Lies, performance-enhancing drugs and questions about putting asterisks on historical records has become baseball’s reputation thanks to the spawn of the Steroids Era in Major League Baseball in the 1980s.
Jose Canseco was one of the best baseball players during the 1980s and 1990s. Years later, he wrote a book about his steroid use and the widespread use of it throughout baseball clubhouses everywhere.
Barry Bonds is the current owner of the baseball home run record, but came out stating that he never “knowingly” took PEDs during his illustrious career.
Roger Clemens recently got indicted on perjury charges after he was accused of lying about his steroid use. “The Rocket” has won the most CY Young awards ever with seven.
All three of these players are only a tiny shred of the list of players who have used steroids during their baseball career. The temptation of cheating and using PEDs for personal gain has become an epic dilemma that will haunt baseball forever.
Major League baseball needs a change and a new fresh outlook. They need to reclaim the pureness and camaraderie that it inspired before the steroids era tainted the sport.
The answer: the kids.
The 2010 Little League World Series wrapped up on August 29th, 2010 as the international champions, Japan, defeated the United States champions, Hawaii. The team from Tokyo celebrated at the pitcher’s mound after their win by collecting dirt from the mound as souvenirs of their great achievement.
That moment was a reflection of how the game has regained some inspiration and dignity. The sport was appreciated for all the blessings the players received because of it.
An appreciation that has been lost in the big leagues.
All the kids in the tournament happily ran around the outfield making diving catches and miraculous snags of groundballs around the diamond not for the sake of popularity or to increase their own value, but for the sake of helping the team.
There were no players worried about their stats or records they could accomplish. They had one goal in mind through each game they played; they are playing for more than themselves, they were playing for their country.
That understanding was felt by each player of each team.
The best players from all the squads were always the most quiet who led by example and their play, not by their statistics and contract earnings. They didn’t use their baseball ability to become bigger than the sport; they used it to enhance who they represented.
A team essence was felt in each and every game they played. Whether it was the team from Texas, who all sported eye black like young phenom Bryce Harper, or the team from Taiwan, who had a pitcher-by-committee rotation; each team understood that they needed each other to play unselfishly to become champions.
Major League Baseball needs to regain that unselfishness the league once exemplified.
The majors were once a great league that defined what baseball was all about. Baseball is one of the ultimate team sports and past players knew that their output was important for the success not just for the team, but for the legacy of the sport.
Being great was never about records, money nor doping to gain an advantage.
Now, the legacy of baseball has become tainted with selfish players and cheaters looking for a way to hold all the records and make the millions of dollars.
What was once the sport labeled “America’s Pastime” has now become “America’s Worst Crime”. An injustice created by a sport that was born in the United States when the Major League formed in 1901.
The Little League teams have always looked up to the stars in baseball as their heroes and inspiration as they hope to one day be like them.
Maybe it’s time the Major Leaguers emulate the Little Leaguers.
