Loyal Readers and Brewers Fans!

Mr. Creamy Goodness!

All is Forgiven!

I think that’s about right.

At some point in time it is necessary for everyone involved in this sordid mess to say that adults are the agents of their own behavior.

It doesn’t matter if everyone cheated.

It doesn’t matter if others knew of the cheating and did nothing to stop it.

It doesn’t matter if a player felt goaded into cheating.

It doesn’t matter that one player is being singled out because he is perceived to be surly, rude and interested only in himself.

It doesn’t matter if the fans at the time didn’t care that there was cheating.

What does matter is that at this time, each player is being asked to take responsibility for his actions, both good and bad, mundane and spectacular, fair and foul.

Which leads, of course, to Barry Bonds.

Barry Bonds is being asked to come clean, to say once and for all, “Yes, I did those things.”

And if Bonds wants to be remembered as a hero it will be necessary for him to say just that, “Yes, I did those things.”

Necessary, but not sufficient.

Bonds must also say, “Please forgive me. For what I did was wrong.”

Or not.

Who knows, maybe Bonds is clean?

And in that case, it is all of us who must ask for his forgiveness.

For the time being, Jason Giambi has done just that, he has admitted what it was he did, he said it was wrong, and has asked for forgiveness, and he has been forgiven.

As I said, it sounds about right.

Just sayin’.

Loyal Readers and Brewers Fans!

As you regular readers know, I have been critical but not uniformly negative about the way Bud Selig has handled the so-called "investigation" into steroid and other allegations of performance enhancing substances use in the Major Leagues.

And speaking of allegations, Saturday saw Barry Bonds hit home run 755, thereby tying the record set by Hank Aaron.

Straight forward enough, right?

Well, not so much.

Here is the Official Statement of the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig:

"Congratulations to Barry
Bonds as he ties Major League’s Baseball’s home run record. No matter
what anyone thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr.
Bonds’ achievement is noteworthy and remarkable.

"As I said previously, out of respect for the tradition of the game,
the magnitude of the record and the fact that all citizens in this
country are innocent until proven guilty, either I or a representative
of my office will attend the next few games and make every attempt to
observe the breaking of the all-time home run record."

Huh?

Um, that was awkward.

Here’s Gregg Doyel’s  take:

Go back and look at that
thing. First, the first paragraph. Selig goes from calling Bonds by his
first name to calling him "Mr. Bonds," as if Bonds were sitting in a
courtroom and not atop baseball’s all-time home run list. It’s hard to
be sure considering Selig needed exactly 13 words and two sentences to
remind everyone that Bonds is possibly guilty of something, though
Selig never says what.

Now look at the second paragraph. Selig says Bonds is "innocent until
proven guilty," which is true. It’s also true that Bonds hasn’t even
been charged with a crime, at least not a crime involving
steroids. Is there a mountain of proof that Bonds juiced? Apparently.
Does much of America think Bonds juiced? Clearly. Do federal
prosecutors have enough proof to indict Bonds for anything related to
his alleged usage of steroids? Obviously not. [emphasis mine]

Um, yes and no.

It’s not so obvious that federal prosecutors don’t have enough evidence for an indictment. In fact, as has been previously posted here at Yogi Brewer, there may very well be an indictment coming in September or October.

Yes Selig’s statement reads very poorly and overall is a confused mess. The reason for which is that MLB is unsure how far to say that they know Bonds is a cheat without letting on that they are in some way complicit too.

It is an unenviable position for the Commish to be in but it is of his and MLB’s making.

So deal.

Still, I think Gregg Doyel has a point, "Bud, hire a writer."

A good one.

Like it or not, the statements of the Commissioner are not just part of the historical record of baseball, they are history.

And for someone like The Bud who states that he has a respect for the history of baseball, he sure seems to have a tin ear when it comes to knowing how to say things the right way.

Whatdya’ Say?

Just sayin’.

Loyal Readers and Brewers Fans!

Perhaps you missed it.

Or not.

Bob Costas, standing tall at 5’ ½’ and weighing in at a healthy 150 lbs got into last week with Barry Bonds.

Strapping.

Costas interviewed Patrick Arnold, the man credited with inventing “the clear” and who reportedly believes Bonds took it.

In the interview, Arnold said that he had never met Bonds but Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO, raved about the Giants outfielder’s performance on "the program." Arnold was asked if "the program" included steroids.

"I have a very strong feeling about it since he was on the program. And like everyone else, the program consisted of the clear," Arnold said, according to The Times.

