opens that door, that opens both discontent among players for the owners (fair or unfair, I'd say unfair, but I don't have any doubts that Fehr would use this to his advantage in negotiations) and the realization he could use it for whatever he wants. Is it a bad thing? Not for a person like Selig who seems to have the cautiousnes not to abuse it. What happens when a new commish comes in and suddenly uses the clause to make ballpark regulations or rule changes?

However, that's not the real problem. Lynch, on the whole, I agree with you, let me address each point of yours individually

A) I agree to an extent. I think it is the league's responsibility to punish anyone who does anything to damage the integrity of the organization that is MLB. If they used coke, how much does it hurt the reputation of the league. I have difficulty believing that someone would say "Oh no, Wade Miller snorted some coke, I won't watch baseball anymore". I think that if you want to cover it in the drug policy, that's fine with me, but to punish it outside of there is both the job of the police force's (and the MLB should give way to the police on any offense if they deem it necessary to prosecute) and the job of the organization (the team). This can reflect badly on a team ranging from a reptuational standpoint. I can see them doing something if it is worse than non-performance enhancing drugs, say like spousal abuse or assault. Although I still feel that reflects more poorly on the employers (team) rather than the overseer (MLB). I'm conflicted there, but I don't blame Selig for not punishing based on offenses off the playing field.

B) Once again, agree to an extent. I disagree with immediate penalties until a player gets to dispute his case. However, the amount of time Palmeiro took is positively ridiculous. As soon as a test is confirmed, the team and player should get a warning about the positive test and what he tested positive for. From there, the player can give a yes/no appeal, if yes, it must be scheduled within a week. The penalty must either be maintained or eliminated, and if maintained, the player is automatically suspended. I should note, that if the test happened at the end of the regular season and a + test was a playoff entrant, then the process should be sped up prior to the playoffs.

C) Agreed, but then you have to go through the PA or use the best interest clause listed above. That's Selig's mistake. I see no problem in getting help when it is good for all parties but the guilty involved. Tell Congress the PA won't let you have your way and let them put in a 50-100-Life policy. MLB can solve it without John McCain, but it's easier with him. Of course, that then gives Congress jurisdiction over league problems, but if I were Selig, I'd rather deal with a call to the hill every year than the players having absolute power.

D) When the MLB's rules consist of the rule that "Players cannot carry around loaded/concealed weapons or will be punished by the league", then go for it.

On the whole, I agree, not quite so powerfully though. Selig should open the gates for Congress.

[A'sDiehard]

A while back I saved a picture of Selig from the roid hearings in DC. I wish I could find it because he looked like such a freakin idiot and it really showed what a joke the whole thing was.

I can't stand that guy.

[ATLien]

At least you got something right.

Selig's a gigantic pussy.

[Fishercat]

I honestly believe that Selig gets a worse reputation than he deserves, but that's another argument for another time

BTW, RMT, I can see the deleted posts, and I heard the rumor too. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if it's the player you're talking about. A jump of stats in 2004 and another jump in a contract year.

[riverdunesrat]

A while back I saved a picture of Selig from the roid hearings in DC. I wish I could find it because he looked like such a freakin idiot and it really showed what a joke the whole thing was.

I can't stand that guy.

This was my fave pic from the roid hearings......and Selig needs to step down. Instead we are stuck with him till 2009....



BTW Lynch....nice post and I agree 1000%.

[browntown653]

I honestly believe that Selig gets a worse reputation than he deserves, but that's another argument for another time

I agree with you there in some respects. The guy seems to get grief for every single thing that goes wrong in baseball, even little things like a tie in the 2002 All-Star Game...who cares, it's an All-Star Game, it doesn't even count. Or at least it didn't. I also think it was a fair penalty he gave to Kenny Rogers and that it was ridiculous that the commissioner's say can be overturned by an arbitrator. How can you expect him to be the head of the league if he isn't given the power to have the final say on suspensions? That being said, he's a worse commissioner than Tagliabue or Stern but doesn't deserve all the grief he gets.

[browntown653]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2137726



I'm not going to post the whole article cuz it's pretty long. I will comment on it though.


First off, this is BS. Selig and MLB and the Players Union are ALL a bunch of candyasses that wont' do squat as they haven't in the past. I don't understand why they are so afraid to punish players who break drug laws. Steroids are illegal. Coccaine is illegal. Marijuana is Illegal. Slapping your wife around is illegal. Yet major sports are spineless pussies when it comes to punishing the players, especially star players, for breaking the law. Not just breaking MLB rules, but the law.

Second of all..... the way that MLB allows players to sit and play until some BS hearing at which is done at the player's convenience has GOT to stop. Immediate penalties are a must! If a player is busted for something illegal, whether it's a corked bat, driving drunk, carrying a loaded handgun through an airport, or taking illegal drugs, they should suspend the guy immediately. Penalty to be paid upon being caught. Not when the player feels like it.

Third: The players need to be punished harder than they are. Stiffer penalties (along with point #2 above in immediate penalities) might deter some of the activities. Rather than giving the guy a couple days off, give them a couple of weeks off, without pay and then fine them as well.

Fourth: make the guys subject to the laws of the land AS WELL AS the rules and regulations of baseball. Ie: Someone is busted for a loaded handgun in the car next to a bag of weed ... that player should be slapped around by the league AS WELL AS the city/state/nation. Too often, it seems they get one and not the other. That's the fault of both the court systems as well as the leagues that the players play in.


In summary, in Lynch's America, the league wouldn't be gutless pussies. Instead, they'd hand down fast, hard, swift punishments without remorse and without coddling the law breaking "employees". Hit these guys where it hurts .... their wallets. Jailtime if applicable.


Selig "we can take care of it without the help of congress"!??!?!? Yah, you gutless pussy. I'll be holding my breath.

Great post.