Let's Be a Role Model and Play Nice, Roger

You Can Take This Bat And...: The hotheads of the Subway Series go at it. (photo by AP)

Put yourself in this situation. You are a major league pitcher, a future hall-of-famer, you're making millions of dollars to play the game you love, and you're pitching in the World Series. That's right, the World Series. Now, would you act like an idiot and throw a bat at an opposing hitter? Or would you be happy enough to be the person you are, and just pitch like anyone else?

Well, if your name is Roger Clemens, sorry, youre an idiot. In last Sunday night's Game Two, Clemens rocketed in a fastball to the Mets star catcher, Mike Piazza, in the first inning. It was good so far for Clemens. Then Piazza broke his bat on the pitch and sent a rolling ground ball toward the pitcher. Then it was even better for Roger. Soon after is when The Rocket went bad, though.

Rather than picking up the ball and throwing it to first base, in the same manner that any other intelligent pitcher would, he decided to pick up the jagged bat and wing it directly at Mike Piazza. If only Clemens could have seen that it wasn't the World Series of Dodgeball. His attempt to decapitate Piazza certainly outraged the New York Mets (and sent the benches clearing).

Clemens claimed afterwards that he mistook the bat for the ball. Not only is he a millionare and one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball, he's a smart one too. Let me state that I have always thought of Clemens as an amazing pitcher, who has certainly done as good a job as anybody at staying in top shape, and at the top of his game. However, it is no secret that this guy is an ass.

The Rocket was famous for a few things when he played for the Boston Red Sox. He was well-known for striking out hitters and racking up awards, but he was also pretty famous for charging money for autographs. I'm sorry, but if you're making over a million dollars to play a game, do you need the extra spending money?

Frank Robinson, baseball's Vice President for on-field operations, thought Clemens did need the extra cash. He imposed a $50,000 fine on Clemens for his inappropriate conduct in the game. Clemens said that he would not worry about whether or not he is going to appeal the suspension until after the World Series is over.

Clemens can be reassured that since this is one of the lowest-rated World Series ever, fewer people than usual saw his actions. In fact, the great majority of people who witnessed his bat tossing were New Yorkers. The World Series in New York has higher ratings than the final episode of Seinfeld did.

Why would Clemens do something so stupid when the Yankees are in line to win their third straight World Series title? They certainly don't need negative attention that will distract people from taking in all of the "Yankee dominance."

As a Cleveland native and an Indians fan, I really don't care who wins the title. A New York Times/CBS News poll said that 58 percent of the rest of America doesn't care either. But I missed the first game, and right at the moment I turned on the television to watch Game Two I saw a "role model" for all of the young pitchers in this country trying to take a true role model, Mike Piazza, out of commission.

This is a horrible image for all of the young athletes in the country, especially with the increasing amount of violence in sports cases coming about in recent years. Some young pitcher in New York is going to strike out and throw his metal bat at the pitcher, because hey, Roger did it, so why can't he? Professional athletes need to do a better job, on the whole, of setting a good example for America's youth.

I don't think that 40 years ago any pitcher would have thought to throw a bat back at a player. If he did, he would lose respect from everyone in the game, and everyone who watches the game.

Baseball, and other sports, need to get back a greater sense of class and leadership. There are players who set great examples, there just need to be more. For now, they have their money, they have their stardom, and they are playing a game for a living. A game! So come on guys, enjoy it and play nice.