Guest Redhawk Report post Posted June 6, 2003 Volume has nothing to do with it. Numbers don't lie. They suspended players back in the 1970s just like they suspend them now. Nettles got 0 games. Everyone since then (admittedly including Chris Sabo, but he wasn't a star) got a long suspension. They next player to get caught after Nettles, which happened pre-Selig, got 6-8 games. And I'm not saying it's racist that Sosa or Belle got suspended, because they should. I just wonder what would happen if Chipper Jones had got caught before this Sosa thing blew up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted June 6, 2003 Tried to do a little research on this and between 1974, when Craig Nettles was caught with superballs or whatever in his bat, and 1987 when Billy Hatcher corked his bat, not one player was ever ejected for corking his bat. It wasn't until '87, when Hatcher was suspended, that a player was ever suspended for corking a bat so I think its just the change of the times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bored 0 Report post Posted June 6, 2003 Volume has nothing to do with it. Numbers don't lie. They suspended players back in the 1970s just like they suspend them now. Nettles got 0 games. Everyone since then (admittedly including Chris Sabo, but he wasn't a star) got a long suspension. They next player to get caught after Nettles, which happened pre-Selig, got 6-8 games. And I'm not saying it's racist that Sosa or Belle got suspended, because they should. I just wonder what would happen if Chipper Jones had got caught before this Sosa thing blew up. You know why this whole thing has blown up? Because Sammy Sosa is the first true superstar that has ever been caught corking his bat and he's one of the most recognizable athletes in the world. Simple as that. I'm pissed that he's appealing since he essentially got the normal suspension and some thought they might make an example out of him but you got to think Fox may play a part in this to make sure he's in their Saturday, to go along with the Clemens 300 win (pssst Dave Stewart owns you), to bring in even bigger ratings. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DrTom Report post Posted June 6, 2003 They suspended players back in the 1970s just like they suspend them now. Did they? Maybe the commissioner at the time (Bowie Kuhn?) had a bias toward the Yankees. It's hard to compare something like that from thirty years and several commissioners ago. Sosa's eight-game penalty seems to be in line with the ones handed down in recent times. If anything, I think superstars should get a harsher penalty than Joe Ballplayer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Marvel Man X Report post Posted June 7, 2003 I'm surprised nobody brought up what Gary Shelfield said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vern Gagne Report post Posted June 7, 2003 Sheffield's an idiot. I honestly think he believes that he's treated unfairly because he's black, when the fact is his people don't like him because he's an asshole. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BobbyWhioux Report post Posted June 8, 2003 Where's the racism? Sosa gets an [X] game suspension, he appeals it, and in the interim he gets to No Sell the suspension. Just like EVERYONE ELSE who is suspended for any reason (corked bats, beating people up) these days. If they gave him a longer suspension or actually made it stick [i.e. made him sit down immediately, Do Not Pass Go] then there'd be cause to cry special treatment (either racism or making an individual example out of him). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
