If this Bud’s for you, then get pumped for
THE TIME has come to end the resistance. A “no” vote on steroidstainted players on the yearly BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot always has been an easy one for me. But what to do now that the commissioner at the helm of that era in baseball history practically was unanimously voted into the Hall by the Eras (formerly Veterans) Committee on Sunday?
Bud Selig, whose regime turned a blind eye to the Wild West era of performance-enhancing drugs in his sport until there finally was no choice but to enact testing rules in the early part of this century, was selected — along with longtime Braves executive John Schuerholz — for enshrinement into Cooperstown in 2017.
Selig certainly can boast plenty of positive and significant achievements in growing the game financially and progressively during his two-plus decades as commissioner to construct a Hall of Fame case, even if you are willing to overlook his role in ownership’s proven collusion against free agents in the late 1980s.
But it seems disingenuous and hypocritical now to not open the doors or at least reconsider the candidacies of some of these lingering former stars of the game, their reputations forever sullied and irreparably damaged anyway, after people who benefited from their transgressions — such as Selig and, let’s face it, a few big-name managers who wrote their names into their lineups OXON, Md. — Sandy Alderson answered the only way he could on Monday. When asked who his starting third baseman in 2017 would be, the Mets GM quickly said “David Wright,” with much more certainty than many in the organization or in baseball have had about Wright and his ongoing injury issues for the last two years.
Wright has certainly earned that.
The fourth team captain in Mets history, Wright has always been the optimistic face of the franchise through the last decade, which was not always easy. He smiled and said the right things as the team went through difficult financial times. Then he earned more loyalty in 2015 when he fought his way back from a significant spine issue to be the classy leader when the Mets made it back to the World Series.
While some demand he retire and walk away from $67 million left on his contract and the game he loves, the hyper-competitive Wright, with his ferocious work ethic, has earned every chance with regularity — have been so enshrined. And especially because the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa juiced-up home run chase of 1998 temporarily saved Selig from what otherwise would have been his legacy — the strike of 1994 and the cancellation of the World Series.
Of course, this is not to suggest that every steroids-tainted player will receive my vote going
BOTTE SHOTS
forward.
Rafael Palmeiro, already eliminated from consideration, and longtime favorite Manny Ramirez, new on the ballot this year, were dumb enough to fail MLB-administered tests. Manny being Manny, of course, he did so twice. They are to get back after two significant injuries.
But at least this year, the Mets are being a little more realistic after he has been absolutely hobbled by injuries the last two seasons.
“We have to be careful not to be too thin at that position going into the spring,” Alderson said Monday when asked about Wright playing third in 2017. “but that’s our mindset currently.” That could easily change. A team source said Monday they have not seen Wright or had any real evaluation of his health since October. They plan to have a better evaluation of him when he arrives in Port St. Lucie sometime in January, the source added.
Alderson revealed Monday that Wright, who has been in California working with renowned spinal surgeon Robert Watkins, was expected to be cleared for baseball activities this month for the first time since May.
“I believe he’s definitely on track to start baseball activities sometime this month,” Alderson said. “and that was after his last meeting with Dr. Watkins.”
So for now, the Mets will still out. Alex Rodriguez admitted extensive usage earlier in his career and also served a lengthy suspension from MLB over his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.
Again, these things occurred after firm rules on PEDs were put into place. Sorry, A-Rod. And who even knows if I — or sportswriters, for that matter — still will be voting for the Hall when A-Rod becomes eligible in 2021?
For the first time in their five years together on the ballot, however, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will receive my vote. Sammy Sosa, possibly, as well.
Pudge Rodriguez — whom Jose Canseco claimed to do steroids with as Texas teammates, but otherwise didn’t fail any tests or show up in any reports or judicial testimonies — likely also will get a firstballot check mark. How this will publicly stick with Wright, who has played a total of 75 regular-season games in 2015 and 2016 because of his spine issues. He missed 115 regular-season games in 2015 as he dealt with the leg and back issues that were finally determined to be symptoms of spinal stenosis.
The stenosis, or narrowing of his spine, forced Wright into a two-hour regimen of physical therapy every day to loosen up just to be able to play.
Still, after Wright returned for the run to the World Series in 2015, Alderson was predicting the Mets could expect 130 games from him in 2016. They got 37 after he was forced out with a herniated disc in his neck that required surgery.
So for 2017 Alderson picked up the option on Jose Reyes this winter in large part to insure against another significant injury to Wright. Reyes, who came up through the Mets system as a shortstop, was converted to a third baseman and is expected to get “plenty of at-bats,” between third base and possibly in the outfield, Alderson said.
Wilmer Flores, who lost his starting spots last year when the Mets signed shortstop Asdrubal affect the rest of my ballot will be weighed heavily over the next couple of weeks, possibly even forcing me to drop someone who has received my vote in past years.
But I admittedly have given up on at least a portion of the antisteroids crusade. I always thought it would take a proven user getting in for me to reconsider my stance. It turns out the impetus was much higher on baseball’s masthead.
l Panthers coach Ron Rivera benched Cam Newton for what turned out to be a single play Sunday night, and it all went downhill from there for the defending NFC champs and the reigning league MVP. Of course, no one is above the team, blah, blah, blah. I get it.
But Newton really didn’t start against Seattle because he didn’t wear a tie on the team plane?
Reminds me of a classic story