Baseball '09

I haven't made a post about baseball all year, and the evening of the All-Star Game is as good a time as any to chime in. I'm far less focused on baseball as I used to be. There was a time, especially when I was playing fantasy baseball, that I knew all the players on all the teams, but no longer. I watched the Home Run Derby last night and had to admit I had never heard of Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, who almost won the thing. I know that I will watch the player introductions for the game tonight and see more such players who are unknown to me.

Part of this stems from the fact that I'm interested in other things, and also that I follow an out-of-town team (the Detroit Tigers) so I don't watch much baseball on a regular basis, instead following it from a distance. I'm not one who can just plunk myself down in front of a regular season game between teams that I don't have a rooting interest for or against.

The other problem with baseball these days is the stain of steroids. I'm not one of those types, like many sportswriters, who is in a high dudgeon about this sort of thing. I would vote Mark McGwire into the Hall of Fame--nothing has been proven about him, and anyway they weren't banned at that time. If steroids are as prevalent as it said they are, then the playing field was fairly level--pitchers taking steroids were throwing to batters taking steroids who were hitting to fielders taking steroids. And fans don't seem to be concerned too much about his, either, judging by the reception that Manny Ramirez received from the home-town fans in L.A., who are once again buying dreadlock wigs.

But it's undeniable that the abuse of steroids has resulted in something lost in the game. In twenty years time half of the top ten home run hitters may be kept out of the Hall of Fame, judging by the reception McGwire has received. He and Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, and Rafael Palmeiro, as well as Roger Clemens, may be kept out by a rigorous standard established by the baseball writers. I can't disagree with the sentiment of that stance, but it's damaging to the sport. It already seems wrong that the all-time hit gatherer, Pete Rose, is kept out of the Hall.

There are signs of hope, though, mainly in the person of Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals. He came out with a strong statement this week declaring he's not a steroid-user, and one has to believe him. He is clearly the best hitter in the game, putting up awesome numbers: he is the only player in the history of the game to collect as many as thirty homers in his first nine seasons, and has never hit lower than .314 or had fewer that 103 RBI. This season he is a legitimate triple-crown threat, a sure bet to get his second consecutive MVP and third over-all. I'm not a Cardinals fan, but it's hard to root against this guy, as he's the best hope for the game.

As for the Tigers, they sit in first place at the break, winning with a combination of good starting pitching and timely hitting, plus some precarious but effective bullpen work. All this even after it seems like Dontrelle Willis will be a bust and Magglio Ordonez is done. But I don't want to say too much about it because I'm sure to jinx things.