Politics & Power Quote by Bud Selig

Bud Selig speaks as a steward of a civic institution, not just a sports league. By invoking the influence of stars on the youth of America, he shifts the steroid scandal from a technical rules violation to a moral and cultural problem. The concern is not merely that records might be tainted; it is that kids learn the wrong lesson about achievement, health, and fairness. If icons achieve greatness through illicit chemistry, the message is that ends justify means, that shortcuts eclipse effort, and that risk to the body is an acceptable toll for glory.

The timing of this concern places it squarely in baseballs steroid era, when revelations about performance-enhancing drugs entangled some of the games brightest names and drew Congressional scrutiny. The sport had only recently recovered from the 1994 strike, and the home run boom that revived fan interest now looked suspect. Seligs language acknowledges the symbolic role of baseball as the national pastime, carrying an expectation that its heroes model virtues for the next generation.

There is also a note of self-defense and institutional responsibility. By stressing concern for youth, the commissioner frames the leagues response as an ethical imperative, not just a public relations exercise. Yet the statement inevitably invites questions about how long the league tolerated a permissive environment, especially when historic feats were good for business. The subsequent rollout of testing programs, penalties, and the Mitchell Report signaled a late but serious effort to rebuild trust and redefine norms.

At bottom, the argument rests on the power of example. Sports do not operate in a vacuum; they shape aspiration. Selig points to the real harm when a culture celebrates results while ignoring means. Preserving the credibility of the game is inseparable from protecting the moral education implied by its stories, where skill, discipline, and fair play are supposed to be the path to triumph.