My friends and I have revered Chuck Knoblauch for years now. Maybe it had something to do with his scrappy demeanor—the way he often seemed overmatched on the field but never let that bother him. The thrill of the underdog is one of those great features of following athletics. Still I’m guessing it was mostly how fun it is to say his last name: knob-lock. Go ahead. Try it. I’ll wait.
Well, we’re all in luck. He’s been out of the game for more than five years until recently. In December his name appeared in the now infamous Mitchell Report on the use of performance enhancing drugs in professional baseball. Knobby then took the most logical course of action and failed to respond to an invitation to testify before a House committee investigating the Mitchell Report. He was hit with a subpoena and then conceded to appear. He made his first appearance this past Friday in a closed-door session to answer questions in preparation for a Feb. 13 hearing before the media and general public.
While details of Knoblach’s testimony were not revealed, he did make some comments after leaving the session. “That’s why I have [my son] here today, to learn a very valuable lesson: If you do something in life, be prepared to talk about it open and honestly,” offered a harried-looking Knoblach.
I hate when people read more into statements than is warranted, but I can’t help myself here. If Knoblauch had not admitted to some sort of drug use, why would he have said that? If he told the committee that he had never taken performance enhancers, what sort of lesson is he insinuating that his son should learn? That it’s OK to talk about having played professional baseball once you’re done? Who would be ashamed of that? If I’d ever been called up to the Bigs, even just for a day, you’d never be able to shut me up about it. No, those sound like the words of a guilty but unburdened man.
If I’m right, Knobby has reclaimed his spot in my heart. The only way to restore integrity to the sport is for its ambassadors, the players, to take some responsibility at last. In return we fans must offer our forgiveness too. Absolution takes two.
