Alcohol and Drugs: It’s Baseball’s Double Standard
The double standard that pervades our society also pervades professional sports. Alcohol abuse and cigarette smoking sickens, maims and kills more Americans in one year than all the illicit drugs will in our lifetime. Yet, when John Candelaria is arrested for drunk driving the Angels say it is his personal business and the Commissioner of Baseball is silent.
If Candelaria had been in possession of cocaine, he would have been condemned by everyone from the ushers at Anaheim Stadium to Commissioner Peter Ueberroth with extreme consequences being imposed.
If he is guilty, the Angel pitcher was a potential murderer on those two nights and should be punished by both baseball and the State of California.
KEN ROTH
Huntington Beach
Go beyond the scoreboard
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