Three weeks ago, Kenny Rogers was a jerk that many were talking about suspending for the rest of the year and Pedro was one of the best pitchers in the history of the game.
Now, Kenny Rogers is just flawed, but everyone feels a little sorry for him. Pedro is hated. What 's next? Lifting Kenny's suspension and applying it to Pedro?
I listened to Chris Berman, John Kruk, Peter Gammons, Harold Reynolds, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver all pay tribute to Kenny Rogers for holding a press conference against the advice of his lawyers. Yeah. Three weeks too late.
Where was Rogers' apology at the time of the incident? Was he being altruistic in holding this press conference? Hardly. It wasn't about contrition, though he played the contrition game quite well. It was about trying to salvage the All-Star game he had besmirched and reducing the boos he'd receive when he entered the game. Rogers held a press conference to justify his appearance at the All-Star game. If he was truly sorry, he should have apologized within a few days. If he recognized how badly he acted, he never would have appealed the suspension.
I'm not sure which conduct is more sickening: Rogers failure to apologize or the commentators blowing with the wind. How did Kenny Rogers suddenly become a stand-up guy and "courageous"? He certainly didn't look courageous pushing around a 5'7" guy with a video camera.
But Kenny got lucky, because Pedro Martinez stepped in to take the heat. Pedro is now the pet jerk. Pedro declined the invitation to the All-Star Game on the "been there/done that" platform, saying he wanted to give some young guys the chance. Personally, I don't have a problem with that. To me, it's actually humble. Yet he is being lionized because "fans want to see him pitch." (By the way, is this a game for the fans or is it to determine home field advantage in the World Series...let's make up our minds).
C'mon. He's gonna pitch one inning at most. I never tune into the All-Star game to see the pitchers, because they don't pitch enough to matter and they are at a disadvantage. They show off 20 pitches and sit down. They are usually in an unfamiliar role, and never even get into rhythm. Plus, fans can see Pedro on t.v. (or the Internet) in virtually every game he starts. I'd be surprised if even one fan failed to attend the game or consciously chose not to watch the game because Pedro declined the invitation. Let's not forget, the fans didn't select him to the team. And it isn't as if LaRussa was unable to find another All-Star pitcher for the roster.
The real problem is that people don't like it when someone is given a compliment and is unable or unwilling to accept it. We think of the All-Star game as a big compliment (which it is), and when someone rejects the compliment, they are rejecting us. Well guess what? Lots of us have that problem. Lots of us do not want attention for doing the job we are paid to do.
If Pedro wants to rest three days instead of showing off 20 pitches in a game in Detroit, and if Pedro wants to give some young guys the chance to experience the All-Star game, that's okay.
But get your priorities straight. Don't make Pedro out to be an asshole and congratulate Kenny for his courage.
