Did Steroids Ruin Baseball, Or Help It?

Last week we found out that the once dominate pitcher Roger Clemens was granted a mistrial. Yet that does not take Clemens out of the steroid group. Right after the news broke that Clemens got a mistrial, the question was asked is Clemens a Hall of Famer?

That same question has been asked about Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmeiro. Some say no, while some say yes; but most of these players will probably never step foot on Cooperstown, because the older sportswriters who are the ones who vote in the players do not want to see the Hall of Fame tainted by steroids.

13-years ago today the whole nation witnessed Sosa, and McGwire continue their quest for 61 home runs. That year was 1998, and baseball was still suffering from the after-shock of the 1994 lockout. Baseball needed a savior, and what slammin-Sosa, and Big-Mac did for the sport of baseball was take it from a forgotten sport, and back to the nations past-time.

There is no question steroids vaulted baseball back into the minds of children

across the nation. It ushered in a whole new wave of fans; and created a bran new type of fan experience. As a 7-year-old kid growing up in Minnesota, baseball was the last thing on my mind. The Minnesota Vikings were great, and Kevin Garnett was building up the Timberwolves. The Twins were last on my mind, and there was great reason for that; because the Twins were in last place, and with no Kirby Puckett or Kent Hrbek, the Twins lacked a true franchise player that kids could grow up idolizing. In the summer of 1998 I found my idol, and his name was Sammy Sosa. I perfected his swing, and his pro-hop after a home run.

Now 13 years later I am coming to the realization that my favorite player will most likely never get the chance to have his plaque inducted into Cooperstown. Yet I think baseball should come to its senses, and see how steroids helped baseball. What they should do is build a place in Cooperstown where steroid-players can be inducted into, if not that, then place them in the same hall where the greats like Ruth, Williams, and Ripken reside. It is "bush-league" to have these great players that saved this sport, banned from the greatest honor a baseball player could ever get.

Steroids did ruin the record books, and now players will always hear the whispers of "is he using roids?". That is the future of this sport, but the fans have not left, and the ratings have climbed, even if this sport is now clean. I know I would not be covering baseball if it was not for the steroid era of the 90's, and I know most fans today still marvel at the way Bonds chased Hank Aaron, so I say steroids helped baseball, and those specific players whose numbers grant Hall of Fame consideration should be voted in, even if they achieved those numbers with help.