What Buck has to realize and I'm sure he does is that what's going on is terrible for the sport. You have an former NL MVP disgraced and suspended. You have a multiple time AL MVP disgraced and about to be suspended. You have other pretty big named players who are also going to be suspended which will have an effect on pennant races. Then you have the cloud of suspicion over others that just gets thicker and thicker because anyway with half a brain knows other players have been using as well.
Bingo Bango, I want to see the game clean, as a buddy of mine stated when this stuff started breaking "if you're major league you're suspect. Pennant race or no pennant race if they need to be punished get it done MLB instead of maybes, perhaps, possibly, and deals.
This won't clean up the game, because the bottom line is there is too much money involved, take a nobody player making dimes and tell him he can be rich taking PED's, but may get busted and be disgraced, but he'll walk away rich, what will he do? and there are lots of ways to get around the limited testing being done. Buck himself probably has cheaters on his roster, that's the sad truth.
unfortunately, you are probably right about it not cleaning the game... but it might be a discouragement... what will help clean the game is in addition to suspensions is if the teams put clauses into the contracts making them null and void if proven to be a PED user... and even more, the team should be subject to recovering salary paid out to the given player... that would be a big help...
^^^yup, you have to start somewhere and draw the line. And I'm not sure how it could be worded or stipulated, but I'm sure MLB and the MLBPA will explore having language in future contracts to protect the integrity of the game...it's coming.
That's pretty much what Stephen A. Smith stated, that if the Yankees were stupid enough to offer the contract they should be made to pay up. Bunko I say!
Word is the talks have stalled on the length of the suspension arod is willing to accept and on arod wanting to cash in on his contract as much as possible. That's nice. Here is my question, why is this a negotiation at all? If MLB has the hammer to drop why don't they say Alex you will accept 2 years suspension without pay or you will be faced with a lifetime ban and collect nothing. End of story. The fact that these talks are ongoing has me wondering how much MLB is bluffing with just how much evidence they have and how much they really believe a lifetime ban will fly.
If they do indeed have this evidence and are not bluffing... there shouldn't even be an offer at all... just flat out ban him for life!
