Anabolic Steroids for BodyBuilding

By now, it’s not news that Ken Griffey Jr. finally hit his 600th career home run Monday night in Miami.

Sadly, it was barely news before he launched Florida lefty Mark Hendrickson’s 3-1 pitch over the right-field fence.

A great deal has been written and discussed regarding Griffey’s pursuit of No. 600. There have been comparisons to Barry Bonds, his coronation as the generation’s greatest player, the bittersweet musings of “what might have been” had he not been injured for so much his time with the Cincinnati Reds.

But all of these insights, though valid, completely miss the point.

When we see Ken Griffey Jr., we may be looking at the first legitimate member of the 600 Home Run Club since 1971, when Hammerin’ Hank Aaron became just the third player in Major League Baseball history to amass 600 career home runs. I’m currently 31 years-old, and previous to Griffey, only Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa had managed to accomplish this feat in my lifetime.

Both players, either fairly or unfairly, have been linked to baseball’s Steroid Era. Bonds is currently facing 15 federal felony counts regarding his testimony before a grand jury. Sosa seemed to have completely disappeared from baseball. Until recently, that is, when he announced he would retire from baseball after the World Baseball Classic, where he will represent the Dominican Republic.

At this point, I want to be very clear that I have no proof that Bonds or Sosa ever used performance-enhancing drugs. No one does. MLB never tested for these drugs when Bonds and Sosa were in their heyday. But the cloud of questions surrounding steroid use will forever hang over their careers.

What’s sad is that baseball fans and the general public, burned by the specter of steroids and cheaters, can’t seem to embrace a legitmate accomplishment in light of an era that consisted of poor judgment and performance-enhanced excess.

The reason Ken Griffey Jr.’s 600th home run is not news is because we no longer care. We’re tired. We’re burned out.

It’s not fair.

Griffey deserves his day. The fact that this wasn’t covered in the same manner as Bonds’ approach to No. 600is a shame.

As a culture, we should all be embarrassed.

Congratulations to Ken Griffey Jr., a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer. He did things the right way on the field and carried himself with dignity and class off of it.

This is a player we should be embracing. Not ignoring.

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On Saturday, Alex Rodriguez, a steroid cheat, passed Mark McGwire, another steroid cheat, on the all time home run list by hitting home run 584.

As I sat watching Alex Rodriguez’s “achievement”, the Yankees’ Yes Network flashed the all time home run list on the screen. It was a sad sight to see.

On the list of all time home run leaders, there was, of course, Babe Ruth in third place.

Babe Ruth at this point is almost a cartoon character. No offense to the Babe, but very few people alive today ever saw him play. He also played at a time when no minorities were in the game. This was not his fault, of course, but the game is pretty hard to relate to when you think about a bunch of white men only playing it. Not that there aren’t some great white players, there of course are, but if only one race or creed is represented, well, it’s not much of a game.

But the classy Hank Aaron is in second place. The man who was humble, brave and strong and still better than them all was passed by steroid cheat Barry Bonds will someday be passed by steroid cheat Alex Rodriguez. And that’s sad. Even for me, a Yankee fan.

Frank Robinson, probably the least known of all the home runs kings is next on steroid cheat Alex Rodriguez’s radar; A-Rod is only three behind him. Steroid cheat Alex Rodriguez and should catch him by the middle of May at the absolute latest and one of the great stories of baseball (hardly ever) told will be further relegated to the dustbin of history. Frank Robinson and Hank Aaron are what baseball is supposed to be about…they in no small measure are the reasons the game progressed to the point it is today. Sadly, though, it’s progressed to a point where a steroid cheat Alex Rodriguez could come along and exploit it.

And, of course, let us not forget Willie Mays. Today, Willie Mays, who may be the best baseball player in the history of the game all things considered, is fourth on the all time home run list. Someday he too will be passed by Alex Rodriguez, the steroid cheat.

After Mays on the all time home run list is Ken Griffey, Jr. Griffey seemed destined to be one of the best baseball players of all time, but injuries derailed that probable fate. Mark McGwire, no mensa member he, said that steroids never helped him hit home runs…they only allowed him to recover from injuries.

If Mark McGwire were a brighter man, he wouldn’t be able to look Ken Griffey, Jr. in the eye after a statement such as that. Fortunately for him, McGwire is clearly not that smart. Defensive, self righteous and insecure? Yes. Smart? Nope.

Harmon Killebrew is number ten on the all time home run list. Killebrew will likely be passed in home runs by yet another steroid cheat in Manny Ramirez. And Killebrew too will sit next to Frank Robinsion in the ‘afterthought’ wing of Cooperstown.

Alex Rodriguez seems like a harmless enough fellow. He seems tormented and confused and awkward. He likely has little appreciation for what came before as every day is a struggle, it would seem, to keep himself whole. …

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