SamSaid!

FOR PETE'S SAKE

     There is no shortage of material for headlines these days, from Saddam to the Iowa Caucuses to terror alerts to Jackson's child molestation charges to Kobe Bryant etc., etc., etc. But by far the biggest headline of all is the astounding news that Pete Rose gambled on basball games. Really.

     Most of us had come to that conclusion 15 years ago when he was banned from baseball for life because of gambling. Rose accepted the ban but refused to admit that he had gambled on ball games. Now the issue has re-appeared since time is running out on Rose's eligibility for inclusion in Professional Baseball's Hall of Fame. Let it be said up front that when considering Rose's baseball accomplishments alone, he would be a shoo-in for Hall of Fame status, and there are many current members of the Hall whose accomplishments pale in comparison to his. Statistically, he is the all time leader in career base hits. He stands at the top of the hill in a game that has been played professionally for over 100 years..

      It all started in 1919 when Shoeless Joe Jackson and a couple of other players were banned for life from baseball for involvement in gambling on the World Series  –  i.e., throwing games to win bets. At that time, Jackson was probably the best player in baseball. He was banned from the game for life. As a result of the “Black Sox” scandal, gambling became the #1 “no – no” in baseball and a rule to that effect is prominently posted in the locker rooms and offices of all professional baseball teams. Rose knew that. Now in his later years, he desperately wants to join the elite group of players in the Hall of Fame. With gambling becoming more and more prevalent in our country, there are those modern day people who say “what's the big deal?” In the baseball world, it IS a big deal. Now, Rose has written a book in which he finally admits gambling on his own team, the Cincinnati Reds.    

      In a way, Rose symbolizes a general attitude  too frequently voiced  –  “Rules are good, rules are necessary, and rules should be enforced  –  but not for me.  I am an exception for reasons a,b,c, etc.” He claims that being banned for 15+ years is enough and that a lifetime sentence is unwarranted and too severe. He says is is sorry  — almost. Not really repentent. Sorry Pete, I saw you play on any number of occasions, and you were worth the price of a ticket. You have your records to keep you warm  — maybe in a small booth on the parking lot of the Hall of Fame, but not inside the front door. You made your bed, sleep in it. No sympathy here.

     Best bet? There are enough weasels who will downplay the gambling and upgrade his baseball statistics  — enough to vote him into the Hall  –  which will become a cheapened Hall.

THE CEO

     Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill has recently written a book entitled “The Price of Loyalty”, in which he is harshly critical of President Bush. By way of background, when O'Neill joined the Bush Administration it was his second tour of government duty in Washington so he knew full well how government works inside the beltway. O'Neill is a talented knowledgeable man, and was the CEO of Alcoa immediately before joining the Bush Administration as Secretary of the Teasury. On several matters, O'Neill's views differed from those of the President, and as a result he was asked to step down. At those lofty levels, “fired” is a bad word.

    There is nothing wrong with bright people having different opinions, and O'Neill was certainly welcome to his. But somewhere along the line, teamwork becomes a significant factor. It helps to understand a little bit about CEOs and this notion of teamwork. First of all, CEOs of major organizations (especially successful ones) do not like to be told they are wrong. As a matter of fact it rarely crosses their minds that they could be wrong about much of anything. When there is a difference of opinion between a CEO and someone else, someone else is wrong. In the Corporate world, differing with the CEO can be very hazardous. And the concept of teamwork to many CEOs ( i.e., O'Neill) is the role of subordinates saying “You are right, boss, –  whatever you say”. O'Neill is a classic case of a super ego incapable of being a team player in the Big Leagues. Personally, I think his book is a trashy effort to camouflage his own deficiencies. Even if his views were right, his behavior was wrong.

     The people elected George Bush who then enlisted a cadre of people to help him in designated capacities. O'Neill was one of them holding a Cabinet office. When he publicly differed with the President –  repeatedly– it was time to go. Getting 15-20 strong minded people to follow the main theme is not an easy task.  If it were just one gaffe, OK; but 2-3 or more, ongoing, sorry. With time at such a premium, the President has more things to do than correct or rationalize errant behavior or commentary from members of his “team”. Paul O'Neill was not a team player. He deserved his fate.

     There is still a bit of advice we laymen can offer to the big cat CEOs  –  “If you are not going to be a team player, don't take the job”. My neighbor offered me a copy of the book to read. It's about 12th in line.