Maybe you don't remember the trade between Montreal and Seattle about 18 years ago but I do. I was playing for the Reds and there was a 6-10 fellow named Randy Johnson playing for the Montreal Expos, who was a little erratic but looked like he could have a great career.
Then there was an All Star pitcher named Mark Langston playing for the Seattle Mariners. The Expos wanted to win NOW and rent Langston for the rest of the year knowing they could lose him to free agency at the end of the year. The Mariners knew they probably couldn't re-sign Langston, so they took the chance on Johnson and did the deal.
As it worked out, Langston would help the Expos to 12 wins and then go free agent at the end of the season. The Expos did not bring home a championship. Now for the Mariners, they got an amazing young pitcher that would win 137 games for their club and get them close to a championship more than a few times.
When Randy was almost a free agent, the Astros traded for Randy and he won 10 games for them, and then went free agent at the end of the year. The Astros sent Freddie Garcia and Carlos Guillen to the Mariners.
Randy would go free agent after the season was over. The Astros didn't win and Johnson went to Arizona. The D-Backs would win a World Championship with Johnson. Now what about the two guys in the Seattle deal for Johnson?
Well, the Mariners would trade Freddie Garcia to Chicago and the White Sox would win a title with Garcia pitching against the team that traded him for Randy Johnson. And what happened to Carlos Guillen, he was traded to the Tigers a few years ago and they now have the best record in baseball.
I guess you may think this is six degrees of Randy Johnson, but I just wanted to show how one player can impact so many teams at the trade deadline. Sometimes the best trade you make is not making one at all.
Back 12 years ago when we almost killed the game, the issue of testing came up at a player representatives meeting and when I stood up and asked for better testing throughout Major League Baseball, I was shot down by many other player reps. They spoke of privacy issues and many other stupid reasons for not testing.
Well look at the sport now. People doubting the records, Fans doubting the players, and everyone making excuses.
Thank God for Jose Canseco. And no, I don't think ratting out players was right, but what if he didn't get the ball rolling, where would we be? Who the hell cares how long some #### player gets suspended when the entire sport looks bad.
Enough is enough.
Start testing everyone across the board with the most extensive program you all can find. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to stick to my guns, but hopefully the majority of the players will stand up and take back their union and get honesty back in the game. If heads have to roll to get what you want, then stop protecting the minority of players who don't care what happens to the future of the game.
Rob Dibble was named a full-time co-host of BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW PERIOD in April 2005. The outspoken, all-star reliever is a perfect fit for the most irreverent sports show on television.
Dibble, who is best known as one of the Reds' hard throwing "Nasty Boys," along with Norm Charlton and Randy Myers, won a World Series with the Reds in 1990.
