Recognizing you’re wrong and apologizing, especially if you’re an A-type aggressive man, is what women have always wanted from us, is it not?  It’s a clear sign that despite our “take-over, caveman” mentality, that we recognize our faults and, more importantly, have much to gain from others. So it comes that fading star baseball slugger Jason Giambi apologizes for, apparently, taking steriods years ago, without mentioning the drug by name.

For an alpha-male to take steriods is to try to take over the world, or at least their sphere, and for a short time Jason Giambi took the baseball world — and The New York Yankees — by storm, and signed a contract worth north of $100 million. 

Steroids, apparently increases your strength, but shrinks your nuggets.  What a trade that is?! Obviously, each man has a different definition of masculinity — and dominance.  For instance, the Wall Street titans, such as Sandy Weill and Warrenn Buffett, took over companies and made billions, without a hint of drug inducements.  Even meglomaniacs like Hitler, Stalin and Mao who thought they could take over the world, were never alleged to have resorted to artifical enhancements.

But a home run, in any arena, has always been admired by most — and handsomely rewarded, at least in the short term.

So we come to Mr. Giambi’s mea culpa, which from this corner, is most welcome.

But the fact is that he had the guts to say he was sorry, and that he should never have taken…whatever. 

And what does the baseball establishment do?  Alpha-pretend-a-male Bud Selig, the latest in a long line of baseball furhers, issues a veiled threat to Mr. Giambi:  Testify before congress or face the consequences!

The consequences of what?  It was never against the law to take these drugs when Mr. Giambi allegedly did so.  He’s already been relegated from a star first baseman to a designated hitter (and recently moved all the way to the disabled list).  So what punishment does Mr. Selig pretend to hold over his head?

Real alpha-males, unlike Mr. Selig, know their power, it’s limits, and when to use it.  Had he, or his predescessors had their eyes on anything other than the cash regsiter, they would have stepped up to the plate a long time ago and cracked down on steriod usage.

Instead, they made millions, if not hundreds of millions, promoting the home-run bashing of muscle-bound guys like Sammy Sosa (who gave intricate hand signs and kisses after every home run, perhaps as a way of ordering more drugs from his supplier, as he crossed home plate) and Mark McGuire, the blond bombshell, who tried to take a base-on-balls during his congressional testimony.

And, that’s not to mention Barry Bonds, once a lithe and always superior athlete, whose new muscles have now rendered him unable to smile or talk.  It appears that he has to special order baseball caps to fit his newly enlarged head.  

And the same must be said for Mr. Selig: While he’s trying to throw strikes past Mr. Giambi, I wonder if he has any balls left in his repertiore…

Mr. Selig, I call on you to apologize to baseball fans around the world for turning away from the obvious — and thank Jason Giambi for leading the way in cleaning up the business of baseball.

Alan Bromley