CROWDCTRL

Ethics is a massive topic that I won’t even attempt to cover completely in this post. What’s interesting is its impact on business, public image, and recently, baseball.

Game 2 of the 2005 World Series was a classic baseball nail-biter. Down to the wire, it was decided by a dramatic walk-off homer in the 9th inning to give the White Sox a 2-0 series lead.

But… How did they win?

Down 4-2 to the Astros in the 7th, with 2 outs and a full count - one strike away from ending the inning - Jermaine Dye was hit by a Chad Qualls pitch and sent to first, loading the bases. The next batter spanked his first pitch over the wall for a grand salami and, even though the ‘Stros tied it up in the 9th, the Sox won on a walk-off homer.

Replays of the pitch that hit Dye clearly showed the ball hit no part of the player. The ump called the play, Jermaine trotted to first, and knowing he wasn’t hit, said nothing. The replays showed repeatedly, and Dye stood there with a dumb guilty look on his face.

The play was demoralizing to the Astros, and could easily be cited as a reason they were swept in the series.

What should Dye have done? His quote after the game:

“I would be telling you guys lies if I had said that it hit me,” Dye said. “Everyone is human and makes mistakes. That’s a tough call. It barely nicked the bat, so it could have nicked me, too. It’s tough for him to see that. But it definitely gave us a break.”

He easily admits it post-game, but said nothing during the game. When it mattered, he said nothing. And it changed the history of baseball and the lives of the players involved.

Should he have told the truth? What difference would it have made? Would he have been ridiculed by teammates, or lauded for his good deed?

How do you conduct business? Or your life even? Would you lie to gain an edge? Win a world series game on a lie? Is that legitimate?

Is it a real win for a business or individual if something is gained illegitimately?