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Bud Light Doesn’t Get It Right
I remember when I was a young baseball writer and the Tigers played in Milwaukee at not-so-quaint County Stadium. Bud Selig would venture into the press box.
He was the owner of the Brewers then, and he liked to schmooze with the baseball writers. I remember he introduced himself and shook my hand. He seemed like a nice enough guy. So this isn’t personal.
But my opinion of him as baseball commissioner, honestly, couldn’t be lower.
Maybe it was when he canceled the World Series. Or perhaps it was when he called the All Star Game a tie, as if it had all the meaning of a spring training game.
Maybe it was the way he turned a blind eye toward the steroids issue in baseball because, well, it was good business. I think Bud Selig is as phony as a three-dollar bill.
The latest is his strong arming of Jason Giambi into cooperating with the Mitchell investigation. Supposedly, he is setting up this scenario so he can later nail Barry Bonds. Yeah, right.
The problem I have with it is that Selig got tough too late. And now, he is essentially punishing the only player, Giambi, who has even remotely spoke with any sense of remorse for using the “juice.’’
Selig doesn’t want to solve the issue. He wants to point the finger of blame at somebody and issue some sort of meaningless punishment. What he should do is look in the mirror and point the finger at himself.
It would be different if Selig were just asleep at the switch. Instead he was aware, but happy with the status quo because of the public’s fascination with home runs. It made baseball a billions of dollars after the disaster in 1994.
That’s why he is a reckless driver at the helm - and a poor leader. It’s why the game is not in good hands.
Random thoughts
- An underrated factor, again, in the Tigers success has been Carlos Guillen. Notice who is hitting behind Magglio Ordonez? Guillen is hitting much better right-handed this season. Those were true bombs he hit from the right side in Washington. His biggest flaw: He always seems to be fighting some sort of nagging injury. This year, it’s a balky hamstring.
- Hey, maybe it’s just because I like drafts, but I am looking forward to the NHL draft this weekend. Good to see some Americans moving up the charts again in recent years. It’s been awhile since the United States has produced a truly elite player. Maybe Patrick Kane and James vanRiemsdyk, Americans expected to go among the top three picks in this draft, will fit the bill.
- You know, for some reason, I think the Tigers should fear the Twins and the A’s more than Yankees for a potential wild card bid. The Twins just never quite go away, and the A’s are notorious for turning it on during the second half of the season.
He was the owner of the Brewers then, and he liked to schmooze with the baseball writers. I remember he introduced himself and shook my hand. He seemed like a nice enough guy. So this isn’t personal.
But my opinion of him as baseball commissioner, honestly, couldn’t be lower.
Maybe it was when he canceled the World Series. Or perhaps it was when he called the All Star Game a tie, as if it had all the meaning of a spring training game.
Maybe it was the way he turned a blind eye toward the steroids issue in baseball because, well, it was good business. I think Bud Selig is as phony as a three-dollar bill.
The latest is his strong arming of Jason Giambi into cooperating with the Mitchell investigation. Supposedly, he is setting up this scenario so he can later nail Barry Bonds. Yeah, right.
The problem I have with it is that Selig got tough too late. And now, he is essentially punishing the only player, Giambi, who has even remotely spoke with any sense of remorse for using the “juice.’’
Selig doesn’t want to solve the issue. He wants to point the finger of blame at somebody and issue some sort of meaningless punishment. What he should do is look in the mirror and point the finger at himself.
It would be different if Selig were just asleep at the switch. Instead he was aware, but happy with the status quo because of the public’s fascination with home runs. It made baseball a billions of dollars after the disaster in 1994.
That’s why he is a reckless driver at the helm - and a poor leader. It’s why the game is not in good hands.
Random thoughts
- An underrated factor, again, in the Tigers success has been Carlos Guillen. Notice who is hitting behind Magglio Ordonez? Guillen is hitting much better right-handed this season. Those were true bombs he hit from the right side in Washington. His biggest flaw: He always seems to be fighting some sort of nagging injury. This year, it’s a balky hamstring.
- Hey, maybe it’s just because I like drafts, but I am looking forward to the NHL draft this weekend. Good to see some Americans moving up the charts again in recent years. It’s been awhile since the United States has produced a truly elite player. Maybe Patrick Kane and James vanRiemsdyk, Americans expected to go among the top three picks in this draft, will fit the bill.
- You know, for some reason, I think the Tigers should fear the Twins and the A’s more than Yankees for a potential wild card bid. The Twins just never quite go away, and the A’s are notorious for turning it on during the second half of the season.
posted by Pat Caputo at
12:02 PM
14 Comments:
Pat,
As far as Selig, I am relatively young and do not remember any commissioners before him. However, I do remember 1994 and how many records could have been broken at that time. If I am not mistaken Matt Williams was to break 61, I don't know who but the doubles record was going to be broken, Gwynn was hitting almost .400, and the Expos were going to win a division. The only thing I have to show for it is a ball given to me by a family friend of the 1994 World Series that never happened.
I will credit Selig for interleague play. I respect tradition, but I always dreamed of seeing the Atlanta Braves come to Detroit, now that hasn't happened yet, but you get the idea.
