Why is everyone so surprised?

[bigjimsguitars]

I'm amazed that so many were surprised or aghast over the contents and findings of the Mitchell Report. Quite frankly, it's only the tip of the iceberg as many more players ultimately will be named (IMHO).

The sad thing is that baseball in the purest form doesn't need artificial athletes to bring the fans into the ballparks, stadiums, etc. The game is so simple yet so complicated that there is always something going on.

Homeruns are great, but so are shutouts. Doubles are fun, but so are singles and that stolen base. There are too many great and fun things about baseball that happen naturally and without juiced up players.

I have to laugh at Donald Fehr for his feeble commentary as much as I do Bud Selig's as they were major components to the rise in the use of Steroids, HGH and the other performance enhancing substances.

The Olympic Committee has done an admirable job so far in cleaning up the Olympic Athletes and the Games and I see no decline in interest or will there be a decline in attendance, TV Revenues or what have you.

Baseball needs to go even deeper into the problem and the causes and clean up the game no matter what they think the consequences may or may not be if not for the integrity and honesty of the game.

The Fehr's and Selig's need to stop protecting the players and management for the history and sake of the game that we all love.

I'm saddened that there are people who defend the use of steroids, hgh, and whatever or who choose to justify the use for whatever reason. Simply stated, there are no excuses or justifications.

Moreover, we should not honor the records or achievements of the players who willingly and knowingly participated and used illegal performance enhancing substances/drugs.

The day we all can go and watch a game and see a prodigious homerun or a blazing fastball and know it was from natural ability and training will be a great day!

Sincerely,
Jim Mead

[bigjimsguitars]

Why am I surprised that nobody has responded? Is it because in their hearts they know I speak what everyone really felt?

How can it be a surprise as we all knew that many of the players were juicing and that the management and players union condoned it all by turning a blind eye.

Then we the fans, or shall I say many put-forth feeble arguments such as,; hey it's the era we are in, they still have to hit the ball, everyone is doing it, etc. Or hey, what about the Perry brothers and the spit ball, or to point the finger somewhere to justify it, like saying it's always been a part of the game and therefore, it's okay.

It's never been okay and right now we need a strong spine or two to clean up baseball once and for all. The game can stand on it's own two feet as it's got all the necessary ingredients without the need of the cancer producing artificial stuff to make it taste better.

Those players whoever they are who put stuff in their bodies to achieve an advantage over another clean player knew what they were doing and that they were taking a paycheck out of the hands. mouths of someone who played the game as intended, clean. In my book, any player who can be proved to have knowingly injected, ingested, or by any other means, introduced any banned performance enhancing substance to gain an unfair advantage shall be banned from baseball for life, no ifs ands or butt's!

[indyred]

I don't think anyone is surprised by the list. The list just shows who the really dumb player's were. Guys who did it in the open or left a paper trail. We all know a bunch of other's did it that aren't on the list. Come April, not many will even care when the season starts again.

[bigjimsguitars]

The answer is that there be mandatory random drug testing even in the off season as this is said to be the prime time for players to bulk up for the season.

It will never happen as Donald Fehr will do whatever it takes to protect the juicers and Bud Selig is too much of a wimp to force the issue.

I hope that Congress does step in and do whatever is necessary to clean the game up and punish each and every person who is involved to fullest extent of the law.

Too many kids are now using Steroids, HGH and whatever the latest designer performance enhancer is in an effort to be bigger, faster, stronger than the next guy and with all the risks of serious medical problems and death. All because they see their sports hero's use the stuff and get mega buck contracts as the reward.

Forget about how much your precious collection will be worth and start to worry about all of the lives that are being effected because of Steroids, HGH and whatever.

The attitude that is just the sign of the times or the era we are in is a bunch of BS and anyone who dares to say that or imply that is just as guilty as those who use it.