Kiss My Asterisk - 246
Hal Wastes His Wages
December 17, 2007

Imagine you're ESPN's Pedro Gomez. You've just spent a grueling season shadowing the every move of perhaps the most polarizing figure in sports history as he cast aside possibly the most revered record of all time. Then just as you're reaching across the beachside Tiki bar to grab your Mai Tai, news comes out that your boy Barry Bonds is indicted for perjury. Somewhere deep down inside you wish you had taken the Jamarcus Russell beat instead, which would have given you plenty of time to yourself.

As if baseball season isn't long enough, this year apparently there is no off-season. Even before the World Series was over, the Hot Stove was on high thanks to A-Rude and his tactless agent Scott Bore-Ass (sorry, I'm adopting the NY-tabloid-back-page approach for the duration of this column). Now that the long-waited Mitchell Report is out, it seems all anyone can talk about is baseball, baseball, baseball. That wouldn't necessarily be a problem, if people had anything concrete to say.

You want proof that the Mitchell Report was a media-driven frenzy? Look at ESPN's line up for last Thursday night--the day it was released. They had some Division I-AA playoff on, along with Women's College Volleyball on ESPN2. With all due respect to Division I-AA Football and Women's College Volleyball, I would think the programming director would be a bit concerned about ratings that night. Conveniently, a ready-made story like Mitchell Report came out and the subsequent coverage and analysis helped draw the masses.

As for the Report, I don't know what to make of it. Apparently I should be shocked and dismayed by these accusations--accusations coming from a front office Director of the Boston Red Sox. To have anyone so involved with Major League Baseball at the head of an "independent investigation" seems a bit murky to me. One name that did stand out was Ken Caminiti, a man who tragically died 3 years ago of a drug overdose. I'd say naming his name would be a bit redundant, if nothing else. Nice work, Mitchell--you must have dug real hard on that one.

My chief problem with the Mitchell Report and Major League Baseball's handling of it is that as of press time a week has gone by and there have been no concrete results. Put this story to bed by telling baseball fans what is to come of it so the endless barroom juries can quit deliberating in my ear. What was and was not legal, when was it illegal, was it illegal when it was used and finally what's the punishment? As it stands there's nothing conclusive about the Mitchell Report, seemingly just the product of a McCarthyistic witch hunt. Great, you named names--now what?

If you ask me, the asterisk belongs next to Bud Selig. The entire performance enhancement era of America's pastime came to a head on his watch. Meanwhile fans like you and me continue to cheer for some overpaid science experiment of an athlete whose ass is still sore from the injection as he signs his check for endorsements while taping some bogus anti-doping ad. If the media, the Commissioner, Players' Association, or the mighty George Mitchell himself can't produce the desired result, do we the fans have the conviction to right this wrong and make our voice heard?

Christopher M Halleron owns and retains all proprietary rights to the Site and the content provided by the Site. The Site contains material, including links and compilations of individual data, trademarks, and other proprietary information of chrishalleron.com.  Except for that information which is in the public domain or for which you have been given written permission to use, you may not copy, modify, publish, transmit, distribute, perform, display, or sell any such proprietary information.  Any questions or comments, please contact Chris Halleron at chris@chrishalleron.com.