The sins of our past...

There's a saying in life: "Avoid the big mistake." We may forget to pick up the laundry, or turn off the lights after leaving the house; those are small slip-ups. We may even forget our spouse's birthday(which, depending on the spouse, could lead to an even bigger problem down the road) but I digress. However, those incidents can be quickly swept under the rug and forgotten the next day. Then there are those times in which we commit atrocities so great that they label us with a scarlet letter; that "S" is tattooed onto Rafael Palmeiro for life.

You may remember the photo above. It was from the infamous Congressional hearing in 2005 on steroid use in Major League Baseball (you know, the one in which Sammy Sosa coincidentally forgot how to speak English, or Mark McGwire not being there to "talk about the past"). Palmeiro's defiant stance on his never taking steroids was later discovered to be a lie as he was suspended for 10 games. The punishment was miniscule compared to the eternal shame of not being voted into Baseball's Hall of Fame. Even more so, he has seen his peers McGwire, Sosa, and players like Jeff Bagwell not get inducted yet; though Bagwell seems to be closer to getting voted in next year. This year, former catcher Mike Piazza, long accused to taking PEDs without any positive proof, was finally inducted and as time goes on there is hope that Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

Personally, I believe that regardless of PED use or not, the players who were the best of the best at their profession should be included. Palmeiro put up great numbers, but no one would ever consider him one of the best players of his era. Even if he had came out and admitted to his PED use, I don't think it would've changed the minds of the baseball writers. His story and admitting how tormented he is at the thought of not getting in should serve as a reminder of how we cannot place ourselves in situations that we know will create long term damage.

If you want to see someone who is successful, don't look at just their work ethic, look at the decisions they make day in and day out. It's those decisions that don't lead to later regret; a life filled with pain because there is no finality. For Palmeiro and countless others, his big mistake wasn't taking steroids, it was not owning up to it when he had the chance. He could've been a symbol for other players to step up and do what was right instead of focusing on their reputation.

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What do you stand for?

"You don't steal the base you just left. You steal the base ahead of you."

-Jackie Roosevelt Robinson

As discussed in detail yesterday, the life of Jackie Robinson was defined by not so much what he did to integrate baseball, but what we was as a man. Dedicated, committed, and a fierce competitor on the diamond and off of it. His later years were more revealing of who he was more so than when he was stealing bases at Ebbets Field. Although his body was breaking down by age 33, his spirit never did. Once he had finished his epic career, he transitioned into business management at Chock Full O' Nuts, while being the first black writer at the New York Post. It was then when he decided to use his platform for social change, with the rising civil rights movement beginning to take America by storm. 

The 1960s were an era of an awakening; when the echoes of America's forefathers gave way to the rising voices of youth who were disenfranchised with the establishment dividing the races and decided to take their fights to the streets. Robinson felt he had an obligation to be a voice, and met with dignitaries such as then-Vice President Richard Nixon as well as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to encourage America to put away its legalized racism and embrace other cultures. Baseball had already crossed the color line, he thought, why not our businesses and government?

He wasn't alone, as later star athletes such as Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali would lend their voices outside the field of play and draw attention to very serious issues plaguing the black community. Before he retired, he would often speak about not being able to see black third basemen coaches in baseball. A few days before he died in 1972, he got to see Frank Robinson as one of the coaches during the World Series.

We live in an era in which the pursuit of social justice is either misguided or secondary to the pursuits of worldly gain. We still as fans look for voices who are not afraid to stand up and say, "No!" to the rafters when they see injustice happening to their communities and families affected by poor leadership in Washington. Remember the "Justice for Trayvon" movement? A movement's greatest impact should be not just about changing laws, but bettering lives. That is a lesson many athletes are now realizing, especially in the social media era where any voice can be heard over 140 characters.

The next time you hear someone quote Charles Barkley's "I'm Not a Role Model" speech, ask the children who marveled at the very sight of a man who didn't set out to be one at first, but later realized how he had no other choice, and in that changed the course of history. 

What's Love Got to do with It?

