Baseball's Steroid Spiral
As Barry Bonds’ perjury trial enters its second week, the talk among sports media members about players from the steroid era whose Hall of Fame inductions will be delayed or denied has again resumed. Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Andy Pettitte and other great players from the era may never see their busts in Cooperstown because of the rampant (alleged) use of steroids throughout baseball during their playing days and their rumored/alleged used of steroids and/or other performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).
The same circular arguments have been used against several great players from the 1990s and early 2000s. The numbers are inflated. However, players throughout generations have utilized means of gaining an unfair advantage on the baseball diamond. They had an unfair advantage over those who were not associated with PEDs. However, players felt they had to use the juice to keep up with the other players who were already doing it. I hear every argument under the sun except for arguments related to the actual performance of alleged PED users on the field.
Here is a novel concept (ahem). Major League Baseball, like every other sport, has rules. Each year, the game has an opportunity to, and often does, change the rules. Those situations not adequately covered by existing rules can be addressed in the future. Since, prior to 2003, baseball had neither rules against the use of steroids nor any screening methods in place to identify players using steroids, would it not be a good idea to evaluate the performance of all players and their achievements under the rules of baseball at the time that the players played? GASP! How revolutionary!
Why Were Steroids Allowed to Flourish?
Many a baseball fan, me included, is of the opinion that baseball knowingly turned a blind eye to the use of steroids in the 1990s. Players were blasting home runs out of the park at a record pace and baseball benefited handsomely from the increased interest in the game. This was especially important in the wake of the 1994 player strike, which ended, what was shaping into, a compelling season in the middle of the summer and robbed fans of a postseason and a World Series. Baseball desperately needed to regain its goodwill with its fans.
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| I didn't hear many complaints or demands for an investigation from baseball writers in 1998. Did you? Bud Selig didn't seem very concerned about the integrity of the game, either. Oh, wait...he still doesn't. 1 |
To reevaluate the performance of players that recorded their performances within the context of the rules of baseball, at those times, is an attempt to rewrite history. MLB certainly is not going to refund ticket money to the fans or refund broadcasting rights revenues to the dozens of local and national television networks covering the games during those years. Perhaps a rewrite of the record books would be more suitable under those circumstances.
Likewise, I have never heard about the Baseball Hall of Fame reevaluating the enshrinement of players from the Dead Ball Era. I have witnessed no attempts to discount the strikeouts thrown by pitchers before the pitching mound was lowered in the late 1960s or reevaluate the play of American League players prior to the adoption of the designated hitter. Players were judged based upon the rules that baseball had in place at the time they were playing.
Writers Had Their Cake. Now They Want to Eat It!
Voters control who gets into the Hall of Fame, in spite of the opinions of the fans that invested their money and time into the game to make it profitable and meaningful. They choose to either not acknowledge or marginalize with an asterisk the greatness of the accomplishments of players that were alleged to have used steroids prior to baseball ever having a rule against steroids. None of these players had any positive drug tests, administered by Major League Baseball, prior to 2003 and I am unaware of any players that tested positive in the “anonymous” 2003 tests (which had a few dozen names leak to the public) having any repeat positive tests, going forward. Their contributions may be ignored, in spite of playing and achieving within the rules.
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| Okay...even SHE can't have her cake and eat it too! And I doubt she resembles anyone in the BBWAA. |
The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) conducts the vote to select players to the Hall of Fame. I cannot help but wonder how history books would look if these wizards of time and space, with the ability to give history a make over, had written them. I also cannot help but wonder if each of them owns a DeLorean with a Flux Capacitor.
Making History...Literally
On the death of Christ….
History writers: Jesus Christ was crucified in the fourth decade of the first century, A.D., charged with sedition against the Roman Empire, under the orders of Pontius Pilate. His hands and feet were nailed to a wooden cross. He suffered excruciating pain before dying.
Baseball writers: The death penalty has been a part of civilization since the dawn of man. The Romans conducted executions, such as that of Jesus*, through crucifixion. Crucifixion involved no poisonous gasses, electrocution, strangling, firing squads, or injection of lethal poison.
