The End of the Steroid Era?

This week, Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice. That got me thinking… what has happened to baseball? Will there ever be a true “home run king” again? The lies are endless. Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi. And what does all this mean for the Hall of Fame?

Many have called this untruthful time period the “Steroid Era,” and with good reason! Between 1998 and 2009, seven of the 10 players who reached 500 home runs were linked to steroid use. This fact made me wonder: will all future star sluggers be linked to steroids? Will this become the norm?

Over the years, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron have been the “home run king.” Recently, Barry Bonds acquired that prestigious title with 762 career homers. Now we can only wonder how many of those home runs were hit with the help of steroids. Will the honor ever be given to a true great without the need for an asterisk?

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York is considering Bonds along with another steroid user, Clemens, for induction in 2013. Surprisingly, belting out 500 homers or winning 300 games alone doesn’t make the cut. Just ask Pete Rose. He should arguably be in the Hall of Fame as the all-time hits leader, but his involvement in gambling on games has kept him out. His experience, along with the possible fates of Bonds and Clemens, should be a strong lesson to all of the future players, including all of those aspiring Little League players.