"Without Rachel Robinson, I believe there would be no Jackie Robinson..."

-First Lady Michelle Obama

Jackie Robinson was one of my favorite athletes growing up. As a matter of fact, whenever my friends and I would meet at the local Houston County sandlots to play baseball, I made sure I got to play shortstop so I could imitate number 42 of the Brooklyn Dodgers. I bleed Dodger blue because I was such a fan. I've seen every adaptation of his life and career, even the not-often-discussed movie regarding his court martial.

That's why I was so excited to see the PBS two-part special yesterday (and concluding tonight) on the life of Jack Roosevelt Robinson and his humble upbringing in Cairo, Georgia to his athletic ascent in Pasadena, CA. It took an introspective look at his life as a child and showed some of the gifts that he displayed not on the baseball diamond but on the gridiron at UCLA. However, throughout his development in athletics and in the military, there was a consistent theme that is often overlooked as the epicenter of what made him a civil rights pioneer, and it's his wife, Rachel.

While I won't get too deep into the history (watch tonight's special!) you often hear people such as Jackie's mother and Branch Rickey encourage Jackie to marry Rachel before enduring what was a challenging endeavor of crossing Major League Baseball's color barrier in the 1940's. Rickey said something to Robinson during their initial meeting and I'm paraphrasing, "You'll want to marry this woman, because you're gonna need her." I agree with First Lady Obama that he needed someone to help him with this burden of being called the N-word and having watermelons thrown his way as he headed toward the dugouts. 

Take a look at the Johnny Manziels of the world and ask, "Do you really think he'd be in this much trouble if he had a wife to go home to each night?" Mark Sanchez (now of the Denver Broncos) said recently that he thinks he will be able to be successful because he's single. That couldn't be any further from the truth. I'm not saying singleness is a bad thing (I did it for 35 years, and I much prefer marriage) but history has shown that the more stable your home life is, the better a person is able to perform on the field. Especially when you are a person in the public spotlight. You think that Bill Clinton wins the Presidency had Hillary walked out on him after the Gennifer Flowers debacle? When Sanchez throws 3 picks and puts up another butt fumble against Kansas City at Arrowhead, who's going to be there to console him when he gets home? His dog? His Twitter followers? That 3rd bottle of Natty Light? 

Now, is this a public service announcement to get out there and get married as soon as you find someone who won't dip out of the restaurant before the check comes? No, but understand that in life you will need that special someone to support you when you go through the stresses of life. Life hits you hard, so who will be that person in your corner rooting you on? No one is an island unto themselves; even the Lone Ranger had Tonto!

So as you're watching the later years of Jackie's life, and when you watch MLB celebrate Jackie Robinson Day this Friday, take time to remember the lady in his life who took on as much of a burden as he did. They say that behind every great man is a great woman. I say, without this great woman Rachel Robinson, there would be no great man. 

Got any special ideas or suggestions for future topics beyond the scoreboard? Follow me @JohnReidIV with comments.

If I were commissioner...

As the 2015 baseball season comes to a close, there are a myriad of storylines that one would look forward to as the postseason approaches (not for me though, as I'll be spending October watching the DVD of the Atlanta Braves' 20th Anniversary of their only championship). The Amazin' Mets return to the playoffs, albeit at the expense of the vastly underachieving Washington Fightin' Nationals, our neighbors to the north finally get to experience the thrill of a postseason series for the first time since "In Living Color" graced our television screens, and the Chicago Cubs will yet again try to get rid of the Steve Bartman curse.

As the chase for October is one of the great thrills a fan can watch, there is this overwhelming feeling that baseball has lost the majority of the American viewing audience. Granted, the advent of the second wild card has given fan bases of average teams another reason to turn away from football for at least yet another Sunday, but the dwindling numbers are threatening to make baseball as well known as "World Series of Poker" re-runs on ESPN2. Credit to new commissioner Rob Manfred who is working hard to make the sport more fan-friendly, not to mention quicker, but in this "gotta-have-it-now" society, I felt the need to help him make his job a bit easier.

