Grimsley not alone in enhancement blame-game
By Punch N. Judy
BASEBALL BIG MOUTH baseball blog
So ends another week where scandal again threatens the game we love.
The recent revelations of journeyman hurler Jason Grimsley in regards to using Human Growth Hormone can’t come as too much of a shock to those fans in touch with the chemistry experiment gone bad that is Major League Baseball. A softball teammate of mine remarks at least 10 times a season, the old phrase, “if you ain’t cheatin’ you ain’t tryin.” In the context meant by my buddy, I couldn’t disagree more. The way Punch was raised, baseball stood for hardnosed effort, complimented by calm, cool, gentleman like demeanor. Cheaters are never supposed to prosper.
In the great steroid debate however, my hind quarters ache from sitting on this old picket fence. Of course the rampant abuse of steroids has stained the game, perhaps irreparably, and yeah, baseballs holy grail - the record book - will be dotted with uncertainty. But the bulls eye painted on the players back just seems too convenient of a way to let those billionaire owners off the hook.
Let’s face the facts here; the business side of the game has circumvented the action on the field. Agents, paid millions by their minion-like clients now go to war each off season trying to trump the previous years record annual salary. The owners in turn, demand performance for their dollar. And that performance doesn’t arrive in the form of a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt, or a backhanded stab in the hole. It’s not just the babes that dig the long ball here folks.
As long as the 30 homer, 100 RBI benchmark is rewarded with the $10 million dollar contract, we are sure to see the continued cat-and-mouse game of performance-enhancing drugs being chased by testing that is actually highly-ineffective given that masking agents that will always be a few steps ahead.
My empathy towards the athlete largely stems from my youth, where a certain-gifted football player from my home town knocked on the NFL’s door after college, only to be rebuffed by scouts who said he was too slow to be a linebacker, yet too small to anchor a spot on the defensive line. Well, after a suspicious off-season in which he gained 30 lbs. of muscle, he tried out for a team as a walk-on free agent and lo-and-behold, a 10-year NFL career was born. This guy literally set himself up for life and it’s doubtful whether he regrets a minute of it.
While this writer certainly doesn’t condone the pro athletes choice to - let’s not mince words here: cheat - I think its fair to say it’s the system that’s really flawed here just as much as these players decision to “juice up”. So the next time you blindly bemoan the overpaid ballplayer, make sure you attempt to walk a mile in their spikes, and ask yourself that if given the chance to be a millionaire, whether or not you, too might seek the assistance of a little booster shot.
Punch Lines
As the recent MLB draft crawls to the finish line, a couple of infamous faces have declared their candidacy.
Jeffrey Maier - The kid who reached over the railing and snagged Derek Jeter’s homerun ball, propelling the Yankees to victory over the O’s in 96’ has apparently turned himself into quite the young slugging prospect. He headed into the draft as Wesleyan High’s career hits leader.
Danny Almonte - The little leaguer famous for dominating the World Series in Williamsport, PA while competing at two years older than the rest of the field, has officially graduated from Monroe High. Scouts must be leery though; the kid could be anywhere from 18 to 25 years-old by now.