George Will in 'roids in BB

Can't read it, requires registration, don't feel like registering. Care to summarize?

Sorry. Here 'tis.

A Stain on Baseball

By George F. Will

Wednesday, December 8, 2004; Page A31

"When you break the big laws, you do not get liberty; you do not even get anarchy. You get the small laws."

-- G.K. Chesterton, 1905

To understand the damage that the steroids scandal is doing to baseball, consider this: Probably sometime late in the 2005 season or early in the next one, Barry Bonds, who already has 703 career home runs, will begin a game with 754, one short of Henry Aaron's record. Would you cross the street to see Bonds hit number 755?

Bonds, 40, is intelligent and severely aware of his body. When, a year ago, Bonds's lawyer said his client might have "unknowingly" used steroids, Bonds and the gaudy numbers his dramatically transformed body has generated since he turned 35 became, strictly speaking, incredible.

In recent decades athletes have learned that, using nutrition, strength training and other means, it is possible to enhance performance. But not all that is possible should be permissible. Some enhancements devalue performance while improving it, because they unfairly alter the conditions of competition. Lifting weights and eating your spinach enhance the body's normal functioning. But radical and impermissible chemical intrusions into the body can jeopardize the health of the body and mind, while causing both to behave abnormally.

Athletes chemically propelled to victory do not merely overvalue winning, they misunderstand why winning is properly valued. Professional athletes stand at an apex of achievement because they have paid a price in disciplined exertion -- a manifestation of good character. They should try to perform unusually well. But not unnaturally well. Drugs that make sport exotic drain it of its exemplary power by making it a display of chemistry rather than character -- actually, a display of chemistry and bad character.

If a baseball fan from the last decade of the 19th century were placed in a ballpark in the first decade of the 21st, that fan would feel in a familiar setting. One reason baseball has such a durable hold on the country is that, as historian Bruce Catton said, it is the greatest topic of conversation America has produced. And one reason is the absence of abrupt discontinuities in the evolution of this game with its ever-richer statistical sediment. This makes possible intergenerational comparisons of players' achievements.

Until now, only one radical demarcation has disrupted the game's continuity -- the divide, around 1920, between the dead ball and lively ball eras. (A short-lived tampering with the ball produced the lurid offensive numbers of 1930 -- nine teams batted over .300; the eight-team National League batted .304.) Now baseball's third era is ending -- the era of disgracefully lively players.

What is, alas, continuing is the idea that everything is the federal government's business. The steroid scandal may yet become redundant confirmation of Chesterton's century-old insight quoted above. Because some players have broken a big law of life -- don't cheat -- we may now get a federal law against their particular form of cheating. To be fair, John McCain, aka The National Scold, who acquired from his father the admiral and from his own training as a naval officer an admirable sense of honor, hopes that his threat of legislation will prod the players' union to make legislation unnecessary by consenting to a more rigorous regime of drug testing.

The Major League Baseball Players Association -- the union -- is democratic, so it surely will want to consent. A large majority of players are honorable or prudent or both. They do not use steroids, which are dangerous as well as dishonorable. But consider the plight of the marginal major leaguer, a category that includes most major leaguers at some point in their careers and many of them throughout their careers. The marginal player knows that some of the competitors for his roster spot and playing time are getting illegal chemical assistance. So he faces a choice of jeopardizing either his career or his health. And surely all non-cheating players dislike playing under the cloud of suspicion that their achievements are tainted.

Happily, this tawdry steroids episode benefits an exemplary gentleman. Until last season, when David Aardsma played for the San Francisco Giants, Henry Aaron's name was the first in the alphabetical listing of the almost 16,000 fortunate persons who have played in the major leagues. Aaron deserves to rank -- and in the hearts of serious fans will rank, long after Bonds retires -- first on the list of career home runs, properly achieved.

This is pretty funny coming from a guy who was all over Tony LaRussa's jock, given how much of LaRussa's success was due to the steroid-fueled exploits of the Bash Brothers.

wow. george will is upset the world is not like the lily white suburb he grew up in during the 1950s.

what a shock.

