I have made it my new goal and mission in life, for this blog, and in general to remove the bad juju that is fumigating around the New York Yankees right now due to steroids, suspensions, and all that jazz. I have made it my job to try and convert as many people as I can to the side of forgiving the steroid users that have admittedly given a black eye to the sport that we all obviously love. I will not defend their bad decisions, nor will I ever support their bad decisions, but I will look at this from a fans perspective. I am a father to a three year old and soon to be another future Yankees player so I know, understand, and appreciate the message that it sends to children but I also think that that's where parenting steps in. Sure we can look up to these guys as super heroes but we also have to understand, even at a young age, that these men are just that, men. They are human and they make mistakes and it is how they handle themselves and the situation after the fact that they should be judged on. I personally do not believe in throwing the first stone, especially when my closet is probably not as clean as I would like it to be, and I do not believe it is my place to judge them.I was taught to forgive those who need it, not those who ask for it, and that is what this is all about. Agree, disagree, feel indifferent, it is what it is.
I'll be honest this whole thing started out as a joke and a way to just fill time during a lull in Yankees news but it has turned into a borderline obsession. The more I wrote the more I got to thinking why in the hell should I be mad at Alex Rodriguez, Francisco Cervelli, etc for failing steroid tests? I did not allow him to take them and turn a blind eye to their use because it brought back a game that was on life support, that's ownership and management. I did not put A Rod's face on every television show, newspaper, blog, and internet site finding anything and everything to bash the guy about and ignoring the "guilty until proven innocent" mindset that has made this country great, that's the media. I'm not the one who paid reportedly $5 million to get a testimony from the guy selling and supplying the players with the PED's, that was Bud Selig. I am the one who supports, loves, and lives all things New York Yankees. I am the one who is here to be entertained and watch my team win as many games as they can and I have done all that and more in my Yankees watching lifetime. I have been entertained watching Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, and whoever else was linked to steroids.
If there was a clean slate across the board I may feel differently but as much as we all loved watching the dynasty Yankees how do we know who did and who didn't? I know one thing I balled my eyes out when Andy made his final start in New York and then again when he made his final start in Houston. I didn't because Andy played the game clean, he didn't, and I didn't because he admitted it, although that helps, I did it because I love the New York Yankees.
What we as the fans do not understand is these guys are not on call 24/7. They are not firefighters, police officers, super heroes, doctors, nurses, etc etc etc. These men are baseball players and they get paid, quite well I might add, to play a kids game and entertain us. These guys are not on call they get paid to play a game a few hours a night for 162 games plus a season, that's it. Who cares if their significant others feed them popcorn while playing a game, get over it. Who cares if they don't wear their seat belt, it's their life in their own hands. Who cares if they took steroids, how did it affect you personally? How did they cheat a game that was reeling and dying after the greed of Bud Selig wanting a salary cap to maximize revenue for himself that is now flourishing not only in the states but world wide? They cheated themselves, sure, but that's between them and their God. Who am I to judge?
I don't buy my MLB TV subscriptions, my Yankees jerseys, hats, tickets, memorabilia, and run this blog because of what the players do off the field. I will not stop doing or purchasing any of these things if every damn one of them failed a steroid test tomorrow. I love this team, this team is my passion, and I support any and every player that puts those pinstripes on their back. I don't agree with them doing steroids or anything illegal to the game or to the law but that is not my place to judge them and make them out to be the second coming of the devil. These men are here to entertain you. That's what they are paid to do and that's why we continue to pay them, whether directly or indirectly, to do that. That's it.
I want ONE Yankees fan, notice I said fan, to come to me and tell me that they were not entertained watching Alex Rodriguez hit 50 home runs a season or leading us to the 2009 World Series. I want ONE fan to say they did not enjoy Francisco Cervelli get clutch hit after clutch hit last season for us in limited time. I want ONE fan to tell me they did not enjoy watching Andy Pettitte's career, support the hell out of him, and cry their eye balls out when he pitched his final game in New York and in Houston. Go ahead, I'll give you my email address. You have my twitter account name. I'll give you my cell number, I feel that strongly about this.
When you look at a guy like David Ortiz who can relax at the plate and doesn't feel like he has the weight of the world and his city on his shoulders and he can come out and hit in the .700's in the World Series. The first thing you think about when you think of David Ortiz, a steroid user, is not his past in most cases. A Rod on the other hand is vilified. A Rod could go out there and hit .800 in the World Series and still be asked questions about the other two at bats where he made an out. The last time the entire team, fans, and city had A Rod's back seemed like it was 2009 and look how that worked out for us. This is not just A Rod too, this is all steroid users. We need to forgive Ryan Braun, we need to forgive David Ortiz, we need to forgive Barry Bonds, we need to forgive Roger Clemens, we need to forgive Rafael Palmeiro, we need to forgive them all. If you can forgive ONE of them you have to forgive them all. If you want Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame then you have to forgive them all. If you even know who Shoeless Joe Jackson was then you have to forgive them all.
My last question that I leave with everyone is this... if Derek Jeter failed a test tomorrow would you forgive him?
