Every Rose Has Its Thorn

Junior year has been a bear to say the least. A lot has changed since my last few posts, granted they are growing even fewer in number and further in between. I've been named the Sports Editor of my school newspaper, gotten a 220 on the PSAT, decided to go into cardiology, won awards for outstanding mock trial work as an attorney, and begun to question my formerly staunch libertarianism. That being said, I am still a passionate sports fan, and though my time here grows less and less, I appreciate whoever still reads these posts. Here is a persuasive essay--forced to be in the Rogerian format--I have written for my English III class, with a few extra paragraphs split up for ease of reading, which will be followed by an opposing view by the end of the week.

“The man I marvel at is the one that’s in there day after day, and night after night, and still puts figures on the board.  I’m talking about Pete Rose.” 

--Sparky Anderson

    On August 24, 1989, then-MLB commissioner Bart Giamatti delivered an edict that would forever change the face of professional baseball: Pete Rose, manager of the Cincinnati Reds, was forever banned from the game he loved. Baseball’s hit king had been swiftly and unceremoniously dethroned. Gone were the cheers, the certain Hall of Fame induction, and his career, all, of course, for betting on his team to win the games in which it played. Though this was a clear violation of the written rules all players and managers must abide by—as supporters of the punishment often cite---a lifetime ban, especially in light of recent developments, is quite clearly too severe a penalty. The man that played the most games in league history, collected the most hits, a 1900s All-Century selection, two Gold Glove awards, three batting titles, and an MVP award, deserves better. It is time for the ban to be lifted and to release Pete Rose from his prison without bars.  

     Though Rose admittedly did break rules, it is important to note that his gambling never actually affected the outcomes of games, which was the intent behind the rule itself. The stated goal of a manager is, quite obviously, to win games. And considering the fact that Rose almost exclusively bet on the Reds, always to win, he was only providing himself another incentive to do so. There were not instances of point-shaving, spread covering, or game-throwing—such were insults to the man’s competitiveness. His goal was to win every game, every season. Further, the punishments for actually affecting games by means of PEDs, scuffing baseballs, or impeding runners—the largest of which being a 162 game ban held by Alex Rodriguez—pale in comparison to Rose’s which obviously did not affect his managing as it only further incentivized him to perform at  a high level.  "I bet on my team to win every night because I love my team, I believe in my team," Rose said in an interview with ESPN. "I did everything in my power every night to win that game.” Is that not the true meaning of competitive baseball?

     The man has been punished for supporting his team, while others have comparatively walked away unscathed for deliberately affecting games, and many have walked right into the place Rose will never be: The Hall of Fame. The most obvious symbol of Rose’s punishment, the Hall of Fame markets itself as a testament to the history of Major League Baseball. Outside of a performance-based election by either the Veteran’s Committee or the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, there are no real standards for entry. Yet, interestingly, a large majority of the proponents of Rose’s suspension act as though it is a cathedral and that he is stuck at the gates. He is, many claim, morally unfit for the honor. By violating the rules of the game, he knowingly sacrificed his chance at immortality. However, many other players of dubious character have been allowed on the ballot and have actually been enshrined in Cooperstown. 

     To name a few: Ty Cobb was a racist, Don Sutton doctored baseballs, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron used amphetamines, and John McGraw even tripped baserunners while the umpires were distracted. Goose Gossage even wrote a book about his illegal escapades. Further, the Hall already profits from his contributions to the game. There are over twenty pieces of Rose memorabilia in the Hall of Fame. Why they cannot enshrine the man who gave those pieces meaning is beyond comprehension. If the Hall truly serves to memorialize the history of the game, “Charlie Hustle,” a man who has admitted his wrongdoing and repented, deserves to be a part of it. 

     The most obvious contribution Pete Rose made to baseball was his superlative work ethic. Though some believe that by gambling he violated the central tenet of the game, that he sold baseball’s soul for personal gain, it is quite clear that he actually supported it. Rose embodied the ideal competitor. He ran to first base on walks, slid headfirst into bases, and took the competitive spirit and fire the game cherishes to an entirely new level. He never took a play off. He even took an exhibition game—the All-Star game—and turned it into a lesson on hustle, separating catcher Ray Fosse’s left shoulder in a successful effort to win the game for the National League. Winning was all that mattered. And though Rose was not the most gifted hitter, nor the best fielder, nor even the best athlete, he was the best hustler—the central dogma of the sport. Enshrining Rose, or at least lifting his ban, would represent a symbolic return to the fundamental values—grit, competiveness, hustle, and a “win at all costs” attitude—of the sport that supporters of the ban say he somehow violated. It is quite obvious that a league without Rose is a league without its soul. 