Full Disclosure: Your pal Yogi knew that Costas was working on this story, but I did not know the details of what would be aired, nor have I seen the program.

Having said that, Bonds first responded with his typical grace and flair:

"You mean that little midget
man who absolutely knows jack s— about baseball? Who never played the
game? I saw it," Bonds said of Costas.

To which,Costas offered this rejoinder and remained gracious:

"I’ve actually always had a pretty cordial relationship with Barry,”
Costas said. "I have no ill feelings toward him personally. I regard
him as one of the greatest players of all time who got inauthentic
boost and then became a superhuman player. I wish him no ill
whatsoever.”

And then amidst what should be “the feel-good moment for all of San Francisco Baseball” Bonds did some good ‘ol fashioned backtracking.

"My reaction stemmed from my feelings about Costas’ statements during a
broadcast,” Bonds said in a journal entry posted on his Web site. "The
comment I made about him was off the cuff, and my problem with Costas
is not with his height, but with his irresponsible journalism. If my
choice of words offended anyone, that was not my intent.’

Whatever.

And finally, the AP petitioned the court to release the redacted names of the Grimsley investigation.

“No Dice,” sayeth the Judge.

So where does this leave us?

Bonds will be loved in San Francisco.

At least for the moment.

The investigation goes on.

And on.

Who knows? One day we may learn who did what and when.

Or not.

In the meantime…

Stay Classy San Francisco.

Just sayin’.

Loyal Readers and Brewers Fans!

Welcome Back to Your Favorite Brewers Blog!

Respect For The Game.

The Bud Speaks:

"Throughout this season, I have watched Barry Bonds’ pursuit of the
home run record," Selig said. "Now that he is on the verge of tying the
record, the time has come to announce that I will make every attempt to
attend the record-setting moment.

"Out of respect for the tradition of this game, the magnitude of the
record, and the fact that all citizens in this country are innocent
until proven guilty, I will attend Barry Bonds’ next games to observe
his potential tying and breaking of the home run record, subject to my
commitments to the Hall of Fame this weekend. I will make an additional
statement when the record is tied."

What the Hey?

So you must now ask yourselves, “Why?”

Why, indeed.

The Bud has played his cards close to his vest.

Some, including your pal Yogi, posited that the Commish was holding out his attendance of Bonds’ record breaking games as long as their was the possibility that the Federal Grand Jury investigating BALCO might return an indictment against Bonds.

As was reported here at Yogi Brewer, it appears that Bonds may be indicted, but not now.

If true, these reports could have driven Bud Selig as far away from Bonds as possible.

Counterintuitive as it may seem, the delay in the decision whether or not to indict opened the door for Selig to follow the record.

Magnanimity?

Public Relations?

Cynical Manipulation?

Tough to say.

Was it the right thing to do?

Not my call.

Am I pleased with this development?

I think that having the Commissioner of Baseball attend the record breaking games shields Baseball against a variety of unwanted (and unfounded) criticisms.

Bud Selig may be many things, but foolish he is not.

In the end, there will be a sense of relief that The Bud has made a decision.

And that’s good enough for now.

Just sayin’.

Loyal Readers and Brewers Fans!

Welcome Back to Your Favorite Brewers Blog!

Your pal Yogi knows that you know that I know that there has been much left unsaid.

Until now.

As Yogi Brewer has chronicled the events of this weekend had the opportunity to allow for an historic conversion:

1. Barry Bonds breaking the all-time home run record.
2. Barry Bonds playing in Milwaukee, the city where Hank Aaron started and finished his MLB career.
3. The attendance or not of the Commissioner of Baseball, whose office is in Milwaukee and who  once owned the Milwaukee Brewers
4. Reports that the Grand Jury investigating BALCO and Barry Bonds might expire
5. New reports that said Grand Jury is prepared to return an indictment for perjury against Barry Bonds

Wow.

And has been the case, Bonds demonstrated his usual combination of bravado, swagger, resentment, pout, and humor.

It’s Lonely At The Top.

Goof.

The fans in Milwaukee, like elsewhere, booed every time Bonds was at the plate, but as Butterfly pointed out previously, there were just as many flash bulbs as boos, and from where we sat Friday and Saturday, sometimes from the same people.

Boo Birds.

   
Passing Judgment.

And don’t read too much into why The Bud was in attendance:

"I didn’t want anyone to think I was ducking you," Selig told the media
horde. "That’s frankly why I’m here. . . . .It’s a beautiful night,
(it’s) a ball game in my hometown. I thought I would come to the game
tonight."

