Selig grows a pair, asks Giambi to cooperate in roid probe

[photoguy9883]

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Commissioner Bud Selig asked Jason Giambi to speak with George Mitchell within two weeks, which would make the New York Yankees star the first active player known to cooperate with baseball's steroids investigator.

[erik316wttn]

You have to wonder if the fecal material is going to hit the fan in the next couple of months.

[Iceblink]

Selig's probably just hoping for the Mitchell "investigation" to get any kind of credibility. Giambi's got a lot to lose by cooperating. I'd think he'd stay mum about anything substantive - other than talking about himself - until it's post-career book time.

[erik316wttn]

Selig's probably just hoping for the Mitchell "investigation" to get any kind of credibility. Giambi's got a lot to lose by cooperating. I'd think he'd stay mum about anything substantive - other than talking about himself - until it's post-career book time.

 

At this point in his career, maybe he sees his skills deteriorating to the point where he won't be around in 2-3 years. He could see dollar signs and then charge mucho bucks for interviews and book deals and whatnot.

 

Because if he'd be the one to bust the steriod thing wide open, he'd be on just about every news show there is. He'd be everywhere for about a month as the man who "helped clean up baseball," then he'd probably sign an 8-figure book deal.

[CubColtPacer]

Selig's probably just hoping for the Mitchell "investigation" to get any kind of credibility. Giambi's got a lot to lose by cooperating. I'd think he'd stay mum about anything substantive - other than talking about himself - until it's post-career book time.

 

At this point in his career, maybe he sees his skills deteriorating to the point where he won't be around in 2-3 years. He could see dollar signs and then charge mucho bucks for interviews and book deals and whatnot.

 

Because if he'd be the one to bust the steriod thing wide open, he'd be on just about every news show there is. He'd be everywhere for about a month as the man who "helped clean up baseball," then he'd probably sign an 8-figure book deal.

 

Plus he has a possibility of being considered the clean guy in this-even though he's already admitted his guilt, nobody will remember that in time if he ends up blowing the cover on everybody else.

[TruffleShuffle]

some might say that giambi lost a pair

[seanimal]

some might say that giambi lost a pair

 

Indeed

[Derwood]

Selig's probably just hoping for the Mitchell "investigation" to get any kind of credibility. Giambi's got a lot to lose by cooperating. I'd think he'd stay mum about anything substantive - other than talking about himself - until it's post-career book time.

 

At this point in his career, maybe he sees his skills deteriorating to the point where he won't be around in 2-3 years. He could see dollar signs and then charge mucho bucks for interviews and book deals and whatnot.

 

Because if he'd be the one to bust the steriod thing wide open, he'd be on just about every news show there is. He'd be everywhere for about a month as the man who "helped clean up baseball," then he'd probably sign an 8-figure book deal.

 

pretty much what i was going to say. the smells strongly of someone who suddenly sees financial gain from "cleaning up" baseball

[kente777]

I'd be very suprised if Giambi said anything about specific players. He's still an active player and ratting on his fellow players wouldn't be taken very kindly.

 

I don't think going to the Mitchell inquiry is his idea, but rather, Selig's. It's more of a PR move showing people that Selig is taking the steroid thing seriously. Unfortunately, Selig's legacy will be that of a commisioner who turned his back on the obvious.

[photoguy9883]

Apparently Bud is closer to suspending Giambi if he doesn't cooperate with Senator Mitchell's investigation.

 

A high-ranking MLB official who had spoken to Selig told USA Today for a story published Thursday that the commissioner is leaning toward suspending the New York Yankees first baseman.

[jmajew]

This is bogus. NO way should Giambi be suspended for not cooperating!! They cannot force him to rat out other players which is what they are trying to do. The players union will fight this to the end if they try to suspend him for this and they will probably win.

 

First of all, what good does it do to figure out who was using 'roids before they were officially illegal. The league needs to keep its steroid policy in place and forget about what happened in the past and just try to clean up the future.

 

If Giambi does cave in to this, I really hope he is blackballed by the other players. This would show that Giambi has no class and no respect for the other players. You never rat out a friend or a comrad for your own personal gain, because odds are they are still going to #### you and you will never be trusted again.

[badnews]

Giambi won't talk. He'll take a suspension first. MLB was complicit in all of this, so asking for Giambi to turn everyone in is ridiculous. First guy Giambi should turn in is Bud Selig himself. This newfound outrage just doesn't play.

 

Plus, Giambi is still under federal investigation. His testimony, which can't be kept secret, as past testimony has shown, could be used as evidence in the federal investigation, and Mitchell doesn't have the authority, of course, to grant him immunity. So if he talks he'll take the fall in the federal investigation, which he won't do.

 

Giambi won't say a thing. If push comes to shove he'll retire first.

