Have I Been Duped?

My faith in Major League Baseball is seriously starting to wane. I became disappointed in the sport before the report came out that A-Roid used steroids because of ridiculous signings by the New York Yankees.

Granted, the Yankees are below its salary total from last year and need to sell seats for its new stadium, however, it is frustrating to see a team dominate the free agent pool due to the cash the team has (bitter Los Angeles Angels fan who now hates Mark Teixeira here—okay, that was my mini-vent out of frustration).

I think it is asinine that players show no loyalty these days (this is a tough one to sell because as fans we don't know what goes on behind closed doors, and players also have to consider their future after baseball – something any individual has to look out for). And the hand Manny Ramirez possessed to push for his trade from the Boston Red Sox was ridiculous. Players sign a contract and should play out the duration of it.

And now this. Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be the "natural" one who broke records the "right" way. But no, he too was using performance-enhancing drugs. Why he was the only one named of the 104 players from the 2003 records is beyond me, but they had to bring down our faith in the state of baseball by breaking down the biggest player of this day.

How long have I watched tainted baseball? Which players I grew up watching share the asterisk with A-Rod?

The other 103 players need to be named now that the confidentiality of the 2003 records have been jeopardized.

Where does baseball go from here? And should we now consider Ken Griffey Jr. as the modern king of baseball? And now we know why Babe Ruth's, Hank Aaron's, Bob Gibson's, Sandy Koufax' resumes (among many others) records are even more impressive. I long for the opportunity to grow up watching untainted baseball.

I can't provide a solution for baseball but maybe it should start at the top. Bud Selig has to have known about the positive tests for all the players, yet, he turned his head in favor of sold-out stadiums and a bigger paycheck. Sad, but it is the reality we live in today.

Let us hope that our future generations get to see baseball in it's purist form — without needles, the clear, and money dominating the sport's landscape.

Maybe we should thank Jose Canseco. He didn't lie and has indirectly helped in getting the game cleaned up.

Good luck to all of you, I hope none of your all-time favorite players aren't named soon ... and know I am holding onto what little faith I have left...