Editorial : But is it a Record?
Barry Bonds, who arguably enhanced his performance with steroids,
recently passed Babe Ruth for number two on the all-time home run
count. But should his record stand if we ultimately and
definitely find out that he used steroids to enhance his
performance? It looks as if Major League Baseball will allow his
enhanced record to stand no matter what, just like it allowed Mark
McGwire's steroid enhanced records to stand as well. In an era of
people getting impatient faster and faster baseball is a game that is
meant to be played slowly. But in a race to keep up with thrill a
minute sports like Basketball and Football, Baseball has promoted the
more exciting aspects of the game to flourish, such as home runs.
There isn't anything more exciting to people than a home run. No
hitters are rare, home runs these days are not. After the 1994
strike Baseball needed something to pull it out of the doldrums.
The answer was Mark McGwire and his quest to hit more than 61 home runs
during a season. He would ultimately go on to 70 home runs during
the 1998 season. The run for the record did more than excite
crowds, it put people back in the seats.
The question remains though, are Bonds' accomplishments tainted by the
specter of steroid use? Of course, because he is unwilling to
simply come out and prove that he did not use steroid or human growth
hormone to enhance his performance. There are those who would
defend Bonds by saying that even with steroids his accomplishments are
spectacular. Jose Canseco stated in his book "Juiced" that
steroids will not make a player hit home runs if he doesn't have the
skills in the first place. Steroids can only enhance not give
abilities a player does not have. So in that sense Bonds is not a
total fraud. Since the early days of his career he has been a
great hitter. Nevertheless, Canseco does make a point that
steroids helped him become a longer hitter. A hit that might have
been a double turned into a home run with the help of steroids.
Sadly this is not going to go away. I feel sorry for players such
as Pete Rose, who bet on baseball, because their actions seem to be
less detrimental to the game than padded statistics. Rose claimed
never to have bet on baseball, though he had. The truth is out
now, yet Rose did not enhance his performance. His better vice
did not directly affect his performance on the field. No one can
deny that what he did was wrong, but no one can deny that Rose played
the game full out all the time. There is no evidence that Rose
deliberately lost a game in order to cover a bet. It's not in his
nature to do that. Rose's records stand though he is not allowed
in the hall of fame. I think that in Bonds' case neither his
record nor he should stand in the hall of fame, if it is proven that he
enhanced his performance with steroids. It doesn't look like that
will happen any time soon. So what we will have is the specter of
lies and cheating and the loss of integrity in America's pastime.
For me baseball has lost all credibility. I rather watch a
football game anytime over a baseball game.
