Natural Pasttime - No More

Baseball has been a part of my life for many years. I started playing when I was 5, like everybody else did, in T-ball. I was good, I was the star pitcher on my t-ball team. I then went on to play every summer till I graduated high school. I played several positions, from first base, all over the outfield, and finally ended up at third base for the last three years of high school. I loved to watch a game on t.v. and when we had the chance, to go watch a game live. I got to see Nolan Ryan pitch when he was with the Rangers and I remember it pretty well, they were playing the A's and they hit four home runs off of him and he still got the win. I got into the trading cards and I actually bought them for the cards and not the really hard piece of gum that came with them. I think I still have a Topps Barry Bonds rookie card somewhere. I looked up to the Major Leaguers and I loved watching the World Series every October. I remember watching Kirk Gibson hitting that home run on two bad legs and also the famous earthquake that happened during the Oakland series. Like others, instead of pretending to be superheros in my backyard, I pretended to be Mark McGwire, Nolan Ryan, Ricky Henderson, Ryne Sandberg, and of course Cal Ripkin Jr. You know real live superheros. I even started growing out my goatee my sophomore year of high school so I would look like Mark McGwire, I just wasn't as built and muscled up as he was, he was measured at having 14 inch forearms one time, forearms.
Ad then I realized why he was so muscled up. HGH, he denied ever having to do with it, but I don't think I can trust him anymore. Or anybody else in the Majors right now. So far we have names like Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi , Ken Camanitti, Andy Petitte, and A-Rod, who have admitted to taking steroids. There are several others who have been named but they are still denying it like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Pudge Rodriguez. These are players that I adored and looked up to. But it just seems like everyday there seems to be another name added to that list and it always seem to be another big name. But what is worst is that it seems like the fans don't care, either that or they are giving up and just saying whats the point in doing anything. To me, every name that is added is taking a little more piece away from me from the game I grew up loving. I'm sure the greats who built this game and played their hearts out and showed their passion for the game everyday, wouldn't be to thrilled today. I don't know if there is anybody in the League right now that I can trust. Maybe Albert Pujos, and that is a strong maybe. But it just seemed that the players today are intentioning destroying our once natural past time a year or even a name at a time. I' m still going to go see the games, because it is still a part of me and will remain a part of me probably for my whole life. But I'm still going to remember what it was like to watch the game without worrying about who was on what and just watching the players play like little leaguers who never grew to old for the game. I miss those days, for I believe those days are long gone in the Majors.