[Wheelimus]

Yup, with nothing really to play for (he's already rich, already has a ring, and has no chance at the HOF even if he hit 500 homers) I'd imagine he'll just retire and let the union win his grievance and get his total contract payoff without working another day.

 

That being said, where in the hell is Selig on the Barry Bonds issue? If Giambi is being forced to either testify or be suspended, why not Barry? I think most of us would be doing high fives if Barroid got suspended 8 short of the record.

[Garwilly]

Yup, with nothing really to play for (he's already rich, already has a ring, and has no chance at the HOF even if he hit 500 homers) I'd imagine he'll just retire and let the union win his grievance and get his total contract payoff without working another day.

 

That being said, where in the hell is Selig on the Barry Bonds issue? If Giambi is being forced to either testify or be suspended, why not Barry? I think most of us would be doing high fives if Barroid got suspended 8 short of the record.

 

 

Giambi doesnt have a ring.

[Wheelimus]

Yup, with nothing really to play for (he's already rich, already has a ring, and has no chance at the HOF even if he hit 500 homers) I'd imagine he'll just retire and let the union win his grievance and get his total contract payoff without working another day.

 

That being said, where in the hell is Selig on the Barry Bonds issue? If Giambi is being forced to either testify or be suspended, why not Barry? I think most of us would be doing high fives if Barroid got suspended 8 short of the record.

 

 

Giambi doesnt have a ring.

 

DOH! For some reason I thought he was on the last Yankees Series team.

 

Probably doesn't help that "Yankees" and "World Series" has been an automatic channel changer for me.

[Abe Frohman]

I'd be very suprised if Giambi said anything about specific players. He's still an active player and ratting on his fellow players wouldn't be taken very kindly.

 

I don't think going to the Mitchell inquiry is his idea, but rather, Selig's. It's more of a PR move showing people that Selig is taking the steroid thing seriously. Unfortunately, Selig's legacy will be that of a commisioner who turned his back on the obvious.

 

I don't think it can said any better than that.

 

I seriously doubt Giambi will "rat" and cross the Player's Union. There's almost no doubt that he will plead the 5th and take the criticism - a path that will surely label him as uncooperative and guilty.

 

I think it is laughable that Bud Selig is taking this position. He is the "Commisioner" that turned a blind eye to all this P.E.D. abuse, and now he is taking the high road and encouraging players to cooperate with the Federal Investigation? Selig and the ML brass, in my opinion, are the ones who need to be in the spotlight - not the players.

 

After all, the players never did anything that was against the rules of MLB - did they?

[jersey cubs fan]

Yup, with nothing really to play for (he's already rich, already has a ring, and has no chance at the HOF even if he hit 500 homers) I'd imagine he'll just retire and let the union win his grievance and get his total contract payoff without working another day.

 

That being said, where in the hell is Selig on the Barry Bonds issue? If Giambi is being forced to either testify or be suspended, why not Barry? I think most of us would be doing high fives if Barroid got suspended 8 short of the record.

 

 

Giambi doesnt have a ring.

 

DOH! For some reason I thought he was on the last Yankees Series team.

 

Probably doesn't help that "Yankees" and "World Series" has been an automatic channel changer for me.

 

Nope, the Yankees last WS ring was prior to their big spending increase. Back in the mid 90's they actually weren't even the highest paid team (Baltimore was). When they did take over 1st they were just slightly ahead of others. And during that run they did it almost exclusively with home grown products in the lead. It wasn't until they started going after the biggest free agents that they stopped winning titles. Mussina and Giambi were the beginning of the end of the titles.

 

Of course, it's not like the team actually got worse, they just stopped winning titles with those guys.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'd be very suprised if Giambi said anything about specific players. He's still an active player and ratting on his fellow players wouldn't be taken very kindly.

 

I don't think going to the Mitchell inquiry is his idea, but rather, Selig's. It's more of a PR move showing people that Selig is taking the steroid thing seriously. Unfortunately, Selig's legacy will be that of a commisioner who turned his back on the obvious.

 

I don't think it can said any better than that.

 

I seriously doubt Giambi will "rat" and cross the Player's Union. There's almost no doubt that he will plead the 5th and take the criticism - a path that will surely label him as uncooperative and guilty.

 

I think it is laughable that Bud Selig is taking this position. He is the "Commisioner" that turned a blind eye to all this P.E.D. abuse, and now he is taking the high road and encouraging players to cooperate with the Federal Investigation? Selig and the ML brass, in my opinion, are the ones who need to be in the spotlight - not the players.

 

After all, the players never did anything that was against the rules of MLB - did they?

 

Selig can't win. He ignores it and he's to blame. He tries to fix things and he's a hypocrite.

[Abe Frohman]

Selig can't win. He ignores it and he's to blame. He tries to fix things and he's a hypocrite.

 

I don't feel any sympathy for him.

