Baseball...what happened?

So as everyone not living under a rock is now aware, the Mitchell Report has been released and named more than 80 players who have apparently used steroids, HGH (human growth hormone) and similar performance-enhancing drugs. (I only say apparently because they were statements from people who I don't how credible they were...but I believe them.) Prior to the report's release, it wasn't really a question of was there this stuff going on, but rather who was doing and how rampant was it?

I'm going to try not to judge the actual people who used the drugs, although that's pretty tough, but rather my opionion on why they use in the first place. In my humble little opinion, using performance-enhancing drugs tells me that you think you're not good enough to compete with the talent that God gave you and that you have to find unnatural ways to improve as opposed to practicing and getting good coaching.

From this fan's perspective, I'm disappointed that I was deceived; that some of the players I rooted for weren't really as good as they seemed to be. I will always be a baseball fan. It's a part of who I am, and that will never change. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to trust the legitimacy of achievements in the past and future. HGH was only banned back in January of 2005, but in my book, it was wrong before then. Also, since there is currently no test available to detece HGH, there's no telling who continues to take it today. Also, it seems as though these types of drugs advance and change as often as technology. And unless there is an "insider" letting the league know about these drugs, there is no way they may ever find out. And by the time they do, they would probably still have to go through the players' union to gain approval for the testing which is a whole other problem in and of itself. And don't even get me started on the issues of unions, let alone the players union and the unrealistic power they have been allowed to gain. However, you can't point the blame in any one direction here. The report reveals that all levels of people in the game have contributed to it from the clubhouse attendants all the way up to the commissioner's office.

Like I said, I will always be a baseball fan, but this whole situation is pretty sickening. I just hope the case to convict Barry Bonds is strong enough. I've heard perjury is pretty hard to prove, and he has pretty much stuck with his story the whole time, but it still doesn't make sense to me how he could not have knowingly lied. You can't take stuff like that for that long and not ask what it is you are taking. And if you're surrounding yourself with people who will decieve youi like that, well that's a whole other issue.

As sad as it is for me to make this next statement, I'm going to say it anyway. It wouldn't surprise me if Barry Bonds did not make it to or through his trial, either due to damage he has done from his use, or from the ultimately-selfish act of suicide. He knows things don't look good for him and his chances of making the Hall of Fame. It seemed Mark McGwire was a sure shot for the hall when he retired, but then the initial Congressional Hearing did him in when he would not say he didn't do steroids, but rather chose to say he didn't want to talk about the past.