Those who know me well - beyond the semi-anonymous veil of the internet that protects my true identity - will acknowledge that I am a baseball junkie.
Last night, I took part in my second online fantasy draft of the week, this time with some of my fellow Deadspin commenteriat, and I was so enveloped in the enjoyment of sifting through middle relievers and their stats that I hardly noticed 3hours of my life had just passed me by.
The season started yesterday, and despite the difficult weather conditions for baseball, I soaked it all in as if it were opening day 1985 and I sat with my mother at Exhibition stadium fawning over my favorite Blue Jays.
Being a baseball fanatic these last few years has been a challenge. For some reason, the U.S. Supreme Court has stepped in with their Mitchell Report and started imposing their will on Major League Baseball, having not just athletes, but the stars that carried the game speak under oath concerning performance enhancing drugs that WEREN'T EVEN ILLEGAL when they were allegedly used.
This situation has forced many of this generation's stars to swallow their pride and admit to the usage of drugs that despite being completely legal at the time, are considered an ethical injustice with regards to the puritanical traditions of baseball.
Forget the fact that following the lockout in the 90's, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's efforts to smash Roger Maris' home-run record of 61 completely revitalized the game and brought-back the interest of the national audience.
Forget the fact that the allure of the 'Home-Run' generation of Major League Baseball spiked both attendance and viewership numbers. All of this is irrelevant when considering the archaic means MLB and its owners use when governing the game.
Forget the fact that the use of drugs are not the only means of bettering a player, and that Tommy John surgery repairs a pticher's elbow by taking a tendon from the leg and inserting it in the arm. Sure, Human Growth Hormone, which is used to allow the body to rehabilitate quicker is taboo, but taking a piece of your leg and putting in your fucking arm is perfectly okay.
And finally, please forget the fact that these men care about their legacies and image, and sometimes have too much pride to admit their fault. We canonize the likes of former Yankees starter Andy Pettitte for admitting his errors when cornered, but burn others at the stake for hiding the truth - something I believe most of us would identify with if put in a similar position.
It's baseball.
Motherfucking baseball folks - take a step back and realize the athletes are only trying to better themselves both for their personal gain, and OUR ENJOYMENT. They are the ones selling tickets, not the pasty fat cats in the press boxes whose parents left them the team or bought it themselves following the Dot Com boom of the late 90's.
FUCK.
I just wanted to let off a little steam, but I can't help but be a little sad, that the best pitcher of our generation, Roger Clemens, has perjured himself in court by lying about his HGH use, and the greatest hitter I've ever seen is currently embroiled in a courtroom drama similar to that of Mr. Clemens.
I could go on and on about the Bonds trial, but Ben McGrath at the New Yorker has done an impeccable job of it so why not click on the link below ad enjoy a brilliant article that covers the entire thing in-depth.
King Of Walks - New Yorker
Enjoy and thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment