Big Star – "Don't Lie to Me" (1972)

I know where you’ve been

And I know what you’ve been doing

Don't lie to me!

A few years ago, I was refereeing a 6th-grade boys’ basketball game.  One of the players dribbled the ball off his foot and out of bounds – or so I thought.  

But after I made the call, the opponent who was guarding the dribbler told me that the ball had actually gone off his foot.

I reversed my call based on the defender’s admission.  And after the game was over, I went over to his coach and told him that I hoped he wouldn’t criticize his playing for telling the truth.

They’ll learn to cheat in a few years

I doubt that a 10th-grader or even an 8th-grader would have corrected my call.  At some point, boys (and girls) learn that it’s more important to win than to be honest and a good sport.

They learn that because coaches (and parents) teach them that.

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In a recent game, New York Mets 3B Todd Frazier dove into the Dodger Stadium seats in an attempt to catch a foul pop hit by Los Angeles Dodger Alex Verdugo.  

Todd Frazier goes ass over teakettle
 in pursuit of a foul pop

At first glance, it appeared that Frazier had caught the ball, and the umpire called Verdugo out.  But appearances can be deceiving.

Steve Gelbs of SportsNet New York, the Mets’ TV affiliate, reveals what actually happened on the play in this video:

Frazier is guilty of two distinct acts of deception here.

First, after dropping the ball when he fell into the stands, he picked up a ball and showed it to the umpire – in essence, he was telling the umpire, “I caught the ball!  Here it is!”

Second, when he realized that the ball in his glove was not the official MLB ball that Verdugo had hit but an unofficial ball brought to the game by a kid (probably in hopes of getting it autographed), he tossed it to a fan in the stands instead of returning it to his pitcher or an umpire – which ensured that an umpire would never see or touch the ball and realize it was not a game-used ball.

Click here to watch video of a postgame interview with Frazier that demonstrates he was aware from the very first that he had not caught the ball cleanly.  (You may need to unmute that video.)

Initially, Frazier thought the ball on the ground that he picked up and showed to the umpire was the actual foul ball – but as soon as he felt it, he knew it was not an official ball.

Rather than criticizing Frazier’s actions, most press accounts of the incident praised him for his quick thinking.  SI.com’s characterization of Frazier’s deception – “That’s gamesmanship at its finest” – is typical. 

Frazier certainly didn’t apologize for being a liar and a cheat:

It is Hollywood, so sometimes you have to act out a little bit. . . . It was one of those things where I think any third baseman or any player trying to win would do it. 

What do you expect from a Met like Frazier?

You might expect Major League Baseball to suspend or at least fine Frazier for his blatant cheating.  After all, the play took place in a game that had a direct impact on the pennant race.  (The game was 1-1 after eight innings, so every out mattered.  The Dodgers, who were in first place in their division by a half game, eventually lost and fell into second place as a result.)

But MLB officials never even considered punishing Frazier for cheating.  

God help you if you’re a baseball player and you fail a drug test.  (Test positive for steroids and you’ll be suspended for 80 games.  Test positive a second time and you’ll sit out one entire season – 162 games.)  

But the blatant deception of an umpire that directly affects the outcome of a game that might determine who makes the playoffs and who doesn’t isn’t even worth a slap on the wrist.

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The Todd Frazier story was completely overshadowed by what happened few days later in the U.S. Open women’s final match between Serena Williams (who has won no fewer than 23 Grand Slam singles titles) and 20-year-old Naomi Osaka – who was ranked as the only the 68th-best female player in the world at the beginning of 2018.

I’ll give you my take on the kerfuffle that erupted when Serena was penalized by the umpire for her very bad behavior in the next 2 or 3 lines.  

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Today’s featured song was released in 1972 on Big Star’s first studio album, #1 Record.

In a just world, Big Star would have been big stars, and #1 Record would have been a number-one record.

Alas, boys and girls, we don’t live in a just world . . . as the story of Todd Frazier proves.

Click here to hear “Don’t Lie to Me,” which was written by Big Star’s original guitarist, Chris Bell.  (Bell died in a car accident when he was only 27 years old.)

Click on the link below to buy today’s featured song from Amazon: