The 1947 season saw Jackie Robinson break the color barrier amid a backflash from the country. In 1995 we had Cal Ripken become baseball’s “Ironman,” surrounded by peers who knew the greatness of the feat at hand. And 2013 will have the mass suspensions of some of the sports stars, due to their involvement with Biogenesis of America, an anti-aging clinic in Florida.
Courtesy: Washington Post
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go down.;the sport was gaining momentum. Last season saw the emergence of three superstars in the making; Baltimore’s Manny Machado, Washington’s Bryce Harper, and Anaheim’s Mike Trout. Machado joined the Orioles in early August and set the world on fire, with his mature demeanor and impressive glove work, leading the Birds to the playoffs for the first time since 1997. Harper, the prodigy who graced the cover of Sports Illustated, when he was in high school, burst on to the scene by stealing home against the Phillies, after being in the bigs for a week. He also took his Nats to the playoffs and the best record in baseball. Trout, the scrappy 5 tool player from Jersey, sparked the Angels, injected a new energy into the sport and contested slugger Miguel Cabrera for MVP in the American League. These youngsters were set up to have even bigger years in 2013.
Miguel Cabrera himself added excitement; he had the whole country on Triple Crown watch all year. The feat hadn’t been done since 1967, when Car Yastrzemski led the league in home runs, RBI, and batting average. Miggy ended the drought by slugging 44 homers. 139 RBI, and a .330 BA. 2013 would see Cabrera turn 30; still in his athletic prime and in a perfect position to repeat as the hitting king of baseball.
So the league had young stars adding life, a veteran attempting to make history, all it needed was an old star ride off into the sunset. It got just that after, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who tore his ACL in April of 2012, announced the following March that 2013 would be his final season. It would be a story book ending ,that could dominate headlines of not just baseball but all of sports. Whether New York made the playoffs or not was not important. It would be momentous; the best closer in baseball history going out at the top of his game.
Things don’t always go the way you plan; that is certainly the case for baseball in 2013. While each of their “plans” has come to fruition, it has all been overshadowed by the dark cloud that haunted the sport before. In 2005 it happened following Jose Canseco’s tell-all book, “Juiced,” which called out Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro among others for rampant steroid use. Also in ’05 was the Congressional hearing where Palmeiro and McGwire, as well as Sammy Sosa, all pleaded their cases and denied the use of steroids.
The steroid issue again reared its ugly head in 2007 with the release of the Mitchell Report, a 409 page report on the use of steroids as well has human growth hormone within Major League Baseball. Listed in the report are home run king Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Roger Clemens among 89 names in total.
So here we are in 2013 and not a thing has changed. Players are still lying; Milwaukee left fielder Ryan Braun, who once told us that he had never taken performance enhancing substances, is now suspended for the remainder of the year following an “agreement” with Major League Baseball; it’s crushing. Braun lied to a nation and let the entire state of Wisconsin down. He was frequently referred to as “Milwaukee’s Cal Ripken.” He seemed to be the good guy who would stay with one team his entire career, something that just doesn’t happen in the game today. All of that has gone to the wayside.
It doesn’t stop there; from different reports there may be as many as 20 players suspended; all are related to Biogenesis of America. This was a clinic that claims its focus was on weight loss and creating healthier lifestyles for its clients. From records, it seems that all it really did was sell performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Aside from Ryan Braun, some of the big names associated with Biogenesis are Seattle’s Jesus Montero, Texas’ Nelson Cruz, Detroit’s Jhonny Peralta, Toronto’s Melky Cabrera, Oakland’s Bartolo Colon, and the big fish, New York’s Alex Rodriguez.
Courtesy: NY Daily News
Cabrera and Colon will not be suspended because MLB handed out their suspensions following failed tests in 2012. However, all of the rest are in jeopardy of losing 50 games. All of them except for Rodriguez.
It appears that there is more evidence against A-Rod than anyone else, evidence that shows a pattern of usage. It became a regimen for him. This usage may come back to bite him as reports say that the league is seeking a lifetime ban. This ban would cost the player well over $100 million in salary and sponsorships. Whatever the bans are to be they need to be done swiftly. Baseball does not want this to drag into the offseason. All it will do is make the black eye on the sport even more prominent. It is covering up these moments that make the sport so great. The moment in this year’s all-star game where Mariano Rivera was on the diamond at Citi Field all by himself sent chills down the spine of even casual baseball fans. It is something that will be replayed for years to come. Even you went to the game or even watched in on television you can tell your kids years from now.
Alex Rodriguez already has his name in the record books. He is one of the most prodigious home run hitters of all time. He has been to All-Star games, he’s been MVP, and won gold gloves. Those things cannot be erased. The same is true for Ryan Braun. They have left a mark that cannot be undone.
Steroid and HGH use must be nipped in the bud. There will always be a way to circumvent drug tests. Somewhere a new substance will pop up and players will take it but when there is a known problem and way to test it then the league has the responsibility to do so and the players must be compliant. I’m sick of the lasting moments of a season being ness reports and court rooms. Storylines should be written on the field. Headlines should speak of skills of the player, not flaws of the person. Let this be the last mass outing of major league baseball players. Get rid of these players in the infancy of their careers. Not once their play has had an impact on the history of the sport.
