The Unchanged Among the Changed
On December 13th 2007, the most shocking incident in entire Major League Baseball history happened. A study about the performance-enhancing drug usage of many Major Leaguers, “Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance-Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball” by a U.S. senator George J. Mitchell was exposed to the public. This report, so called the “Mitchell Report,” contained names of many ex-, and current star Major Leaguers such as Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, and Mike Piazza, but the most startling name was Roger Clemens.
It was not surprising to see people’s astonishment. Indeed, Roger Clemens achieved a marvelous career that overwhelmed many former legendary pitchers in the Major League. He is a 7-time Cy Young Award winner who played for 24 years winning 354 games. Since Clemens dominated the Major League, he was symbolized as a true American baseball hero. Before the exposal of the Mitchell Report, every baseball fans predicted that he would be an inductee of the Hall of Fame, a place for the baseball legends. Because Clemens had the most outstanding career out of the players who were enlisted in the Mitchell Report, he was politicized the most when the report was publicized.
Most of the players who were accused for using performance-enhancing drugs soon confessed that they have used those drugs in the past. Yet, only Roger Clemens, the most influential player from the Mitchell Report, pleaded not guilty. According to the Washington Post, Clemens was charged for six crimes: obstruction of Congress, making false statements about usage of Human Growth Hormone, Steroids and Vitamin B12, and perjury about using Human Growth Hormone and Steroids. Finally, after 5 years of long legal battle, on June 18th of 2012, The New York Times reported that Roger Clemens was acquitted of all 6 charges in the trial by the federal court. The result of the trial, which ruled him innocent in making a false statement in front of the Congress, implied that Clemens did not use performance-enhancing drugs. “We’ve waited a long time for this. Long time coming,” said Rusty Hardin, the lawyer of Clemens, signaling the end of a long and painful legal battle of Roger Clemens and his family. (Juliet Macur) The situation seemed to be getting better for him. However, despite the federal court verdict, criticism and doubts towards Clemens have still persisted. As a result, Clemens only earned 37.6 percent in the Hall of Fame vote failing to be inducted into it. Although Clemens had a successful career and was celebrated as an American baseball hero, his achievement was completely denied by the voters.
The Essay on Latinos In Baseball Major League
I chose this topic because I thought that it was important to highlight the recent successes of the Latino baseball players to show how minority groups can prosper in America. Latino athletes have gain notoriety and riches through the sport of baseball. These are things that they couldn't have dreamed about achieving without Major League baseball. Major League Baseball has given Latin Americans ...
The tragic result of this vote, however, was welcomed by several Major League celebrities. “I think the steroids guys that are under suspicion got too many votes,” Goose Gossage, one of the greatest baseball players in history, commented, “I don’t know why they’re making this such a question and why there’s so much debate. To me, they cheated. Are we going to reward these guys?” (My Fox NY) Goose Gossage was not the only one who furiously insisted after the vote that players including Clemens do not deserve to be named as a Hall of Fame inductee for their false decision to take performance-enhancing drugs. In fact, many other baseball celebrities were also delighted to find out that those players on the Mitchell Report failed to earn such honor. “I don’t know how great some of these players up for election would’ve been without drugs. But to me, it’s cheating,” Al Kaline, also a former player in MLB, added. “Numbers are important, but so is integrity and character. Some of these guys might get in someday. But for a year or two, I’m glad they didn’t.” (My Fox NY) The rage towards those players, who confessed and were suspected for using performance-enhancing drugs, still lasts. “He won. Not guilty. But there will always be background noise.” (Mike Lopresti) Like Lopresti accounts about Roger Clemens’ victory in legal battle, it was same for the baseball celebrities. For those baseball celebrities, regardless of the federal court verdict, cheated players and Roger Clemens are on the same boat as before the eyes of those baseball celebrities, they delve themselves into drug usage at the expense of their sportsmanship.
The Essay on The True Definition of a Baseball Player
To the average baseball fan there are many different types of players. There are pitchers, catchers, infielders, and outfielders; there are home run hitters, contact hitters, and speedsters; but to someone who really loves and appreciates the game there are really only two kinds of baseball players, those who are ballplayers and those who are not.The tenth edition of the Merriam Webster's ...
The reaction of general baseball fans was nothing different from those of baseball celebrities’. Los Angeles Times conducted a vote right after the verdict of Roger Clemens on June 19th, 2012. The participants of this poll were informed that Clemens won the litigation. The result of the survey was shocking. Looking back to Clemens’ career, it is absurd to discuss whether he would get into the Hall of Fame. But still, although the participants of the poll knew Roger Clemens was ruled innocent, the doubting looks against him still remained. John Harper, a baseball critic of the New York Daily News, even added that “everybody believes he was guilty in some form or fashion.” (Chuck Schilken) Interestingly, Harper nuances that once people hear about Roger Clemens; “everybody” would believe that Clemens somehow escaped from the punishment even though he is guilty no matter what. Why would “everyone” be convinced that Roger Clemens, who is already ruled innocent, is guilty anyway? And why did Harper make such a rash comment by including the others on his own judgment?