 

Sure he ignored it. Home Runs = interest. Interest = ticket sales. Ticket sales = wealth. It's not entirely Seligs fault, but he had the opportunity (and the responsibilty) to do the right thing.

 

Of course Selig is to blame for ignoring this problem.

[jersey cubs fan]

Selig can't win. He ignores it and he's to blame. He tries to fix things and he's a hypocrite.

 

I don't feel any sympathy for him.

 

Sure he ignored it. Home Runs = interest. Interest = ticket sales. Ticket sales = wealth. It's not entirely Seligs fault, but he had the opportunity (and the responsibilty) to do the right thing.

 

Of course Selig is to blame for ignoring this problem.

 

And now that he's trying to force an admitted steroids abused to talk with the investigators of face possible suspension he's a bad guy?

 

The over the top hatred of Selig is absurd. I think clubhouse people, managers and GMs are far more to blame for the problem than Selig. And the players are most to blame, with the union part of that group. They all had a better chance to know exactly what was going on.

[Derwood]

I'd be very suprised if Giambi said anything about specific players. He's still an active player and ratting on his fellow players wouldn't be taken very kindly.

 

I don't think going to the Mitchell inquiry is his idea, but rather, Selig's. It's more of a PR move showing people that Selig is taking the steroid thing seriously. Unfortunately, Selig's legacy will be that of a commisioner who turned his back on the obvious.

 

I don't think it can said any better than that.

 

I seriously doubt Giambi will "rat" and cross the Player's Union. There's almost no doubt that he will plead the 5th and take the criticism - a path that will surely label him as uncooperative and guilty.

 

I think it is laughable that Bud Selig is taking this position. He is the "Commisioner" that turned a blind eye to all this P.E.D. abuse, and now he is taking the high road and encouraging players to cooperate with the Federal Investigation? Selig and the ML brass, in my opinion, are the ones who need to be in the spotlight - not the players.

 

After all, the players never did anything that was against the rules of MLB - did they?

 

Selig can't win. He ignores it and he's to blame. He tries to fix things and he's a hypocrite.

 

agreed, stepping down and letting a fresh face be the commish is the only logical solution

[Careless]

After all, the players never did anything that was against the rules of MLB - did they?

Yes, they used steroids and other drugs between 1991 and 2004

[Abe Frohman]

And now that he's trying to force an admitted steroids abused to talk with the investigators of face possible suspension he's a bad guy?

 

No, he's a bad guy because he turned a blind eye to the whole situation instead of "preserving the integrity of the game" by squashing drug abuse in the game AND keeping Pete Rose out of baseball and the HOF. Kudos, Bud!

 

The over the top hatred of Selig is absurd. I think clubhouse people, managers and GMs are far more to blame for the problem than Selig. And the players are most to blame, with the union part of that group. They all had a better chance to know exactly what was going on.

 

I disagree. While I DO think that clubhouse people, managers, and especially GMs are very much to blame also - Selig has authority over them. The players are to blame, of course - but in reality, were they really breaking the rules of MLB? No, they weren't.

 

How is this not a situation where the Commissioner of Baseball allowed drug abuse to happen because it was his (and others) belief that it added something to the game that sparked the interest of baseball fans? Good business, bad ethics - and the game of MLB along with all of it's history are going to pay for it.

 

 

 

After all, the players never did anything that was against the rules of MLB - did they?

Yes, they used steroids and other drugs between 1991 and 2004

 

That was tongue in cheek. Of course using the drugs between 1991-2004 was "wrong," my point is that MLB never outlawed the drugs until recently. Why is that?

[jersey cubs fan]

I disagree. While I DO think that clubhouse people, managers, and especially GMs are very much to blame also - Selig has authority over them. The players are to blame, of course - but in reality, were they really breaking the rules of MLB? No, they weren't.

 

Wrong. Steroids were against the rules, they just didn't have testing. There was no teeth. But the union wouldn't allow any teeth.

 

Selig doesn't have much authority over those people. The owners do. But having authority isn't the same as knowing what was going on and doing something about it. If you work for a large company with offices in several states, and you do drugs, who is most likely to know? The secretary who holds your calls when you are "unavailable", the manager of your location who sees you on a daily basis, or the CEO 1000 miles away?

 

And Bud isn't even a CEO. He's got very limited authority because he's an employee of the owners. People just like ripping on Bud because it's the fashionable thing to rip on leaders. The fact of the matter is Bud couldn't do a damn thing about the steroids problem, and no matter what he does to fix things people are going to criticize him.

[Careless]

 

After all, the players never did anything that was against the rules of MLB - did they?

Yes, they used steroids and other drugs between 1991 and 2004

 

That was tongue in cheek. Of course using the drugs between 1991-2004 was "wrong," my point is that MLB never outlawed the drugs until recently. Why is that?

your point was wrong. steroids were specifically made against the rules in 91

there were just never any penalties or testing until recently