And don’t hold your breath for The Bud to celebrate should Bonds break the record:

MILWAUKEE — Commissioner Bud Selig, even if he’s in attendance, will not participate in any on-field celebration when Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s home run record, according to two people with knowledge of the decision.

…

Selig said Friday he has no plans to fly to San
Francisco this week, where the Giants today open a seven-game home
stand against the Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins. He will be in
Cooperstown, N.Y., this weekend for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

"I know what I feel," said Selig, who never
acknowledged Bonds by name during an eight-minute interview with
reporters Friday. "I know what I think. … I learned a long time ago I
have to do what I think is right."

For me, I was happy for Bonds not to hit any home runs against the Brewers.

A win is a win is a win.

As to the record, I am ambivalent.

Bonds was one of the best players in history prior up until age 36.

And then he got better.

And it is implausible and unprecedented for a player to get bigger, stronger, better, to such a degree after age 36.

It simply had never before happened.

Add to that Bonds’ habitus changed so dramatically and if you believe that he admitted taking "the clear" and "the cream", then he cheated.

And I cannot countenance that.

In the end, Bonds and record simply won’t matter very much.

Not until A-Rod, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, or someone else breaks it.

Just sayin’.

Loyal Readers and Brewers Fans!

Welcome Back to Your Favorite Brewers Blog!

This week, Barry Bonds and the San Francsico Gigantes are in town, first to play the Cubs and then to play the Brewers.

Just a few days ago, the NY Times  reported that the BALCO Grand Jury is set to expire sometime this month.

The government’s position is also unclear. Scott N. Schools, the
interim United States attorney who took over in San Francisco after
Ryan’s departure in January, declined to discuss the case in a recent
telephone interview. He cited the “ongoing investigation.”

Until
last Friday, it appeared that Schools was also on the way out. But he
reversed an earlier decision to leave his office as early as tomorrow,
saying he planned to remain until his term expires Oct. 12.

His decision set off speculation that the office was prepared to bring an indictment, a notion that Schools dismissed.

“I
made a commitment when I came out here to stay as long as the
department’s and district’s needs, and that is what I intend to do,” he
said.

The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that Bonds told an
earlier grand jury that he never knowingly took illegal
performance-enhancing drugs, contrary to evidence that the government
said it seized.

Bonds’s personal trainer, Greg Anderson, remains behind bars because of his refusal to testify in the case.

What does all this mean?

It’s hard to tell.

Remember Mr. Creamy Goodness?

Have you heard anything about Jason Giambi lately?

Me neither.

And will The Bud appear at the home run record-breaking game?

If the Grand Jury ends its term without an indictment, The Bud will attend the games.

Word.

As long as the potential for an indictment continues, The Bud will be nowhere near Bonds.

Nowhere.

Just sayin’.

…

And lastly, on WSCR 670 The Score, Jon Miller was interviewed this afternoon. If a link becomes available for a rebroadcast, I will put it up.

Interestingly, Miller said that he felt that the Gigantes fans were "over Bonds" last year, not because of the alleged performance enhancing substance use, but simply because Bonds was no longer producing and wasn’t helping the team win.

Further, Miller said that he hoped that "every player of Mark McGuire’s era" had the "opportunity to testify before Congress." and that he wanted to "get at all the cheaters."

Strong stuff.

Just sayin’. again.

This Just In…

Mr. Creamy Goodness, Jason Giambi, has agreed to meet with Senator Mitchell and testify as to the meaning of previous statements regarding steroids.

So says, The Bud,

"Following certain statements reported in USA Today on May 18, I
directed Jason Giambi to meet with members of my staff. Mr. Giambi did
so and, in the opinion of my representatives, was fully cooperative and
candid in explaining his personal involvement with
performance-enhancing substances.

"Two weeks ago I asked Mr. Giambi to submit to an interview with
Senator Mitchell and I am pleased that Mr. Giambi has agreed to do so.
Mr. Giambi has informed me in a phone conversation that he is willing
to discuss with Senator Mitchell his personal involvement with
performance-enhancing substances. His willingness to do this is an
important step forward in Senator Mitchell’s continued efforts to
provide me with a comprehensive report.

"Senator Mitchell has assured me that Mr. Giambi’s interview will be
scheduled promptly. Once the interview process has concluded, I will
take Mr. Giambi’s level of cooperation into account in determining
appropriate further action. I will have no further comment until this
procedure is completed. "

And what sayeth Jason?

Sign Here.

Contrite?

Or did The Bud make him an offer he couldn’t refuse?

    "I alone am responsible for my actions and I apologize to the commissioner,
the owners and the players for any suggestion that they were responsible for my
behavior," Giambi said in a statement.

