Integrity and baseball
Rafael Palmeiro and his positive drug test are just the tip of this dirty mountain--DRUGS IN BASEBALL. The real story is much deeper and taller. The 1990's has ushered in the steroid age of baseball, but the cocaine age was epitomized by the Pittsburgh connections and folks like Hernandez and Parker. Though at least the cocaine epidemic only affected the players not the league records---this is what matters to me as a fan.
What has made Baseball great and unique over the last century plus is that players could be compared generationally and that the game was unscripted, less maybe the 1919 World Series (ha ha).
Yet, as of 1992 could anyone deny the emergence of something wrong in the game. from 1992 through this season players like Brady Anderson would go from 15 adn 21 homer seasons to 50. Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finly poping them out like Schimidt and Pops. Watching Bonds, McGuire and Sosa chase Ruth, Aaron and Maris was the final straw for me. Certinaly they could do it, but watching Sosa claim his bat was corked only for BP was embarrasing. Bonds and McGuire choose another form of illegal benefit-Steriods. Though McGuire attempted to knock us off the sent by admitting to creatine, i for one was not fooled by his action---he was an abuser of other 'roids' too--no doudt and his records need to be expunged or (*). Bonds, on the otherhand, wants us to believe that despite his connections with a distribution lab company dealing in steroids, that he did not partake in them, despite what his mistress claimed.
We can show the amazing change in numbers of homeruns hit by not only the power hitters in baseball from say 92 thruogh 2004, but that does not compare to the emergence of psuedo power hitters like Brady Anderson, Finly, Castillo and crew.
Baseball sold its soul to the devil to win ratings and fans in the seats. It only cost the integrity of the game. Thank you Mr. Owner/Commisioner Selig. The League ignored the clear issue demonstrated by increased power over the 90's...for who's benefit...owners, players and the league in general. Who loses?
Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, Mays, Schmidt, Maris and all of us who have cared about the history and integrity of the game.
Selig fiddled while Major League Baseball burned. He sent Rose to the lions while ignoring the corruption of that same game he claimed to be saving by sacrificing Rose.
All the time Selig condemned Rose he allowed Bonds, McGuire and Palmeiro to destroy the same game with Steriods instead of bets.
Satistically, just for review, Before 1993 Palmeiro averaged 15.6 homers a season while Bonds averaged 26. After 1993, Palmeiro averaged 36,5 while Bonds averaged 43.9. Surely even my son could see the clear demonstratable adjustment in power. Over the same two periods Palmeiro averaged 75 RBI's while Bonds averaged 84.6 RBI's. During the later period Palmeiro increased to an average of 108.7 while Bonds increased to 107.25.
Many other players could be added to demonstrate the steriod abuse was not atypical rather it was widespread and typical. Baseball has had a problem for more than a decade that it has tryied to hide, ignore and avoid. It had to take an action by Congress to get this opened up, think about it, Government actually has helped to solve a problem, no not crime, not poverty but steroids in Baseball---ye of little faith.
Finally, Baseball has lost something they have tried since Kennesaw "Mountain" Landis to maitain--its integrity. Despite the absolutely bueatiful history of the game, it is mared by the actions allowed by Mr. Selig. Though it should not be shocking to anyone, that when the fox is asked and allowed to guard the henhouse...don't be shocked to find dining going on.
Baseball needs a real, independent Commisioner and it needs one without the name of Bud Selig. Certainly one cannot blame Selig for Steroid use, but we can blame him for ignoring steriod use. Bonds, Palmeiro, McGuire and Sosa should all have thier records perferably removed from baseball history, but at the very least marked by an (*). The Steroid Era should be noted and established to re-engage the integrity lost to a group more interested in personal achievement than with team achievement---that includes owners who were more interested in padding the pocket than maintaining integrity.
As we note in the almanac that 1981 was a strike shorted season, so too should we note that the era beginning in about 1992 through 2005 was the Steroid affected Era.
What has made Baseball great and unique over the last century plus is that players could be compared generationally and that the game was unscripted, less maybe the 1919 World Series (ha ha).
Yet, as of 1992 could anyone deny the emergence of something wrong in the game. from 1992 through this season players like Brady Anderson would go from 15 adn 21 homer seasons to 50. Luis Gonzalez and Steve Finly poping them out like Schimidt and Pops. Watching Bonds, McGuire and Sosa chase Ruth, Aaron and Maris was the final straw for me. Certinaly they could do it, but watching Sosa claim his bat was corked only for BP was embarrasing. Bonds and McGuire choose another form of illegal benefit-Steriods. Though McGuire attempted to knock us off the sent by admitting to creatine, i for one was not fooled by his action---he was an abuser of other 'roids' too--no doudt and his records need to be expunged or (*). Bonds, on the otherhand, wants us to believe that despite his connections with a distribution lab company dealing in steroids, that he did not partake in them, despite what his mistress claimed.
We can show the amazing change in numbers of homeruns hit by not only the power hitters in baseball from say 92 thruogh 2004, but that does not compare to the emergence of psuedo power hitters like Brady Anderson, Finly, Castillo and crew.
Baseball sold its soul to the devil to win ratings and fans in the seats. It only cost the integrity of the game. Thank you Mr. Owner/Commisioner Selig. The League ignored the clear issue demonstrated by increased power over the 90's...for who's benefit...owners, players and the league in general. Who loses?
Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, Mays, Schmidt, Maris and all of us who have cared about the history and integrity of the game.
Selig fiddled while Major League Baseball burned. He sent Rose to the lions while ignoring the corruption of that same game he claimed to be saving by sacrificing Rose.
All the time Selig condemned Rose he allowed Bonds, McGuire and Palmeiro to destroy the same game with Steriods instead of bets.
Satistically, just for review, Before 1993 Palmeiro averaged 15.6 homers a season while Bonds averaged 26. After 1993, Palmeiro averaged 36,5 while Bonds averaged 43.9. Surely even my son could see the clear demonstratable adjustment in power. Over the same two periods Palmeiro averaged 75 RBI's while Bonds averaged 84.6 RBI's. During the later period Palmeiro increased to an average of 108.7 while Bonds increased to 107.25.
Many other players could be added to demonstrate the steriod abuse was not atypical rather it was widespread and typical. Baseball has had a problem for more than a decade that it has tryied to hide, ignore and avoid. It had to take an action by Congress to get this opened up, think about it, Government actually has helped to solve a problem, no not crime, not poverty but steroids in Baseball---ye of little faith.
Finally, Baseball has lost something they have tried since Kennesaw "Mountain" Landis to maitain--its integrity. Despite the absolutely bueatiful history of the game, it is mared by the actions allowed by Mr. Selig. Though it should not be shocking to anyone, that when the fox is asked and allowed to guard the henhouse...don't be shocked to find dining going on.
Baseball needs a real, independent Commisioner and it needs one without the name of Bud Selig. Certainly one cannot blame Selig for Steroid use, but we can blame him for ignoring steriod use. Bonds, Palmeiro, McGuire and Sosa should all have thier records perferably removed from baseball history, but at the very least marked by an (*). The Steroid Era should be noted and established to re-engage the integrity lost to a group more interested in personal achievement than with team achievement---that includes owners who were more interested in padding the pocket than maintaining integrity.
As we note in the almanac that 1981 was a strike shorted season, so too should we note that the era beginning in about 1992 through 2005 was the Steroid affected Era.
posted by Tom Gaitens at 4:42 AM
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