Friday, December 14, 2007

Selig Vows To Punish Wrongdoers - - So He'll Suspend Himself?

I don't usually blog about sports, but since I am a lifelong fan, and have followed things as they led up to this public airing of Major League Baseball's bad news, I'll offer this:

Baseball drug investigator George Mitchell's report is in, and along with dozens of named players, the former US Senator and federal judge also included unnamed "commissioners" among those responsible for baseball's worst drug-abuse scandal.

Good for you, Senator. No names were needed. It was a diplomatic way to out the guy who hired you.

Interestingly, too, was that Mitchell, having negotiated peace and forgiveness among warring Irish factions a few years ago, took a similar approach with Major League Baseball's troubles by recommending against player punishment for past misdeeds - - except for egregious violators.

Yet Comish Bud Selig, always ready to sound an off-note when the conductor was orchestrating harmony, vowed publicly, after Mitchell had delivered his report, to punish wrongdoers, which, as Bud reminded us, is in his purview.

And which Selig could have been doing for some time had he not been oh-so reluctant to do much until an authority figure like Mitchell assembled facts that supported the true, conventional, denial-free wisdom.

So taken together - - Mitchell's findings, Selig's remarks - - it seems to me that Selig, boss during the Steroid Era, should exercise the disciplinary powers he said he's got - - and suspend himself for being The Number One Guy who looked the other way in the name of the almighty dollar.

As they say, in the best interests of the game.

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