I just can't do it Daniel. I can't forgive A-Rod or any other steroid user.
ReplyDeleteGive me one good reason why not
DeleteBeause they're cheaters. You can dress it up however you want, but they are cheaters.
DeleteI can't and will not, forgive A-Rod for cheating, lying and most of all...destroying a talent that has been unmatched by anyone in baseball. I half-assed forgave Andy and I could do that with A-Rod, if he were just a very good player...without the drugs. God gave him talent that most players just would dream of having, and he cheated GOD. The thing is, he didn't need to cheat at all!&%#$&.
DeleteGood for you. I'm not the only one
DeleteWhat the hell did they cheat though? The game?
DeleteThemselves?
You?
Do tell.... Please tell how using something that was not banned or tested for until after the fact is cheating.
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DeleteI forgive players for taking steroids, but I can't forgive players for being idiots and/or a-holes.
ReplyDeleteI got out of "Hells Kitchen" (back in the 40s/50s) on God-given talent in Football. and after College made a good career in the Army on my God-given talent.. Without resorting to cheating, well...I did have radio problems sometimes. No Drinking or drugs at all...ever, my people would drink but NOT ONE ever took a DRUG...er, twice!
ReplyDeleteWhy in Gods name would A-Rod do such a thing, he was already the best ever.
Why I can't forgive A-Rod, but will have his back;
ReplyDeleteVery simple for me, God gives A-Rod a gift he has never bestowed on anyone ever before and he dumps all over it...unforgivable, unacceptable and unconscionable and if there are anymore words with UN, add them!
Having his back is simple he is a Yankee;
I have read for many months how A-Rod has been using for years, this is a second offence, he got tested positive, he is not a team player etc.
My question to most of you is this, where is the proof? In this country, we are found guilty because some media hack or blogger says he is guilty? OR a very few players are jealous of his talent (even without PEDs) lets face it, can any of you name (with Stats) a better all around player than A-Rod. I'll save you time..can't be done...I and others have tried!
This time he is being hung out to dry to make the system of baseball look like they are doing something about a problem they have known about for years. He hasn't tested positive since he left Texas...not even this time. They are using the word of a guy that will do anything to crawl out from under his trouble and A-Rods name in a book...Not a signature, just the name...boy, what a selling point for getting new customers, right?
This is a question that has been floating around my mind for a long time...
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that just about every Yankees fan is willing to forgive Andy Pettitte for using steroids, but not Alex Rodriguez? Is it because Andy admitted to using them to recover from injury, while ARod used to be simply be a better hitter? Or does Andy get a pass because he's a "true Yankee?"
I have not forgiven Andy or A-Rod, the thing is a question of Talent. A-Rod has, by far, the greatest talent of the two. With the great talent goes the responsibility of using that God-given talent as well as one can, without cheating.
DeleteThat is my way of looking at it. Everyone has their own reasons, but both are guilty and I have commented such, many times.
I just personally think if you cant forgive the guy then you are taking this way too seriously and personally. He did not personally attack or offend you. He screwed up, I screwed up, you screwed up. Hell we all probably screwed up more than once. It happens, we're human.
DeleteDaniel, God knows you are right!
DeleteMy problem is still with "The GOD given Talent" thing. God gives us talent, it is our job to make the most of it.
I will come to a point where I will forgive him and Andy, after all, I did with Mickey!
(A.K.A., old ranger7)
ReplyDeleteI have come to the point in life (at 77 years old) where I look back at many of the Super Players of the past, and can't find many without imperfections.
From Shoeless Joe Jackson (who was not in on the BlackSox deal) to Cisco, I can understand them better. I do not, and never will condone what they did, nor will I ever forgive WHAT they did!
I will forgive ONE UNMENTIONED fact, many started and continued with their transgressions to make the playing field even!
Upper Management looked the other way for years, they knew it was going on and did nothing about it. So, I have come to the conclusion, "The people running the show", are the culprits in this case! As in most cases of this sort, the shit flows down hill and was dumped on the easiest Target...A-Rod!
I once said I would never use his name again, and until to-day...I haven't! I also said, "I would always have his back", which I still will do.
I have gone from, NOT forgiving him, to..."He is a Yankee, and will have my backing as such and will have my admiration as one of the greatest talents I have ever seen in over 69 years of being a Yankee Fan".
You could make the argument that upper management knew the first time for A Rod but i have a sneaking suspicion they didn't know about Biogenesis
ReplyDeleteDaniel...
DeleteYou mean the Yankee management? IF so, I would think that is right. I don't think anyone on the team knew about it either, if they had, the news would have gotten to the media in a heart beat!
Yankee management, upper management, same difference. I meant everyone above Joe Girardi's head.
ReplyDeleteMy reply was because, I didn't know if you meant Yankees or the League (Bud).
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, the Yankees had to know, those guys have their own little police force...ex-F.B.I, ex-police detectives, you name it and they have it. As far back as the Winfield stuff hit the fan, George kept a few of those guys on full time. Anyhow, that is what I understood at that time, back in the mid 80s', I think.