Op-Ed: Why attacking steroids suspects was a witch hunt

Of all sports, MLB is the one that cares the most about its image and integrity. Not that the other major sports don’t share the same opinion but rather because MLB has made the most fuss about it. But what was the big fuss all about anyway?

You Make The Call The steroid era, as many refer to it, was so serious some years back that any player who’s name would come up as allegedly taking any was considered guilty before even having a chance to defend themselves. If they did, it was perceived to be just as good as an admission. MLB investigated with such a passion and in such a way that it became the modern day witch hunt of the Middle Ages and the uncovering of communists in the U.S.A. in the 60’s. And why? All it did was damage the reputation of the players. Did they do any jail time? Did they do any real damage to the teams or the sport? Baseball still continues today the same way it always did. Fans continue to go to games, enjoy a nice sunny day at the park, share quality time with friends and family and all while enjoying a good baseball game. So tell me: did it really hurt the integrity of the game? Did owners really lose any money? If teams lost money it’s because they prevented players to play. By not permitting or suspending popular players from hitting and throwing a little ball, fans could have stopped coming to watch games. But then again, for how long? Fans have rather a short memory for that. Look at player strike or owner lockout in the 80’s! Did this stop fans from coming back? Owners and players alike only hurt themselves and this is still the case today! So tell me, what’s the big fuss? The latest incident with Alex Rodriguez, whether it is true or not, is the perfect example of this ( Read TSN’s report ). Although he allegedly tested positive and recently admitted in taking steroids while playing for Texas in 2001-2003, why was nothing done at that time? ( Read TSN’s report ). If this was so serious, why isn’t he suspended now? Why is MLB hiding and covering up everything? ( Read TSN’s article from The Canadian Press). By refusing to disclose the slightest information about this, MLB is doing exactly what they are trying to avoid: damaging the integrity of the game. What happened to players who freely admitted in taking steroids afterwards? I’ll tell you this much, it was much less severe than those who lied about it! ( Read TSN’s report by The Canadian Press ). So why is MLB making such a big deal about it? What can they do? Cancel his contract? What good would this do? A Rod is more valuable on the field than off! In hindsight, the witch hunt of the Middle Ages never amounted to anything because they never existed in the first place! All it did was to justify killing “normal” wrongly accused people. What good will it do to pursue the steroid matter any further?