Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, Andy Pettitte, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez. These are some of the more high profile names that have been attached to performance enhancing drugs over the past 5 years. Included among the names listed is one of the greatest right handed pitchers of all time and what will most likely be 6 of the top 15 home run hitters of all time. While the uproar from the media, fans, hall of fame voters, and in some instances fellow players to clean up the game has been deafening at times, is it not just a little bit hypocritical? Believe me I am 100-percent in favor of steroid testing, and firmly believe all sports should adopt Olympic testing guidelines, but after looking at that list of players I just mentioned one would be naive to think that steroids did not help save the game.
August 12th, 1994. I was 11 years old, still young enough to view professional athletes as idols, not really understanding the business side of sports. When I heard the players were going on strike that day I had no clue what that meant, all I knew was that they weren't going to be playing baseball THAT day. I didn't know that one day would turn into 232 days. I didn't know that one day would turn into the first autumn since 1904 without a World Series. I didn't know that one day would turn into the first professional sports league to cancel its entire postseason due to a labor dispute. I didn't know anything other than the fact that as August turned to September, and September to October, and 1994 to 1995, and after no spring training, and a cancelled Opening Day, they still weren't playing baseball. When they finally did come back I still didn't understand completely but I knew I was angry, however I wasn't going to hold a grudge. The same could not be said for baseball fans all across the country.
Once the players returned to the park, it was the fans' turn to go on strike. Attendance at stadiums all across the country plummeted, a clear sign everyday Americans were not happy with whining millionaires. The 1995 season came and went with the only real story line being that the Braves finally won a World Series, their only title during a decade and a half of dominance in the N.L. East. 1996 rolled around and once again it was a non-descript season filled with empty ballparks. It wasn't until August of that season that fans began to pay attention but that was because of one player in one city...Cal Ripken's chase of Lou Gehrig's consecutive games mark. While that was a great moment for Ripken and for baseball it did little to incite interest in the game once the record was broken. 1997 came and went, albeit with a very good World Series, but lets face it, its hard to get interested when the Florida Marlins are in the World Series. That brings us to 1998...
It almost seemed as if it was predestined that Mark McGwire would make a serious chase for Roger Maris' home run mark having hit 52, and 58 home runs the two years prior, but no one could have predicted how much fun it was going to be once Sammy Sosa got involved. These two mountains of men captivated baseball fans all over the country, tracking down one of the most hallowed records in the game. Personally it was the most fun I have ever had watching teams I had no rooting interest in. I couldn't wait to turn on WGN at 2:05 almost everyday during the summer for that afternoon's Cubs game, and it seemed as if every Cardinals game somehow made its way onto ESPN. It was amazing and it lasted for a full season. Baseball was back and it was all because of the long ball.
The 1998 season set the tone for an offensive era the likes of which had never been seen before, with some remnants of that still hanging around (A-Rod in 2007, Manny at the end of last season.) People were coming back to the ballpark to see these behemoths hit balls to areas once thought to be unreachable. Fans loved it, I mean the home run is one of the most exciting if not awe-inspiring plays in baseball, and I am going to say it again....IT SAVED BASEBALL!!
Do I think the powers that be in Major League Baseball knew about the steroid problem way before they are letting on? Of course I do. Do I also know that MLB is a business and they will do anything to make money? Absolutely. This may be a conspiracy theory, but I believe Selig let it go on until it got to a point that it literally was out of control. At the same time, if that is true it worked. As a result of the home run, baseball is more prosperous than it has ever been. Fans are showing up in record numbers, almost every single baseball game is on TV, and many teams have made going to the ballpark an experience rather than just a game.
I am not condoning anything illegal here I am simply stating a fact with my own "eye-test". If steroids and the blown up statistics as result of them didn't save baseball then why are fans still showing up in these record numbers? Fans refused to show up to games after the strike. We are not seeing that same outcry as a result of the performance enhancing drug era. So the next time we (myself included) want to vilify these individuals for cheating the game, maybe we should thank them.
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