‘Roids, Age Fraud -- It’s Always Selig’s Fault

↵Bud Selig tried to dodge blame for the consistently embarrassing steroid saga shredding baseball. But another target has been trained on the commissioner, by the trainer for the Nationals’ fraud prospect Smiley Gonzalez. In an ESPN story by Jorge Arangure Jr., Smiley’s trainer Basilio Vizcaino blames lazy MLB employees in the Dominican field office for the age fraud.
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↵Smiley’s name is actually Carlos Alvarez Daniel Lugo; the Nats thought he was 16 years old when they paid him $1.4 million in 2006. He was actually 20. Vizcaino said three teams requested age investigations in 2006; in all cases, MLB’s field investigators confirmed Smiley was who he said he was. So what’s going on in that field office anyways?↵↵⇥“Maybe teams need to do their own investigations,” Vizcaino said. “What is the point of the Dominican office if they’re simply going to allow teams to lose money?” Said one employee of the teams that ordered and received a positive age investigation on Lugo: “This proves the investigation process is flawed.”↵↵On Wednesday, Nats boss Stan Kasten indicated a massive conspiracy was involved in getting Smiley his cash. But blatant lies don’t get by without lax regulations (the league’s fault) and (sorry) dumb teams. Will we learn nothing from Miguel Tejada?
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↵Football is said to get an unfair pass for its steroid problems in contrast with the apocalyptic coverage every baseball steroids case gets. On that note, Yi Jianlian’s apparent age lie has gotten almost no coverage and zero outrage in NBA circles as compared to the craters every MLB age scandal cause. Double standards abound.↵