Several years ago, over a thousand professional baseball players submitted to drug testing. This was done not for punitive purposes, but to assess the extent of drug use in professional baseball. This information would be a step in developing an appropriate drug policy. The people submitting to this testing were assured that the test results would remain confidential.
Out of over a thousand tested, over a hundred positive results turned up.
Out of over a hundred positive test results that were to remain confidential, only one name has been released. Alex Rodriguez. Prior to the test results being released, A-Rod maintained to the media that he did not use performance enhancing drugs. Since the positive test result was leaked, he admitted his use.
Prior to this, A-Rod was looked upon in a positive light, the knight in shining armor to wrest the home run record from Barry Bonds, the black knight who shamed the sport by taking an unfair advantage that Hammering Hank Aaron would never have done.
Since this revelation, baseball commissioner Bud Selig has vilified A-Rod, where before he lauded him.
Bud, do you expect us to believe that as the commissioner of baseball you did not have access to the results of these tests? If you did, why change your stance on A-Rod now?
If you did not have access to these test results, why aren't you looking at the whole context of this issue? The players submitted to drug testing so that they could help professional baseball ascertain the extent of performance enhancing drug use amongst its players. The players submitting to the testing were doing so to help the sport. The players had a reasonable expectation of privacy when it came to the results of these tests. The players knew that more testing would be coming in the future.
My belief is that everyone, somewhere, somehow, at sometime did something that they shouldn't have or failed in some way that they would not admit. If for some betterment we were asked to reveal our shortcomings in exchange for immunity from whatever evil would result from this revelation, that expectation of privacy should be respected.
It has since been reported that 4 baseball players are the ones who chose to tell the media that A-Rod failed his drug test. The drug test that was supposed to have been kept sealed.
Why are we not asking who these 4 players are? Frankly, I am outraged that these four would do what they did and do so anonymously. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Whoever outed A-Rod violated the agreement that he and everyone else who submitted to testing had.
If any one of us agreed to admit a wrong doing in exchange for leniency, we would be angered if someone wrongfully revoked that leniency.
Many are clamoring to find out who the other 100+ players who tested positive are. Just because the dam leaked, we should not tear it down. Just because some anonymous individuals took it upon themselves to violate the agreement for one, the agreement should not be violated for all.
Bud, why are you not asking how and why and by whom this information that was for baseball's purposes to remain confidential was made public?
Bud, why are you choosing to vilify A-Rod? He got tested when asked, in exchange for anonymity. He maintained that his clean record because no one was supposed to release that information. When the information was released, he admitted to his actions.
People are glorifying players from years past who did not use performance enhancing drugs...how many of them would have taken the advantage if it were available? Do we think that Ty Cobb or Gaylord Perry wouldn't have? Do we really know they didn't?
Why aren't you simply stating the facts and say that it is time for baseball to move forward? We thought we were further out of the steroid era than we actually were.
Bud, what skeletons are there in your closet?
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