phil7782 Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

The Baseball Commissioner is going about it all wrong, IMHO...

"My 3 simple rules"...

1. All Players have until the end of the Season to "clean up" and test "completely" negative for doping substances. Any Player found with doping substances at that time will be banned FOR LIFE from playing professionally. All records they may have set will be expunged form the official record, as if they never played the sport.

2. The only exception: If any Player now admits, confidentially, the use of doping subjects, they will be tested for levels and exempted from an immediate LIFE BAN: If and Only If, at end of season, they test at expected levels of doping substances due to expected biological clearing of substances from their body proving non-use of doping substances.

3. If a Player is allowed to play, they may be tested at ANY TIME Without Notice. Any evidence of a doping substance will result in an Immediate and Permanent Ban from playing.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

The effects:

This allows teams to keep their rosters and investments intact.

It "cleans up" the sports.

Players will no longer have any "chemical advantage" and will have to depend ONLY on their skills.

It does not penalize the clean players or the fans.

Phil

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

And you think the players union would agree to any part of that? Dream on my friend.

bogeyeliot Loc: Signal Hill, CA

Are you saying that the Players Union (gasp) doesn't have the best interests of the game at heart? SHOCKER!!!!

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

The fan is the only one who cares about the game. The MLBC, the owners, the players and their union have had dollars at the center of the table for years. The game itself has become the vehicle by which the dollars of interest are generated. There was a day believe it or not when players actually played because they loved the game.

rickerb Loc: utah

Tony Gwynn, Hall of Fame member, opted to sign a new contract with San Diego For a paltry $5m and was practically ostracized by the Players Association for not demanding more money which would help raise the salary ceiling.
The Players Association has way too much power.
Tony Gwynn , by the way, is a first class human being.

Ched49 Loc: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Not a bad premise but trying to get the players union to agree is a whole different story. I blame MLB for dragging their feet for too long on this issue.

eye2eye Loc: Chicago, Illinois

I suggest you go to watch a minor league team if there is one in your area. Now THOSE guys love to play ball and are not in it for the money.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

They're also not the players in question and just so you know I played minor league ball and all is not as it seems from the stands.

eye2eye Loc: Chicago, Illinois

And how long ago was it that you were in the minor leagues? Maybe some things have changed over the years that you are not aware of. As a fan watching the game, that's how it appears to me. Are you saying that doping goes all the way down to the minors? Just what are you trying to say?

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

It’s been a lot of years and I’m sure things have changed a great deal since I played but I’ll tell you what, if you told those kids that they would never make the majors and that they would always be minor leaguers you’d have a hell of a time trying to field a team. You have to love the game to get to the level they’re at because it’s a lot of work but the carrot for most is the lure of fame and fortune not the love of the game.

phil7782 Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

The Commissioner sets the rules...

There will either be a "clean game" or not.

"IF" the Union is "for a clean game" as they advertise, then they have no choice but to accept this type of solution.

Without doping, some of the major "stars" would most likely fall out of the sky, but the "naturally" skilled players would most likely take their places with the fans.

I realize agents get their commission based on their players' performance.

If they lose income because their players perform more poorly because of getting clean, then they deserve the loss in income. They've been riding a dirty horse for too long.

If a player wants to continue playing, he has to get clean.

PERIOD...

This is a Private Business.

Money talks.

If the fans don't support a "dirty" game, it will fade away.

Unions be damned...

Phil

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

I hope you're right Phil and they can get the game cleaned up but if you've noticed A Rod is still playing and there is little to no doubt of his guilt according to those in the know.

eye2eye Loc: Chicago, Illinois

Nobody goes into baseball without first loving the game. If you're not good at it, there is no way fame and fortune are going to lure you in. It's not possible unless you were born with a natural ability and everything came easy to you. You may become disillusioned over time, but you still love the game, don't you?

phil7782 Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

That's why I said in the OP, "The Baseball Commissioner is going about it all wrong, IMHO.."

Phil

phil7782 Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Baseball:

20 minutes of excitement crammed into 3 hours.

But, how exciting those 20 minutes can be !!

Phil