If the Situation Had Been Reversed

Yesterday, Paul Sullivan, who writes the blog Sully Baseball, told me on Twitter that there is no official bias against the Yankees.

I had followed him, despite his being a Red Sox fan, because he wrote well. For this statement, I unfollowed him, and flat-out called him a liar.

Of course, Major League Baseball, and the media that cover it, have a bias against the Yankees and for the other teams, especially the Red Sox. I call it the Yankee Doodle Double Standard.

If the situation had been reversed...

Imagine that Roger Clemens had grabbed Johnny Pesky by the head and thrown him to the ground. He would not have gotten a slap on the wrist, and he certainly wouldn't have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He probably would have been banned from baseball for life.

If you doubt this, look at the reaction when Clemens threw a bat in the path of, but not actually at, Mike Piazza. Who, though he is a steroid cheat, is in the Hall of Fame, while Clemens isn't, even though they became eligible the same year, and Clemens' stats are overwhelming, while Piazza's made him a borderline case.

Remember: Pedro was fined $50,000, which means nothing to a guy with a contract like his. What would mean something to a player is a suspension. He wasn't suspended. He made his next start. As students of Montreal Canadiens history, remembering the Maurice Richard incidents of 1955, would say, Where's Clarence Campbell when we need him?

In contrast, Don Zimmer was fined $5,000 and told to apologize. For what, standing up for his own players? Joe Torre sure as hell didn't do that. When your players are being targeted for injury, to hell with "class": You protect them by telling the umpires, "If you don't stop that guy, we're walking off the field. I'd rather forfeit that let my guys get hurt on purpose." That's the one problem I had with Torre: There is such a thing as too much class.

Imagine that it been David Ortiz that confessed to using steroids, and Alex Rodriguez that was still lying about it. I will guarantee you that the way we treat them would not have been reversed.

In the year 2022, both of them will become eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Big Papi will be elected on the first ballot. He doesn't deserve it, ever, but he will get in on the first ballot. But 100 years from now, A-Rod and Clemens will still be on the outside looking in. Why, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa will probably all get in before A-Rod, and they cooperated far less than he did. Aroldis Chapman and Steven Wright.

You'll notice that Bartolo Colon was exposed as a steroid user, and he was treated as just another cheat as a Yankee -- even though his offense came in 2010, before the Yankees acquired him. But since he left the Yankees after his lone season with them, 2011, he's been a big fat cuddly guy who can still pitch at an advanced age.

If it had been CC Sabathia, still with the Yankees (at least through this season), in the same weight class, now 38, who had been caught, would he get the love that Colon gets? Be serious.

Imagine that Tom Coughlin had been guilty of Spygate. And that Eli Manning had been guilty of deflating footballs. But had still won 5 Super Bowls. Do you think anybody would be calling the Giants a dynasty, Coughlin the greatest coach of all time, and Eli the greatest quarterback of all time? Like they do with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady, respectively? Not on your life.

I call it the Yankee Doodle Double Standard: New England, especially the Red Sox but also the region's other teams, including UConn basketball, get the benefit of the doubt; while New York, especially the Yankees, get the doubt of the benefits.

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Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 3, this Friday night, a friendly against Brazil, at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands. This will be followed the next Tuesday in Nashville, but can any game against Mexico truly be called a "friendly"?

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 3, this Friday night, opening the season away to Piscataway. Then they have to go to Edison to play J.P. Stevens the next Friday. What sadistic bastard made the schedule?

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 4, this coming Saturday, at 12:00 noon, away to Ohio State. This past Saturday, they opened the season by beating Texas State 35-7 at home. A trip to Ohio State is not a home game against Texas State. Ohio State dropped 77 points on Oregon State on Saturday. #WeAllGonnaDie

Days until Arsenal play again: 11, on Saturday, September 15, at 10:00 AM New York time, away to North-East club Newcastle United.

Days until the New York Red Bulls play again: 12, on Sunday, September 16, at 1:00 PM, away to rival D.C. United.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": See the previous answer. They play the Philadelphia Union at Chester on Sunday, October 21. They do not play DCU, New York City FC or the New England Revolution again in the regular season. A meeting with City or Philly is possible in the MLS Cup Playoffs, while DCU still have an outside chance to qualify, but the Revs are almost certainly out.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 14, on Tuesday night, September 18, at Yankee Stadium II. In 2 weeks. Not that it matters.

Days until the next Yankee game that matters, the American League Wild Card Game: 29, on Wednesday night, October 3, at Yankee Stadium II, probably against the Oakland Athletics. And if you believe the Yankees will win that game, then you're a hell of a lot more optimistic than I am.

Days until the New Jersey Devils play another competitive game: 32, on Saturday, October 6, against the Edmonton Oilers, at... Scandinavium, an arena in Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden, part of the NHL Global Series. A little over a month. The Mulberry Street Marauders will warm up for it on October 1, with an exhibition game in Berne, Switzerland; while the Oilers will visit Cologne, Germany on October 3.

Days until the New Jersey Devils' home opener: 37, on Thursday night, October 11, against the Stanley Cup holders, the Washington Capitals. Boy, there's words you never thought you'd read!

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 46, on Saturday afternoon, October 20, against the Philadelphia Flyers, a.k.a. The Philth, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The 1st game against the New York Islanders, a.k.a. the Fish Sticks, will be on Saturday night, November 3, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 1st game against the New York Rangers, a.k.a. The Scum, will be on Thursday night, January 31, 2019, at the Prudential Center.

Days until the next Congressional election, when we can elect a Democratic Congress that can impeach and remove Donald Trump from the Presidency: 63, on November 6. Exactly 9 weeks.

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State game: 74, on Saturday, November 17, at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 79, on Thursday, November 22. A little over 11 weeks.

Days until the next North London Derby: 88, on Sunday, December 2, at the Emirates Stadium. It had been set for December 1, but was moved due to Arsenal once again being stuck playing Europa League games on Thursday nights. No more "Thursday is Spursday" jokes for us Gooners.

Days until a Democratic Congress can convene, and the impeachment process can begin: 121, on Thursday, January 3, 2019. Just under 4 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 141, on January 23, 2019. Under 5 months.

Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 276, on June 7, 2019, in France. A little over 9 months. The U.S. team, as 3-time and defending Champions, has, as usual, a better chance than the men's team would have had in 2018 anyway.

Days until the Yankees and Red Sox play each other in London: 298, on June 29, 2019. A little under 10 months.

Days until my 50th Birthday, at which point I can join AARP and get discounts for travel and game tickets: 470, on December 18, 2019. A little under a year and a half, or a little over 15 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 505, on January 22, 2020. A little under a year and a half, or a little over 16 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 679, on July 24, 2020. Under 2 years, or a little under 23 months.

Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 791, on November 3, 2020. Under 2 1/2 years, or a little under 26 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 869, at noon on January 20, 2021. Under 2 1/2 years, or a little under 29 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Beijing, China: 1,249, on February 4, 2022. A little over 3 1/2 years, or exactly 41 months.

Days until the next World Cup for which the American team will be eligible is scheduled to kick off: 1,539, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. Under 4 1/2 years, or under 51 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.

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