Of course, John Harper’s criticism is rooted in a concern about ostracizing immoral players who cheated and thus protecting true sportsmanship. Not only that, his disappointment towards the players who actually used performance-enhancing drugs is understandable, without a doubt. Yet, forcing the readers to share his belief towards Clemens and creating a sense of public condemnation against him can be easily seen as instigation to impose people to think in a same way. Before stirring up the blinded public resentment against Clemens, shouldn’t those baseball critics have an actual proof to cast doubt on Clemens’ achievements?
The Essay on Roger Maris Baseball Record One
Roger Maris is probably one of baseball's most misunderstood baseball heroes. Still now after almost 40 years Maris has still not achieved his rightful place in baseball history, the Baseball Hall of Fame. Roger Maris has had a picture-perfect life starting in Hibbing, Minnesota to where he grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. His young life was marked with athleticism. He excelled at many sports not ...
“Here we are convicting them of PED use and we don’t know anything more than we read,” lamented Mike Schmidt, widely criticizing the ones who puts blame on the players, without any substantial evidence. (QMI Sports) Mike Schmidt, a former legendary player of the Major League, questioned the legitimacy of people’s indiscreet denunciation. In the eyes of Schmidt, the ones who are criticizing Clemens have no justification and reasons to substantiate their reproach; they are just led by the others’ opinions about Clemens. Since the suspicion towards him dominates most of the public opinion, people are easily led by that critique. All of these phenomena are encompassed by an idea of mob psychology. It is inevitable for people to be swayed by the opinions of the others. Of course, it is hard not to do so because it is a natural human tendency. Unconsciously, it is easy for the baseball fans to concentrate on the opinion of former legends like Goose Gossage and baseball critics like John Harper, and criticize Clemens accordingly.
Yet, those censures by people cannot be valid or justified. When making a healthy pass judgment, one needs explicit evidence or a solid reason to support his/her claim. An idea or false evidence which is the product of mob psychology cannot back up the blame. Without any reason and evidence, the criticism would be a groundless accusation. In case of Clemens, the federal court, which is a reputable legal institution, ruled Clemens innocent from making a false statement in the court. He already got a concrete evidence to support his claim that he had never taken any performance-enhancing drugs. On the other hand, the people who attack him only have uncertain circumstantial evidence, and unclear testimonies by few witnesses. Just like Mike Schmidt said, we “need to see a legitimate test to know if what we’re talking about was actual fact.” (Craig Calcaterra) Led by few false accusations, people are swayed by inevitable human tendency to make a thoughtless reproach.
Can making an unfounded criticism represent “integrity” and “character” like how Al Kaline had underlined? How can an act of accusing Clemens with no reason be justified as a way of seeking integrity and good character in baseball industry? The federal court already ruled Roger Clemens innocent for perjury, obstruction of Congress and making false statement at the Congress. These results self-prove that Clemens had not taken performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens proved that he was falsely accused of his integrity and character. Criticizing regardless of this substantial explicit evidence cannot measure up the virtues Al Kaline had highlighted; it only contradicts the qualification of the Hall of Fame inductee, which he said on the interview. Clemens was the only one who was not swayed by the others, and constantly defended his innocence, during his fans and others changed by the unsubstantiated proofs and unclear evidence. Who would be the only one that had integrity and showed courage to defend his stance? The answer would be Clemens, not us.
The Essay on Ufo People Evidence 1990
Do UFO's Exist or Not For half a century the subject of UFO has been discussed by scientists, ecologists, politicians, and common people around the world. It seems paradoxical, but the main question of their discussion concerns existence or non-existence of UFO itself, so many people is not sure that the very subject of their debate really exists. I share the opinion of those who do not believe in ...
However, there is no doubt that it is hard for us not to judge without other’s opinion. Sometimes, other’s thoughts can guide us to develop our own thought. And of course, humans can debate and freely talk to figure out the true solution and true essence. Yet, people tend to justify their suspicion by a façade of the way to find the truth, not only in the case of Roger Clemens, but also in our everyday lives. This fabrication has hurt many people, including Roger Clemens. In his case, the truth has been revealed and it was reconfirmed by a legitimate legal institution. Nevertheless, people locked themselves into their own thought and are being swayed by others’ false accusations that constructed a negative public opinion against a helpless victim, Roger Clemens. In this situation, there is no room for rational comments and assertions to be placed.
Is it just a daydreaming fantasy to achieve a healthy debate to figure out a truth to bring back Roger Clemens glory once again? If there are people who can have their own opinion that are not distorted by the thoughts of others, then having a truly healthy discussion wouldn’t be just a goal that cannot be reached. It is now the time for us to think once again about sharing and expressing our thoughts without any outside pressure.
The Essay on Will Rogers American People
Will Rogers Not many people remember Will Rogers, but in the 1930's he was the most well known man in America -- more popular than Shirley Temple. He was a simple cowpoke who entertained people with his rope tricks and sly political observations. He also wrote a widely-read newspaper column and appeared on the rai do every week. I suppose he is a lot like Bill Cosby is today: beloved for his down- ...