Although the suspicion has been around for decades, the recent insurgence of the baseball steroid dialog bubbled during the Sosa/McGwire homerun battle and continues to steam today. That groundbreaking Sosa/McGwire race was preceded by an overall inflation of offensive power numbers in baseball, like when Brady Anderson was in the homerun derby - a former lead off hitter for the O's. But offense and excitement was welcomed in post-strike baseball. After the single season homerun record fell, the floodgates opened - an arms race. At climax, Barry Bonds boggled minds with an offensive presence that is unforgettable. And quietly a young shortstop from Miami became arguably the greatest offensive player in baseball history, in a very short period of time. These are only some of the figure-heads of the general steroid paranoia. Many other beautiful and amazing things happened in baseball during this time, which beckons the ethical dilemma.
I'm saddened. From personal experience, I dedicated a good 15-20 years learning this game and understanding it's philosophy. That philosophy evolved in recent decades and I experienced that evolution first hand. I didn't go with the flow. As with most things in my life, I appreciate integrity and originality, organics, and pureness of form and intellectualism. I always appreciated players like Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken, and Greg Maddux, where grace and discipline were celebrated over brute force. There is something to be said about the beauty of a Bonds and McGwire homerun because yes, these two guys have the purest of the pure of swings. However, their crescendo signaled standards that are only attainable through substance.
Can we return to Ty Cobb? Do we want to? Is baseball evolving? Does it mirror American inflated life in general? Do we hate the cheaters? Do we forget, forgive, or say fuck you?
