ANGRY MINUTE #0028: MLB’s Double Standard (McGwire vs. Rose)
Baseball = A Joke
That’s how I feel about America’s EX-Pasttime. Can you blame me? Want an example? Sure, lets take a look at McGwire vs. Rose.
For those who may not know whom these two are I will break the walls down:
Mark McGwire: MLB career from August 22, 1986 – October 7, 2001. This First Baseman is most known for his “Homerun Race” against Sammy Sosa in 1998 where McGwire went on to surpass Roger Maris’ single season home run record (McGwire nailed 70 homeruns in that season). McGwire has won one World Series ring, three Silver Slugger Awards, one Gold Glove, the 1987 AL Rookie of the Year Award, has made 12 All-Star appearances, and was the winner of the 1992 Home Run Derby.
Pete Rose: MLB career from April 8, 1963 – August 17, 1986. Rose played a variety of positions during his career (OF, 3B, 2B, 1B, Mgr). Rose is the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053), and outs (10,328). Rose has won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one MVP Award, two Gold Gloves, the 1963 NL Rookie of the Year Award, and has made 17 All-Star appearances at five different positions.
Even if you don’t know ANYTHING about baseball you can look at those stats and know that these two players have contributed a lot to the game. So what’s my beef with them? Well lets break down the walls even more:
Mark McGwire: Admitted in 2010 that he had used performance-enhancing drugs/steroids throughout his career (including his 1998 homerun record). McGwire never officially “denied” use of steroids when questions during the 1990s, but instead refused to discuss his involvement with or use of steroids until his admission in 2010.
Pete Rose: In 1989 became permanently ineligible for the MLB Hall of Fame due to sports bettings he made while coaching. Rose reportedly bet on 52 games in 1987, but was never proven to bet against his own team (though on multiple occasions he bet FOR his own team). Rose was only found to have gambled in this way from 1985 – 1987. Rose denied any involvement with gambling in this fashion until 1989.
So here is where I start getting pissed. Pete Rose, who bet on his OWN TEAM to win, became ineligible for the MLB Hall of Fame due to these gamblings. MLB says that Rose became ineligible because “that as a manager he could control games, make decisions that could enhance his chances of winning his bets, thus jeopardizing the integrity of the game.”
OK, sure. I guess I can buy that. I don’t think it makes him a horrid person to bet on his own team. If he would have bet AGAINST his own team I could understand. So if MLB takes this stance on Rose for betting on his OWN team then they sure as hell would take an even HARDER line on McGwire and his enhancements. Right?
Wrong!
Yeah, this is the world we live in. Not ONLY has McGwire not been punished for his indiscretions, but he HAS A FRAKING JOB WITH AN MLB TEAM!!! Mark “Roids” McGwire is the hitting coach for his old team, the team he used Roids on and cheated to win accolades and records!
WHAT A FRAKING WORLD!
You wanna know why I hate baseball? Because of shit like this! I would NEVER let my children watch or even be associated with this sport based on such actions. Any sport that PROMOTES the use of steroids is a horrible evil entity. Atleast Pete Rose bet on his OWN team! McGwire CHEATED, yet the big suits over at MLB think its “OK”?!?! Yeah, they probably do because McGwire made them TONS AND TONS OF CASH during his 1998 Homerun race! What about Sammy Sosa? A man who tried to win that title in 1998 under his own power, without the use of illegal steroids? Baseball could care less about all those teams McGwire cheated, lied to, and store from. What hypocrisy!
Baseball, you can go FRAK YOURSELF! You are all nothing more then hypocrites, liars, and cheaters! The MLB’s sense of “wrong vs right” is too messed up for me to ever respect them. When you think gambling on yourself is worse then cheating/lying/stealing then you have some messed up priorities.
As for Pete Rose; he gains my respect for being some humble in the face of adversity.
As for Mark McGwire; I hope he is beat down in a dark alleyway and left for the vultures. You make me sick!!!