On Steroids In Baseball

This just in, some Major League Baseball players use steroids. Do we still care? Long time St. Louis Cardinal home run hero Mark McGwire admitted to his use of steroids during the 1990’s and end of the 1980’s. Along with that, America found another heroic baseball player and definite first ballot hall of famer (until his use of steroids became public) to have used steroids in 2003, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees. Steroids have destroyed the integrity in the game of baseball and America’s pastime.

Professional baseball players, playing America’s pastime, are role models and we deserve to know if the players we idolize play with the same set of rules and moral obligation as their opponents. McGwire should not play under the spotlight, as the face of a franchise, and have highways named after him (a highway in downtown St. Louis, Missouri) when he had no more natural talent than the next guy. From that idea, I agree the media should tear into McGwire and his steroid use with everything they have. However, what about the actual role models, the honest players, why do I never hear about them? The great home run race in 1998 was between McGwire and Sammy Sosa smashing 70 and 66 home runs respectively (certainly not to be confused with respectfully), but does anyone remember the guy who hit the third most home runs in 1998? Ken Griffey Jr. hit 56 home runs, 5 away from what many consider to still be the true home run record set by Roger Maris with 61 home runs and yet is forgotten because of the almighty focus on steroids in baseball.