The Zo Zone

Once again, thank you Todd for give WSBGM's a shout out. I frequent your site too!

By the way, I'd like to do an interview with you for the "Check Your Head" series that we're running this offseason. Email me if you care to partake.

By the way- today's pictures were mild, you should see some of the other ones we bust out.

Zo - gotta disagree about the Mitchell Report. I think it's very relevant, since exposing guys like Clemens will hopefully serve as a landmark cathartic example to current and future players, and to all blindly loyal fans, that winning at all costs is not the same as competing fairly. We can't turn a blind eye to Clemens, Bonds, Sosa, Dykstra and the like if we truly value what pro sports should be all about, which is to provide the best and fairest competition possible. Protecting the integrity of competition protects the integrity of the game. And if the society of sporting fans ignores the cheats and condones winning at all costs, then society is equally hurt. It's too easy to be cynical and say everybody does it, or that how are roids different that Gaylord Perry loading up the ball. Baseball and its fans need to be vigilant in keeping the game as honest as possible. So I support the Mitchell Report, while simultaneously condemning Selig and the greed of owners and the players union in allowing this to happen.

"The Good Phight expresses my opinion perfectly: Does anybody really care about the Mitchell Report?"

Umm, yeah. Congress.

It's not that people don't care, it's just too much all the time...need a break from the drama. We all know performance enhancing drugs are a problem in MLB, but we don't need it shoved down our throats, and apparently even the players that appeared on the Mitchell Report are still doing well for themselves as most find themselves gamefully employeed even with suspensions looming. So I doubt that Todd really doesn't care, he probably just doesn't care that much...like myself.

Baseball has (rightly or wrongly) used cheating as part of it's lore over the years. Stealing signs, spitballs, sandpaper in a pitcher's glove, vaseline, etc. I think it has had a dulling effect on people, even to the point of a "if you ain't cheating , you ain't competing" mentality being acceptable. I'm not defending it, just saying... But I certainly agree with keepthechange's comment that "Protecting the integrity of competition protects the integrity of the game." Now if we can just get the owners and player's union to really do something about it.

I think the backlash for Bonds (stealing a record from an icon)is more severe than Clemens perhaps staying a dominant pitcher. Is it really a question of likeability, since they both seem like jerks? As far as the ineffective group of people gathered in Washington being interested, glad to see they are up to something, even if their outcome means absolutely nothing.

Me, I just paid my invoice for 2008 tickets today, neither Mitchell's report, Clemens sound bites or even Adam Eaton and our suspect pitching staff will deny me and many others the joy that baseball brings. Pitchers and catcher's report in about 5 weeks.

TZ, man ya gotta get on the net for a tall blond action figure, not Transformers. We need your head clear for the baseball guide.

Frankly, why is Congress getting involved in baseball? REASON:No confidence in the sport's ability to govern itself.Congress has a big job already, and some of its members want to be infront of the cameras. Let baseball, if it has the guts, govern itself. I am sick and tired of watching hypocrites like Ted Kennedy and Joe Biden waste everyone's time and accomplish nothing. Bud Selig needs some serious backbone.

John Gill--

You do see the comedy in pointing out two Senators, Kennedy and Biden, when the House has called for an investigation, don't you?

On top of that, I don't understand your point. You say that Congress does not have faith in baseball to police itself, which is true. Yet you don't want Congress to hold them accountable? Would I rather have Congress hold Enron to the same standards in oversight? Definitely. But don't make this out to be a witch hunt or grandstanding when baseball has allowed pervasive illegal activities to occur under their nose (not to mention baseball is a multi-billion dollar industry, and thus it can also be seen as a consumer protection investigation).

If the House Oversight Committee is doing this to grandstand, then you should be able to name me a few members of that committee without looking, right?