Sunday, July 18, 2004
Bobbleheads and BALCO
The wife was out of town this weekend, so on Sunday I caught the White Sox and the A's. I didn't know that the giveaway was going to be a Vida Blue bobblehead, but as I was one of the first 15k, I now have one for the office.
I was hanging out by the White Sox dugout before the game. I looked across the diamond and saw Vida sitting on the A's bench. He was there to throw out the first pitch. That made my day.
Vida is one of the few ballplayers who gets love on both sides of the bay. A's fans see him as part of the great Finley teams of the early 70s, and for Giants fans he was a mainstay on a few teams that didn't have many other shining stars. When Vida got married in 1989, it was pre-game event at Candlestick Park.
I had a revelation today. For many people, the BALCO steroids issue is a huge deal. For me, it's a witch hunt. Sure, if you catch people doing steroids, take the proper steps to get them clean, but the whole rumor and trial-by-sportstalk-radio bit leaves a bad taste in my mouth. What I realized is that one of my baseball heros as a child was Vida Blue. I grew up understanding that one of my favorites had some major off-the-field flaws. For others, baseball is a bastion of purity, and anything that might threaten that must be attacked directly and with prejudice.
I think that people who grew up post-Watergate have different views and expectations of politicians, and I expect that to be even moreso for people who are growing up post-Clinton.
posted by David 10:04 PM
