Considerable segments of the baseball world are up in arms over MLB Commissioner Bud Selig’s remarks as part of the fallout from the Alex Rodriguez steroid revelations.
Speaking to USAToday, Selig was asked about the rekindled steroids furor.
“This is breaking my heart, I don’t mind telling you that,” the commissioner said.
Asked if he would consider reinstating Hank Aaron as the all-time home run king and adding an asterisk or some other notation to the statistics of Barry Bonds, Rodriguez and others involved in baseball’s steroid controversy, Selig offered faint hope.
“Once you start tinkering, you can create more problems. But I’m not dismissing it. I’m concerned. I’d like to get some more evidence,” Selig said.
That suggestion caused a furor all over the game as foxholes were dug even deeper over the wide-ranging potential impact of re-writing the record books. Among the reactions was from Aaron himself. Secure in his legacy and always graceful even as there is turmoil all around, Hammerin’ Hank simply said that Bonds can keep his record.
Selig was also asked what he might do about A-Rod.
“It was against the law, so I would have to think about that,” Selig said of possible action against Rodriguez. “It’s very hard. I’ve got to think about all that kind of stuff.”
Of course, there seems no chance A-Rod will be punished any more than any of the other players named in previous steroid cases did. Selig knows any action would be akin to declaring war against the Players Union, something that just isn’t going to happen.
He knows that. We all know that. So why not be open and honest about it?
Instead, the master of the “I’ll have to study this” continues to feed his personal brand of pablum to the hungry masses. I, for one, am not eating it up.
Selig has a long and consistent history in terms of dealing with controversial matters, using time-tested techniques of conflict avoidance.
Step one: Express deep-felt personal concern.
Step two: Make vague comments suggesting the matter might be resolved.
Step three: Vow to study the issue.
Step four: If at all possible, avoid ever discussing it again.
Step five: If pressed, state progress is being made.
Step six: Repeat steps one through five as necessary.
Step seven: Finally take action only if absolutely forced to do so, preferably by appointing a study committee. Rinse and repeat.
Without going anywhere near the Mitchell Report or any further into other steroids-related subjects, here is a look at some key topics in recent times and Selig’s responses.
May 2006 – Fans nationwide are outraged over complicated and illogical MLB television blackout rules.
“I don’t understand (blackouts) myself,” Selig said at a luncheon with the Baseball Writers Association of America. “I get blacked out from some games.”
“Right now,” he said, “I don’t know what to do about it. We’ll figure it out.”
“I hear more about people who can’t get the game,” Selig said, “and, yes, I’ve already told our people we have to do something about it.”
Almost three years later, despite being “spurred on by thousands of letters from angry fans”, according to Yahoo Sports, the blackout policy has been tabled in multiple ownership meetings over the last several years and is not on track to be resolved for 2009.
Result: No resolution
November 2007 – GMs endorse instant replay by 25-5 vote.
For years an outspoken opponent of instant replay in any form, Selig was seemingly finally outgunned by the clubs when in November 2007, general managers voted 25-5 in favor of exploring the use of instant replay on a limited basis.
Still dragging his feet despite the clear mandate, as recently as a July 15 “Town Hall Meeting” on MLB.com, Selig was asked directly if he was going to institute instant replay in 2008.
“I am not,” Selig said flatly.
While acknowledging the matter was under study, his comments remained guarded and non-committal.
Selig finally caved after several embarrassing high-profile blown calls on home runs affected game outcomes. On September 3, instant replay was used for the first time in MLB history. Most ironically, the first call was to reaffirm an Alex Rodriguez home run in Tampa.
Result: Stall until being forced into action
July 2008 – 15 inning All-Star Game exposes rosters with too few players – again.
Stung by his embarrassing decision to have to declare the 2002 All-Star Game in his own Miller Park in Milwaukee a tie (remember the unfortunately timed “This time it really counts” marketing slogan?), Selig had a flashback this past summer, as both teams nearly ran out of pitchers during the 15-inning All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.
Selig told the AP that he was considering expanding All-Star rosters by two pitchers to ensure that position players wouldn’t have to take the mound if the game again goes well into extra innings.
In a positive, the commissioner did rule out gimmicky alterations of the rules to conclude an extra-inning All-Star game more quickly such as the approach tested at the Beijing Olympics. There, each team’s at-bat starting in the 11th inning began with runners on first and second.
“It’s meant to be played to completion,” Selig said. “I thought we had forever solved the problem, and we had. Everything we did worked, but we may put an additional safeguard in.”
Result: No resolution
August 2008 – Manny Ramirez dogs his way out of Boston so he and agent Scott Boras can hit the free agent market.
The Boston Red Sox held club options at $20 million per season for the services of outfielder Manny Ramirez in both 2009 and 2010. His new agent Scott Boras would not receive commission on those options if exercised. Both agent and player likely saw the opportunity to make more on the open market.
Allegations included Boras telling the Sox that Manny would play hard for the rest of the 2008 season if they would agree to not to pick up the options, a claim Boras of course denied.
When the Sox were forced to trade Manny, a condition of the deal with the Dodgers was to decline the two option years. Ramirez and Boras are reportedly asking for $25 million per season over three years, but as of now, Manny is unsigned.
From the Boston Globe last August:
“…Bud Selig directed Major League Baseball executive vice president Rob Manfred to contact all parties for an explanation of how things unfolded around last week’s trading deadline.”
Result: No action
My final example epitomizes the “no-decision” reign of Selig.
January 1973 – Owners vote in the use of the designated hitter in the American League for a three-year trial.
Sort of like Gilligan and the Skipper on their seemingly-endless three-hour cruise, the issue of the designated hitter remains lost at sea after 36 years.
