Valid argument for PED users
I’m a frequent reader of the Chicago Cubs Message Board on cubs.com, and a question was asked “Would you forgive Sammy for his steroids?”
It’s a pretty interesting question, as it seems that Cardinal fans seemed to forgive Mark McGwire at a Cardinals promotional event. But I think that is the difference between Cubs fans and Cardinal fans, well at least that’s what it seems stereotypically that they are the “classiest fans in baseball”.
I don’t mean to get sidetracked here, but obviously McGwire’s and Sosa’s names are synonymous with one another. I think Cubs fan won’t be as forgiving to Sosa if he came out to admit he took performance enhancing drugs.
However, I would forgive him. I’m not going to make the cliché argument that Sosa and McGwire saved baseball in the summer of ’98, I was only 14 then and was just as naïve as a 42 year old adult being sucked into the drama, everybody loved it.
You really can’t take Mac’s, Sosa’s, Bonds, etc. name away from the record books and here is why:
I could make the argument that Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx homeruns don’t count if one is to say that McGwire’s, Sosa’s, and Bonds homeruns don’t count. That goes the same for any record pre 1947, due to racial segregation in Major League Baseball. The white greats before 1947 weren’t really going against what could have been the best, example Satchel Paige. Paige never got a Major League opportunity until he was 42 years old to play against those greats. I’m not saying that Ruth and them wouldn’t have been great as they were, but would they have been just as good going against the Negro League pitching?
If Josh Gibson hit 962 homeruns in the Negro Leagues I believe his name would definitely surpass Ruth in the record books.
It’s not easy to forget baseball past as it surrounds our loved sport and now my hero’s growing up names are linked to the hero’s of my dad and grandfathers, and its not fair for the older generation to say that the game was stained, when baseball at a professional level has always been stained.
Even though I may forgive Sosa and understand why he took steroids, I wouldn’t cheer and applaud the man, because deep down it hurts and feels like my favorite baseball season was all a sham.
The Win Flag 
best argument i’ve heard in a while. and if you’re always on the cubs boards so much, why aren’t you talking shit about theriot’s girly arm with me?! dammit man i’m getting devoured in there by these homers!
wrig
January 27, 2010 at 11:14 am
Ha, I don’t really post on the board, although I have been reading for about eight years over there. People are too brutal on the MB with defending the Cubs, with crappy guys like Theriot, and he does have a girly arm…I hate homers.
cubsfan1983
January 28, 2010 at 2:05 am
i’ll disagree with you on MB. he deserves every bit of criticism he’s received, and then some. and i’m one of the people that spent half the season defending him – until his actions became indefensible. i’m extraordinarily happy he’s gone. and i think theriot brings a lot to the table as far as his bat and leadership, i just think he throws like a girl and he has the fielding range of a man wearing concrete shoes. he’d be a great 2B, anyway.
wrig
January 28, 2010 at 6:59 am
We have a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean MB as in Milton Bradly, but MB as in the Cubs message Board. Although, I did think Bradley was a tool.
With the Theriot situation, I’ve always said I would like the guy as a second baseman, but as a shortstop I hate him. I don’t think he’ll be great as a second baseman, I think average to semi-good is more reasonable than saying he’ll be great at the position.
And, how do you know he’s a great leader? I really don’t like when fans use that term, obviously none of us has access to the clubhouse, so we don’t even know if his “leadership” is true.
Woah, this convo. is way off base with this PED entry! LOL.
cubsfan1983
January 28, 2010 at 3:53 pm