Baseball Life After the Mitchell Report

Rob Neyer said, "It's often said that baseball is life, or is like life, or that going to a baseball game is like going to church. Piffle. Baseball is like baseball, and that's plenty good enough because nothing else is quite like baseball." (Mr. Neyer is an ESPN.com baseball columnist and co-author of "The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers.")

"Amen," therefore, to the above-quoted statement of Rob Neyer. If so, then we can argue that a baseball stadium is not merely a field of dreams but it is the sporting world's equivalent of a cathedral.

But essentially, a cathedral or a church or even a simple chapel-as the living embodiment of a religion-is actually more for the sinners than for the saints. Yes, even Jesus Christ came down to earth to redeem mankind, especially the many sinful human beings. Ergo, baseball's equivalent of the cathedral can also be the personification of forgiveness.

But forgiveness in any religion or even in baseball requires not only acceptance of guilt or repentance but also restitution. In a court of law, a thief - even a white-collared Enronized kind - is forced to compensate the victims. In fact, the fruits of the crime are confiscated and distributed to the victims. More so, in the Court of Public Opinion (CPO). The 86 baseball players cited in the Mitchell Report not only harmed baseball but insulted the fans who are actually bankrolling the game. Without the fans, would commercial companies become corporate sponsors of the baseball industry and advertisers of the games' broadcasts?

The Mitchell Reports' 86 DBS (dishonored baseball stars) should emulate Yankee pitcher Andy Pettitte and admit their guilt the sooner, the better. As Boston Red Sox pitcher Kurt Schilling said in his "38 Pitches" blog to the baseball players (who used HGH and/or steroids), "Admit you made a mistake and move on. This is a pretty-damn forgiving country."

And perhaps, all the dishonored baseball players should form a foundation to give back to the fans a good portion of their income from salaries, bonuses and the sale of baseball memorabilia that they derived after using the banned substances. Perhaps, the suggested foundation (or using Major League Baseball itself) can help more the kids in inner cities learn and play baseball, Yes, to help kids in urban ghettoes have a fair chance of using a baseball bat in a field of dreams, instead of wielding an Armalite as they defend drug turfs or protect gang-related activities. Why? Because without the HGH and steroids, the productive years of the said baseball-players' careers would have been cut short by a few summers. It is only then fair for these players to offer compensation to the fans, as the CPO would probably require in its judgment the equivalent of moral punishment. Or perhaps the 86 baseball players can help generate more goodwill to the United States by helping do the suggested "Baseball Diplomacy," as discussed in the maiden article of this blog.

What say you, Mitchell Report's 86 DBS, especially Mr. Pettitte? What say you, baseball fans?

Note: Readers may like to visit the "Baseball Renaissance Section" of the www.mabuhayradio.com to read more commentaries of Bobby Reyes.