NY Post Shows Irresponsibility. Again.

Irresponsibility is a way of life over at the New York Post. I have accepted it. But there are guys I actually do like in that paper. Joel Sherman is one of them. Today, he lost some of that respect in my eyes. He wrote this column saying Mike Piazza may be a casualty of the steroid era. Well, it started off well. The column starts off as a “Steroid Era makes you look at everyone suspiciously” piece. Fine, we have done that here. Sherman states:

I can act like Piazza was not encased in suspicion when he played. But that would be dishonest. It was talked about. A lot. Because Piazza fit a certain prototype. He was drafted in the 62nd round, 1,390th overall in 1988, a favor by then Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda for his godson.

Fine, I agree with this. His career is out of the norm and I am sure people were wondering how Piazza could be doing all of this. I mean we all know that scouts and talent evaluators are always right and rarely ever miss. Look at the first rounds of the drafts over the last 20 years. I mean there must by 40 or 50 First Ballot Hall of Famers there. Sherman continues here:

There are plenty of stories about late-round draft picks making good. Astros ace Roy Oswalt, who wants all of Alex Rodriguez’s accomplishments from 2001-03 banished, was taken in the 23rd round, for example. But Mike Piazza not only made good, he went from the black hole of the draft to greatness, the all-time homer hitter among catchers.

Thus, he did one of those near statistical impossibility things: He navigated from ultra-non-prospect to 427 career homers.

So there are many later round picks that made it but Piazza is very unique? Gotcha. I see where this is generating a column though. It is a tough Era to judge. I am sure Sherman will bring the justification here:

Again, I can pretend that while he was doing this people were not talking about certain physical quirks that raised suspicion, notably a back full of acne. But that, too, would be dishonest.

AH! BACK ACNE!!!! That is it. Shit Joel Sherman discovered it. I mean Selena Roberts had to get 4 different sources to out A-Rod but you my friend are a first hand witness to back acne. Where was your historic Back Acne column during his playing days? It is not like he is a professional athlete who wears extra equipment and sweats a lot at a taxing position.He was obviously juicing. I mean Back acne is exclusive to steroid users and no one else ever gets it.

So Piazza is either creation or casualty of this age. Even still in retirement. Because, again, I can pretend that veteran writers don’t talk about his approaching Hall of Fame candidacy with uncertainty. That would be dishonest, as well. Many of us find ourselves thinking: A penalty is being levied in Hall voting on guys who have been outed such as Mark McGwire, and probably, eventually, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and – a long time from now – Alex Rodriguez.

But what do we do about guys who we suspect, guys the establishment of the game so strongly suspected? The Hall of Fame voting is not a court of law. We do not need “beyond a reasonable doubt,” though I think we have reached that level with McGwire, Bonds and Clemens. There are plenty of guys who are coming up on ballots now who have not been snared by BALCO or Mitchell or Canseco, who nevertheless cast the strong feeling of artificial success throughout the game. What do we do about them?

Oh those veteran writers! I have been reading these Piazza columns for years. I mean all the doubt. Sherman has lots of basis here. And he is right, they are not a court of law. They are more like a witch hunt if this is the case. How about this, guys who got caught you can keep out with just cause. How about the guys who have never been caught be given the benefit of the doubt? Unless you are going to go get a Positive test, or a trainer who kept Piazza’s dirty needles why even bring this up? Because you saw back acne? Because a bunch of reporters think it might be the case? I understand the Steroid Era is murky but now you are throwing names out there for no reason.

I figured job one was to ask Piazza, who is eligible for the Hall in 2013. He is the hitting coach for Team Italy for the WBC, and I heard that his squad was playing a B Game at 10 a.m. yesterday against the Marlins. And this is how I ended up on a back field at Roger Dean Stadium. In a conversation with Piazza about a subject that will not die.

For the record, Piazza says he was a clean player. “Absolutely” is the word he used. He claims he is not on the now infamous list of 104 failed steroid tests from the survey phase in 2003. “No, not that I know,” he said. The one-time Mets star offers a lot of explanations to explain his power, from hard work to the addition of forty-something pitchers during the term of his career via four new expansion teams.

“You can’t control what people think,” Piazza said.

I want to believe Piazza. I have always enjoyed conversation and a good relationship with him, and – even if I didn’t – I would not exactly go around hoping that someone cheated and was lying to me about it.

But Clemens, Jason Giambi, Andy Pettitte and A-Rod have lied to my face on this subject. So forgive me if I do not exactly bet the house on this one.

OK, proven cheaters lied to you. Where was the I can’t believe them column before they were caught? The only names you have in this column are Steroid users and Mike Piazza. Last I checked, Piazza was not linked to anything. So the suspicion you have had and was not reported on is now out there. Because of you. I am glad you have those in depth quotes too. I mean I am sure Mike had a full grasp of the column you were writing. Did you mention to him his back acne? Your smoking gun? Where is that quote?

This is a major problem with the era now. We no longer fully accept anything we saw nor do we believe the testimony of anybody who played in the time. Derek Jeter expressed the frustration over this reality recently, that the broad brush gets everybody. He is right. But it certainly is going to get 62nd-round draft picks who hit 427 homers.

“It is unfortunate,” Piazza said. “I know the work I put in.”

I hope he is telling the truth. I hope, at some point, we have full grasp of the era, know exactly what the landscape was. Until then the broad brush paints and you end up on a back field at Roger Dean Stadium early in the morning.

Well, I am glad you agree with Derek Jeter. I am waiting for his column since it is obvious all first ballot Hall of Famers are under suspicion. You took that broad brush Joel Sherman and made it a fine brush. You took the suspicion of an entire Era and pointed it one man who until now has never been associated with it. You saw back acne. That means you have doubt. I am going to be honest. I am biased here. I love Mike Piazza. And I too have always worried he may show up on one of these reports or failed tests. But it has yet to happen. I have never felt compelled to express that thought about anyone. Except Big Papi since it pisses Hef off.

Speaking of Hef, he wrote a similar post using numbers. I didn’t agree with it to tell you the truth since it is people’s lives we are speculating on. But he also did some of it in jest and it is his opinion. My problem with Joel Sherman is he pointed his finger at one man. If he wants to do the “broad brush” thing go write this column about a bunch of New York players at the time. He went and put Piazza in the spotlight. That is irresponsible. But it is the Post so I guess I will have to accept that they are a rag and deal with it.