Baseball is undoubtedly the great American pastime...or at least it used to be. Recent years have seen unbelievable controversies spring up to tarnish the once hallowed reputation of the game. Just when interest in baseball was at an all-time high, steroids have threatened to ruin the game that so many people love.
love. It seems like every other day, another news story breaks about some great player that used steroids. It has officially gotten to the point of ridiculous. How did it get so bad? When did this all start?
The mid 90's saw a revival in fan support in Major League Baseball. After the strike in the early 90's, fans were anxious to have something to cheer for. Ratings were low and Major League Baseball wondered secretly if they could ever get back on track. Then came two sluggers, the likes of which no one had ever witnessed - Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa. The 1998 season saw them both on a record pace to break the home run record. This record was once thought untouchable for years after it was set. All of a sudden, not only one, but two players were threatening to break it. Late in September McGuire broke it first, but Sammy battled back to momentarily gain the lead. McGuire again took the lead and finished with an astonishing 70 home runs in a single season. No one thought it could ever be done, and the crowds couldn't have been happier. Fans were enthusiastic again. Know more
Then just a few years later, Barry Bonds hit a staggering 73 home runs. While the number was large, possibly the most amazing thing was how many home runs he improved by from the following year. He only hit 49 home runs the season before. Improving by 24 home runs in one year was astounding. Could someone really do this without help? Was it at all suspicious how Barry Bonds went from a scrawny little outfielder to a massive giant in a few years? Apparently many people began to wonder and Bonds has been speculated on ever since.
Just recently in 2007, the Mitchell Report was released. It was an exhaustive report, delving into the secret lives of many baseball players. Many players were named, several of which were All-Stars and Hall of Famer's. Probably the biggest name tossed around in the report was that of Roger Clemens. The, now almost 50, pitcher has undoubtedly been one of the most successful pitchers of all time. Now it is coming to light that he allegedly used steroids for years.
