Can Congress Save Baseball?

When I was nine years old, I told my dad that I was going to be the first female pitcher in the majors. Never mind that the only thing I'd ever pitched was a fit; I knew even then I loved baseball.

When my youth group gathered in our church's basement in 1991 to watch the Atlanta Braves take on the Twins, the girls spent most of their time hoping Josh or Bob or whomever noticed how their little Braves t-shirts showed off their newly developing curves. I, on the other hand, wearing my lovely black United Colors of Benetton sweatshirt had only two concerns: where was the pizza and what time did the game start?

On October 14, 1992, I sat in the floor of my parents bedroom rocking back and forth, eyes glued to the set. My three other siblings were sound asleep. How, I'll never know; so much was on the line. In the bottom of the ninth inning, my Atlanta Braves had one last shot. Francisco Cabrera stepped up to the plate, a moment I'm sure he'd rehearsed since his little league days. Seconds later, Sid Bream was sliding and my mom was rushing into the room to quiet my excited screams. With tears in my eyes, jumping up and down, I shouted over and over, "We did it! We did it!"

Just a few examples of my love for the game. Let me repeat. I love baseball. Love it. And, yes, I am as upset about the recent findings of the Mitchell report as the next fan. That is why it might shock you to find out that it hasn't tempered my love of the sport or my excitement about the upcoming season. Why? Because I believe that most of those who play baseball respect the game and do not abuse performance enhancing drugs.

That being said should those who do abuse be punished? Sure. Should the game be cleaned up? Absolutely. Is it Congress's responsibility to do so? NO! Someone please tell me why the leaders of the free world are sitting in a room grilling baseball players and trainers about whether or not they abused steroids. Have they nothing better to do? If they are itching to clean something up, have you seen the U.S./Mexican border...has anyone watched prime-time television lately...been inside a school house?

Are we so above real-life problems in this nation that instead of trying to figure out how to prevent terrorism, our leaders are trying to clean up baseball. Really?! Baseball. Um...that is what keeps me lying awake at night...is Roger Clemens lying? No, actually, what keeps me up at night is worrying about whether my 2-year-old daughter will one day be offered meth by some creepy dealer on her way to school. Or am I safe within the borders of my own country? I'll bet if you interviewed any Joe off the street the state of American baseball would not top his list of great concerns.

And who is paying for these investigations, these plights into the depths of the nation's baseball problem? You are my friend. Your hard-earned tax dollars are being spent to try and figure out whether Roger is really lying, if Petite used, if McGwire's abused. Please don't misunderstand. I am not being flippant about drug abuse. I just don't think that Congress should be the one wielding the broom that is going to sweep baseball clean. They nab Clemens and Bonds on perjury charges; do they now go after Sosa, McGwire, and all the other scoundrels who knowingly lied under oath?

Is Congress really worried about little Johnny using because Clemens did or are they protecting their own investment...the game of baseball? Who knows, but instead of hunting for witches on the diamond, let's hunt for the real ghosts and goblins that hide beyond the alleys of our school yards looking for kids to hook. I think baseball can take care of its own with an actual drug policy that includes true consequences for breaking the rules. And Congress, could we please focus on more important things, like your 11% approval rating?