Crap, Douthat is channeling George Will

Ross Douthat has now, to the best of my recollection, written his first baseball column. Like fellow quasi-intellectual conservative George Will, I doubt Douthat knows any more about the National Pastime than he does about politics, the American social economy, etc.

The cheap juxtaposition of the just-deceased Bobby Thomson and the just-indicted Roger Clemens, complete with the injunction at the end that maybe we should just forgive Clemens, shows that Douthat has even less idea of the poetry of baseball than Will does, in fact.

Forgive Clemens? First, Mr. Douthat, as a good Catholic, you know that Roger the Dodger has to want forgiveness. Second, shouldn't he, even if he repents, do some penance, maybe an indulgence or two? Third, by putting Thomson's name in the middle of a column about the history of cheating in baseball (Giants' alleged 1951 signal-spying aside), you've engaged in at least the spirit of borderline libelousness. Fourth, such tawdry baseball writing is unforgivable. At least you didn't drag Roy Hobbs into this muck.

Further note to Douthat: If you wanted to know how to write a baseball column, including Thomson, all you had to do was peek over Bob Herbert's shoulder and learn from him.