     Pete Rose is the victim of an unfortunate double standard. “…to be honest with you, I picked the wrong vice. I should have picked alcohol. I should have picked drugs or I should have picked up beating up my wife or girlfriend because if you do those three, you get a second chance,” he said in an interview. Though tactless, he might be right. Though some believe Rose deserves a ban for violating the rules of the game, such a view is misguided. By supposedly degrading the integrity of the game, Rose brought forth one of its greatest attributes—will to win honestly. He never threw a game. He never artificially boosted his performance with PEDs like Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, or Barry Bonds, all of whom are still in good standing with Major League Baseball. He never deliberately or directly affected the outcomes of games. All he did was be the 28^th greatest hitter in league history. Should he have done any of these despicable actions in place of betting on his own team, ironically, he would have a place in Cooperstown by now.  And that has to change. Let the king return to his throne. 

 

Images retrieved from: realclearsports.com, intoon.com, gifsoup.com, and
latcrossword.blogspot.com

Philosophical Differences

     In politics it has been shown that different philosophies can work. The same has been proven in baseball. In America's favorite pastime, there are those who desire to win now, and those who desire to win later. Believers in the former are usually marketable high-rollers, winning by using their unparallelled assets to simply outspend the competition. Those following the latter are usually small market teams possessing a smart front office and a revolutionary way of looking at free agents. They also keep talent in the organization by good drafting. When the Yankees reload, the Cincinnati Reds refill.

     Teams with higher salaries are usually the teams with the rings. That is undeniable. As mentioned above, they can simply outspend the competition. While the strategy of going out and signing high-profile free agents is exciting, it is very difficult to keep doing. The signings have to work well, for if they do not, then the team loses and attendance sinks, therefore limiting profits and eliminating the possibility to give a competitive offer or provide a stable, winning environment. However, the few teams that use said philosophy are very good at it. The New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox built up a strong core with players they developed in-house, then reaped the benefits and using the newfound cash to buy championships. The Yankees had their "Core Four" in Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Petite. They won A LOT with them. This enabled them to trade for, and later resign Alex Rodriguez to one of the largest contracts in baseball history. After first baseman Jason Giambi left in free agency, rather than using one of their developed and relatively cheap Triple-A prospects, the signed Mark Teixeira to a very large contract. A similar situation developed when catcher Jorge Posada began faltering behind the plate. Rather than use talented Jesus Montero, who was traded to the Seattle Mariners during spring training, they went out and got Russel Martin. On opening day, only three of the Yankees starters came from their farm system. A similar scenario has shown itself in Boston. Behind Theo Epstein, the Red Sox were very good at evaluating talent. They were also good at offering big contracts, as shown by their recent signings of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. The Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, and again in 2007, and both of those teams' key players were acquired through trades and free agency. The Philadelphia Phillies are no different. They exploded on to the MLB scene in 2008 by beating the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series and returning the following season, albeit losing to the New York Yankees. The front office proceeded to open up the checkbook, trading for expensive but talented veterans like pitcher Roy Halladay, and signing Cliff Lee. While they may have developed players like the injury prone Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, the impact of what they have done in free agency and trades far outweighs the impact of developed players.

