Cheat, lie and then deny

By John McMullen
The Phanatic Magazine

Kids should take notice and learn from Jason Giambi's situation.

What should they be learning?

Cheat, lie and then deny.

If you do all of that you will skate through life as long as your livelihood happens to be Major League Baseball.

I'm not here to claim Giambi is a saint. Far from it, the Yankees designated hitter spent much of his big league career cheating, lying about it and then denying it ever happened.

But, give him some credit, Giambi actually came clean a few weeks ago and how many other "miracles of modern science" that pollute the big leagues can say the same?

"I was wrong for doing that stuff," Giambi told USA Today's Bob Nightendale last month. "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said, 'We made a mistake.'

Truer words have never been spoken about the game of baseball. But the league and its players' association aren't about truth.

You have to remember, baseball's steroid policy isn't about cleaning up the game. It's about plausible deniability so that Bud Selig, Donald Fehr and the players can continue to cheat but keep Congress off their collective backs.

So, Giambi is now in Selig's crosshairs.

MLB rules call for a 50-game suspension for testing positive for steroids or other illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Of course Giambi has never tested positive under the folly of a testing plan MLB instituted in 2005.

But, testing be damned -- Selig is on the fast track toward suspending the slugger next week if he does not cooperate with former senator and David Letterman punch-line George Mitchell's "investigation" on steroid use.

"Any admission regarding the use of illegal performance-enhancing substances, no matter how casual, must be taken seriously," Selig said in a written statement last week.

"It is in the best interests of baseball for everyone, including players, to cooperate with Sen. Mitchell in his investigation so that Sen. Mitchell can provide me with a complete, thorough report."

Since the extent of Mitchell's investigation to this point has been getting various Red Sox autographs for his kid, Selig wants Giambi's decision by Tuesday.

If the Giambino acquiesces to Selig's extortion attempt, names names -- preferably Latino minor-leaguers -- and gets everyone barred from Hop-Sing, the commish will spare Jason and give him the same free pass dozens of other obvious abusers use on a daily basis.

Sadly, Giambi could have avoided it all if he just kept his mouth shut -- another great lesson for the nation's youth brought to you by Major League Baseball.