August 29, 2005
Wells Reacts
David Wells had choice words for the commissioner and others in the MLB organization today. Much as I like someone taking shots at Selig, Wells was just blowing off steam, spouting supposition as fact.
"I've been tested three times this year, but it's obvious that there's guys getting away with doing it," Wells said during a pregame news conference. "And he's not doing a thing."
When Caminiti and Canseco first made their steroid allegations, I was willing to believe them if they named names. Canseco eventually did. If Wells is so interested in cleaning up the sport, let's hear from him who is cheating. Or his he going to be like his teammate Curt Schilling, who when put on the line said he never saw steroid abuse going on, that he was just exaggerating. If people are cheating, let's hear the evidence. If Wells is unwilling to back up his allegations, he should keep his mouth shut and let the system work.
I'd have a lot more respect for Boomer - and, frankly, for the other David - if they'd agree to Selig's propsal for much stiffer penalties and an independent testing agency. The Commish IS trying to do something about eliminating steroid use, only the two Davids seem more interested in Bud-bashing rather than getting rid of the drugs.
By the way, baseball shredded Boomer's "arguments" - or more accurately, his bellyaching (and he's got a big belly) over his suspension not being reduced. You can read the very convincing reply to Wells' garbage on mlb.com.
Boomer is a jerk. A charming jerk, sometimes, but basically he's a very, very large baby who cries and whines when things don't go his way. Even the Red Sox owners are distancing themselves from his comments.
I can't believe he's raising such a stink over having his next start pushed back 2 days...
Wells certainly doesn't like the commisioner, and while I think he is a bit paranoid about it, it's certainly reasonable for Selig to dislike him because of some of the things he wrote in his book.
I also don't believe he needs to name names in order to back up his claim that there are people in baseball still on steroids. It's much easier for people like Canseco and Caminiti, who are out of the game, to name names than it is for someone who is still playing to do the same. How would Johnny Damon (hypothetically) feel when his teammate Wells tells everyone that Damon's been on the juice for years? I think it's a pretty safe supposition that there's steroid users in baseball.
And it does stink that Wells has gotten tested three times while others haven't gotten tested at all. Maybe that's just the product of randomization, but if I was Wells and I thought the commish had it in for me, it's pretty easy to associate this random testing with that whether it's related or not.
If there was one guy that I wouldn't bother testing, it's Wells. Have you seen the guy lately?
Damon said he had been tested twice this year after Michael Kay started that rumor.
I really doubt there's any paranoid conspiracy to test the bejesus out of Wells. He's just crying his usual big baby tears. As many have noted, if Wells is on steroids, the drugs ain't doing the job.
Regardless of the merits or lack thereof of David Wells' appeal, what I don't understand is why the players accept the present procedure at all. The Commissioner's office issues a suspension, and the Commissioner's office rules on the appeal. How can the players accept a system that has no outside arbitration. The commisioner's office is prosecutor, judge, and jury. Thay is simply not fair.