Plight of Baseball

Baseball is going to take a big hit for this steroids scandal. It wasn't like people didn't already think or suspect that some of these guys were on steroids, but with the new admissions, it's really going to tarnish a sport that was ascending to new highs.

I don't like the Red Sox (I've never made any secret of that, and seeing them on the current cover of Sports Illustrated made me sigh. But that's progress! At least I sighed, and it wasn't like I screamed or went into a frenzy...), but I will admit that they've helped bring even more excitement to baseball. A team beating their biggest rivals en route to a historic World Series win? Even I can't challenge the underdog excitement of a storyline like that; it's like a cheesy sports movie.

But it's not only that. Ever since the strike, baseball has been trying to get back some of its old magic, and I think it was really reaching new heights these days. There was all the frenzy over the home run record (although now that will inevitably be marked with an asterisk about the scandal), the Cubs and the Red Sox making playoff runs, some smaller teams beating the "hated" Yankees (I don't know where the hate comes from, really... and yes, I'm being sarcastic), new records being set... And to think that a lot of that magic will be lost now due to people's disgust over the selfishness of some of these players taking steroids. Sigh.

Does Barry Bonds really think that people will believe him when he says that he "didn't know" that what he was being given were performance enhancers? Please! An athlete of that caliber has to be able to notice changes in his physical ability. Even his appearance would give that away. I can believe it if he said that he didn't go outright seeking them; I have a hard time believing that there was a lack of knowledge. And the Yankees aren't immune either. Everyone knew Giambi was on steroids; at least he finally admitted it.

I love baseball. It's one of my favorite sports. I love going to the games, I love watching them on TV. I think it's such a shame that the actions of some of these players is going to bring needless scandal down on the sport. I don't want to hear them deny what they've done; I want them to really admit their mistake and to apologize to us, the public, for what they've done to the game.