Steroids have been front page sports news for quite a while, most especially in baseball news with Barry Bonds closing in on the all time home run record. There are many serious questions about the legitimacy of any records from the so-called steroid era and the fairness of comparing these records with accomplishments of players from the past. What is the effect of these modern day drugs on player performance and how should we rate today's players to players from baseball history?

If we could magically remove steroids from the equation, what other differences are there between players from different eras? Todays athletes make a great deal more money than their predecessors, even adjusting for inflation. In days gone by, most players had jobs in the off season. Today's players have multi-million dollar contracts and can spend their off season time training to keep their skills at the highest level. Many players are still actively playing into their 40's. We have greater knowledge of nutrition and physiology allowing for more effective training regimens. The medical field can now treat and repair injuries that would have been career ending in the past. Do you think Cal Ripken didn't have an advantage over Lou Gehrig? Of course he did.

Steroids will give the body an advantage in growth. It isn't a magic pill that, when taken, turns the user into a hulking behemoth capable of propelling a baseball at supersonic speeds. Steroid use will make workouts more effective and reduce muscle recovery time. If you use them and sit on the couch all day, little will happen. Use of steroids will help an individual get stronger, faster and have greater ability to rebuild muscle mass at quicker and more pronounced rate. It is literally an "enhancer". Most athletes recognize that one of the most difficult thing to do in sports is to hit a major league fastball. Home runs are made by hitters with great hand-eye coordination, timing and bat speed. Stronger is better, but to knock one out you need it all. Steroid use doesn't give anyone that ability.

Why does nostalgia always seem to taint our thinking about the "good old days"? If you read any baseball histories, you'll find that many of the past players were not the most exemplary representatives of the sport. There were cheaters, drunks, drug addicts and gamblers throughout this (and many other) sports...and still are. A lot of pitchers threw spitballs, many hitters corked bats. At some point we have

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