A-Rod Hits His 24th Career Grand Slam

IF performance enhancing drugs weren't such an issue in baseball today, this would be a very big deal. The Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig had the old record with 23, and this was one of baseball's biggest records.

Now when I read about it, all the fans say is it shouldn't count because he cheated.

I don't honestly disagree with them, but so much of the joy of baseball has left because of these ongoing drug scandals. Instead of celebrating accomplishment, fans are left to deride the players instead.

I know we can never go back to the days when I was 12 and all the cool records like home runs in a season, or home runs in a career, or grand slams in a career will ever really mean something again. But because of the possibility that ANY player MAY be using some PEDs we can't even enjoy the  Chris Davis' 50 plus home run season either.

Never mind that he's always been big and strong and hit 450 foot home runs while in high school. Never mind that he now strikes out a lot less and walks a lot more and seems to have learned how to be more patient as a major league hitter. The only thing we all now ever conclude is,

"He's never hit this many before SO...

...he must be taking some banned substance."

No one will believe him when he says he doesn't. And no one one WANTS to believe that he's drug free either. And that's the saddest part of all. We no longer seem to have the option of giving a player the benefit of a doubt.

If the JOY of baseball is now lost, why do I want to even be a baseball fan? If we're cynical about every major accomplishment or record set, we can no longer enjoy the game.

That's what I hate the most. Football has players suspended all of the time because of PED use and no one really cares because none of the records are really sacred. Eric Dickerson's season rushing record and Jerry Rice's career TD mark are the only two that seem to really matter, and until EITHER is broken, no one is going to care about football players and drug use.

But baseball's history is bigger and more sacred. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are immortals. And A-Rod "has no right pursuing either one of them, let alone breaking their records."

Again, I can't disagree with that ongoing sentiment.

But A-Rod DID hit his 24th carer grand slam last night. And I hate the fact that I can't celebrate that accomplishment any more than the average baseball fan. Innocence has been lost. And that innocence can never be regained.

Becoming an adult in the real world bites.

It really does.