Adam Graham
The baseball fascists
By Adam Graham
Baseball's new steroids rule has been in effect for two months but already Commissioner Bud Selig is proposing to scrap it in favor of a new tough, "three strikes" rule where a player caught using steroids would receive a 50 game suspension for the first offense, 100 for the second, and a lifetime ban for a third offense. While I'd have no problem with Selig proposing a tougher ban, the timing is questionable.
Just recently, a policy was agreed to in which players would get a 10 game suspension for a first positive test, then 30 and 60 for second and third tests, followed by a whole season for a fourth test, and a fifth would leave the player at the commissioner's mercy. Why is Selig trying to change this so soon?
The answer is Congress. That's right, the Congress of the United States hauled Selig before the House Government Reform Committee, along with players such as Curt Schilling, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa and have been threatening to force a tougher steroid policy on baseball, prompting Selig to act to avoid Congressional interference.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Ca.) said of Selig's proposal, "It is weaker than the policy Congress is considering, but significantly stronger than baseball's current policy." If you haven't figured out what's wrong with this, let me clue you in.
Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress given the right to set company policy for anyone. Congress is wanting to step beyond its lawful authority to dictate Major League Baseball's steroid policy and thus Selig has changed his tune from as little as a month ago when he said there should be no change for now.
The Government Reform Committee is out of control. First of all, tell me what steroids in baseball has to do with government reform? They chose to grandstand by holding a hearing on an issue that has nothing to do with the committee's purpose. They were inquisitioners, putting players on trial in the court of public opinion.
Mark McGwire refused to answer their questions and I don't blame him. He was right when he said, "Asking me or any other player to answer questions about who took steroids in front of television cameras will not solve the problem. If a player answers no, he simply will not be believed. If he answers yes, he risks public scorn and endless government investigations."
Thus the hearings were designed to allow Congressmen to act as paragons of moral virtue, to destroy the lives and reputations of men based on rumor, innuendo, and the word of convicted felon Jose Canseco.
Now, Congress wants to micromanage baseball's drug policy rather than allowing the agreement approved by the league and the union to work. Congress wants there to be a 2 year ban for a first offense followed by lifetime suspension for a second offense.
Congress is used to regulating things it knows little or nothing about and baseball's no different. The players who've been snagged so far have been prospects like Alex Sanchez of the Devil Rays and Jorge Piedra of the Rockies. By giving them a two year suspension, Baseball might as well advise them to hang up their spikes for good because without being able to play ball for two years, their skills are going to decline to the point they're probably not going to make it back to the big leagues. Plus, with two years out of work, they're going to have to find some other profession.
Of course, if Major League Baseball and the Union reached an agreement to get that tough, then that's their prerogative. My problem is with Congress deciding the fate of young ballplayers.
Few people will stand behind baseball players because they make a lot of money and we all agree that the steroid scandal has damaged the integrity of the game. However, that's beside the point. The question is government control of business, in essence, economic fascism.
If government wants to take action against federally banned steroids, its as simple as arresting players who test positive and trying them in courts of law. In addition, if we feel Major League Baseball's response to the steroid use has been inadequate, consumers can boycott them until changes are made. Congress dictating Baseball's response is an abuse of power that a free people should not accept.
© Adam Graham
Baseball's new steroids rule has been in effect for two months but already Commissioner Bud Selig is proposing to scrap it in favor of a new tough, "three strikes" rule where a player caught using steroids would receive a 50 game suspension for the first offense, 100 for the second, and a lifetime ban for a third offense. While I'd have no problem with Selig proposing a tougher ban, the timing is questionable.
Just recently, a policy was agreed to in which players would get a 10 game suspension for a first positive test, then 30 and 60 for second and third tests, followed by a whole season for a fourth test, and a fifth would leave the player at the commissioner's mercy. Why is Selig trying to change this so soon?
The answer is Congress. That's right, the Congress of the United States hauled Selig before the House Government Reform Committee, along with players such as Curt Schilling, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa and have been threatening to force a tougher steroid policy on baseball, prompting Selig to act to avoid Congressional interference.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Ca.) said of Selig's proposal, "It is weaker than the policy Congress is considering, but significantly stronger than baseball's current policy." If you haven't figured out what's wrong with this, let me clue you in.
Nowhere in the Constitution is Congress given the right to set company policy for anyone. Congress is wanting to step beyond its lawful authority to dictate Major League Baseball's steroid policy and thus Selig has changed his tune from as little as a month ago when he said there should be no change for now.
The Government Reform Committee is out of control. First of all, tell me what steroids in baseball has to do with government reform? They chose to grandstand by holding a hearing on an issue that has nothing to do with the committee's purpose. They were inquisitioners, putting players on trial in the court of public opinion.
Mark McGwire refused to answer their questions and I don't blame him. He was right when he said, "Asking me or any other player to answer questions about who took steroids in front of television cameras will not solve the problem. If a player answers no, he simply will not be believed. If he answers yes, he risks public scorn and endless government investigations."
Thus the hearings were designed to allow Congressmen to act as paragons of moral virtue, to destroy the lives and reputations of men based on rumor, innuendo, and the word of convicted felon Jose Canseco.
Now, Congress wants to micromanage baseball's drug policy rather than allowing the agreement approved by the league and the union to work. Congress wants there to be a 2 year ban for a first offense followed by lifetime suspension for a second offense.
Congress is used to regulating things it knows little or nothing about and baseball's no different. The players who've been snagged so far have been prospects like Alex Sanchez of the Devil Rays and Jorge Piedra of the Rockies. By giving them a two year suspension, Baseball might as well advise them to hang up their spikes for good because without being able to play ball for two years, their skills are going to decline to the point they're probably not going to make it back to the big leagues. Plus, with two years out of work, they're going to have to find some other profession.
Of course, if Major League Baseball and the Union reached an agreement to get that tough, then that's their prerogative. My problem is with Congress deciding the fate of young ballplayers.
Few people will stand behind baseball players because they make a lot of money and we all agree that the steroid scandal has damaged the integrity of the game. However, that's beside the point. The question is government control of business, in essence, economic fascism.
If government wants to take action against federally banned steroids, its as simple as arresting players who test positive and trying them in courts of law. In addition, if we feel Major League Baseball's response to the steroid use has been inadequate, consumers can boycott them until changes are made. Congress dictating Baseball's response is an abuse of power that a free people should not accept.
© Adam Graham
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