I am not here to debate the merits of or concerns about the DH, though I admit that I do have strong personal opinions. Instead, my point is that an entire generation of fans has grown up with a rule that is inconsistent across the two leagues, something that is clearly unique in sports.
There have been many resulting complications, including artificial interleague and post-season play advantages received as a result of the lack of standardization.
Instead of getting to the bottom of the inequity, in 2005, Selig made the ridiculous suggestion of using AL rules in NL parks during interleague play and vice-versa, as if that would solve anything. Needless to say, that generated little to no support from anyone.
In the same “Town Hall Meeting” this past July noted above, Selig re-affirmed the non-status status of the DH. He doesn’t even call this issue a back-burner one.
“(The DH) Hasn’t been debated for at least 25 to 30 years,” Selig concluded.
“So other than some catalytic event occurring, I think that’s the way it’s going to stay. I think, look, the game has grown like it never has. We’re going to set another attendance record. So I guess I have to say our fans accepted it pretty well.”
Result: No action planned
There you have it. Whether broken or not, the game has been making gobs of money, so that tells Selig and the owners that fans are accepting of pretty much everything.
I could go on, but you get the idea. These issues and many more that have been festering for months and in some cases, years, will soon be pushed back into the headlines as the 2009 season approaches.
For those currently worried that Selig will seriously try to change baseball records or discipline A-Rod. Forget it.
If the pressure gets really strong, expect a committee to nowhere to be assigned. Add in generous amounts of additional time to deal with owners or the Players Union or the umpires association or Congress or whoever else has an opinion.
In the meantime, be prepared for more concerned quotes being generated with precious little results to follow.
Being MLB Commissioner is not unlike, in its way, being President. Mr. Obama will not find everyone will agree with him all the time. Nor did Mr. Dubya. And so, people in such top jobs often have to balance many factors. Sometimes they come up with intricate compromises. Sometimes complicated messes must be “studied” and until they go away, surpassed by the latest cause du jour.
Will the Commissioner let stand iffy records owing to fear of war with “the union”? To me, even if there were no players union, the Commissioner would hestitate to choose which records to negate, based on incomplete facts about PED useage everywhere through the game. On balance, its not in the best interests of baseball.
Hammering Hank supports leaving HR records as they are. He is not saying this to win votes. Hank Aaron is a wonderful gentleman and secure in his reputation. This gives him the rare luxury to say exactly Henry Aaron thinks. Well done, Hank.
Brian, if you worked for ESPN you’d be joining Mr. Van Pelt on the suspended list!
If I worked for Disney Sports, I wouldn’t be here!
Let the record clearly state that I did not once use the term “pimp”. On the other hand, did you notice that Whitlock did? I have no idea as to the reason why or what that had to do with his story, however.
Here is a case study, as I understand it….Miguel Tejada has pled guilty to not telling information to investigators about another baseball player. His second transgression was to purchase some HGH from a non-authorized supplier, without a prescription.
1. At his hearing, Tejada needed a translator to tell him the issues in Spanish. He also was asked his formal education and said it ended with 8th grade. This is not surprising, since he likely grew up in poverty in the Dominican Republic and may not have had recourse to more educational advantage. Much of his subsequent education has been in the school of baseball. And one of the things he will have been taught is to value his team-mates. Now, Tejada is to be punished for not ratting on a team-mate.
2. Doctors can prescribe HGH to their patients. Sympathetic doctors specializing in sports medicine may find it in their economic self-interest to be generous in prescribing HGH to pro athletes. Players can then use this HGH, if they inform MLB, so their prescription is registered (presumably so they are ok if their urine tests high for HGH). Thus, Tejada’s transgression seems to be that he did not get a doctor to give him a prescription, nor obtain HGH through an authorized pharmacy, if I understand this right. In future, if Tejada were to instead to find a doctor who is generous with HGH prescriptions, he can still take HGH as before, just in future via authorized medical supply pathways.
So while Tejada is being held accountable as regards PEDs, the reasons seem hard to understand. Should his batting records be altered?
If everything is just about the Maris record or the Aaron record, then maybe there would be no need to retroactively change anything, because Tejada does not factor in either.
Brian, you’re getting old. “pimp ” doesn’t have the same connotation for today’s generation.
I would suggest that the bigger problem is that Selig is, by and large, and ineffective commissioner. He does not have the requisite independence to act decisively, particularly against the owners interest, and his status as a former owner, takes away his credibility with the players union. I would be surprised if Selig would have had the guts to ban Pete Rose in the first place.
There is no doubt that Selig has presided over a renaissance in the game, but I believe it has had little to nothing to do with him. In fact, it has been argued, that it was McGwire and Sosa (and their steroids) that really drove the game back from the abyss of 1994. Further, the lack of a “dynasty” team since the late 90′s Yankees, has really driven interest across the country. Frankly, I think the game needs a hard salary cap and better revenue sharing, as this will help the game as a whole.
CC, Scott Van Pelt isn’t exactly today’s generation, but to be sure, I listened to the radio segment in question. I think it was more the old definition than the new. He’s talking about wearing chains and drinking from a chalice. Decide for yourself.
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I agree that Bud Selig is a very ineffective commissioner for MLB. However he is good for the owners of MLB teams. I would add -” Bud Selig has a terrific haircut ”
My own opinion–too bad Bart Giamatti died so early . I wish he had been in the office longer but the owners may well have tried to get him out after a couple years as they did with Vincent.
[...] have often wondered if Boras’ and Manny Ramirez’ shady act to get Manny out of Boston and into a Dodger uniform wasn’t some kind of payback for the Drew [...]