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From: glf@ihlpl.UUCP (Greg Fyksen )
Newsgroups: net.sport.baseball
Subject: Re: Drug Penalties
Message-ID: <664@ihlpl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 13:05:02 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlpl.664
Posted: Tue Mar  4 13:05:02 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 5-Mar-86 05:34:58 EST
References: <40100010@uokvax.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 48

> 
>      Time for a major discussion here.  What is everybody's opinion
> on the Ueberroth drug suspensions/penalties?  I happen to think he
> has no right to fine people that heavily.  It will cost Hernandez
> nearly $100,000 which is just ridiculous.  If Keith had been busted
> as normal citizen like you or me, he would have gotten a $500 fine
> and some probation at the most.  I think the drug testing for the
> rest of the career is OK as is the community service.
> ....
>
> 
> The guys should be punished just as a "normal" citizen is 
> punished: no less and no more.
> 
> 				Geoff Chappell
> 				Univ. of Okla.



I would like to ask how the various player's
alleged crimes (remember most of these players were never even charged
with committing a crime much less convicted) compare with the $ amount
of the penalty. Did Hernandez commit a crime x times worse than
Sorenson?  I don't know the exact salaries involved but I'm sure
that Keith makes more than Lary and therefore is faced with
a stiffer penalty, but was is involvement in drugs x times more than
Sorenson?
(now that I think about it, I'm not sure that these two are both 
in the 10% group, but you get the idea.)

I don't think that people in the public eye, sports, show biz, politics,
etc. should be regarded as "normal" citezens. Because of their
public lives they are in a position to influence society whether
its drugs, fashion, or whatever. This is a responsibility
they have like it or not. Maybe because of this they should be
subject to more stringent penalties but these penalties
should be decided by a court of law, not a highly paid PR man.

I don't expect everybody to agree with me but that's all
right, it will give something to talk about until we
start to argue about manager's decisions and umpire's calls.


Until next time,

Greg (I wish I was in Arizona) Fyksen
AT&T-IS
Naperville, IL