Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

[SoxFan01605]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

Hopefully, when his contract extension is up in 2012, we won't have to worry about him anymore. There are a lot of things that happened on his "watch" with Baseball (realignment, wild card, 94 strike, interleague play, all-star home team advantage, to name a few) and now it appears that most players may have been juiced. It's really depressing to know that the generation of players that I have grown up with are cast, for good of for ill, under that shadow of suspicion.

Off topic, I was looking at the teammates that A-Rod was playing with in Texas in his first year there and I guess it shouldn't be a surprise that he was using or felt that it was all right. (Ken Caminiti, Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez, Gabe Kapler, Kenny Rogers?)

And you're going to tell me that Tom Hicks didn't know what his players were doing then?

Off topic 2, I've always wondered about the evolution of the uniform and how players wore them. The trend from skin tight "leotards" to really baggy "longer and looser" uniforms transitioned around the late 90s to early 2000s. I wonder if this was to "hide" the bulk of the increasing player size if that makes any sense.

I think that's likely a stretch. You left out the transition from baggy to tight, as uniforms used to be much baggier in years past

As for Selig, he was likely go when his contract is up anyway, but I agree, especially due to the contoversy surrounding him now he should go.

That said, some of your list of things he's responsible for paint him in a better light than I'm sure you intended.

The WC, Interleague play, and realignment are all excellent moves from a business standpoint. It helped the game keep pace in relevance. The All-Star game decision, actually isn't bad for business as well (and it ending in a tie was bound to happen under someone's watch, as the game is designed to not be within a frame of time).

I'm not saying I like all of these ideas, but I can certainly see their merit (again, speaking from a business standpoint).

What also happened under Selig's watch is MLB market expansion, to include a very steady pipeline of players from both latin countries and Asia.

This, as much as anything can be pinpointed as what keeps the game popular (Think of a top 10 list...I can almost guarantee that if people are honest, it includes, at the very least, a few players from these pipelines).

Let's face it, Selig comes off as a dope and is shady as anything, but the steroids are the only thing "tainting" his legacy. Baseball's done remarkably well under him.

Otherwise, he'd go down as fairly successful. Unfortunately for him, the steroids issue is so huge and was so grossly mismanaged, that it eliminates any positive legacy he hoped to have. Of course, he has no one to blame but himself for that.

[wwharton]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

I agree with everything you said but would like to add that if he had handled the steroid situation better, I don't think it'd be an issue and would probably vault him into the HOF. He could have addressed the problem with steroids which is health issues and the danger of kids taking them and risking their health. He could've drawn a STRONG line between this and any baseball records and just accepted that it was another phase of many and none of this would be as big of a deal in terms of records. He could've come out and apologized for his role by saying "I wish I had pushed harder before the problem became so big but now we'll make sure it's addressed" rather than pointing fingers at everyone.

He could've supported Bonds in his home run chase which was good for baseball whether he liked it (or him) or not. And now, he could STFU, let the new policy play itself out and leave the past in the past. He's drawing all the negative attention he's received. It's like when your dog walks in the room with the sad eyes and tail between his legs. You didn't even think he did anything but he let you know he most definitely did. Selig, we know what you did now buddy.

[steelcurtain311]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

I HATED the way he acted during the Bonds HR chase. This is the guy Selig himself created by ignoring steroids, he supported him all of those years winning MVP's and hitting 70 HR's in a season, but all of a sudden he's turning his back on the guy and looking all disgusted when he breaks the record. It was a pathetic show from a fraud of a commissioner.

[Haggis]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

I think that's likely a stretch. You left out the transition from baggy to tight, as uniforms used to be much baggier in years past

As for Selig, he was likely go when his contract is up anyway, but I agree, especially due to the contoversy surrounding him now he should go.

That said, some of your list of things he's responsible for paint him in a better light than I'm sure you intended.

The WC, Interleague play, and realignment are all excellent moves from a business standpoint. It helped the game keep pace in relevance. The All-Star game decision, actually isn't bad for business as well (and it ending in a tie was bound to happen under someone's watch, as the game is designed to not be within a frame of time).

I'm not saying I like all of these ideas, but I can certainly see their merit (again, speaking from a business standpoint).

