by Nic Larson

Created on: December 13, 2008

"Down the left field line-is is enough? GONE! There it is, sixty-two! Touch first, Mark! You are the new single-season home run king," called by Joe Buck on FOX-TV. With these words, the excitement was reinserted into the game of baseball after a recent decline of interest as a part of the 1994 strike. In a sport where statistical comparisons of players from different time periods have linked one generation of fans to the next, star players pursuit of records have increased public interest. With the fans new love of the long ball came the question, What is allowing these players to hit more home runs then the players that came before them, are they just better conditioned or are they using steroids to improve their performance? This question, along with recent test findings, has turned away many fans from the game of baseball as it has tarnished its image.

After the 1994 strike, attendance to MLB games was considerably down due to the way that the 1994 season abruptly ended. Owners and sponsors were concerned about revenue lost as a result of the declining numbers and were at a loss as to what should be done to save the game of baseball. Enter steroids. Home runs began to exit the ballpark at a record pace, and as the fans and sponsors returned, MLB believed that the problem was solved. In spite of this, the media and fans began to question the credibility of these home runs, while MLB turned a "blind eye (www.community.comcast.net)." This ultimately turned away fans and blemished the reflection of the game.
During the 2003 season, Major League Baseball administrated 1,438 unannounced steroid tests to its 1,200 players with 238 players tested twice and as many as 84 players testing positive. By exceeding the five percent ceiling spelled out in their labor agreement, the players automatically subjected themselves to a stricter drug policy that could include fines and suspensions over the following seasons. Another advancement in 2003 was the federal jury beginning an investigation into Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) after reports surfaced that the company was providing performance-enhancing drugs to track and field athletes. Many prominent baseball players, such as Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi, were subpoenaed to testify before the grand jury.
During February of 2004, BALCO's president, Victor Conte Jr., and three of his associates, among them Bond's personal trainer, were indicted for conspiring to distribute steroids and other drugs to dozens of professional

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