'Cheater' Receives Ultimate Individual Honor
A bad reputation may stick with critics yet you might still be forgiven by others
Caught red-handed cheating in a scandal and resented, mocked and condemned.
It won’t be forgotten. Yet that said, Carlos Beltrán has, in a sense, been forgiven because it has been announced that he has been elected to the highest honor an individual can receive in his profession.
Beltrán is headed to a Major League Baseball Hall of Fame induction despite being “the only player mentioned by name in the 2017 Houston Astros‘ sign-stealing scandal,” reported ESPN News Services.
He talked about the uncomfortable, difficult realities of the negative feelings about his name, actions and those of his teammates and Beltrán being rewarded, as if the unethical behavior never happened. His comments are worth examining.
“Honestly, I know that’s part of my story,” Beltrán said. “There’s no doubt that as a team, we altogether put ourselves in that position.”
He’s correct, he and his co-workers earned the stamp of disapproval and that will remain part of his story. Beltrán will carry the “stain” or “wart” of “scarlet letter,” so to speak, with him for years to come.
And at the same time, he will enjoy the status and financial rewards of being a member of the Hall of Fame for his professional achievements.
“As a group and as an organization, we also felt being able to find a way to take advantage of the opposing team is something that every team will do, whatever it takes, to win in baseball,” Beltrán told ESPN.
Rationalization. Not everyone does it.
“When you hear the name Carlos Beltrán, that’s something that’s going to be attached to my name, and at the same time, that doesn’t really define the person that I am,” he admitted and argued.
That’s an arguable point. What he did may not be fully who he is, yet the choices that he and his teammates made were not judged to be sportsmanlike and honorable.
They were not respected, they were deemed wrong and it created anger and disgust, by almost all media and fans. The wrongdoing did not result in having a championship taken back and didn’t prevent Beltrán from making the HOF.
Most people will long or forever look upon it unfavorably.
Despite that reality, Beltrán did make a point worthy of discussion.
“Perfection is part of no one’s life,” he stated, which is another form of subtle admission of his (and his team’s) misconduct.
His play clearly helped him earn entrance into the HOF as Beltrán was one of four players ever to reach 2,700 hits, 400 homers, 1,500 runs and 300 steals, joining Barry Bonds, Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez.
Yet, as often argued here, human beings, in general and critics, specifically, don’t expect “perfection.” They expect ethical and moral decision making and a sense of duty towards responsibility and fairness.
Should Beltrán, for his impressive career, have been denied a Hall of Fame ending?
It’s a debate. Yet the decision-makers decided he was forgivable and worthy.
Interestingly enough, two teammates on that 2017 Houston team — Jose Altuve and Justin Verlander — are also guarantees to end up in Cooperstown. While Verlander was not thought to be significantly involved or involved at all, Altuve has received his fair share of negative judgment as well. Gerrit Cole, a member of the 2018 team, additionally has a chance to earn enshrinement.
Sometimes, rule breakers and “cheaters” win and undeservedly indulge in highly fruitful ways, even when they are known to be operating “below the line,” and playing by a different set of rules (their own).
Should those weak-minded decisions and benefits be held against them forever and in all ways? That’s the question that society regularly grapples with, with many saying “yes” and many also arguing against it, for a variety of reasons.
Beltrán’s reputation, with certain people, won’t be clean. He will be respected and loved by some, detested by others. His errors, objectively, were ones of commission.
Some people forgive, some don’t.
Beltrán however is another example however of someone who was considered more than his errors in judgment and recovered from harsh judgment to be accepted again and revered for the work he did in his industry.
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Michael Toebe and Reputation Intelligence serve clients with matters of trust, stakeholder relationships and proactive and responsive communications.
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My background includes work in research and analysis, media, conflict management, public relations, crisis communications and crisis management.
