The following in no way overpowers my theory (some would say fact) that MLB desires the White Sox to win and will stop at nothing to make it happen. However, this is still an issue:
Where is the honor in baseball? Honor is gained through the discipline of self officiating. Let me count the number of times I've seen either team in the world series self officiate in a manner that didn't benefit them: um... oh yeah, I haven't! I believe we've diluted ourselves into thinking that baseball is a gentleman's game.
Take, for example, the situation with LPGA Tour golfer Michelle Wie. During a three day tournament she takes a drop on an unplayable ball on day two. She goes on to place 4th in the tournament. After Ms. Wie has finished the tournament, it is brought to the official's attention (by a golf reporter, but that's another rant) that her drop on the second day may have been dropped closer to the hole, thus incurring a two stroke penalty, rather than just the one she incurred for taking the drop. After much questionable "investigation" and "measuring" it is deemed that the ball was 1 foot closer to the hole and Wie, therefore, signed an incorrect score card and was disqualified.
Had she self officiated (or been able to determine at 100+ yards that her drop was about a foot closer to the hole) she'd have been fine. However, she didn't self-officiate, but there were still consequences. Consequences that she endured after she'd completed the tournament and was in line to receive over $50,000. In the end, she was disqualified.
Yet, we all know that in game 2 of the ALCS, Pierzynski's 3rd strike did not hit the ground. In Game 3, Pierzynski's glove was hit. In Game 2 of the World Series, Jermaine Dye was not hit by the pitch just before Konerko's Grand Slam. The players know it too. Yet there will be no consequences.
What is the lesson here? Win at all costs? We shall forever point to the post season of 2005 and say, "See, cheaters CAN prosper." And let's suppose the umpire's were not wearing the Chicago Pinstripes, each time there has been a dishonorable action taken by a White Sox player.
I suggest that the White Sox be disqualified. And if not the whole team, A.J. Pierzynski at the very least.
If the White Sox would like to restore the honor to baseball, take the umps out of it. If they make a bad call and it falls in your favor, let them know: "Hey, he hit my glove, he gets first base." "No, that didn't hit my arm, it hit my bat." "Actually, sir, I missed laying the tag on him."
If you wanna win, win honorably! But that's just my opinion.
2 comments:
Is this honor? From MSN.com
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/
story/5020194?GT1=7127
"Dye freely admitted afterward that Astros reliever Dan Wheeler did not hit him with a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the seventh, yet Nelson sent him to first, loading the bases for Konerko. "The umpire told me to go to first base, so I went to first base," Dye said. "I didn't argue with him. It was a big break for us."
At lease Dye, unlike Pierzynski, was able to admit it. True honor would have been to A)Not take three steps towards first as though you were hit, stop when you hear the umpire say something because you think he KNOWS it hit your bat and you were caught trying to draw that call. and B) when he sent you to first, inform the man that it hit your bat, not your body.
From the article "Garner said he asked Nelson to check if the ball had a black mark from Dye's bat, but "the ball already was gone." Isn't that convenient?
Anyone think the umps will just let them play in Houston, to give the White Sox the victory at home? I think so.
Well, the umpires made up for Jermaine during game 3. He was hit by a pitch, he honorably stayed in the batters box and looked that the umpire to see if he would get 1st. When he was not awarded it, he didn't say a word, he simply continued batting. Good for him.
Don't know how I feel about the ump's decision. Dye was hit this time, but wasn't the time before. I think he should've gotten first. Maybe.
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