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Monday, December 17, 2007

Salon: The Mitchell Report’s main accomplishment may be to highlight the bumbling of Bud Selig

Dig it. The latest from King Kaufman…

The Mitchell Report is 4 days old now and I still can’t figure out what it was supposed to do.

If the goal of the 20-month investigation into drug use in baseball was to remind us all that commissioner Bud Selig is a bumbling fool, then mission accomplished, but since Selig commissioned the thing in the first place, that probably wasn’t it.

Selig has enjoyed a growing crowd of defenders and supporters over the last few years as Major League Baseball has enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, with both revenue and attendance breaking records. If the cash registers were silent on his watch he’d get the blame, so he has to get the credit when they’re ringing. Fair is fair.

But his performance last week was classic Bud. At a time of crisis, the game needed a leader, a statesman. What it got was a petty operator, a sanctimonious hypocrite looking to make the world forget about his and the other owners’ role in enabling the drug culture by punishing a few users. Baseball needed a Lincoln. It got a Nixon.

Repoz Posted: December 17, 2007 at 01:43 PM | 32 comment(s)
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   1. Halofan Posted: December 17, 2007 at 02:48 PM (#2648053)
Fehr no evil.
   2. Craig Calcaterra Posted: December 17, 2007 at 02:53 PM (#2648061)
No one comes close to looking as bad as Sabean in this thing.
   3. robinred Posted: December 17, 2007 at 02:53 PM (#2648062)
This seems like a reasonable place to post this. About two weeks ago, the link below was posted here.


In the piece, the author claims that Starr was interviewed four times by the Mitchellin Men. A quick "find" on the pdf here at BTF shows no mention of Starr.

Two questions:

1. Was Starr's stuff used/mentioned etc. even if his name was not?
2. Why was Starr's name not used in the report? Why was he not quoted? He seems to have no problem talking for the record. this article about former Mlb trainer Larry Starr was posted here.
   4. John Brill's #1 Fan (JMN) Posted: December 17, 2007 at 02:55 PM (#2648066)
Larry Starr pointed the finger squarely at management. Do you really need to ask why he wasn't mentioned?
   5. Best Dressed Chicken in Town Posted: December 17, 2007 at 02:57 PM (#2648073)
Lets get those posters arguing again how Seligula is a deserving HOF.
   6. robinred Posted: December 17, 2007 at 02:58 PM (#2648076)
Larry Starr pointed the finger squarely at management. Do you really need to ask why he wasn't mentioned


Well, yes, but I am trying to be fair about it and I was asking in the way you ask when you think you know the answer. Starr's omission from the report after four interviews needs to be noted, IMO.
   7. chick-a-DOOM chick-a-DOOM Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:02 PM (#2648087)
too bad the media is determined to spin this as BAD, greedy, ego players and GOOD honorable, helpless owners/commissioner

PUKE
   8. I am Ted F'ing Williams Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:06 PM (#2648092)
chick, that WAS the purpose of the report. Just another bargaining chip in labor negotiations.
   9. MSI Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:16 PM (#2648110)
chick, that WAS the purpose of the report. Just another bargaining chip in labor negotiations.


If that was the real motivation, wouldn't it be risky so as to invoke poorer ticket sales and bad press.
   10. chick-a-DOOM chick-a-DOOM Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:25 PM (#2648130)
the bad press is all about the greedy bad players. most of who are out of baseball.

and the brave commissioner Who Care Enuf to clean things up
   11. Yankee_Redneck Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:27 PM (#2648137)
Baseball needed a Lincoln. It got a Nixon.

Nixon would have been a step up. We got stuck with a Dubya Bush.
   12. AROM Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:32 PM (#2648142)
No one comes close to looking as bad as Sabean in this thing.


Only if you believe that Sabean wasn't just doing his job, and that McGowan really had no idea his star player was juicing.
   13. Craig Calcaterra Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:45 PM (#2648160)
Only if you believe that Sabean wasn't just doing his job, and that McGowan really had no idea his star player was juicing.


I didn't mean to suggest that only Sabean was to blame or that McGowan was oblivious. I'm merely commenting on the narrative in which Sabean's employees come to him with a problem, he says solve it, they ask "will you back me up when I catch hell?" and he says "nah."

Sabean just came off like a total spineless putz of a bad manager in the report.
   14. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: December 17, 2007 at 03:50 PM (#2648167)
chick, that WAS the purpose of the report. Just another bargaining chip in labor negotiations.

and anyone who believes otherwise demonstrates a level of naivete that would glaze over the eyes of Pollyanna
   15. Judges 20:16 (the Lord's bullpen) Posted: December 17, 2007 at 04:42 PM (#2648236)
Baseball needed a Lincoln. It got a Nixon.

Nixon would have been a step up. We got stuck with a Dubya Bush.


I'd argue that on steroids Selig began as either James Buchanan or Warren Harding, depending on how much you think he knew, and has since turned into either Calvin Coolidge or Andrew Johnson, depending on what you think of his motives.
   16. Sean McNally Posted: December 17, 2007 at 04:46 PM (#2648240)
If that was the real motivation, wouldn't it be risky so as to invoke poorer ticket sales and bad press.

As was pointed out to me when I was complaining about the Nats moving opening day to opening night, thus depriving my son the chance to go... sports cater to TV - they could care less if people show up at the gate.

Nixon would have been a step up. We got stuck with a Dubya Bush.

