Prospectus Today: The Rush To Judgment

One of the ongoing notions in the past decade's witch-hunting is that people—really, the media—just want players to confess, to own up to what they did. The idea is that by coming clean, the public—really, the media—will forgive them and allow them to get on with their careers. In fact, most of the case against Mark McGwire is that he didn't do just that, and baseball fans—really, the media—have never forgiven him. The legal case against Barry Bonds isn't about drug use, but about words. Rafael Palmeiro failed a test, but his reaction to it, pointing fingers at teammates, is what doomed him. We—really, the media—hate this behavior, belittle it, and yearn for a player who will talk about his use.

Baseball Prospectus