…

"The commissioner was extremely persuasive in impressing upon us how
important he felt it was that Jason speak with the senator," Tellem said.

Tellem said Giambi’s decision not to discuss other players "tracks the
approach Jason has always taken throughout: to not point fingers, to not deflect
blame, but rather to accept responsibility for his own behavior."

The Commish was persuasive?

Yeah, I bet.

…

Maybe there is a method to his madness?

Maybe The Bud has been playing possum all along?

And as you know how the old expression goes,

"Big Possums Walk Late."

Do They Ever.

The Biggest Possum.

Just sayin’.

Stay Tuned!

Loyal Readers and Brewers Fans!

Welcome Back to Your Favorite Brewers Blog!

In the past week or so, your pal Yogi noted how Jeff Passan from Yahoo! reads Yogi Brewer.

Well this time Jeff Passan beat me to the punch.

Drat.

In this essay Passan notes that the arrival of B*rry B*nds to Milwaukee is significant for the "confluence" of several important narratives:

1. B*nds chase of Henry Aaron’s record.
2. The Bud’s refusal heretofore to declare whether he will or will      not attend the Games in which the record may be broken.
3. The so-called Mitchell Investigation of the use of steroids in            baseball.

Earlier this month, on June 7, Henry Aaron visited Milwaukee for the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the place where Aaron’s 755th home run landed. Said Aaron,

"When you reach your career like this and when you get to the end,
you never know when this is going to be the last one," he said. "I’m
just so happy to be able to hit it here in Milwaukee."

Aaron hit 420 home runs while wearing a Milwaukee uniform.

Inevitably, Aaron was asked about Barry Bonds, the San Francisco
Giants’ slugger who has 746 home runs. Aaron has made it clear that he
does not plan on being in attendance if Bonds passes him on the
all-time home-run list.

"I don’t have any thoughts about Barry. I don’t even know how to spell his name," Aaron said curtly.

But then he laughed.

He Laughed.

I’m sure he did.

This is an extraordinary thing for Aaron to have said, all the more so given the fact that Aaron has always been a man of remarkable grace and diplomacy, even as he received death threats and racist taunts when he was approaching the all-time home run mark.

Could Aaron have shown any more animosity to B*nds than he did then?

Clearly Aaron must feel that B*nds is a cheat, as I can’t imagine Aaron begrudging another man, and in this case, the son of a player he new, and an African-American man, for breaking his record.

The JS Online article goes on to say this,

Aaron said he had not spoken to Commissioner Bud Selig about his own
decision to stay away from the media circus surrounding Bonds. But he
said he was certain that Selig himself would make the right decision
about what the commissioner should do if Bonds is in a position to
break Aaron’s record.

…

Which brings us to The Bud.

Selig was in attendance last night (the Office of the Commish is in Milwaukee) showing the smallest modicum of respect for B*nds.

But Selig still has not committed to whether or not he will attend the games in which the home run record may be broken.

What’s Up With That?

This brings us to Jason Giambi, Mr. Creamy Goodness himself.

It has now been reported that Giambi may in fact be willing to testify before Sen. Mitchell with the caveat that if he does so, the Yankees will not be able to void his contract for next year.

In other words, a negotiated testimony.

On yesterday’s Dan Patrick Show , Dan had Buster Olney on whose conjecture it was that the reason The  Bud is going hard on Giambi is to set a precedent to get at B*nds. (NB: You can sign up for a free 30-day trial and listen to the June 18 segment yourself if you are so inclined.)

In other words, If Giambi is given some form of Amnesty, and testifies, The Bud will next make the same demand of B*nds: testify as to what you said to the Grand Jury or else you will be suspended, and in the meantime, the Office of the Commish will not attend any of the potentially record-breaking games.

This is certainly plausible but I am not yet convinced that The Bud actually has the will or desire to have a showdown with B*nds.

And lost completely on Dan Patrick (and the execrable Keith Olbermann) is that there will not be any testimony now, or in the future, without some form of Amnesty being given.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Amnesty it is the only way for anyone of the principals involved in this mess to go forward.

…

Let me end this post with a personal observation.

On my frequent travels to the Bay Area I have noticed that people there do no wear as much sports-related clothing, caps, etc. as they do in the Midwest or East Coast.

Having said that, I have never once, not once, seen anyone with a B*nds jersey or t-shirt.

Furthermore, on KNBR the home and flagship radio station of the Gigantes, I have never once, not once, heard B*nds interviewed.

Now think about this for a moment.

How can this be?

