'Roid Rage

Barry Bonds is due to go on trial for perjury in March 2009.  In a report by the Mercury News, a judge has removed five of the counts from the indictment, still leaving 10 counts that could be pursued.  Federal prosecutors could also choose to recraft the dismissed charges.

Steroids have left an indelible mark on baseball.  Many argue that they don't care that players did steroids, as long as the entertainment factor was there.  I just can't see it that way.  I can't accept that players who didn't take steroids had their careers essentially downgraded because they couldn't compete with juiced players.  I don't like that many records are now tainted.  Sure, there has always been cheating in baseball (and other sports too) to varying degrees.  I don't care.  I'd rather see an un-enhanced home run champion who only hit 32 home runs, than a 'roided up Mark McGuire hitting 70+.

Now, our sport has a murky shadow cast over it by steroids.  I watched Josh Hamilton in this year's home run derby with awe, but also with a little suspicion.  Not that he's under suspicion per se, but I have to wonder now, because of the steroid era.

Magglio Ordóñez was implicated by Jose Canseco as a user.  There's no proof, but Magglio's silence made we question him.  Why didn't he sue Canseco for libel?  He chose to ignore the accusations rather than speak to them.  I realize that denying the allegations didn't work out so well for Roger Clemens (methinks thou protesteth too much).  However, now there's a cloud hanging over one of my favorite players.

We'll never know the truth about so many current and former MLB players.  That's the problem--everyone is now under the tainted steroid umbrella, because so many chose to ignore the problem for so long.  Sigh.