Finally, way to give credit to Guillen. He is injury ridden, but really has made a huge difference for Magglio. The one thing I was surprised at for a while is that Magglio seems to get better protection by having Guillen after him, then Sheffield does having Maggs after him.
Also, another underrated Tiger is Granderson. My friends and I have a bet going over who will hit 20 first...Granderson's triples or Guillen's errors.
Have a good day. Also what do you think the roster change will be today with Kenny coming back? Grilli possibly released?
Book, Maroth to Cardinals. Your thoughts? It's probably a roster crunch issue.
I completely agree with what you are saying about Giambi. It is appalling that so many people are vilifying him for apologizing for making a big mistake. He is being bashed more than any other baseball player because he actually admits that what he did was wrong and apologized for it. No wonder no one ever wants to admit wrong and say they are sorry anymore. They are probably afraid that people will use their admission of guilt against them for the rest of their lives. I can’t believe that we live in a society where we almost force people to pretend that they are perfect, because any admission of an imperfection will be harshly punished.
Book,
Great title. I have never liked Bud Selig either, but it certainly is educational to hear your personal accounting.
Not to be a conspracy theorist - but I have wondered about bat corking as a problem at the same level as the juice.
Especially after the "Sosa Affair".
It seems we see WAY too many bats shearing off at the handles. "Make them weaker at the handles than the barrels so the cork isn't exposed" - that's how it was explained to me.
Not too mention I WANT Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame. Even after admitting he did bet on baseball and on the Reds. But I digress .. again. Betting seems so much milder asn infraction than juicing and corking. But please - that's just me.
Yes, it's hard to teach kids to take responsibility for your actions - and then disembowel guys like Giambi.
Guillen, I think, is also under-rated defensively. When Infante made that great play behind second to get the double play in the Verlander no-hitter - I was a little disapointed it wasn't Guillen there to show it.
I do believe we will win the division (notice my Royal "we") so the Wild Card is not an issue. I think these guys want to prove they can win the division. That requires taking nobody lightly - even KC.
We have some great Windsor talent up in the NHL draft. The question has always been put to the kids - "Do you go or stay home"? What do you think?
I hear Turner Field is beautiful like a Comerica. Enjoy it. Watch out for the jalopenios in the corn bread.
Hush puppys my a**.
Fred Brill,
I don't like Pete Rose - the person. But he had more hits than any player ever to play the game - ever to play the gme. None of his transgressions had anything to do with him as a player. He belongs in - despite himself. But he never will get in. Even if they opened up the ballot for him, at least half the writers wouldn't vote for him. And he has no chance with the veteran's committee. Guillen gets ripped sometimes because of his error count, but he makes a lot of good plays, too. His range, especially to his glove hand, is underrated.
Caputo
Marty,
Why would any player want to open up about the issue? So they can put their careers in trouble? That's why Bud Selig is bad. It's never about getting to the bottom of the matter. Only perception.
Caputo
Section 345,
It was the Expos big shot in 1994 and it is shame the people of Montreal didn't get a chance to see it through. That was the beginning of the end of that franchise. It's not even any better in Washington. Maroth is going to be traded to St. Louis. I am in Atlanta with the team waiting for the details.
Caputo
Chief,
It is a roster glut of too many of the same type of pitchers. I am in Atlanta with the team waiting for the details.
Caputo
Pat the Book,
Glad to hear you survived your fender bender. Evidently you can still play the keyboard. So would it be fair to say that the bottom line is that Bud Lite is no Judge Keenasaw Mountain Landis? Or even a Bowie Kuhn.
Shouldn't that last random thought be: the team that the "Tribe" should be most concerned about challenging them for the wild card?
For today the Tigers are in first place. Summer has truly began. You know, and I know, and I know that you know, that it wasn't very long ago that the first day of summer meant that the Tigers were officially out of the pennant chase.
Book,
Atlanta has been good to us .. so far.
Rogers was brilliant on his return - a two hitter.
Verlander reached the 11 strikeout mark
Rodney pitched a good short relief inning
And it sounded like Lidezma is going into the Braves starting rotation. He will be of value to that squad.
I would rather that the Yankees made the wild card than the Indians. The Indians have a much scarier team to me, because they can actually pitch, and they have enough depth on their starting staff to have good stuff going into the playoffs. The Yankees just aren't a very scary team, because they don't have the depth on their pitching staff.
Fred Brill,
Atlanta was really good for the Tigers. But what I honestly couldn't tell is whether the Tigers pitching was that good or if the Braves are going through the mother of all hitting slumps. Probably a little of both.
Caputo
Andrew Winkle,
The Tigers have by no means won the division or made the playoffs yet. But I agree they are really good team. I think right now is when they might start kicking it in.
Caputo
Marty,
I don't think the Yankees are going to get in. That series in Colorado seemed to kill some of the momentum they were starting to gain. But if they did, they have two things the Indians - a closer like Rivera and player who have been there before in the playoffs. But I obviously, I am not big on the Tribe. We'll see.
Caputo
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