Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Well, it had to happen. It wasn't going to at first. When A-Rod got caught, I was okay with letting it go. After all, he was a Yankee, and this subject matter isn't my favorite to discuss. But now that Manny's name has been engraved on baseball's blacklist too, it's time to bring it up. That's right, we're talking about steroids today.

For those who have been living under a rock or in an ESPN-less world, baseball has been under of cloud of steroids, and other performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), for much of the 21st century. Though steroids have been a part of baseball since the 1990s, the hoopla began when the now infamous Jose Canseco released his book, Juiced, in 2005. The book revealed that America's game had a dirty little secret and that many of the sports' home run hitting superstars were in on the crime. Four years and one Mitchell Report later, he we are in the 2009 season, now with arguably baseball's two biggest superstars caught up in the steroid saga.

It seems to me that the news of steroids in baseball has affected most of the  fans in similar way: it has made them disillusioned with the game. For me, watching baseball in the late 90s, with the excitement of Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa's home run duel and of course the fact that the Orioles had been in a playoff game in the decade, baseball was an enriching sport to watch and play. The early 2000s were a little harder to stomach as the Orioles were losing more and more and Cal Ripken decided to call it quits. However, there was still a unique thrill that came with going to the ballpark and plenty of good storylines as Barry Bonds hit over 70 homers and the Yankees finally stopped winning the World Series. But when the stigma of steroids rolled around, not to mention the fact that the Orioles organization seemed to be a hotbed for the scandal, watching the games still brought entertainment, but the fun could no longer be had without the thought of steroids lingering in the back of my mind. Now whenever watching a player succeed, I either know he was a user or wonder if he could be. 

Now to be honest, I don't actually have a problem with people using steroids. Just as students with ADD can take Adderall and people with bad vision can get laser-eye-surgery, I have no problem with others using artificial methods of improving themselves. It's their bodies, and I believe they can do what they want with them. But the fact is, Major League Baseball has established a set of rules, so when a pro baseball player uses steroids, he is cheating, and that is something that any fan of sports should have a problem with. 

But it does look like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. With two big names suffering the consequences of using PEDs, maybe the rest of the juicers will learn to play by the rules. It also seems like the MLB has gotten its act together in tightening up its steroids policy and actually following through with it. So maybe baseball can survive this dark era and come out even stronger. Maybe I'll be able to watch baseball again and feel that same rush of excitement that once came naturally. I know that's one thing I'll be rooting for.