Where Do We Go From Here?

By Stefi Kaplan
Posted Monday, December 17, 2007

December 13, 2007. Twenty years from now, will we be speaking of that day as the day that changed the game? Will we look back on this past week as the end of an era (the “Steroids Era”)? Will all records be asterisked, at least mentally, for the entire period covered in the Mitchell Report?

I’m not sure what the answers are to any of the above questions. In fact, I’m not sure what I would want the answers to be. On the one hand, I love this game and despite this hoopla, I think there remains a lot of integrity for the players in this game. I am not of the opinion that all of that is lost because of the seemingly rampant steroid use (and HGH - I consider them one and the same).

On the flip side, I find it really hard to respect any player whose name appears on this list. My own reaction surprised me actually, because I truly didn’t think I would care. I had been operating under the assumption that everyone did it at some point and no real player or team had any advantage because of it. But, looking at the report (which I’ll admit, I only skimmed), I can’t help but lose some respect for a few of these players whose names are all over the report.

Take Roger Clemens. Alright, I never actually liked or respected the guy, but I did respect his talent. There is a tremendous difference. But the confirmation of his steroid use is huge. This is a hall of fame caliber pitcher who has more than left his mark on the game of baseball. And after reading his portion of the report, I can’t see how any player, team, fan or writer can continue to respect what the pitcher has accomplished. How much of it was clean? I think there should be an asterisk in the record books next to this man’s name. You should not be rewarded for achieving greatness when the only way to achieve such greatness is through illegal means.

Take Andy Pettitte. This one surprised me a bit, only because he is said to be so religious and I always thought he was a decent guy. This news could be even bigger than the Clemens news, mostly because so many people virtually knew Clemens was a user for years now. The problem, in my mind, is that Barry Bonds has been outcast from society for his steroid use, while a guy like Pettitte will likely be forgiven because he is well-liked by many. To me, this isn’t about personality. If we are to believe Bonds is evil because he used steroids, well, Pettitte should be outcast as well. It will be interesting to see what kind of season he has this year with the Yankees.

Take Paul Lo Duca. This one affected me the most. Not only because Lo Duca was a Met, but because he is all over this report. He didn’t just use steroids. He was a user, abuser, cheater, liar, promoter, seller – you name it. The guy was a steroids poster-child. Paul Lo Duca – our hero.* The guy that Omar should be fired for not re-signing. The only guy with any heart* on this team. Honestly, I feel relieved that Paul Lo Duca will not be a Met next year. I feel relieved especially after reading what the Dodgers had to say about him when he left. Lo Duca was arguably the worst offender on this list, as he was implicated with respect to so many other players. I have little respect for his actions and am excited to see Schneider behind the plate this year for the Mets. Good job, Omar.

Is this fair? I mean, who is to say that this list is complete? No one, of course. But the reality is that these guys weren’t marginal offenders – these guys were rampant users. Sure, there were others who used, but chances are they didn’t use to the same extent as the ones named in this report. And maybe they did and didn’t get caught, but that doesn’t make what these guys did any better. I can’t regain respect for Paulie by finding out that a few other catchers belong on this list.

The only player named in the report who is at this time getting a free pass from me is Scottie Schoeneweis. I am on the fence as to whether he used illegally or not, but the fact is, his name was recently cleared and the Report contains no new information. As far as I’m concerned, he did buy steroids at some point, but it is unclear how much they were medically necessary. And if he did use, it doesn’t bother me the same way because he is not an icon or role model like some of the guys named above. That’s the part that bothers me the most – kids have looked up to Pettitte and Lo Duca (and maybe Clemens). Even adults have looked up to them. They let us all down.

So what do we do with all this information? The players association knew who was on this list in June. Yes, June. How it stayed so tight-lipped is beyond me, but there is no question that the teams that acquired players whose names are on this list did so knowingly. There will be no valid attempts to void contracts at this point. But do we put asterisks next to each of these players’ records? Or do we just concentrate on the future of baseball, as Mitchell suggests.

I’m torn on this one. To some extent, just ignoring the evidence contained in this report drives me crazy. But, I can see the merit in concentrating on the future and not dwelling on the past, especially with so many players already retired. I say asterisk and move on. Beyond that, these players are already stigmatized in that they are forever linked to the egregious act of taking illegal substances to get an edge.

Asterisk and move on...