Bad Habits

On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee took major league baseball to task for its stance on smokeless tobacco. Why the issue was before the Energy and Commerce Committee was not explained. In any event, the committee all but demanded that baseball take steps to ban the chewing of tobacco by players during games. Baseball officials said they would see what they could do. Such a ban would have to be agreed to by players.

The concern over chewing tobacco is not about the health of the players or unsanitary playing fields. It is about the influence major league players have on kids and teens. It is feared that young players will try to emulate their major league heroes by taking up the habit themselves: a laudable concern. If major league baseball can be persuaded to ban the habit for the sake of America's youth, perhaps there are a few other things major league baseball could be persuaded to do on behalf of the kids.

Maybe baseball should consider banning scratching, poking, spitting, and picking on the field. Parents have enough trouble discouraging such behavior. They don't need baseball to make the problem worse. Certainly baseball should see what it could do about all the complaining and arguing that occurs on the field. Managers and players yelling at umpires sets a very poor example for kids. It encourages kids to yell at their parents and teachers if they feel a bad decision has been made. Petulance should also be banned. It is already a common place habit among youth and should not be encouraged.

There is a long list of poor behaviors and habits that exist among, not just baseball players, but all athletes. While chewing tobacco may be an obvious one, it certainly is not the only one. It is not even the worst one. Throwing a tantrum after you have been struck out or yelling at the umpire and kicking dirt on him are hardly behaviors that should be abetted by professional baseball players. But first things first.