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Baseball Will Survive!

What common similarities do these aspects of Major League Baseball share?
George Brett and pine tar; pitchers and "doctoring" the ball; Sammy Sosa and others corking their bats; The Black Sox Scandal; The Congressional Hearings on Steroids.

All are part of the lore and progressive history of pushing the threshold of what players are willing to do to gain an advantage. Though the Brett incident did not fundamentally alter the outcome of the game it still shows how an incident in 1983 still lives on today in readily known baseball history. Mythbusters debunked the corked bat theory and many pitchers have come up with variety of ways to get the ball to oh so duck unexpectedly at the plate. Still tampering with the equipment seemed liked the only way to gain some advantage over another player. Both methods still have had their respective moments in baseball history and numerous incidents will be remembered in history and lore. Where do steroids and the Congressional Hearings fit in?

These hearings are unprecedented in sports and the NFL/Roger Goodell looks like they will be following the same path as Bud Selig. Obviously steroid and performance enhancers have been hidden throughout the years, for how long only history and when the truth comes out will tell, and it is shocking us. These are the players many of us grew up idolizing. It is crushing to see my boyhood heroes become profaners of the game and what we naively believed in when we were young. We never thought or it possibly could happen that these players would in fact try to cheat egregiously. Yet we have accept it for what it is and have to continue on in some manner.

This brings me to my first point, the game survives and the fans are still there. Bonds, McGuire, Clemens, The 2002 All Star Game debacle, Lights Out and Candlestick, the Death of Roberto Clemente, and any other tragedy or knock against the game the fans still unite and come back. Fans believe in baseball and the rites it possesses. Think back to all the times we had going to games, trading cards, playing in whomever’s back yard(s) we could thinking we were our favorite players, and the times with our dads/families. They were good and still will be good because the ideal of baseball and the ability for baseball and other major league sports builds community. It brings us together to cheer on our team and players in a exercise in life and death. We were in the edges of our seats waiting to see if we would strike out the last batter with a man on third or if our slugger would belt one over the fence to win the game. Win or loose, we loved every second of the drama.

These proceedings, caused by the actions of players, detract from this community and yet it will survive, though without it’s irreparable black eye which has been caused. For every player who detracts from the game there is one who adds to the game. These are the players who play for the sake of the game like kids who are living out their dreams. There are those who have immortalized the game, the purity of it, which solidifies an example to follow and reminds us that the game can and has been good; Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, Ken Griffey Jr., Joltin’ Joe, Lou Gehrig, Roberto Clemente, Jim Abbot, and Dave Draveky to name a few. These are who we believe in! These athletes allow us to have hope, excitement, and dreams which builds up this certain aspect of community which allows kids and us older kids to still have that enjoyment which we hope we never loose.

Politically speaking many may feel different about these proceedings. Rather you agree or not with the proceedings no one can deny that this constitution of our American Life is important to preserve. Integrity is the key word here. There is always going to be some type of scandal going on in sports but it is going to be hard times if such actions go unaddressed. What example are we trying to put forth? How are we going to respond? This is a deep loaded question which will take time to answer.

I believe this is a dark time for baseball and professional sports. Unequivocally I believe we will get through it though it will hurt knowing that the game, some of the players, and their subsequent records will be tarnished and diminished. Baseball survived the Black Sox scandal and I believe that incident was the worst incident in baseball till now. Baseball will get through due to the belief that people still believe in baseball. These individuals will want to protect and sanctify the game so it can be preserved for every generation. The fans are the bedrock for the game. As long as we, as fans, remember that and believe in the community of baseball these hearings/allegations and subsequent findings will be history that we ought not repeat.

Nick Loffer

SBYNEWS Sports Writer