Senator Mitchell's Report

Senator Mitchell’s report on steroid use in professional baseball is harsh, searing and much needed. The major league baseball teams did not want to know what was going on in the clubhouses. Didn’t care, didn’t ask.

Major league baseball has two components, Management and Labor. Management consists of the commissioners office and the owners of each baseball team. Labor is the players union.

As I see it organized baseball has three options: 1. they can embrace Senator Mitchell’s report. There would be a short term ‘hit’ that would last for two or three years. But with stricter year round testing, the fans would come back. 2. Management can dissemble, make excuses and take half steps and watch as more and more of the public finds other uses for their disposable income. 3. The players union can dig in their heels and fight any change or, at least, fight the most significant changes. The public will be more upset with any union intransigence than with management foot dragging.

I suspect that baseball, being run by a former used car salesman, will not pick option 1.

Most of the money in baseball comes from television. Television, not wanting to lose money, could apply significant pressure to baseball to clean up their act.

If Pete Rose ever becomes a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, I might go back to following baseball.