In 1998, Major League Baseball's Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa raced to set new, single-season home run records. Both stars slugged their way into the history books, shattering home run records which had stood for nearly four decades.
Then came rumors of steroid use.
Sosa tested positive for doping and McGwire admitted to using "andro", an anabolic steroid. McGwire and Sosa apologized, but the controversy had just begun. In 2001, Barry Bonds emerged from the offseason with the physique of that giant, temperamental green cartoon guy, the "Incredible Hulk", and slugged his way past McGwire and Sosa's records to set a record of his own - at the age of 37, no less. Rumors of steroid use stole the spotlight, but Bonds denied knowingly using anything illegal.
In 2006, the BALCO nutritional center steroid scandal erupted and the MLB began to crack down on doping. In response, the League urged players to come forward under immunity to testify against BALCO, which was said to have provided illegal performance enhancers to professional athletes in the California region. Jason Giambi and Jose Canseco complied with the League's requests, and so did a host of others. But when Bonds was asked to testify, he insisted, under oath, that he had never knowingly used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds went back to playing ball.
In 2006, Bonds broke Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth's records for most career home runs; if Bonds had lied about steroid use, he had only made himself a bigger fish to fry by surpassing another milestone. In 2006, the book Game of Shadows was released and became a best seller. The book claimed that Bonds had lied about steroid use, and had used the following:
- "The cream and the clear," two designer steroids distributed by BALCO
- Human growth hormone allegedly sold on the black market by cancer patients to whom it was legitimately prescribed
- Insulin, which reportedly enhances the bodybuilding effects of growth hormone
- Testosterone decanoate, a steroid often nicknamed "Mexican beans" or "Red beans"
- Trenbolone, a steroid typically used in livestock, especially cattle
- Stanozolol, sold under the brand name Winstrol
Of course, at issue in the trial is not whether Bonds cheated. But for the sake of baseball, it is a shame that it cannot be. One can only wonder how many "mediocre" players from the last few decades, whose names were never memorized by adoring fans, were just as good as the Jose Cansecos and countless others who cheated. These "mediocre" players remained unknown throughout their careers, made a fraction of the same salary and never achieved fame.
Yes, Hank Aaron used amphetamines to smash his way past Ruth. And Ruth faced pitchers in an era when professional pitchers did not throw like today. No minor league "farm system" existed to act as a buffer to keep all but the best from ever making a professional-level debut. Still, none of this enhanced the strength to perform and recover day in and day out, season after season. And, breaking a home run record requires the strength to perform and recover day in and day out, season after season.
Of course, substance abuse will likely diminish now due to increased testing and the threat of being suspended and financially penalized. But what ever happened to just doing what is right? What ever happened to honor?
