From the MLB press release:
“I congratulate Barry Bonds for establishing a new career home run record. Barry’s achievement is noteworthy and remarkable.
“After Barry came out of the game, I congratulated him by telephone and had MLB executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson — both of whom were at the game and witnessed the record-breaking home run — meet with him on my behalf. While the issues which have swirled around this record will continue to work themselves toward resolution, today is a day for congratulations on a truly remarkable achievement.”
I love the passive-tense blame-shifting there at the end.
While the issues which have swirled around this record will continue to work themselves toward resolution,
It’s almost Nixonian. “Mistakes were made” indeed. Like, for instance, MLB’s commissioners botching baseball’s drug policy for twenty years from Ueberroth through Selig.
L. N. Smithee | 15-Aug-07 at 12:47 pm | Permalink
I was already angry that Bud Selig was too cowardly to show his dour mug in AT&T Park to await Bonds’ record-breaking home run. I was livid when Jon Miller read Selig’s half-hearted, self-serving statement.
After having been widely speculated to have been dismissive or even contemptuous toward Bonds, Hank Aaron issued a pre-recorded congratulatory video message that reinforced his reputation as the epitome of humility and class. On the other hand, with that press release following his disgraceful display of putting his hands in his pockets rather joining the tens of thousands of Padres fans that applauded Bonds’ 755th dinger, Selig has reinforced his reputation as the guy who took the “cl” out of “class.”