Dear Commissioner Selig,
You have established a proud legacy, though you don’t get much credit for it. Your reign has seen the creation of 16 mind-blowing MLB ballparks. You’ve overseen the expansion of the divisions & playoffs. Under your stewardship, Baseball revenue has increased to $6 Billion per year. You have continued development of Latin American players, the world wide promotion of the sport, reached record attendance of 78 Million, and an average team attendance of 2.6 million.
Even Pittsburgh drew 1.7 million, a gate that creates about $76 Million before even one beer commercial is aired.
The steroid era is not your fault, Mr. Commissioner. Steroids are soley the Players’ fault. Steroids were undertaken & spread throughout Baseball by the players. And when the problem became too grand to ignore, the Union blocked progress with aggressive, able Lawyers. And that has made all the difference in the world.
So, what to do with Roger Clemens ? Whatever you do, you need to do the same to all others like him.
1. Complete the investigation on a player-by-player basis. Make a determination of guilt or innocence, and the degree thereof.
2. Banish players or dealers/trainers, strip awards, and censure on an individual basis.
3. Remind Hall of Fame voters that Integrity, Sportsmanship & Character are election criteria that should guide their decisions on a level equal to Championships, Statistics & Records.
4. Advise Hall of Fame voters to block the election of men of low character, men whose cheating goes beyond gamesmanship. Pay no mind to those who would allow a steriod cheat in because the Hall has already welcomed racists and others of low character. Two wrongs do not make a right.
5. Earmark $30 Million ($1 Million per team) for the development of an effective HGH test and apply it, along with other drug tests, on a weekly, mandatory basis to all MLB players.
6. Publicly request that the Union accept a clause in every contract that states use of Winstrol, HGH and all other banned or illegal performance enhancing chemicals will result in the forfeit of all salary and bonuses. Play it in public, let Don Fehr and his brother’s be exposed for what they are.
Make them forfeit the MONEY. That will stop steroid in its tracks. Money has been the reason the steroid train jumped the tracks to begin with.
Again – Make them forfeit the MONEY. The MONEY is their GOD. Think Roger may have been motivated by the $150 Mill he has earned since allegedly starting to juice ?
Roger could be innocent, there’s a slim chance of that. So, give him the benefit of the doubt along with a full investigation. Make the determination, then banish, strip awards, and censure on an individual basis to the degree warranted.
Baseball may have fallen down again. But it will get up and it will walk straight again if you take action, Commissioner. And that will be some legacy to leave.
At home at fenway 