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"Can Raul Ibanez Help Save Baseball?"

Recently, I read an article on Sports Illustrated’s website by Joe Posnanski entitled “What’s Eating Raul: The blogger and the steroid controversy”. The article is about Philadelphia Phillies slugger Raul Ibanez.  Ibanez is 37 years old and putting together quite possibly an MVP season.  In an obvious response to such an unexpected beginning for a seemingly aging vet, a blogger put together a piece insinuating that perhaps Raul Ibanez was on steroids, entitled "The Curious Case of Raul Ibanez: Steroid Speculation Perhaps Unfair, but Great Start in 2009 Raising Eyebrows".

Three months ago I wrote a letter to Bud Selig and Donald Fehr declaring my waning interest in the sport of baseball because of the steroid scandal and how it was mishandled.  Not surprisingly, I haven’t heard back from either of these men (though I did get responses from the Tigers and Red Sox after sending copies of my letter to every single Major League team).

After hearing the allegations made against him, Ibanez fired back at the blogger – a response I feel is fairly portrayed here. 

Not to delay the inevitable, my letter this week is to Raul Ibanez of the Philadelphia Phillies.

-----------------------

Mr. Ibanez,

I am writing to you regarding the steroid allegations made against you after your torrid beginning at the plate this season.  I will initially reveal to you that I am, at heart, a New York Mets fan.  However, that has absolutely no bearing on what I wanted to say.

I feel as though your angry response to the rumors put forth was surely warranted.  If you are indeed clean, you certainly have the right to be angry.

After getting that off your chest you must have felt pretty good.  However, getting that off your chest is about the only thing that you are going to accomplish by issuing such statements.  I have to believe that your response will not change anyone’s mind.

As fans, we have seen all this before.  Alex Rodriguez swore he never did steroids in an interview with Katie Couric before it came out that he had used them.  Just about every baseball fan feels that Roger Clemens has been lying about his usage.  Perhaps most famously, Rafael Palmeiro wagged his index finger at a Congressional hearing claiming he was clean, only to test positive just a few months later.

Please forgive us if we seem slow to accept your response at face value.  Besides, blaming the blogger that wrote this story is truly taking the easy way out.  The story was written based on a familiar pattern that has evolved over the past decade or so.  If you want to point fingers, you should look deeper.

The image of the successful Major League Baseball player, especially one in their mid-to-late 30’s has been tarnished by the many established cheaters of recent history.  As a player, it was in your best interest to protect this image.  Your union did nothing to help.  If anything, they battled against any kind of testing that would have protected the clean players. Instead, they allowed the cheaters to flourish.

Too many dirty players took down and devalued the many records and milestones that had been established over generations of a game once considered the nation’s pastime.

In his article in Sport Illustrated, Joe Posnanski made the following comment:

I kind of hope that Raul will take us into a whole new stage in the Selig Era. He's strong enough to do this too: I hope he DOES stand up, rail against steroid use, volunteer to take the most advanced tests, leave no doubt -- or as little doubt as possible -- so that people will see that, yes, a man who was on the brink of being run out of the game, a man who has faced doubters and critics at every turn, a man who had every reason to break the rules did not break them, did not even bend them. I come more and more to the conclusion that what baseball could use now in this era of doubt is a pioneer, someone who takes it upon himself to take on all comers and say, "That's it. Yes, some unfortunate stuff happened, and a lot of people are to blame, but you know what? We're moving on. The game is moving on."

It would be a hard thing for any player to do. He would have to fight wars on multiple fronts. Like I say, I think Raul is strong enough to do it.

This is a phenomenal idea.  One of the problems with the steroid era is that those that create and distribute illegal performance enhancers are always one step ahead of those that test for it.  The moment a test is developed to detect one type of substance, another substance is rolled out and another buffer zone is created that protects users of the new drug until yet another test is discovered.  The bulk of the money and motivation is always on the side of the user.  It’s a vicious cycle of cheating.

I was proud of Posnanski for having made the above comment.  Because this is EXACTLY what the sport of baseball needs.  Baseball needs a strong player to say, “You know what… I am going to go above and beyond any type of testing that the MLB can possibly administer.”

I challenge you to step forward and become that player.  Find a reputable independent lab to test you regularly and openly, and have them secure samples for future testing.  Make a pledge that if you are ever found to be unclean, either in current testing or in the future back-testing of stored samples, that you donate a large portion of your salary to charity.

You may indeed be a clean player.  I would guess that baseball fans would love to believe that you are a clean player.  But we have just been duped too many times in the past.  You shouldn’t take personal offense.  I will agree with you that it is unfair, but you cannot fault us for it.

If you are that desirous to prove yourself clean, be a pioneer.  Baseball could surely use a good guy these days and though I am a Mets fan, it would be nice to see anyone step up to the plate and work towards restoring the image of baseball and its players – even if it is a member of the Phillies.

Thank you for your time.  I wish you continued success and courage this season.

Sincerely,

Scott Riecke

 

If you would like to comment on this letter, Scott can be reached at info@aletteraweek.com (please include your name and town).

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