Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
March 09, 2005
What's the Slugging Percentage of Someone with Supoena Power?

It looks like Congress is ready to issue supoenas to compell players to appear in Washington before the House Committee on Government Reform. In addition to suspected steroid users, the house is probably going to call some outspoken critics of steroid use.


Not all of the players on the list have been alleged by Canseco - or anyone else - to have used steroids.

Thomas appears to be on the list because of his public statements that the game needs to be cleaned up. He has said he would be happy to testify at the hearing, although he has expressed concern about the effect that flying to Washington from the team's Arizona spring training site could have on an injured ankle.

Schilling also spoke out against steroids before baseball's program of tougher penalties and year-round testing began during spring training.

He said recently that he was concerned the hearing could turn into a "witch hunt" and that he didn't know if he would voluntarily attend.

It's one thing to wage war against steroids in the press. It's another thing to sit in front of a committee under oath and answer the question, "Which players have you seen use steroids?" I'm not sure you can take the fifth on that one, especially if you claim to be innocent. Will the question be asked, and will Schilling and Thomas betray teammates? Or are they just speculating about the abuse? I can't wait to hear their testimony.


Baseball Musings is holding a pledge drive during March. Click here for details.


Posted by David Pinto at 09:38 AM | Cheating | TrackBack (1)
Comments

What is this going to accomplish? Camera time for blowhard politicians. That's it.

I suspect we'll get very little in the way of interesting information. And we'll get nothing of benefit to help baseball fix the steroid problem.

We are at war. The federal budget is completely out of control. Terrorists are lurking. Worry about that stuff, congressfolk. I, for one, am certainly not interested in listening to your long-winded, uninformed opinions on baseball's steroid issue.

Posted by: Matt at March 9, 2005 10:09 AM

Hear, Hear, Matt!

Posted by: David Pinto at March 9, 2005 10:12 AM

But they are going to have social security forced on them and they need something to create a little shadow from that pitiless light...

Plus they can force public testimony from Giambi, which could give George a chance to revoke his contract.

And of course they can force public testimony from all sorts of BALCO figures, which could give immunity to people who apparently can't be charged anyway, getting the investigators off the hook... or perhaps protecting folks who are going to be indicted. A full service conspiracy theory, works both ways...

Posted by: john swinney at March 9, 2005 11:13 AM

I wonder how a committee on "Government Reform" got jurisdiction over this.

Posted by: Crank at March 9, 2005 12:22 PM

If I heard correctly, Barry B. is not being called, bec. his
presence might create a "circus atmosphere." Not that
I hold either the congress or MLB in high esteem, but
who gets together and decides that certain people on the
national stage(baseball players, political aspirants, etc.)
will be babied, coddled, and totally left off the hook to the
realities in which everyone else operates? And, dittos to
Matt.

Posted by: susan mullen at March 9, 2005 04:15 PM

Looks like it isn't going to happen anyway. MLB and the player's union lawyers have gotten together to stonewall the whole thing. Claim it will prejudice an "ongoing investigation" - Giambi and the grand jury in Ca.

Posted by: mobyfin at March 10, 2005 12:00 PM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?