The Giambi Mess

Just to play devil's advocate here ...

Keep in mind that what has been reported about Bonds' GJ testimony or Giambi's GJ testimony may not be exactly the same as what they actually testified to the Grand Jury.

There is precedent for this, and yes, I know times (and journalism standards) have changed.

In 1988, Alfred Austrian's old law firm (the one that represented White Sox owner Charles Comiskey) released the once-stolen, seven-decades-old testimony of Shoeless Joe Jackson from the Cook County Grand Jury hearings in Chicago. Checking the contemporary newspaper reports from September 1920 with the actual testimony brings up numerous discrepancies, almost all of them very minor ... except one: it was widely reported that Jackson "admitted" throwing the Series, that he "admitted" playing to lose, that he let up in key situations on the field or at the plate. In fact, the testimony shows that he only admitted taking $5,000 from Lefty Williams but clearly denied that he had played anything but his best regardless of taking the money. It was a key point in a civil trial over back pay that was owed to Jackson by the White Sox, and it was something that Jackson never waffled on.

It may be nit-picking, but it does leave some wiggle room. Whoever saw the leaked testimony had to interpret it, and who knows if/how their interpretations match the rest of ours ...

That said, I think the substance of what has been reported about Bonds/Giambi's GJ testimonies is probably accurate. It probably passes Ragu's common-sense test with flying colors.

But it doesn't mean we shouldn't scrutinize it all the same.

 

D_Beat!

 

In the wake of the fall of the minority-white government of South Africa, Nelson Mandela instituted a "truth and reconciliation commission" to determine the real history of the apartheid era, allowing former government officials and others to come clean about what happened while receiving amnesty from prosecution.

I think that's what Major League Baseball needs: A truth commission to find out what really happened in the steroid era.

However, the DEA and the Justice Department would never allow it --- they want scapegoats, especially one who wears the 25 jersey for the San Francisco Giants. Because of the perceived need for scapegoats and to mete out "justice," we'll never know the truth about the 1990s.

After the statute of limitations for participating in the steroid trade expires.

 

Why would the Yankees cut the "Giambino"?

 

Baseball and Bud Selig are all drowning in their own sea of bullshit and I love it.

If these hypocrites were so concerned about steroids ruining the game, why didn't the hire (George) Pete Mitchell and start asking questions in the form of subpoenas in 1998 when the stadiums were full and ratings were blowing up because of the homer chase....

 

nail, meet hammer.

 

Selig will not punish Giambi because he cooperated with Mitchell's investigation:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-selig-giambi&prov=ap&type=lgns

 

maybe our boy spilled the beans.