* Jesus Christ was crucified in the fourth decade of the first century, A.D., charged with sedition against the Roman Empire, under the orders of Pontius Pilate. His hands and feet were nailed to a wooden cross. He suffered excruciating pain before dying.
On the Black Plague….
History writers: The Bubonic plague was a disease that killed over 100 million people, slowly and painfully, in the 14th century. Most of Europe’s population, and over 20% of the world’s population, were killed by the plague. It is possibly the most devastating pandemic in the recorded history of man.
Baseball writers: Before the development of modern science and medicine, pandemics were difficult to combat. The Black Plague* was particularly challenging. It eventually subsided.
* The Bubonic plague was a disease that killed over 100 million people, slowly and painfully, in the 14th century. Most of Europe’s population, and over 20% of the world’s population, were killed by the plague. It is possibly the most devastating pandemic in the recorded history of man.
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| Baseball writers would have you think that THIS was a typical scene for a Black Plague patient. 3 |
On the Civil War….
History writers: The American Civil War (1861-1865) was the deadliest war in American history, with well over 600,000 people killed in action and countless more wounded. The central issue, which led to the succession of Southern states that prompted the war, was slavery. Long reaching political, social, economic, and cultural effects of the war, from the assassination of President Lincoln to often painful challenges related to race relations, persisted in the U.S. after the war and can still be observed today, over 150 years later.
Baseball writers: Abraham Lincoln was the President of the United States of America from 1861 until his death in 1865 from cranial trauma. Lincoln oversaw many victories in military conflicts during his time in office*. He also took steps to dramatically improve the pay and working conditions of African-Americans in the South, albeit with a sharp rise in the black unemployment rate.
* The American Civil War (1861-1865) was the deadliest war in American history, with well over 100,000 people killed in action and countless more wounded. The central issue, which led to the succession of Southern states that prompted the war, was slavery. Long reaching political, social, economic, and cultural effects of the war, from the assassination of President Lincoln to often painful challenges related to race relations, persisted in the U.S. after the war and can still be observed today, over 150 years later.
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| John Sherman must have been making his pitch to join the BBWAA. 4 |
On Nazi Germany….
History writers: Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany during World War II. Considered, possibly, the most evil regime in modern history, Hitler and his lieutenants were responsible for the Holocaust, a mass genocide resulting in the deaths of 6,000,000 Jews. Allied forces, consisting largely of the United States, Britain, and Russia, were able to defeat Hitler and his Axis, including Italy and Japan.
Baseball writers: Adolf Hitler* was a very naughty man. His interests often conflicted with those of Jewish people living in Europe during his reign. He was eventually removed from power.
* Adolf Hitler was the leader of Nazi Germany during World War II. Considered, possibly, the most evil regime in modern history, Hitler and his lieutenants were responsible for the Holocaust, a mass genocide resulting in the deaths of 6,000,000 Jews. Allied forces, consisting largely of the United States, Britain, and Russia, were able to defeat Hitler and his Axis, including Italy and Japan.
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| BBWAA headlines, circa 1945. 5 |
On the Kennedy Assassination….
History writers: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Video footage shows Kennedy enduring multiple gunshots before (what was likely) a fatal shot struck him in the head. The final shot was particularly graphic, showing the leakage of a substantial amount of tissue, likely blood, skull, and brain matter.
Baseball writers: John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1917-1963*
* President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Video footage shows Kennedy enduring multiple gunshots before (what was likely) a fatal shot struck him in the head. The final shot was particularly graphic, showing the leakage of a substantial amount of tissue, likely blood, skull, and brain matter.
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| Baseball writers' caption: "President Kennedy on his final day in office." 6 |
Baseball writers have a God given gift. With a few strokes of a pen or taps on a keyboard, they can make life’s events more palatable and acceptable. We should
all aspire to emulate their version of reality!
Don’t forget to vote in the fan polls!
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1) Image from clubhousecancer.com
2) Image from flickr.com
3) Image from zimbio.com
4) Image from civilwarlibrarian.blogspot.com
5) Image from littlemissjournalist.wordpress.com
6) Image from prisonplanet.com
