Top 5 Baseball Scandals

I watched Melky Cabrera for a few years as a Yankee.  The guy did not have all-star talent.  That's why, after he spent most of the year leading the majors in hits, I wasn't surprised to learn he'd abused banned substances then planned to lie about it on appeal.  But his is far from the worst offense in Major League Baseball history.  Below are the top 5 scandals the MLB (or it's predecessors) have ever dealt with.

5: Benny Kauff is a thief; or isn't.  You don't know Benny Kauff because he hasn't played baseball for almost 100 years.  But he was good--he played 8 years to a .311 career batting average.  In 1919 he was arrested for operating a car-theft ring.  He was acquitted in 1921, but baseball's Commissioner, Kenisaw Mountain Landis, decided that the acquittal was "one of the worst micarriages of justice," and promptly banned Kauff from baseball for life.  You decide which was the scandal here.

4: All-Stars lie to Congress.  In 2005 and again in 2008, some of baseball's top players stood in front of Congress, some under oath, and lied about steroid use (or evaded questions, or didn't lie) in baseball.  Jose Canseco, a once baseball star, author of a book expose about steroids in baseball, and bitter, bitter man sat--somewhere--smiling.  And probably homeless.  After the 2005 testimony, Congress confirmed the sham-concern of the event by eagerly awaiting photo ops with their favorite cheating ball players.

Real picture.  Rose should be banned for this and this alone.

3: Pete Rose bets on baseball.  In 1987, Pete Rose bet on baseball.  He was the Manager of the Cincinnati Reds at the time.  In addition to his unreported winnings, Rose--baseball's career leader in all-time hits--also took home the coveted "banned from baseball" moniker.  His lifetime ban means he will never be honored in the Hall of Fame (at least, not during his lifetime).

Sharpened cleat to the groin.  That isn't a slide, it's a jump-kick.

2: Ty Cobb is a douche.  Not a scandal per se, but a scandalous career.  Ty Cobb might be the best player in history.  When he was elected to be among the first class of Hall of Fame inductees, he received the most votes.  That's more than Babe Ruth.  He received more votes than Cy Young and Lou Gehrig combined!  He was also a giant douche.  He sat out games toward the end of a season to preserve a minuscule lead in batting average over an opponent.  He sharpened his metal spikes so he could injure players when sliding into bases.  He was an unrepentant racist who slapped a black elevator operator then stabbed a black security guard for trying to intervene.  He was accused of fixing games on multiple occasions.  He went into the stands and beat up a heckling fan who had no hands; the fan "deserved" it for calling Cobb's mother "half-black."  He also strangled an umpire until fans forced him to stop.  He was a dick.  A scandalous dick.

1: The Black Sox cheat.  The 1919 Chicago White Sox went to the World Series, and lost behind a bunch of bungled plays and missed opportunities at the plate.  Several players were quickly accused of throwing the game for cash and brought up on criminal charges.  Although eventually acquitted, eight players received lifetime bans from baseball immediately following their acquittal.  Among them was one of the best players ever to live--"Shoeless" Joe Jackson--much to Ty Cobb's probable delight.  The team 's dirty deeds earned them the nickname "Black Sox."

Man, I wish I could add how Ruben Rivera of the New York Yankees once stole Derek Jeter's glove from his locker and sold it to a memorabilia dealer, but there wasn't enough room.  Oh well.  Can you think of any scandals I missed?  Share in the comments below, and please like our Facebook page for daily updates sent right to your Facebook feed!