PEDs... AND WHAT SHOULD COME NEXT

I'm not an expert, I'm a father. Sure, I can sit here and tell you that I want lifetime bans of major league baseball players who are accused of taking PEDs and admitting guilt and this way,  I can shield my sons from all these offenders, and then maybe, maybe we can get back to a clean game.  But there are many things wrong with statement;  First off, I don't know if Major League Baseball would ever do that. It seems doubtful.  Secondly, who the hell really knows if the game of baseball, or any sport for that matter, has ever truly been clean.  I know that certain players are clean, and to that, I tip my cap. 

(In Photo: Cesar Carrillo)
But baseball as a whole has been tainted. And now, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, a dude named Cesar Carrillo was suspended because his name appeared in the Biogenesis documents, read HERE.

I say this though... it's another gray area. How is it possible that Carrillo gets suspended for 100 games, 50 for allegedly using, and 50 for lying to Major League Baseball, yet, others named in those documents, (Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Gio Gonzalez, Jhonny Peralta, Yasmani Grandal, Francisco Cervelli, Bartolo Colon, Jesus Montero and Danny Valencia) are not? Now, it's true, Major League Baseball is "targeting" Ryan Braun and ARod now, Read HERE, but this is a mess.

More importantly... is Major League Baseball serious about this? Are they seriously thinking that a 50 game suspension is enough? Do they think that 50 games does the trick, because I will tell you this... it does not.

(In Photo: Melky Cabrera with Giants, when he was caught)
Now, I hate to toot my own horn... but I'm about to toot... loudly!  If Major League Baseball truly gave a crap about this, they would enforce something more severe.  I have stated for months here that there comes a time when things don't work and the organization, and an individual, need to try harder.  Quite simply, if a player is caught, they need to be shamed.  I dropped the hammer on Melky Cabrera pretty severely when he was found guilty, and admitted to using PEDs. Read MELKY CABRERA: WHEN SUNSHINE TURNS TO DARKNESS.  It was then that I said, the "IT STARTS WITH MELKY" and I was serious.  Time for a punishment and a shaming and a "eye opening exercise" that will make everyone in baseball know that MLB is serious. 

I suggested a much bigger offense for these players because, it's personal for me. I was getting sick and tired of my kid telling me "I like this guy", referring to a great hitter. That would then be followed up with "Is he on drugs?" How the hell do I answer that? 

Again, my plan is smart and will shut down the users and maybe even inform the youth who want to be like their heroes. It's a Public Service Announcement that will be cut by the player that has been caught and admitted to the crime. I say admitted because, let's face it, there are major gray areas here, so in our justice system, they are innocent until proven guilty, or they admit guilt, like Colon, like Cabrera.  But if they admit it after they are accused, they need to do the following:

"Hi Boys and Girls, my name is (INSERT VIOLATOR HERE), I play for the (INSERT TEAM HERE), but I tested positive for drugs and cheated.  I am now suspended for 50 games.  What I did was wrong.  Don’t be like me. I am not a role model. A role model works hard to achieve their goals.”

And as I wrote in PEDs HAVE DESTROYED THIS GREAT GAME OF BASEBALL :

"This Public Service Announcement should be shown on MLB or Sports productions around America, at the Super Bowl, before Tennis matches and on baseball pre-game shows.  Everyone should see it.  But that's not all, that player should also pay a nice fat fine.  This hits these players in the ego and in the pocketbook and in addition to all of that, these violators should be suspended for an entire 162 game season meaning, that season is erased. In other words, if they are caught in August of 2013, there stats don't count.  On their baseball card it would read "Suspended for PEDs", just like it would read "Out for Season with Injury."  

Quite frankly, this is the smartest, most comprehensive idea to keep players from using.  I am sick of my son asking me why players "cheat" if they're already talented.  Pretty smart question for a 10 year old, I don't have an answer, do you?   I'm tired of explaining why PEDs are bad.  Now it's time for the players to explain to kids why it's bad, so, a Public Service Announcement from the player himself should do the trick. Why? Because I may be a parent, but I do my job, I guide my kids. I also teach about personal responsibility. So why not have these guys do it too"

And yes, it brings me back to what happened to a guy named Cesar Carrillo. If Carrillo admitted guilt, then yes, you add him on the list. If there is a gray area, sure, he'll need to go through the process.  

But there are a ton of guys right now with fingers pointing at them, some of which would be considered second offenders, Ryan Braun, Melky Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez.  Something more severe has to be done, because fines for rich players don't matter.  Missing 50 games doesn't matter.  They need to be embarrassed. They need to talk to our kids, their fans, directly and the player needs to tell them that they blew it, because if this evidence against these players is true, AND I STRESS IF, then there needs to be a harsher punishment.  Even Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com said it in our interview with him (YANKEE BEAT & MORE: AN IAN O'CONNOR INTERVIEW), 

"Ian O’Connor: The Miami New Times story and ongoing MLB investigation into the allegations show that the drug policy isn’t punitive enough. Good to see that the union chief, Michael Weiner, seems to agree. Fifty games for a first offense isn’t cutting it. Baseball should go to a “two-strikes-and-you’re-out” approach, with a one-year penalty for the first timers, and a lifetime ban for the repeat offenders. Weiner says his membership is sick and tired of the frauds among them, and agreeing to a much tougher penal code would prove it."

Look, I hate to even dump this on you guys on a beautiful Sunday morning in the Northeast, but the new Little League baseball season has begun in the Tri-state area.  I see kids walking to practice wearing the jerseys of their heroes as they take their mitts and run into the field... Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, Ryan Braun... and it makes you think.  What's going through these kids' heads? is it, We want to be like our heroes... Or, is it... We want to be smarter than our heroes... food for thought.

Happy Sunday, sorry to dump on everything... just needed to rant.

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