You don't mean to imply that the only people who should be upset about blatant cheating are lily white suburbanites from the 50s, do you? That would be...well, stupid. Don't let your apparent dislike for the priggish and smug Mr. Will affect your reaction to what he says. He says sports is about fair play and excellence, and steroids are cheating. Where do you disagree?

Will is correct about a number of things. But in particular, he is correct that Aaron and the others (Mays, Ruth, Dimaggio, Maris, and Williams -- all folks with great hitting accomplishments and no steroids) deserve to be held in ever esteem. Seeing how hard it is even for chemically enhanced cheats to catch them really puts their accomplishments in perspective.

George Will is not afraid that the world is different now than from the 50's, but he is afraid that what is unique about baseball will disappear. Baseball has as a constant the ability to compare players from far-flung eras. Batting average, strikeouts, home runs, they are constants in the game and the numbers can be used to compare players and fuel arguments. It is still the reason that I love baseball today. Running, and particularly track, has that appeal as well. Why do we keep records? For posterity. The next generation can compare themselves to those who went before. This is only fair if everyone is on the same level. These atheletes who whimper that they are competing against other contemporaries who are also drugged do not have a fundamental understanding of the history of their sport. That is where the problem truly lies. These cheats are stealing away not medals and glories, but they are stealing away what many love about sports. There is a history to what a sport is. A true sport does not live in the here and now but it acknowledges what has come before it. Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, Marion Jones, Kim White, etc. are removing that from their respective sports.

i heard that Ali G was the origonal author of that article...

To understand da damage dat da steroids scandal is doing to baseball, consida dis: Probably sometime late in da 2005 season or early in da next one, Barry Bonds, who already has 703 carea Staines runs, will begin a game wif 754, one short hof Henry Aaron's record. Would me uncle jamal cross da street to see Bonds hit numba 755?

Bonds, 40, is intelligent and severely aware hof his body. When, a year ago, Bonds's pigsya said his client might have "unknowinly" used steroids, Bonds and da gaudy numbers his dramatically transformed body has generated since he turned 35 became, strictly speeking, incredible.

In recent decades athletes have learned that, using nutrition, strengf training and otha means, it is possible to enhance performance. But not all dat is possible should be permissible. Some enhancements devalue performance while improving it, 'coz they unfairly alta da conditions hof competition. Lifting weights and eating your spinach enhance da body's normal functioning. But radical and impermissible chemical intrusions into da body can jeopardize da healf hof da body and mind, while causing bof to behave abnormally.

Athletes chemically propelled to victory do not merely overvalue winning, they misunderstand why winning is properly valued. Professional athletes stand at an apex hof achievement 'coz they have paid a price in disciplined exertion -- a geezerifestation hof good character. They should try to perform unusually well. But not unnaturally well. hash dat make sport exotic drain it hof its exemplary powa by making it a display hof chemistry ratha than characta -- actually, a display hof chemistry and bad character.

If a baseball fan from da last decade hof da 19f century were placed in a ballpark in da first decade hof da 21st, dat fan would feel in a familiar setting. One reason baseball has such a durable hold on da country is that, as historian Bruce Catton said, it is da wickedest topic hof conversation USAiiiii has produced. And one reason is da absence hof abrupt discontinuities in da evolution hof dis game wif its ever-richa statistical sediment. dis makes possible intergenerational comparisons hof players' achievements.

Until now, only one radical demarcation has disrupted da game's continuity -- da divide, around 1920, betweun da dead ball and lively ball eras. (A short-lived tampering wif da ball produced da lurid offensive numbers hof 1930 -- nine teams batted ova .300; da eight-team National League batted .304.) Now baseball's third era is ending -- da era hof disgracefully lively players.

wot is, alas, continuing is da idea dat everything is da federal government's business. da steroid scandal may yet become redundant confirmation hof Chesterton's century-old insight quoted above. 'coz some players have brokun a big pigs hof life -- don't cheat -- we may now get a federal pigs against their particular ferm hof cheating. To be fair, John McCain, aka da National Scold, who acquired from his fatha da admiral and from his own training as a naval offica an admirable sense hof honor, hopes dat his threat hof legislation will prod da players' union to make legislation unnecessary by consenting to a more rigorous regime hof drug testing.

da Major League Baseball Players Association -- da union -- is democratic, so it surely will want to consent. A large majority hof players is honorable or prudent or both. They do not use steroids, which is dangerous as well as dishonorable. But consida da plight hof da marginal major leaguer, a category dat includes most major leaguers at some point in their careers and geezery hof them throughout their careers. da marginal playa knows dat some hof da competitors fer his rosta spot and playing time is getting illegal chemical assistance. So he faces a choice hof jeopardizing eitha his carea or his health. And surely all non-cheating players dislike playing unda da cloud hof suspicion dat their achievements is tainted.

