Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
scott@scottlongonline.com
It's always strange to 'be the story'. I knew that the excerpt run in Sports Illustrated this week would dial it up a notch beyond what we saw for "Saving The Pitcher"; I just wasn't sure how much.
The answer? A lot. Not Pete Rose big, but more along those lines. Let's face it, it's a "sexy" story. I know at least one other major journalist has been working on this -- and now feels I stabbed him in the back on this. For that, I'm sorry, but life moves on.
One of the great things about this blog is being able to get out my ideas and reactions. It's something I wish more writers would use. So, here's some bullet point thoughts in the wake of the SI piece:
* Why does everyone think BALCO is a singular event? I'll admit "The Creator" does give a primacy to "Dr. X" that he doesn't deserve. In original form, it was going to be "The Chemist" but Jose Canseco's book came out and I didn't want anyone mistaking that I'd spoken to Canseco! Still, the idea that BALCO was the only place selling designer steroids is simply naive. That others in the field wouldnt pick up on a successful product, one that was well known in the underground and in the track and field world, is ludicrous.
* I didn't intend for the chapter to sound like a James Bond/Mickey Spillane piece. I was aiming for paranoia, to show the lengths to which some of these guys go to protect themselves. It's not just a cat and mouse game with testers; it's a cat and mouse game with the DEA or FBI.
* A lot have asked about my disclaimer, that Dr. X could be a fake. It's possible, but as I said, I believe him to be what he purported to be. I didn't check ID or ask for a sample of his wares. I'm not sure if they teach this kind of thing in journalism school, but I didn't go to journalism school. Even if X were a fake, it says a lot that someone in the supplement/steroid community would go to lengths to have some people believe that he was this.
* Yes, I know names -- and more than just Dr. X. No, I'm not going to be telling them, but it's one hell of a story.
The book hits store shelves very soon, shipping from BN early next week. Amazon doesn't give any indication on when they'll ship. Hopefully, you'll let me know when the book gets seen in various places.
Looking forward to the new book, Will!
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/magazine/24BASEBALL.html?
Posted the wrong link there, although that article by Michael Lewis did use steroids as an introduction.
"I know at least one other major journalist has been working on this -- and now feels I stabbed him in the back on this. For that, I'm sorry, but life moves on.".
Why does he feel you stabbed him in the back? Do you feel sorry that he feels that way, or that you actually did it? Does life move on for you or him?
It reminds me of The Apprentice, when Omarosa said that one of the other contestants called her the N-word. The accusee strongly denied it, and was coaxed into a lie-detector test from (the great American) Howard Stern that supported her position. Omarosa said "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I've moved on."
That was a completely ridiculous position. She's the one making these allegations. She doesn't support them. And, when it benefits her, she decides to move on.
Back to the matter at hand, Will, can you elaborate a bit more as to your statement. You sound that you might be coming off like an Omarosa, which can never be a good thing. It seems that, in your post, you either should say a bit more, or alot less.
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