Hall of Shame

Todd Pratt, Paul LoDuca and Todd Hundley (no surprise), but not Mike Piazza.

Roger Clemens, the guy who threw a broken bat at Piazza during the 2000 World Series, was one of the 80+ players named in Sen. George Mitchell's report on "The Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball." That list of names, Josh Peter writes, includes "an All-Star at every position."

Peters notes that a second investigation may produce additional names:

Prominent players and members of the rank-and-file implicated in an ongoing government investigation in Florida into the illegal distribution of performance-enhancing drugs were not in the report, according to a source involved in the investigation.

The Mitchell commission never requested from Florida authorities the names of players implicated in the ongoing investigation of the illegal distribution of steroids by Signature Pharmacy. ...

"Other investigations no doubt will turn up more names and turn up more details, but that is unlikely to significantly alter the description of the baseball Steroid Era set forth in this report," Mitchell said.

Given that, it's impossible to say yet that players not listed in the Mitchell report have been cleared of all suspicion (neither Mark McGwire nor Sammy Sosa is on the list). Mitchell's disheartening evidence, actually, goes to show that the use of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs has been so widespread that no player can be viewed without suspicion. That's why, while I wasn't expecting Piazza to be on the list, I was dreading that he might be. The chemically enhanced exploits of Barry Bonds, Clemens, McGwire and Sosa have cast a shadow over every ballplayer who achieved anything remarkable during the past 20 years.

But it's worth noting that Mitchell's star witness was former New York Mets clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski. He blew the whistle on several of the team's former backstops, but not on Mike Piazza. That's good news for those of us who have argued that Piazza's 427 career home runs and .308 career batting average should earn him a place in Cooperstown (even if he couldn't throw anybody out at second base).

Anyway, that's my attempt at finding some good news on a day in which it's not easy for baseball fans to find good news.

(Bonus Mitchell finding: John Rocker is also on the list.)

Comments

[spinetingler]

There is no joy in Mudville.

[Caroline]

Substitute Varitek for Piazza and that's more or less how I felt today.

[Kurt Schwind]

This is sort of a side-issue, but an early copy of the report was 'leaked'. The leaked report had names of ball players that didn't end up on the official report and some of those players were asked to answer to the report before it even came out. I know that Albert Pujols was one and it caused quite a stir in baseball-crazed St. Louis.

[larry p]

1993-96: Roger Clemens 40-39; Tim Wakefield 36-32 (3 yrs); Tom Gordon 47-29. Then 'roids to the rescue!

[spencer]

Rocker's in there? That is too sweet. It couldn't happen to a more deserving turd of a man.

[spencer]

Now that I've actually looked at that list, I am struck by how many also-rans are on it. I mean, seriously - Scott Schoeneweis? I guess that as more and more of the top players started juicing, the pressure to follow suit would naturally work its way down the talent scale. Eventually, even utility infielders would see juicing as a regrettable prerequisite to holding on to a career in the big leagues.

[Tonio]

How ironic for baseball's "naughty list" to be compiled so close to Christmas...

[Armando]

I'm sorry, but all I kept thinking today, when this topped the news each hour it seems, was "doesn't congress have bigger fish to fry than whether or not major league baseball has a drug problem?"

[Johnny Pez]

As a lifelong baseball fan, I have to say I'm concerned that . . .

Whoops, wrong thread. Never mind.

[Geds]

As a lifelong baseball fan, I have to say I'm concerned that . . .

Nice.

A few years ago when the first steroid testing policy went in to effect there was a step-up effect whereby it would go from slap on the wrist-like penalties to, um, slap slightly harder on the wrist penalties if a certain percentage of players tested failed. A refusal counted as a failure.

The entire White Sox 25-man roster seriously considered refusing the test because that would guarantee a failure, but the union convinced them not to. I was proud of the Palehose for at least considering it, though.

It's a little depressing to see that Scott Shoenweis was able to take delivery of steroids at Comiskey, though. Still, nobody really cared about him.

It does look like everyone's faith that The Big Hurt (Frank Thomas) wasn't a user has been justified. I've heard a lot of arguments over the last couple years that his accomplishments (career .303 BA, .982 OPS, 513 HR) while staying clean in the steroid era should lock him up for the HOF, even if he has spent a lot of time DHing and being unpleasant to reporters over the past few years. If Fred's gonna try to pimp Piazza for the Hall, I'd like to call attention to the Hurt.

