New Article: Steroids, Players and You: Who Cares?

[TomShane]

I wrote an editorial expressing why I don't care who does what off the field as long as a good product hits the field. Check it out!

[Farm Implement]

I wrote an editorial expressing why I don't care who does what off the field as long as a good product hits the field. Check it out!

You've done a wonderful job with this article TS! But, you neglected to show any consideration for the athletes health!...I know, who cares? 8)

[Bugg]

Fair points. One other thing-all the media has to do is mention "steroids" on the radio or on the top of the page and the phones light up and the article writes itself. Bonds and Giambi are cheater, but once you say as much once, we don't need the overkill circus that the media does best. It's easy and lazy stuff, they get to take the high moral ground and no one really cares.

It may be cold, but the most pathetic part of the hearings were those parents blaming MLB for the death of their chidren. As a parent how do you readily deny your own responsibility and instead blame some 3rd party, unless you're looking to sue? Mark McGwire wasn't going to break down the door of your bathroom when Junior was getting a syringe in the hiney. That's your job. And as a parent it's not easy. We live in a culture that always wants to blame someone else. And that message trickles down far too much; nobody wants to take responsibility for their own actions.

As you pointed out, why is Haslett barbecued when Steve Courson told SI the same friggin' thing 15 years ago?

[Maxman]

I think it is Raismann in the Daily News who called YES Network Yankee ~ Jazerra. Apparently they never mentioned the words steroids anymore. Pretty funny.

[faba]

Good article TS

When it comes down to it the players in all sports are just a meat market for teams and their owners so I try to put into perspective that anything goes to be better than the next guy is allowed because of this mentality.

It is a reflection of the society we live in that the final results are what count and it does not seem to matter how you accomplished it.

[Scott Dierking]

Tom- Very nice article, and I think that many people feel the same way.

I for one, do not.

To me, baseball has a long history. To me, baseball numbers (statistics) are a total part of its lore. Mention the numbers 60, 61, 714, 755, 56 and any baseball fan will immediately know what you are talking about.

This recent tainted explosion has ruined what those marks stood for. They were the mark which everyone else measured against, either in a season or a career. Those marks were talked about and revered. They were an accomplishment of hard work.

The measuring stick for a true home run hitter used to be 30. Now, we talk about 30 home run hitters and question whether some of them can round their game out.

All baseball has its past. The Lord's of the Realm have certainly done a piss poor job of promoting the future. It was a glorious past. But, that past does not carry the same weight that it once did because of some of these cheap records.

Baseball is a wonderful sport to shoot the breeze and talk about numbers of the past and try to hold them up to some of the present feats. Only, we do not know which feats are worthy of holding up.

All a sport can have is its credibility. Unfortunately, baseball has lost its.

[TomShane]

It may be cold, but the most pathetic part of the hearings were those parents blaming MLB for the death of their chidren. As a parent how do you readily deny your own responsibility and instead blame some 3rd party, unless you're looking to sue? Mark McGwire wasn't going to break down the door of your bathroom when Junior was getting a syringe in the hiney. That's your job. And as a parent it's not easy. We live in a culture that always wants to blame someone else. And that message trickles down far too much; nobody wants to take responsibility for their own actions.

Bugg, I totally agree with you on this. That was a pathetic attempt at melodramatic minstrelry by Congress. These parents who want to try and embarrass Mark McGwire and baseball for the death of their sons is ridiculous on so many counts it's not even funny. Mark McGwire doesn't raise your kids. Bud Selig doesn't raise your kids. The pressure to perform on the field came from somewhere with these kids, and the prime suspect in these types of things is always the parents. It's so easy to flip the switch and blame the "influence" of professional athletes coercing their poor, inoocent kids to do stupid sh*t. It reminds me of the Black Sabbath trial where parents were blaming Ozzy for their kids's suicides. Please. If a superstar has that much influence on your kid, then you're not doing the job as a parent. That was pathetic during the hearings seeing that. That parent should be embarrassed.

This recent tainted explosion has ruined what those marks stood for. They were the mark which everyone else measured against, either in a season or a career. Those marks were talked about and revered. They were an accomplishment of hard work.

The measuring stick for a true home run hitter used to be 30. Now, we talk about 30 home run hitters and question whether some of them can round their game out.

Thanks Scott. I agree with you that it has ripped some of the credibility away from the game, but at the same time, you can argue that steroids saved baseball. It had become an increasingly unmarketable sport, culminating in the 94 strike. It was easily the #3 sport behind Football and Basketball, and even the pathetic mess that is Hockey was nipping at its heels. What saved baseball was the McGwire-Sosa steroid-fueled home run chase in 95. The resurgence of baseball is tied directly to the juiced up homerun hitter and the juiced up pitcher. Prior to that, it was becoming a specialty sport watched only by the traditionalists like yourself, who had a zeal for the puruty of the game. No one--NO ONE--in baseball didn't know how prevalent steroids had become, but they turned their backs on it because attendance was climbing and all of a sudden, the Angels and the Diamondbacks and the Marlins were winning titles. Steroids had become the ultimate equalizer. They may not have been able to pay the bashing slugger or the rocket-armed releiver, but they could just make one with a few cycles of the juice.

It is a reflection of the society we live in that the final results are what count and it does not seem to matter how you accomplished it.

Thanks faba. I wish I wrote this into the article. Totally agree.

[GimmeShelter]

I think it is Raismann in the Daily News who called YES Network Yankee ~ Jazerra. Apparently they never mentioned the words steroids anymore. Pretty funny.

That always cracks me up.

Too further their homerism, Kay even found it neccessary to switch to Piazza not running hard instead of chastizing Posada for admiring his fly ball yesterday. Sooner or later Kay must be removed from the air.

[GimmeShelter]

TS...excellent read.

You have a definite talent at putting your thoughts to pen.

[PETROCK]

Dam good article TS.

[LockeJET]

Im gona do a cycle right before the start of the pre-season...This way, by the start of the regular season nobody will out cheer me...