Of all the things I blame Bud for - No. 1 on the list is pushing Bush the Lesser into politics.
   17. Red Juice Posted: December 17, 2007 at 04:58 PM (#2648250)
RR,

was he not in there?
wow, I never checked, but that is shocking to me .. wow
   18. Yankee_Redneck Posted: December 17, 2007 at 04:59 PM (#2648251)
I'd argue that on steroids Selig began as either James Buchanan or Warren Harding, depending on how much you think he knew, and has since turned into either Calvin Coolidge or Andrew Johnson, depending on what you think of his motives.

Bolshevik Bud and Dullard Dubya share similar motives - massive windfalls of unearned cash for himself and his well-kept cronies. I'm no presidential historian, of course, but I know kindreds spirits when I see them.
   19. robinred Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:11 PM (#2648256)
RR,

was he not in there?
wow, I never checked, but that is shocking to me .. wow


I searched "Larry Starr" and "Starr" on the pdf, and nothing came up. If you do that with other names--"Pettitte", "Selig"--whatever, it takes you to the name. Mitchell's ass should be on the fire for it if in fact Starr was interviewed four times, pointed the finger at management, as JMN said, and was left out of the report.
   20. Red Juice Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:14 PM (#2648259)
Mitchell's ass should be on the fire for it if in fact Starr was interviewed four times, pointed the finger at management, as JMN said, and was left out of the report.


agreed ..

that and the fact he never even called Jose Canseco once.
this report was a sham!
   21. Backlasher Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:28 PM (#2648267)
rr,

Check the Ricky Bones section. I think that is Larry Starr (aka Florida Marlins Trainer)
   22. robinred Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:37 PM (#2648279)
Check the Ricky Bones section. I think that is Larry Starr (aka Florida Marlins Trainer
)

Yeah, Starr was FLA trainer from 1993 to 2002. So, Starr is mentioned--but not by name--as perhaps being not in "compliance" with a policy, a problem which, according to the report is then addressed by Dombrowski. But none of the articles in which Starr is quoted as pointing the finger at MLB management types are mentioned.
   23. Red Juice Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:38 PM (#2648284)
BL, it was found by a club house attendant.

the only mention of a Florida trainer there was somebody reporting it to management. That could have been anybody.
   24. robinred Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:41 PM (#2648288)
It also says "the matter was brought to the attention" of DD, but does not say by whom and is worded in such a way so as to suggest the trainers were up to no good, but DD and the Commish stepped right up.

Which may be true, of course, but it seems, uhh, fishy.
   25. Red Juice Posted: December 17, 2007 at 05:48 PM (#2648292)
I just did a search for Marlins.
Most of the stuff is Lo Duca, but the only mention of Florida trainer(s) is Bones. No names are mentioned, other than a clubhouse attendant that found Marijuana.
   26. Gamingboy Posted: December 17, 2007 at 06:12 PM (#2648301)
It got a Nixon.



"Going to China" is the World Baseball Classic.

Being the first President to refer to "The War on Drugs" is roughly equivalent to the whole thing with steroids (sure, he said it, but did Nixon stop drugs, OF COURSE NOT! Has Selig stopped steroids, HELL NO!).

Watergate is the whole "AHHH, MLB is DOOOOMED if we don't contract 2 teams, now excuse me while I count my money" thing, only, y'know, without the leaving office part.

So we're still looking for the Selig equivalent of talking to the Apollo 11 astronauts....
   27. Devin McCullen cries "Enraha!" Posted: December 17, 2007 at 06:37 PM (#2648320)
I guess the All-Star game mess is the Harold Carswell nomination to the Supreme Court.

I have no idea what the equivalent to the meeting with Elvis is.
   28. AndrewJ Posted: December 17, 2007 at 06:39 PM (#2648323)
So we're still looking for the Selig equivalent of talking to the Apollo 11 astronauts....

I dunno... Retiring Jackie Robinson's number in perpetuity?
   29. scareduck Posted: December 17, 2007 at 11:12 PM (#2648457)
Watergate is the whole "AHHH, MLB is DOOOOMED if we don't contract 2 teams, now excuse me while I count my money" thing, only, y'know, without the leaving office part.

Don't see it. Ultimately that pushed Nixon out of office. Selig's still secure.
   30. Baseballing powerhouse Crispix Attacks Posted: December 17, 2007 at 11:23 PM (#2648462)
I guess the All-Star game mess is the Harold Carswell nomination to the Supreme Court.

Brilliant!

I have no idea what the equivalent to the meeting with Elvis is.

Must be some purely symbolic act that was tangential to his main career.

Something like...being one of the advisors to the creation of the Israeli Baseball League.

Unless that was more analogous to this other meeting Nixon had.
   31. NotLikely20 Posted: December 18, 2007 at 02:11 AM (#2648529)
I think Selig's end game is olmypic-style drug testing, which of course is necessary, but stands no chance due to the union. If the report was used as a chip, so be it, I hope it works, it needs to work, or the frauds will continue to thrive at the expense of the "clean" player, if there is such a thing nowadays...

Considering only Frank Thomas, and Player x were man enough to speak to Mitchell, I'm not holding my breath...
   32. DrStankus Posted: December 18, 2007 at 02:28 AM (#2648530)
Baseball needed a Lincoln. It got a Nixon.


Selig best be careful at the movies, lest he gets sic semper'd in his tyrannus
   33. PatrickInTheWoods, Apostate Posted: December 18, 2007 at 02:37 AM (#2648532)
Israeli Baseball League

Unless that was more analogous to this other meeting Nixon had


Are you saying that because Sammy was Jewish? Did Nixon know that, d'ya think?
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