[Richard Hershberger]

"Now that I've actually looked at that list, I am struck by how many also-rans are on it."

It seems to me that marginal players have the strongest incentive. There is a huge salary difference between a career AAA minor leaguer and a journeyman big leaguer. I am probably naive, but it seems to me that a guy higher up on the food chain, who gets a multi-year contract for several tens of millions of dollars, is set for life if he isn't a complete idiot. A guy like that could look at steroids and the possibility of being a breakout star, and decide it wasn't worth it. But the guy in AAA looking at a future of selling insurance to pay the mortgage? A little health risk down the road could look like a pretty good bet.

[pepperjackcandy]

Could John Rocker's turdishness possibly have been exacerbated (note I don't say "caused," I say "exacerbated") by the steroids? Anabolic steroids have been shown to increase verbal aggression.

[Tonio]

I am probably naive, but it seems to me that a guy higher up on the food chain, who gets a multi-year contract for several tens of millions of dollars, is set for life if he isn't a complete idiot.

Perhaps that player's status is more precarious than is obvious from the outside. I suspect that by age 30 or so, the players are feeling pressured by the young guns coming up from the minors.

[Tonio]

Pepperjackcandy, excellent point. The Sports Illustrated interview that caused the controversy showed Rocker to have an explosive temper.

[ohiolibrarian]

Scott: If only welfare recipients had to pass drug tests.

Ah, an explanation for Scott's hostility - 'roid rage! (Just kidding)

[not someone else]

If only welfare recipients had to pass drug tests.

You'd have less problems with the government examining people's pee than with a group of what are essentially corporations giving lip service to the law while quietly going about their own business? That's awfully socially authoritarian of you.

I suppose that must be a backhanded point and/or sarcasm- I can think of a few possibilities- but if it's not, that's interesting logic there.

[Ursula L]

I must say, as someone who dislikes sports and suffered for years from gym teachers insisting that exercise was not just something done to be healthy, but had to be fun too, I'm enjoying a bit of schadenfreude seeing sports associated with unhealthy stuff like illegal steroids.

See, I wasn't wrong to avoid doing everything possible to be good in gym class...

[Raka]

Scott: If only welfare recipients had to pass drug tests.

I find liberals who reflexively support social spending for purely moral reasons to be sort of charmingly exasperating. I think they're naive, and I feel a need to gently divert their energies before they cause any real damage, but I can't help but be fond of them. Morality is a great and necessary guiding principle, but when it comes to formulating specific policies and initiatives, morality must take a back seat to pragmatism. It's all well and good to abhor abortion, but a pragmatic analysis of the situation will show that abortions are at their lowest when they are legal, safe, and available in an environment with plentiful education and reasonable social/financial options. It's all well and good to oppose the plight of the homeless, but handing out twenties to every panhandler you meet is likely to cause more harm than good.

I tend to agree (more or less) with my bleeding-heart friends more often than not, but I still feel like a right bastard on occasion when applying statistics and logic to humans who are suffering. It's awfully easy to use "pragmatism" as an excuse to do nothing, rather than a metric for choosing the best solution. I am therefore perversely comforted by the existence of libertarian fleshbags who reflexively oppose social spending for purely moral reasons-- at least I know I'm not that far gone.

The opposition sure as hell isn't pragmatic. No society benefits from having a large and resentful underclass facing high barriers to economic and social mobility. And anyone who claims that privatization of education and regulation would result in anything other than neo-feudalism is doing so against all historical precedent. All. 100%. Denying welfare to drug addicts doesn't convert them into productive citizens via the magic of the market. It just increases their desperation and willingness to commit crimes to survive. It penalizes their children for being born to the "wrong" parents. And it increases the burden on society (just in direct costs, not to mention incalculable lost-opportunity costs) compared to a balanced and regulated system of welfare.

It's silly and misguided to think that all ills can be solved by governmental redistribution of wealth and power. It's downright self-destructively evil to think that no problem ever justifies governmental interference with the perpetuation of privilege.

[beckya57]

Sorry, I don't think a player who was one of the all-time worst defensive players at his position (and who selfishly insisted he should be allowed to stay at that position) should be allowed anywhere near the HOF.