What also happened under Selig's watch is MLB market expansion, to include a very steady pipeline of players from both latin countries and Asia.

This, as much as anything can be pinpointed as what keeps the game popular (Think of a top 10 list...I can almost guarantee that if people are honest, it includes, at the very least, a few players from these pipelines).

Let's face it, Selig comes off as a dope and is shady as anything, but the steroids are the only thing "tainting" his legacy. Baseball's done remarkably well under him.

Otherwise, he'd go down as fairly successful. Unfortunately for him, the steroids issue is so huge and was so grossly mismanaged, that it eliminates any positive legacy he hoped to have. Of course, he has no one to blame but himself for that.

Yeah, I thought that was a stretch about the unis too. In ten to fifteen years, the trend could go back to stirrups and sanitaries, who knows? And again, I'm not a die hard traditionalist (I prefer AL play). As for the list I apologize if it seemed as if it appeared a list of criticisms--it's not. To clarify, a lot of significant changes of the game happened while he was commissioner, good and bad. I can see the marketability and popularity of all of them. But in the essence of the thread, he needs to take in the praise as well as the blame.

[SoxFan01605]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

I agree with everything you said but would like to add that if he had handled the steroid situation better, I don't think it'd be an issue and would probably vault him into the HOF. He could have addressed the problem with steroids which is health issues and the danger of kids taking them and risking their health. He could've drawn a STRONG line between this and any baseball records and just accepted that it was another phase of many and none of this would be as big of a deal in terms of records. He could've come out and apologized for his role by saying "I wish I had pushed harder before the problem became so big but now we'll make sure it's addressed" rather than pointing fingers at everyone.

He could've supported Bonds in his home run chase which was good for baseball whether he liked it (or him) or not. And now, he could STFU, let the new policy play itself out and leave the past in the past. He's drawing all the negative attention he's received. It's like when your dog walks in the room with the sad eyes and tail between his legs. You didn't even think he did anything but he let you know he most definitely did. Selig, we know what you did now buddy.

I agree completely. This kind of touched on what I first posted. He's absolutely made his own bed here. All he had to do as a leader is stand tall, admit to his own errors and role in the problem, and then step back and let the newer changes speak for themselves.

He's not a leader though, which is why he's failed at that aspect.

Good post

[twiztiddarkangelman]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

Selig is a joke, he is just a puppet a figurehead taking the point for all the baseball owners. That office has not had any "real" power since Keyshaw Mountain Landis!!!!

[ehh]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

Selig is a joke, he is just a puppet a figurehead taking the point for all the baseball owners. That office has not had any "real" power since Keyshaw Mountain Landis!!!!

Keyshawn?

[WazzuRC]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

Selig is a joke, he is just a puppet a figurehead taking the point for all the baseball owners. That office has not had any "real" power since Keyshaw Mountain Landis!!!!

@ "Keyshaw"

THROW HIM THE DAMN BALL!

[Chizzypoof]

Re: Selig Doesn't Want Blame For Steroids Era

I honestly hate Selig more than any guy who 'roided - Canseco, Bonds, A-Rod, Clemens, etc.

I'm with you.

I HATED the way he acted during the Bonds HR chase. This is the guy Selig himself created by ignoring steroids, he supported him all of those years winning MVP's and hitting 70 HR's in a season, but all of a sudden he's turning his back on the guy and looking all disgusted when he breaks the record. It was a pathetic show from a fraud of a commissioner.

I couldn't stand this either. They cut right to a shot of him putting his hands in his pockets. I'm jumping up and down and then all of the sudden, I'm thinking about what Bud is thinking about. Buzzkill.

Selig should have flat out said, I realize there was a problem and that is why we have this policy in place. From this point forward, steroids will be dealt with. That's it.

The records may be tainted, but you would have to look at everything that happened in that era. Every player comes into question about what they did but it would be a statistical nightmare to undo things. By Selig back tracking about records and not supporting Bonds he makes it seem ok to second guess everything. He should just stand firm and say we move forward.

Honestly, I think the owners should take more flak from the media then they are getting. The owners were raking in the money becuase of the long ball. A-Rod is rich but the Owner of the Rangers is Wealthy. Without Big Mac's chase, baseball would not see the popularity it has today and therefore would not see the income. Do you think the owners didn't know about the rampant juicing?