Christian players named in steroid scandal
December 21st, 2007NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) When former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell released his report Dec. 13, he identified 89 Major League Baseball players as users of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Included on that list are a few players who are professing Christians — most notably Andy Pettitte, Brian Roberts and Paul Byrd, among others.
That men of faith would be present in the Mitchell Report didn’t come as a surprise to Rick Horton, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and St. Louis area director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Read the rest of my story at BP Sports.
Also, be sure to check out what Joshua Cooley and Brad Locke had to say about the Mitchell Report.
“If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize”
Oh please. When will they learn that an “If” has no place in an apology.
I agree, Joel. Pettitte’s “apology” was pretty weak.
I echo you Joel and Tim.
There but for God’s grace goes every blogging baseball fan.
Yes, Pastor Tony, indeed.
Pettitte’s use of “if” in his apology is just indicitive of our present culture of political correctness and relativism. It is used to explain away our own mistakes and sins, even as we continue to believe that it was okay for us that we did them. However, Andy is still a Christian. Christians sin. We are not better than anyone else. He and his family, and God, will deal with this.
Andy P. was named in the so-called steroid scandal but never took steroids. Hmmm. He admits to using HGH over a period of two (2) days in order to re-cover from an injury more quickly. Hmmm. HGH was not against baseball rules at that time he used it. Hmmm. Would those of you who think his apology is “weak” or indicative of PC and relativism care to explain why you think Andy needs to apoligize in the fist place? Seems to me the court of public opinion is sittng in judgment.
I’m with Rufus. If what he claims is true, then his apology seems very sincere and filled with humility. People take steroids and HGH to help recover from injuries. These medicines are prescribed every day to normal persons. Players who used these medicines by prescription for healing purposes when they were not banned ARE NOT cheaters. To lump them together simply diminishes the actual cheaters in my book.
Tim, I liked your article boocoos (never wrote that word before!) better than the other two!
I think Klay brings a good point. IF these substances were PRESCRIBED by reputable doctors acting legally, then that’s fine. I myself would not include anabolic steroids however; legal, illegal or whatever, anabolics do give an advantage. If during the time of use of such substances the player was not on the field of play, then the possibility of cheating is reduced.
I still ask: Why was there little outrage over the cocaine use of the 80’s which resulted in the Pittsburgh drug trials?
In reference to the comparison with the cocaine use of the 80’s, I think you will find the difference lies in the fact that records have been broken as a result of HGH and other drugs. Cocaine was not a performance enhancer so people just look at it as though it was the player’s own problems. But when you take and change the sanctity of sports records, then people will get defensive. Pitchers can pitch more years thus gaining more strike-outs and more wins, batters get more home-runs (aka Barry Bonds?) and higher batting averages. When you see people who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame and aren’t (can anyone say Ron Santo? okay, I am a die hard Cubbie fan!) and you see people cheating to inflate their personal stats so they can get in the HOF, it just doesn’t seem right!