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Opinion

Pro ballers could use a time out

Karen Klucznik
Opinion Columnist 

I have found my dream job. The only problem is I need to get Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig out of his job and convince everyone else what the players desperately need is a mommy in charge. Why? It appears that a few of the players have forgotten the lesson we learn so early in life -- if you get caught cheating, there will be consequences.

Of course, the consequences depend on where you end up in this world. If you flip hamburgers at McDonald's and get caught cheating, you will probably be fired. But if you are in the major leagues, after a ten-day suspension, you'll be back at work.

What kind of message is that sending our children? That it's OK to lie or cheat as long as you don't get caught? And how do we, as parents, fight this issue when it arrives so nicely packaged into our living rooms, into our seats at stadiums and even into our Little League fields?

Take, Danny Almonte, for instance. Back in 2001, the Dominican Republic Little League pitcher was ruled ineligible after an investigation by officials determined his birth certificate was false, and he was actually 14 years old instead of 12. The finding not only nullified every victory by his Bronx team but also found his father facing criminal charges for falsifying documents. 

C'mon, folks lying about your child's age for a Little League game? Get real. It's no wonder children learn at an early age that cheating is OK, and it's pathetic that these parents didn't learn their lesson earlier. In the end, at least his parents were held responsible for their actions -- which is a lot more than Selig can say about some of the major leaguers today.

Any other names come to mind? Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Giambi and last, but certainly not least, Pete Rose. Whether they have asterisks by their names or whether the very mention of their names in the same sentence as professional baseball makes your stomach churn, the fact we must face as society is that we, at least to some degree, have accepted their lies without holding them accountable. 

The exception here may be Rose -- at least he received the honor of a lifetime ban from baseball for his crime. As for the others, think about this: If your teenager came home reeking of pot but told you he had been in church all evening, would you believe him? Probably not.

Yet we sit here and listen to them. We listen as they supply us with the ridiculous excuse that they "accidentally" used the corked bat -- it was really only for batting practice. (Sosa, 2003)

We listen as they deny using steroids and then test positive. (Palmeiro, 2005) We listen as they sit before Congress and, when asked about their own personal use of steroids, say, "I'm not here to talk about the past." (McGuire, 2005) And we listen when they say they only used the "cream" and the "clear," but didn't know they were steroids, even though the company that produced the products testified under oath that the "cream" was a testosterone-based ointment and the "clear" was designer-steroid THG. (Bonds, 2003)

Only one man in the steroid scandal deserves any respect whatsoever (and only a little at that) -- that's Giambi. Sure, he and his brother were granted immunity from the prosecution for telling the truth, but at least, for once, the truth came out. It's sort of like telling your child if he or she comes clean with you, the punishment won't be as bad.

Players better be thankful Selig is in charge and not the mother of a young child because this behavior just wouldn't fly in our homes. Steroid use, corked bats and gambling on games equal one strike and you are out for life. Period.

That's the way it should be. It's the way it is in life -- journalists don't get second chances for plagiarism. CEOs don't get second chances for cooking the books, and students don't get second chances for cheating.

We, as parents, don't even get second chances. We get one in which to teach our children right from wrong. Lying and cheating are bad, and in all aspects of life, there are consequences. We, as a society, need to start expecting more from athletes we watch play ball, more from our children and especially more from ourselves. How do we fight this cheating epidemic? With all the "strength" we've got.

Klucznik, an opinion columnist for The Daily Cougar, 
can be reached at karenklucznik@yahoo.com.