March 9, 2004

The Breakfast Of Champions

Now that the names are out linking some of the biggest stars in baseball with the BALCO scandal, it’s interesting to see who is taking steroids along with the OJ and the Wheaties.  Leading the pack is the prodigious home run king Barry Bonds; the holier than thou, I’ll pee in a cup everyday phony.  Besides the fact that the almighty player’s union will not allow testing, the alleged drug of choice for Mr. Bonds is HGH, (Human Growth Hormone) a drug that cannot be detected by any known testing device. 

He’s in pursuit of Hank Aaron’s all-time home run record of 755.  It is an insult to Aaron and Ruth and Mays and the other all-time greats that someone who has chemically altered his body will surpass the numbers that they so impressively accrued through sweat and hard work.  I’m not saying Bonds hasn’t also worked to develop his magnificent physique because steroids are only truly effective when utilized with an intense workout program.  My objection is he didn’t do it naturally and is reaping all the rewards. 

I also abhor his arrogance.  Just last year during the all-star game he made a statement about how he couldn’t wait to blow by Babe Ruth in the home run derby.  From his tone at the time, it was construed as possibly a racist statement. 

The funny thing is, had he not benefited from his post-prime pump-up, he would be nowhere near such hallowed ground.  Since when do you become a mega-star when other player’s careers are coming to an end?   He was always a good home run hitter but never close to what he has become.  Previous to 2000, he had never averaged better than one homer for every ten at-bats, but since that time, he has surpassed that number every year. 

Unfortunately, a lot of fans that are not true purists enjoy the long ball and the pinball scores that their juiced up muscles create.  For people with short attention spans, I suppose scoring is the only way to keep their interest in the game.  For those in the know; a 1-0 game can be just as magical.  What these inflated numbers from inflated players also does is diminish the accomplishments of past stars, especially those up for Hall of Fame election with career stats that don’t look quite as impressive as they once did at the end of their careers.  Many of the writers voting didn’t have the chance to see these players in their prime, and are unable to compare them to their peers at the time.   Instead they are judged against those playing today, with numbers that are not reflective of the past, when it was not quite so easy to hit the long ball. 

This is perhaps the most tragic outcome of the steroid rage that today’s player has benefited from.  Baseball is the one game where history truly matters. When the accomplishments of the past are destroyed by such large margins, it diminishes our past heroes and subtracts from the greatness of the game. 

There has been talk about adding asterisks to players who have been found guilty of violating the rules.  Unfortunately, in baseball, the use of steroids wasn’t even against the rules until last year even though it was illegal in the United States.  So the gargantuan numbers that have been put up are going to stand even though they weren’t really earned.

In today’s society, it doesn’t matter how you did it but rather what you did.  Nobody cares about the effort you put in, the only thing that matters is the result. 

Barry Bonds has been compared to the all-time greats and has been deemed the greatest player of all by many.  I would question that even if he had done everything legally, but considering the dramatic change in his physique and his numbers over the past several years, I think his records should be stricken from the annals of the sport, and everything he has accomplished should be questioned. I would definitely negate everything he has done since 2000. You could even say his numbers from the nineties are suspect knowing how the game has changed with the question of juiced balls and bats, smaller ballparks, and the dearth of quality players due to expansion.  That was a factor even before the ugly steroid rumors crept into baseball.

To those that truly love the game, its history will always matter.  Just like the Black Sox were banished from the game, this black cloud should be banished as well; along with the rest of the cheaters who felt they needed that little extra edge that their brethren didn’t feel was necessary. 

SportzNutz Columnist Darrell Horwitz isn’t shy when it comes to “A Fan Speaking Out”… he holds nothing back and tells it like it is, from a fan’s perspective.  A Chicago native, Darrell is a lifelong Cubs and Bulls fan. Along with his “A Fan Speaks Out” column, Darrell is the fan writer for the Chicago Cubs, here on SportzNutz.  If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to email Darrell at darrell.horwitz@nutzworld.net