Here’s what the steroid issue in baseball has done to this lifetime fan.  Instead of fully enjoying what was truly a wonderful story in last night’s Home Run Derby with Josh Hamilton and his unbelievable comeback from his self-inflicted personal problems, I couldn’t help but think what kind of masked drug he was taking that allowed him to hit so many 500+ foot long home runs. 

To give people who don’t know his story a quick recap – Hamilton was a former first round pick who wasted his millions on his drug addictions.  He was three years removed from playing baseball and now he’s on a first place team and among the league leaders in a few offensive categories, thus earning him a spot on the All Star Team.  You couldn’t help but root for the guy last night and every aspect of the evening was a feel good story except for the fact that he still lost the contest despite out-homering his opponent by 15 homeruns over the course of the evening.

When I made the mention of what drugs he was on, I didn’t even consider his past history.  It could have been Alex Rodriguez or Vladimir Guerrero or anyone else who hasn’t been tainted by the current scandal.  I simply couldn’t enjoy the moment because I know that 5 years down the line, maybe even 10, we’ll find out that Hamilton was taking some substance undetectable by MLB’s drug testing scientists. 

This is why I’ve really backed off of my lifelong love of baseball this year in a steep fashion.  I’ve barely watched any games this year, I haven’t been to a game yet, I’ve abandoned my fantasy baseball teams and I actually hadn’t even heard of some of the All Stars.  That’s something that hasn’t ever happened in my lifetime before.  But take the inability for me to relate to arrogant people who make millions for playing a game, coupled by the fact that we know guys are still cheating and simply haven’t gotten caught yet, I simply don’t care about baseball in it’s current state and don’t know if I’ll ever return to being the hardcore fan I once was.  That’s what truly stinks.  There’s nothing more fun than taking in a summer game at Wrigley or Fenway but even at hallowed places like that, try getting the cheapest seat in the house for less than $50.  It’s simply not possible.

So here’s to you, Bud Selig.  You can make all the claims that baseball has never been more profitable but the difference between the “haves” and the “have nots” has widened to such a degree that teams in certain cities are guaranteed that their team will never ever have a chance of winning the World Series.  If you don’t believe me, ask any Pirates or Royals or Orioles fan what the chances are that their teams aren’t destined to simply be feeder teams, or glorified AAA clubs, for the foreseeable future.  Don’t point to Tampa’s success this season and say that’s parity.  In the end the Red Sox and Yankees will prevail because they have the resources and Tampa will lose their current roster of good players to the bigger teams in a few years.