So, without further ado, here is what I believe needs to happen on my first day as commissioner of MLB (drumroll please...)

1. Drop the season to 150 games. Face it, the season drags on way too long, and who really needs to see Red Sox-Yankees for 19 games a year (more on that in a bit)? The expanded playoffs pushes the postseason too close to "The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" episode. Get back the month of September and push up the season finale the week after Labor Day. Statistics don't carry the same weight they once did, except for historians who have nothing better to do with their time.

2. Add a pitch clock. This was proposed in the minor leagues earlier this year, but it needs to finally make its way towards the big stage. A 15-second pitch clock would help move the game along, and eliminate those unnecessary time outs. A little added anticipation goes a long way.

3. (and this one should be fun) Two words: Radical Realignment. This sport is on the path towards becoming more regionalized, so why not go all the way with the process? One thing this sport has going for it is it's ability to have rivalries dominate during interleague play, yet take it one step further. Since the American and National Leagues no longer have the same meaning (no more league presidents, Milwaukee and Houston switching leagues), you could put the following into a new series of division to add more intrigue.

So I present the following:

American League
EAST: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Phillies, Pirates
ATLANTIC: Orioles, Nationals, Braves, Rays, Marlins
NORTH: Blue Jays, Tigers, Indians, Reds, Brewers

National League
CENTRAL: Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, Royals, Twins
MIDWEST: Rockies, Astros, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Padres
PACIFIC: Dodgers, Angels, Giants, Athletics, Mariners

Imagine a Mets-Yankees series in late September with a playoff berth on the line, or Dodgers-Angels...

4. Which brings me to the last change...everyone gets the DH
5. Oh, and reinstate Pete Rose, enough is enough.

When does forgiveness begin?

Tonight at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati Pete Rose appeared as one of the Reds' "Franchise Four" players, along with Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and former NL MVP Barry Larkin for the annual MLB All-Star Game. As the final player introduced, Rose entered to a rousing ovation from the Ohio faithful who became the game's all-time hits leader. Known as many by his nickname "Charlie Hustle," Rose was revered for his constant hustle on the base paths as well as his ability to go-all out on every play. Baseball fans of yesteryear remember him for his gut-wrenching hit on catcher Ray Fosse at the 1970 All-Star Game which affected Fosse's career going forward.

However, despite being a key member of the "Big Red Machine" that won two World Series titles in the 1970s, the Pete Rose that many know now is the one that was banned from baseball for life in 1989 for admitting to gambling on baseball while being a player-manager for the Reds. He signed the agreement once he was caught, effectively ending his career and later being barred from being voted into the Hall of Fame. For the past 26 years the never-ending debate of whether or not he should be reinstated has been a topic of discussion on sports talk radio shows, countless television programs, and even at Cooperstown, NY, home of the Hall of Fame. Many remember the uncomfortable interview he had with Jim Gray at the 1999 All-Star Game in Atlanta.



Even with the recent release of the Dowd Report which highlights Rose's gambling as a manager, the calls for him to be reinstated have grown louder than ever. New MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has stated that he would keep an open mind about re-opening talks with Rose, which brings an even greater question: To what extent should a person extend forgiveness?

We've seen countless athletes fall to a myriad of scandals...Sammy Sosa (drugs), Lance Armstrong (lying) and Tiger Woods (infidelity) yet the public has been willing to forgive them once they came clean and was willing to show humility. Forgiveness is a human quality that we all possess, even to the point of extending it to the most heartless person. When Peter asked Jesus in Matthew 18 how many times he should forgive, Jesus responded "Seventy times seven." Even when Jacob stole Esau's birthright and Esau swore revenge, he forgave his brother and they made amends.

This is not about whether or not Rose should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, but it does go to a bigger question: how much longer must we hold grudges with one another? Forgiveness releases not the person who did the offending, but the person who was offended. They say time heals all wounds, and the only way to do that is to be willing to extend forgiveness, or take the first step in saying "I'm sorry."