Comments on: Baseball goes on http://www.ibabuzz.com/athletics/2007/12/17/baseball-goes-on/ Tue, 21 May 2013 05:09:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Rick Hurd http://www.ibabuzz.com/athletics/2007/12/17/baseball-goes-on/comment-page-1/#comment-118 Rick Hurd Wed, 26 Dec 2007 20:45:05 +0000 http://www.ibabuzz.com/chinmusic/2007/12/17/baseball-goes-on/#comment-118 Hi Carl:

I’d like to reply to your points regarding my column of 12/21/07, because several of them are off base.

1) You are correct in asserting that Alex Rodriguez was not mentioned in the Mitchell Report and that, to this point, no evidence against him exists. Nowhere in my column do I state the opposite. However, in my opinion, that does not mean that everything he says should not be taken without at least a fair dose of skepticism. I, being more skeptical than most, take it with a large does of skepticism. The fault for this does not lie with A-Rod, but rather with his fellow players and athletes who have been caught in far too many lies to assume that everything they said is truthful. As the column states, he may well be telling the truth, but in my opinion, any reasonable-thinking person would have a hard time believing him.

2) When I refer to “confessions,” I refer only to the confessions of F.P. Santangelo, Andy Pettitte, Fernando Vina and Brian Roberts. Nowhere do I write that I viewed A-Rod’s interview with 60 minutes as a “confession” that I don’t believe.

3) Nowhere in the column do I accuse A-Rod of using steroids or HGH or any other kind of performance-enhancing drugs. Do I have a hard time believing he didn’t? Yes, I do have a hard time believing that. But I long adopted the view that I assume most players have taken something at some point along the way. Again, blame the players and their union for creating this cynicism.

4) There are no facts in my column that are incorrect. You may not agree with my opinion, and that’s fine. But the column is factually sound.

]]> By: Carl White http://www.ibabuzz.com/athletics/2007/12/17/baseball-goes-on/comment-page-1/#comment-117 Carl White Fri, 21 Dec 2007 22:59:41 +0000 http://www.ibabuzz.com/chinmusic/2007/12/17/baseball-goes-on/#comment-117 Dear Mr Hurd,
Your article in the December 21, 2007 Daily Review,” A-Rod doesn’t flinch, but do we believe?”, leads me to believe you think hiding behind the first amendment of the constitution gives you the right to slander someone. There was nothing in the Mitchell report that even mentioned A-Rod and as far as I know, no one has come forward with evidence that says he ever took performance enhancing drugs. I quote your article, ” But even the confessions come with more than a reasonable doubt, because that’s what happens when you belong to a fraternity of pathological liars”. Were you referring to new reporters who write half truths and lies that they report as news? If you’re half the man you want the drug cheaters in baseball to be, you will apologize for accusing A-Rod of something you haven’t any evidence he ever did. Opinions are not news, some are true, some are false and some half and half, they are just what people think. You just happen to have a forum to be able to express your opinions to many people. After reading your article today, my opinion of you is no better than anyone who has ever cheated in sports. And no, I’m not a Yankee fan or even a fan of A-Rod, just a fan who feels much has been said that is nothing more than opinions about Baseball’s problems. We all fall short in our lives, but falsely accusing someone of something is perhaps as great a sin as doing the wrong yourself. Reporters have a great responsiblity in reporting the news, making up your own news is not needed or appreciated. Stick to the facts in reporting and when the facts don’t support your opinion, think again about expressing it in print.

Sincerely,

Carl White
Hayward, CA

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