I wrote a letter to Bud Selig last week.
Before I wrote it, I didn’t know that he had a name.
Not Bud, exactly, but the guy who’s in charge of major league baseball.
You can read the letter here and then please tell me what you think. I’m a big (ahem) girl, and I can take it. I know there must be a flaw in my reasoning somewhere and I need help seeing it.
Is it because it’s happening in a sport that my son loves? Is it because I realized that it doesn’t just take a village to raise a child, it takes absolutely everyone who has ever walked the earth?
Am I just being “such a mom” about it?
I don’t know. But this has been bothering me for weeks.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Spot. On. I am so glad that you wrote this.
My freshman year of college, I went to a Big 10 School, and the athletes were not upheld to the same academic standards. When I taught junior high, there were loopholes for athletes so they could play in games despite their behavior or academic issues. If the sport brings in big money, people tend to look away.
And I am tired of it. Thank you for such an awesome letter!
Seems like a no-brainer to me – he should be stripped of his title. Along with every other professional athlete who has ever been tested positive for drugs – they should ALL be treated the same.
Beautiful letter, and the perfect tone. I completely agree, and have been saying so for years. If lance Armstrong can be stripped of his titles after NOT having failed a drug test,even when tested right after races, certainly someone who did fail a drug test should be stripped. (I do know about the alleged failed test in 2001 for armstrong) I don’t like different rules for different people.
Jww
I can’t believe you don’t remember his name is spelled Shaun.
It’s ok, he’s my bitch anyway.
Right there with you. Totally agree. Baseball is big in my house and it bothers me that my son’s favorite pasttime can reward someone who purposefully used banned products. And if Melky Cabrera happens to “win” the 2012 NL batting title, I hope he does the right thing and turns it down. And if he doesn’t, I hope his mother makes him.
Such a great letter and something that has been nagging at me as well lately. I have two young boys and I don’t want them to grow up into a world that only gives opportunities to their classmates who excel in sports.
We don’t play baseball in France. But I did buy my kids Yankees (or was it Mets) caps when I was in New York, so I approve of the letter.
I think you wrote a great letter that your son will really appreciate, if not today, then someday. I think it’s so depressing to hear about all these athletes we respect and love testing positive to one drug or another. And to see it in a sport your child is really into and passionate about is not cool at all.
Loved it. Bravo to you.
The fans don’t vote for the MVP of the All-Star Game. I’m not sure who does, but it isn’t the fans- fans only vote for the starters of the game (and usually a 2nd chance vote for a last player days before the game) . The MVP award for the game awarded on the field as soon as the game is over. I’d like to see him stripped of it too, but it would be almost a non-event, unfortunately.
Also, there is good news re: batting title. The season will end with him being one plate appearance short for the batting title, thank God. Players have to have an average of 3.1 plate appearances per game played by their team. The season is 162 games, so he needs 502 plate appearances during the season to qualify. He was suspended with 501 . Ha! I hate him- he’s an ex-Yankee & is currently a SF Gnat- my two HATED teams. The guy likely to won the batting title is Andrew McCutcheon of the Pittsburgh Pirates- seems like a real stand-up kind of guy.
Esther, I believe he’s actually still eligible for the batting title. They will just add one non-hit which will lower his average just slightly .346 to get to the required 502 PAs.
Scoring Rule 10.22(a) states that “if there is a player with fewer than the required number of plate appearances whose average would be the highest, if he were charged with the required number of plate appearances or official at-bats, then that player shall be awarded the batting championship or slugging championship.”
Sorry to disappoint you.
I had totally forgotten about that clause (despite how may times it’s been used in the past- Tony Gwynn won that way, more than once, IIRC). That said, he recently requested that he be declared ineligible regardless of that & the Players Association & MLB agreed to a one time exception/amedment for this year & I came here to tell mara. I have to say I am really surprised (and pleased) by this development.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/baseball-san-francisco-giants/giants-talk/EXCLUSIVE-Melky-Cabrera-ruled-ineligible?blockID=777029&feedID=10850
oops-hit post too soon
Great letter. This kind of cheating in pro sports has to be so difficult to deal with when it comes to kids. Baseball in particular , IMO. It’s still not tough enough on cheaters.
Love seeing so many sides of you, Marinka.
BEAUTIFUL, beautiful letter.