The greatest home run hitter of all time and the team’s franchise player is simply invisible.

Imagine going to Yankee Stadium and never seeing a single Jeter or A-Rod t-shirt.

Or imagine never hearing D.Lee or Torri Hunter never interviewed before or after a game.

Now I don’t know B*rry B*nds and I probably never will, and for all I know he is the sweetest, nicest, most giving man I could ever want to meet.

Or not.

But in comparing their public personas, there seems to be a reason, or two, that the public simply does not like B*nds while at the same time has a deep and abiding love for Henry Aaron.

You Do The Math.

Just sayin’.

Enjoy!

It appears that Yahoo!’s Jeff Passan reads Yogi Brewer!

You may have heard that in the last week Mr. Creamy Goodness has found himself in a bit of a pickle.

Pickled.

…

It seems that the Office of the Commish has reportedly told Jason Giambi that he must speak with George Mitchell or he will face suspension.

Now Loyal Readers, you know how I feel about the use of steroids and their cover-up by Baseball. But in this case, I think this is madness.

Giambi certainly made himself vulnerable to the increased scrutiny of the Bud by saying he used "that stuff,’ but to put him in a lose-lose bind when no one else has been forced to testify and noting that Sen. Mitchell does not have subpoena power seems wrong.

In writing about the Bud’s difficult but necessary choices in the Jason Giambi kerfuffle Passan says this:

"Discipline for wrongdoing is important," you [the Bud] said recently, "but it is
also important to create an environment so players can feel free to
honestly and completely cooperate with this important investigation."

Maintaining such a balance is harrowing, and it’s easy to criticize
your missteps. Yet at this point, you can afford no more. The most
honest part of your letter was also the most difficult to stomach:
"(T)here will always be a few players who seek new ways to violate the
rules, no matter how many we have and how often we toughen them."

Given that, the search for definitive answers about the past deserves a
bold, clear plan and not the playground harassment Giambi faces.

So reach out to past users with the promise of forgiveness, not looming
suspension. If it takes amnesty, so be it. Spare them the indignity of
harboring this secret the rest of their lives.

The matter at hand now requires the move to Amnesty. This is, I believe, the only way out for Giambi, the Players Union as a whole, as well as for the Bud to create an environment so players can feel free to
honestly and completely cooperate with this important investigation.

No Amnesty=No Investigation

It’s just that simple.

And it’s time.

Are you listening Mr. Commissioner?

I think he is starting to.

Are you ready for this?

More shocking News:

Jason Giambi reportedly tested positive for amphetamines!

Jason Giambi: Prisoner of War

No!

Yes!

And, as unbelievable as it seems, the Office of the Commissioner was reportedly in contact with Mr. Creamy Goodness.

Get out!

True.

And this: What a Mess 

Names of players who test positive for amphetamines for the first time are
not made public. The only other player linked to a positive amphetamine test has
been Barry Bonds. When the Daily News reported in January that Bonds had tested
positive, Bonds issued a statement that neither confirmed nor denied he did.

"I’m upset at the fact how we found out about Barry Bonds’ positive test
and now Jason’s," Yankees center fielder Johnny Damon said. "It doesn’t seem
like the guidelines of the drug testing (are) being done correctly when anybody
can go around and leak something that we don’t know if it’s true or not and
we’re not supposed to know until they get in trouble for the second time."

Can’t you just feel the outrage?

No Johnny, we wouldn’t want anyone to get into trouble for using amphetamines and getting caught the first time, just the second time.

And say it isn’t so Derek Jeter, from the same article:

Yankees captain Derek Jeter said the reports weren’t a distraction to Giambi
or the team.

"I don’t think he’s concerned about it," Jeter said. "If it doesn’t
bother Jason, I don’t see why it should bother anybody."

No, why should Jason Giambi be concerned?

I’ve got 21 million reasons why he’s not concerned.

And how about this? Fay Vincent to The Bud:

"I think if nothing changes … I would say to Bonds: Because you haven’t
told us what you did, because we assume and because we believe you cheated and
because you haven’t helped clean baseball up, we will recognize your record but
we will not honor you," Vincent said. "It’s sort of an asterisk in the public
eye."

Unbelievable.

As they say, read the whole thing.

With all due respect Mr. Commissioner, this is insane.

Really.

Either there will be reliable and credible surveillance and interdiction of prohibited substances, or not.

It is not rocket science.

Or neuroscience.

And I should know, because I am a neurologist.

Just sayin’.

It’s time for Amnesty.

Or give up and let the players take whatever they want whenever they want.

Are You Talkin’ to Me?

Whatever.