There is nothing more exciting in baseball then the homerun and based on the ratings that this past World Series had, baseball can use all the help it can get. Many players have been mentioned in the Mitchell Report (a report that was issued in 2002 that initially named 89 MLB players who had allegedly used steroids), but none were bigger then Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. All these players had one thing in common; they hit homeruns and lots of them. In 1999 both Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire reached unthinkable feats, both hit over sixty homeruns in a season. In 2001, Barry Bonds broke the record held by Hank Aaron for the most homeruns in a season with seventy-one. Bonds would end up breaking the career record of homeruns, and sits atop of the list with 762 career dingers. People all over the world tuned in for the next milestone these men would accomplish, baseball was exciting. There is just this one symbol that goes beside their name that they cannot seem to shrug off, the asterisks. Bonds along with Sosa and McGwire tested positive for steroids. People started to question taking away their stats. That would wipe out nearly two thousand homeruns, but no one was affected more then Roger Clemens.
The seven time CY Young winner and two- time World Series champion denied his steroid use initially but over the last five years has had an ongoing investigation that recently proved his steroid use. There has been much talk, like Bonds of taking away his awards and stats. The word “cheating” keeps getting thrown out when people talk about the players who have used steroids. In truth it is cheating, but as fans we would like the players to be the best they can be, if that means to use drugs then so be it. I respect the players who have not used drugs to enhance their play, but its not like you can pick up Joe Shmoe, give him steroids and all of a sudden they can a hit a homerun in a Major League field. These players have talent; they have the strength and ability to make it to the Major Leagues.
Anyone who succeeds in baseball offensively now on will have the conversations of steroid use swirling. Take Jose Bautista’s case this year. Bautista hit fifty-four homeruns this year and after every one he hit, the media asked him if he was on the “juice,” and every time he denied it. Since this report came out the game will never be the same, the steroid talks will always be mentioned. It’s not going away so if we just accepted it and moved on the game of baseball could too.