     The other side of the spending spectrum contains winners as well. Penny-pinchers like the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds and, to an extent, the Texas Rangers are perennial "Next Year Is The Year" teams, as their star prospects always seem to take longer to get to the big leagues than necessary. The Rays were, and still are contenders with a very low salary. They developed talented players like third baseman Evan Longoria, and outfielders B.J. Upton and Carl Crawford, and still managed to win games, even if they were in the same divisions as the aforementioned Yankees and Red Sox. They have faith in their general managers and in their ability to draft well. These teams are often very efficient with costs and players. When players become stars on cost-effective teams, they either have become attached to the area, like Reds first baseman Joey Votto, or leave for bigger markets, like Crawford, but that is an obvious risk with prospects, as they can quickly become expensive luxuries and sign elsewhere, whereas a free agent is a known value and is signed to a longer deal that is generally more team-friendly in the long run, for a prospect's price goes up when an older free agent's goes down. The Cincinnati Reds, like the Rays, have consistently had one of the lower payrolls in Major League Baseball. They traded big stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn, who was developed in the system, for prospects, to make room for players they drafted. Griffey Jr. made room for slugging outfielder Jay Bruce, who was drafted and developed in the Reds farm system. Then, Joey Votto, was drafted, signed, and resigned to be a career Cincinnati Red. On opening day, five of the nine starting players were drafted by the Reds. When these prospects become too expensive, as Bruce and pitcher Johnny Cueto might, there will be others waiting at the doorstep to step up. A similar situation unfolded in Texas, as the Rangers lost one of the most popular players in baseball, pitcher C.J Wilson to the Angels. Wilson was brought up by the Rangers, as were potential-laden players like Neftali Feliz and Elvis Andrus. Wilson's free agency was a hot topic, as he was very expensive but not necessarily worth the money he was demanding, so those who wanted to win now campaigned for a new deal, while others realized that a prospect like Feliz could fill the void without much of a drop in performance, if at all.

     Different teams have different philosophies. The big spenders have to win now, and their method of acquiring players or filling needs reflects that attitude. Rather than wait for prospects, teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Phillies attack the free agent market with reckless abandon, while other teams like the Rays, Reds, and Rangers are more patient and fill their needs with players they drafted and nurtured. Both philosophies have a proven track record, as every team mentioned, save the Reds, though they may get there soon, has been to the World Series in the last five years, regardless of whether or not they got there with players they bought. Some teams choose to spend; others have to to maintain a steady fanbase and revenue source. Some teams choose to stick with their own players; others have to due to a lack of resources. The only question is, which do you prefer?

Images retrieved from: www.bleacherreport.com

A Guilty Man Walks Free

     A guilty athlete walks into a courtroom, and everyone thinks, no, everyone KNOWS, he's guilty, yet he walks free. Sounds familiar, right? And the most surprising of all, this athlete isn't OJ Simpson. He's Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun. He tore through the 2011 season, hitting over 30 home runs and stealing over 30 bases, eventually winning the MVP over the Dodger's Matt Kemp, whom I think was the more deserving candidate (Kemp had more hits, home runs, stolen bases, runs batted in, and walks, so pretty much every category that mattered). However, after a drug test, Braun was found to have a 20:1 testosterone ratio, a clear sign that he was doping throughout the season, and to top it all of, the testosterone was synthetic, so it was impossible for him to claim it was natural or even caused by medicine, as no prescription can exponentially increase testosterone levels as astronomically high as his were. He was sentenced to serve a 50 game suspension by Major League Baseball, and he said he would fight the suspension in court.
    
     The Brewers were fully expecting to go the aforementioned first 50 games of the season, and were prepared to do so, but Braun kept promising he'd get the suspension lifted. Nobody questioned the validity of the results, only the way they were retrieved. In the trial to get the suspension lifted, Ryan Braun never, ever, said he wasn't guilty. He even agreed that the urine had sky-high testosterone levels.

     He went to trial, and instead of arguing that there was a reasonable explanation for having more testosterone than normal, such as a side effect of prescription drugs or tainted food, he argued that the sample wasn't shipped on time. Instead of being shipped immediately after testing due to the fact the local FedEx was closed, it was stored in a refrigerator and then shipped a day later. Testing by the World Anti-Doping Association has shown that the brief time in the fridge has no effect whatsoever on increasing testosterone or even tainting the results of a urine sample test at all, so Braun's entire argument was built on a technicality. Still, the technicality was an exception, and Ryan Braun was reinstated and the penalty was removed. The MLB has released a statement claiming it "Vehemently disagrees," with the findings, but it is now out of their hands. Braun found a loophole. It doesn't matter though, his name will always be sullied as the one that got away, the OJ Simpson of baseball doping, and most importantly, the guilty man who walks away free.

Image From: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1000050/13/50/index.htm