No Sammy on Mitchell Report....

[snoodmonger]

The viper chimes in.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-071216morrissey,0,3909108.column?coll=chi_tab02_layout

 

Perhaps you saw the two letters to the editor in Saturday's Tribune Sports section.

 

One suggested that media members take a hard look at themselves in regard to their treatment of Sammy Sosa, seeing as how Sosa's name didn't show up in the Mitchell report.

 

The other suggested that media members apologize to Sosa.

 

To the first writer: Will do.

 

To the second writer: Not a chance.

 

The Mitchell investigation, which cost $60 million to put into document form a lot of what we already knew, was far from comprehensive. The steroids suppliers who provided information to baseball investigators were not the source of performance-enhancing drugs for everyone in baseball.

 

It follows then that some players—probably even many players—fell through the cracks of former Sen. George Mitchell's probe.

 

Let's take a look at the trinity of latter-day home run kings—Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sosa.

 

Bonds' name showed up in the Mitchell report because of the federal probe into BALCO, the California company that allegedly supplied steroids to elite athletes. Much of the information became public only because it was leaked from grand jury testimony. It took the full power of the federal government to get that information, and even then, prosecutors say, people such as Bonds weren't what is commonly referred to as "honest" with their answers. Bonds eventually was indicted on federal perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges.

 

Most people believe that Bonds was a walking, talking vat of pharmaceuticals.

 

Two years ago, McGwire told a House committee looking into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball that he didn't want to dwell on the past. By doing so, he all but admitted he was a user. McGwire's name did not show up on Mitchell's list, though it really makes no difference. He has disappeared from public view and is widely considered a man whose numbers were artificially pumped up.

 

And Sammy? Clean as a whistle, according to his many fans. Must be, because his name didn't show up in the Mitchell report, they say.

 

Are we to believe that, among the Big Three, only Sosa's numbers are legitimate? That Sosa came by his amazing power naturally? That his numbers suddenly jumped when he reached a certain age? That somehow those stunning numbers—numbers that are out of whack with baseball history—were the result of superior talent and work ethic?

 

To make that leap, you'd need a few steroid injections yourself.

 

I think Sammy probably did steroids, but as a member of the press, you need to be held to a higher standard than, "I don't care if there's no hard evidence, I think he did it, so he did it."

[The Voice of Reason]

The viper chimes in.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs-071216morrissey,0,3909108.column?coll=chi_tab02_layout

 

Perhaps you saw the two letters to the editor in Saturday's Tribune Sports section.

 

One suggested that media members take a hard look at themselves in regard to their treatment of Sammy Sosa, seeing as how Sosa's name didn't show up in the Mitchell report.

 

The other suggested that media members apologize to Sosa.

 

To the first writer: Will do.

 

To the second writer: Not a chance.

 

The Mitchell investigation, which cost $60 million to put into document form a lot of what we already knew, was far from comprehensive. The steroids suppliers who provided information to baseball investigators were not the source of performance-enhancing drugs for everyone in baseball.

 

It follows then that some players—probably even many players—fell through the cracks of former Sen. George Mitchell's probe.

 

Let's take a look at the trinity of latter-day home run kings—Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sosa.

 

Bonds' name showed up in the Mitchell report because of the federal probe into BALCO, the California company that allegedly supplied steroids to elite athletes. Much of the information became public only because it was leaked from grand jury testimony. It took the full power of the federal government to get that information, and even then, prosecutors say, people such as Bonds weren't what is commonly referred to as "honest" with their answers. Bonds eventually was indicted on federal perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges.

 

Most people believe that Bonds was a walking, talking vat of pharmaceuticals.

 

Two years ago, McGwire told a House committee looking into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball that he didn't want to dwell on the past. By doing so, he all but admitted he was a user. McGwire's name did not show up on Mitchell's list, though it really makes no difference. He has disappeared from public view and is widely considered a man whose numbers were artificially pumped up.

 

And Sammy? Clean as a whistle, according to his many fans. Must be, because his name didn't show up in the Mitchell report, they say.

 

Are we to believe that, among the Big Three, only Sosa's numbers are legitimate? That Sosa came by his amazing power naturally? That his numbers suddenly jumped when he reached a certain age? That somehow those stunning numbers—numbers that are out of whack with baseball history—were the result of superior talent and work ethic?

 

To make that leap, you'd need a few steroid injections yourself.

 

I think Sammy probably did steroids, but as a member of the press, you need to be held to a higher standard than, "I don't care if there's no hard evidence, I think he did it, so he did it."

 

I don't think that is what the Viper is saying. His point is that he's not going to apologize to Sammy and consider him innocent just because he wasn't implicated by a report that primarliy relied on two east coast trainers who were not affiliated with the Cubs and a west coast steroid factory.

 

The Mitchell report acknowledeges that it didn't come close to naming all the steroids abusers. It shouldn't affect one's opinion on whether Sammy used PEDs.

[snoodmonger]

 

I don't think that is what the Viper is saying. His point is that he's not going to apologize to Sammy and consider him innocent just because he wasn't implicated by a report that primarliy relied on two east coast trainers who were not affiliated with the Cubs and a west coast steroid factory.

 

It's one thing to say, "This isn't conclusive proof he's innocent."

 

It's another to say,

 

Are we to believe that, among the Big Three, only Sosa's numbers are legitimate? That Sosa came by his amazing power naturally? That his numbers suddenly jumped when he reached a certain age? That somehow those stunning numbers—numbers that are out of whack with baseball history—were the result of superior talent and work ethic?

 

To make that leap, you'd need a few steroid injections yourself.

 

That's an accusation based on flimsy, circumstantial evidence. Of course, he weakly absolves himself of the need to find evidence earlier in the article, essentially saying "It would be too hard to do." That's weak as hell, IMO. I think you need to bring more to the table if you're going to accuse somebody of cheating and breaking the law.