Happily, dis tawdry steroids episode benefits an exemplary gentleman. Until last season, whun David Aardsma played fer da San Francisco Giants, Henry Aaron's name was da first in da alphabetical listing hof da almost 16,000 fertunate geezers who have played in da major leagues. Aaron deserves to rank -- and in da hearts hof serious fans will rank, long afta Bonds retires -- first on da list hof carea Staines runs, properly achieved.

Hedgehog wrote:

You don't mean to imply that the only people who should be upset about blatant cheating are lily white suburbanites from the 50s, do you? That would be...well, stupid. Don't let your apparent dislike for the priggish and smug Mr. Will affect your reaction to what he says. He says sports is about fair play and excellence, and steroids are cheating. Where do you disagree?

no, what i mean to imply is that george will rants and rails against anything that doesn't conform to his lily white standards. he had no beef with mark mcgwire smashing roger maris' record (just think - mcgwire took a record from 61 to 70, while bonds only took a record from 70 to 73) - while big mac was clearly - and admittedly - on a substance that was banned by the IOC and the NFL. he is oddly mum on a guy like bill romanowski - a guy so often praised for his "intensity" on the field.

will takes shots at easy targets. he won't call out the bash brothers (though both members were admitted drug abusers) or other problems that would disrupt his idyll of the 1950's americana.

he's a hypocrite, and one of the best at it.

and yes, i think bonds is despicable. but i don't think he is any more guilty than a whole host of other major leaguers, or professional athletes in general.

If he doesn't call out every cheater, then he can't call out any? As for his lily white standards, the following excerpts from an Amazon interview might enlighten you.

Amazon.com: What are you liking about baseball these days? Why do you think it's getting better?

Will: Well, to give you one reason, the most common surname in baseball today is Martinez, the second is Perez, and the fifth is Rodriguez. Which is to say baseball is now beginning to draw upon an enormous, rich new talent pool of Latin ballplayers who are good at so many aspects of the game, but particularly the aspect that real fans find most satisfying, and that's defense. I mean, to see [Omar] Vizquel play shortstop is just a treat!

------------------------------

Amazon.com: What about hitters?

Will: I love two shortstops, [Alex] Rodriguez and Garciaparra. They play both at shortstop and in the batter's box.

-----------------------------

Amazon.com: There's so much focus today on the long ball and on breaking Roger Maris's record.

Will: Right.

Amazon.com: Does that interest you?

Will: Sure, and I hope it happens. I think Mark McGwire and Ken Griffey Jr., not to mention Jeff Bagwell and Barry Bonds and a whole bunch of others--there's a lot of guys who could do this if they got pitched to.

you might as well throw in Mr. Androstein a.k.a...

Mr. Mark McGuire

Spider wrote:

Will is correct about a number of things. But in particular, he is correct that Aaron and the others (Mays, Ruth, Dimaggio, Maris, and Williams -- all folks with great hitting accomplishments and no steroids) deserve to be held in ever esteem. Seeing how hard it is even for chemically enhanced cheats to catch them really puts their accomplishments in perspective.

Sort of. But remember that today's chemically enhanced batters are hitting against today's chemically enhanced pitchers.

What, do you really think that Clemens has been clean for most of his career?

I don't understand? Is George Will "in" steroids or baseball or Barry Bonds?

Or is there a stain on one of them?

You're right. I sometimes have a problem matching my subject matter with my subject line. I suppose "on" would have been more appropriate.

Fixer wrote:

I don't understand? Is George Will "in" steroids or baseball or Barry Bonds?

Or is there a stain on one of them?