A magnificent pastime of our nation has been stricken with a terrible cancer. Baseball, a game immortalized by children, treasured by families, and adored by many others, is suffering from a great wound. The infection not only damages the athletes of the sport but corrupts the name of the sport and the people who follow it. The excessive use of cheating is destroying the game of baseball.
Throughout the Twentieth Century, the national interest of America's pastime remained immense. From the day that Babe Ruth set the all time home run record to the day that Roger Maris knocked in sixty-one to break it, interest in baseball remained steady. From the day that Jackie Robinson was called up to play in the majors to the day that Cal Ripken, Jr., set the all-time consecutive games record, interest in baseball had remained steady. America, for generations, has joined together to enjoy memorable, sunny afternoons at the ballpark.
Babe Ruth, full-length portrait, standing, facing ...
Shoeless Joe Jackson is third on the all-time list...
Ty Cobb (297 triples) and Shoeless Joe Jackson (16...The scent of hot dogs and cheese fries, the eruption of a large crowd, the crack of a wooden bat, and the smacking of a catcher's mitt are all little treasures that have lasted through the ages. Cheating in the game of baseball threatens the destruction of it all.
A cheating culture has always existed in baseball. Many hall of fame players and champion teams are guilty of the crime. It is done for advantage, giving the player or teams any possible leg up in competition. Whether if it is an MVP injecting a steroid as Canseco, Caminetti and Giambi did, scuffing or spitting a ball as hall of fame players, as Perry and Fingers did, corking a bat as home run slugger, Sammy Sosa did, using too much pine tar as 3,000 career hits, George Brett did, taking Andro and hitting 70 home...