In 1998, Mark McGwire, or “Big Mac”, was hailed as the savior of baseball, along with Sammy Sosa and a host of other big home run hitters. Attendance had been slowly dwindling, and America’s Favorite Pastime was slipping into irrelevancy. Then came the homerun race, the Cold War of baseball. Big Mac, Slammin Sammy and even Rafael Palmeiro started crushing balls and captivated the attention of millions. Attendance skyrocketed once again as these guys lofted ball after ball majestically into the seats for rabid fans to fight over. Barry Bonds, the reigning NL MVP, took notice that nobody cared about his amazing all-around game, but only cared about the moonshots these once good-but-not-great players were making. Six hat sizes later, and we had the chance to watch Bond’s chase for Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron, the all-time home run king.
Fast-forward five years and let’s recap the aftermath.
-One corked bat, some steroids (caught) and a “no English” confession for Sosa.
-A Viagra campaign, some steroids (caught) and a pointed finger for Palmeiro.
- Possibly pending perjury charges, two years of jail for a (inexplicably) loyal trainer, “some flax oil” and a lot of really big hats for Bonds.
- Admitted use of anabolic steroids “for health reasons” (finally), five years of hiding, a job as hitting coach for the Cardinals and a lot of embarrassment after no Hall of Fame votes for Big Mac.
These once great men, the saviors of baseball, are all now shades of their former selves. All have been thrown under the bus as a thank you for saving baseball. The Mitchell Report and the ensuing steroid witch-hunt have gotten a little out of hand. Every other month, a new name surfaces; the biggest stars of this generation slowly being exposed as cheaters and frauds (Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, some of the most recognizable names in the sport). People need to get over this.
1. If these guys hadn’t done this, would baseball be where it is right now? Before the economy nose-dived, attendance was at an all time high. Every year new records were being broken, revenues were up, people were happy.
2. Do steroids help you hit a baseball, or just hit a baseball further? McGwire’s trainer said “if Paris Hilton took these drugs she could run over Dick Butkus.” But would Paris Hilton be able to hit a baseball? Hitting a baseball has the distinction as the hardest thing to do in sports. These guys were all legitimately good at hitting balls before the juice. The juice just helped them hit those balls further and transcend the game for a few glorious years. Now it’s tarnished their life’s work.
3. If “everyone was doing it,” is it really cheating? Some reports have nearly 70% of players using some form of “aid” in the locker room, depending on whom you believe. Is it even possible for them to catch everyone who did it without everyone just deciding to come clean with no repercussions?
4. At this rate, who will be considered the great players of this generation? If McGwire, Bonds, Clemens, A-Rod, et al. aren’t in the HOF, who will be? We’ll look back and see Derek Jeter and… Morgan Ensberg and Rich Aurilia? The players who were the best of their generation should be recognized as such. Until we know exactly who did it and who didn’t. We can’t assume that the playing field wasn’t equal. Who did juice but hasn’t been caught? Guys all over the league are hitting and throwing harder, running faster. Don’t use a half-assed report that only came up with 150 names to judge the whole league. Go ahead and use asterisks, but give these guys their due.
5. Not even discussing pressure to perform when playing a game for millions of dollars every day (which I don’t agree with btw), these guys knew the risks they were taking. Baldness, infertility, renal failure, paranoia, mood swings, increased risk for prostate cancer, etc. The side effects have been known for years and players still took them. If they want to risk their lives for a paycheck, that’s on them. Would you juice for $100 mil?
Do I condone steroids? No, but it’s in the past and can’t be changed. We need baseball to back off the bad-guy stance, encourage the media, fans and players to move on and just let everyone come clean with no penalties. For the sake of the sport, stop villainizing the guys who saved it. People were drawn to it and paid money to see it and still do. It’s entertainment. Argue “purity of the game” if you want to, but when it all comes down to it, chicks still dig the long ball.