I also got pretty angry and wanted all these "cheaters" to be banished from the game. I'd agree with people who said that these players sacrificed the sanctity of the game and their legacies should reflect as much.
Over time, I've found that I just care as much anymore. Steroid use was probably more rampant than we believe. It was as much a part of baseball's culture as sunflower seeds and chewing gum over the past 20 years. It doesn't make it right, but there comes a time when you either choose to walk away from the game as a fan or you accept the fact that it had, unfortunately, become a part of the game.
A good example of the two sides is my brother and I. He grew up loving baseball with a passion, and we'd go to Mariner games at least a couple of times per year. We talked about baseball all of the time. Over the past seven or so years, he has become so fed up with the game that he refuses to watch it anymore. If we're watching a game at a family function, he will simply walk out and go do something else. That might be extreme to some people, but it's how he's chosen to deal with it.
I don't need to outline all of his reasons, but it's not really just the steroids issue with him, though that plays a huge part.
Me? I still love the game. I hate that steroids have had such a negative effect, but with me, I haven't let it dilute my love for the game. PEDs have been in the game for a lot longer than most of us probably realize. There has probably always been something available to give players an edge. How far back do people want to go? How deep do we want to dig? The game has never been "pure" at this level. For some players, it has been... They've done everything by the book. To them, I tip my hat. But overall, if you want to watch "pure" baseball, go watch Little League. That sounds harsh, but I believe it to be true.
There are so many debates on how to treat players who have been caught. Do voters let them in the HoF, if their numbers are deserving? If so, how do we denote that they were either caught via a positive test, or heavily suspected of steroid use?
With me, the bottom line is that baseball is the best game on earth and I have chose to not let the steroid issues destroy my love for the game. I am not going to judge players who used. I wish they didn't, but maybe they had their reasons. Like I said, it was a part of baseball's fiber at the Major League level over the past 20 years. There's no use in denying that.
I can teach my son values about the game in which I think are important. I can tell him and educate him on the problems of drug use. I can take an active role in making sure that he understands that steroid use is simply not worth it.
I've gone from pissed, to accepting a hard reality with this game. In the end, even though I've hated that the "juice" has been a part of the game, I won't let it take me away from the game that I love.
Baseball in and of itself, is pure. It's not pure when money and other things get involved, and in my opinion it never has been.
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