Baseball Cheating Rubs Teacher the Wrong Way

I teach junior high school, and one of my most serious concerns is the rising incidence of cheating. In the 20 years I have taught, cheating has become rampant, and more and more students find cheating only a problem if they get caught. That kind of attitude frustrates me. I tell the kids it isn’t fair, and it isn’t realistic.

So along comes a guy who gets caught on the mound with an emery board and sandpaper. The television replays clearly show him trying to throw away the emery board, and he gets suspended, but he appeals it. Then he goes out and wins a game a few days later. And his coach and his fellow players defend him. And in a sidebar in your paper, the coach and players of the local ballclub say they don’t blame the pitcher for cheating. And that they would do it, too, in his position.

Last year I wrote on the board, “You can cheat in World Civ class, but you can’t cheat in life.” I’ll never write that again.

“Baseball fever . . . catch it!” Forget it. I’d rather watch the contra hearings.

GEORGE MILNE

Leucadia