It has taken awhile, but MLB and its fans might actually be
seeing a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. As difficult and ugly as it has
been at times over the past 20 years, pro baseball fans have stuck it out.
Choosing to remain true to the sport we love despite the repeated letdown of
some of our heroes.
America’s pastime, once the timeless and often magical sport
of choice for men who simply tossed and hit a ball with a bat, has been in a
two-decade long endurance test against the use of illegal performance enhancing
drug use.
At first, we looked the other way. Then we began to drop our
heads in shame. Eventually we got fed up. Now we stand having grown weary of
steroids. Of human growth hormones and sleazy athletic trainers who hide their
drug-dealer status behind pseudo-legitimate titles.
Most of us have not missed the likes of Barry Bonds, Roger
Clemons or Sammy Sosa. The brand of baseball we have without those players is a
safe and happy one. Where baseball was meant to be in the first place.
With the rules getting tougher, penalties more severe, and
the cooperation and desire to rid baseball of PED’s by the game’s participants
reaching new levels, the sport may finally be on the verge of being steroid
free.
There is, however, at least one larger than life obstacle
still standing in the path of baseball’s complete resurrection.
It’s been three games since beleaguered major league
baseball player Alex Rodriguez has been in uniform for the New York Yankees.
Rodriguez returned to his club on the same day he was suspended from baseball
for 211 games, covering the rest of this season and all of next.
Only an appeal of Commissioner Bud Selig’s decision to
suspend the three-time MVP has allowed him back on the field.
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| theatlantic.com |
While Rodriguez, for the most part, has said all the right
things since arriving in Chicago on Monday for a three game series with the White
Sox, he has garnered little sympathy from the MLB community.
Rodriquez’ controversial relationship with Biogenesis of
America, a now defunct rejuvenation and anti-aging laboratory based out of Coral
Gables, Florida has been well documented. Near to the point of nausea for some.
A dozen other players received suspensions on the same day
as Rodriguez. He, by far the largest profile name on the list of substance
abuse violators, was the only one to appeal the suspension.
A-Rod, as he is better known, refuses to be made an example
of, it appears, feeling singled out with the severity of his punishment. The
rest of the gang all took a spoonful of 50 games without pay as their medicine.
Except for Ryan Braun, another former MVP, caught with his hand in the PED jar,
who received a 65 game ban.
These are the facts of the whole mess. You would have to be
living under a rock without high speed Internet to not know at least something
about all of this.
So far, Rodriguez’ return has been less than eventful. He
hasn’t played poorly—as a matter of fact he hasn’t looked that far out of
baseball shape for being off the field for half the season.
He has been cooperative and cordial with the media and has
repeatedly used words like grateful and humbled. He has been assessable to
fans, signing autographs and taking photos remaining polite despite jeers.
It is damaged image control at its finest and the slugger is
so far batting 1.000.
But… he, and his teammates are in Chicago. The true measure
of how A-Rod will be perceived throughout the remainder of this season while
his appeal plays out will come on Friday night in the Bronx when the Yankees
return home for seven games beginning with three against the Detroit Tigers.
It is one thing to be judged by others in your neighborhood,
but it’s a whole different jury to face when it comes to your own family. And
that is exactly what awaits Rodriguez.
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| flickr.com |
For those of us who do not live in New York and are not a
part of the mystique that surrounds the most storied professional sports
organization in history, we can only imagine the reception their current third
baseman will receive when he takes the field.
These passionate fans have booed A-Rod on many an occasion.
They pull no punches when it comes to letting a player know just exactly what
ground he stands on with them—pinstripes or not.
Since his arrival in New York in 2004, Rodriguez’
relationship with Yankees fans has been as up and down as a tuna boat in an
episode of The Biggest Catch. Because of his sizeable contract and prima donna
reputation, it was difficult for A-Rod to win over fans in the Bronx, despite
his production.
But he seemingly earned his pinstripes with solid years on
the field and even contributed to the Yankees’ 2009 World Series Championship.
Things have gone south from then on, however, as his hitting—especially in the
post season, has left New York fans irritable.
With his last sighting in the batter’s box at Yankee Stadium
this past October resulting in a strike out and eventual benching, compounded
with this year’s Biogenesis controversy, Rodriguez is no doubt deeper in the
fan’s doghouse than ever.
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| www.upi.com |
While most of baseball surely wants to rid itself once and
for all of Rodriguez he seems determined to face the music and keep himself in
uniform. Jokingly, it may be up to Yankee fans to do what Selig could not… run
him out of the game. I’m sure they have it in them.
It will be worth watching to see the reception A-Rod gets
when finally standing before the fans who he needs on his side the most.
"Don't care" is way too strong a description of how I don't feel about A Rod. My fondest hope is that his appeal will be successful and the Yankees will have to eat all of his contract.
ReplyDeleteThe Yankees would certainly deserve that. It was their greed to have Rodriguez in pinstripes when he broke the all-time HR record... which we all know is not going to happen. George is definitely beginning to squirm.
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