It was so noticeable in its absence, like a recently passed loved one at a large family gathering.
Before this defeat, it had been an unyielding symbol of pride and tradition. Both man and mother nature herself had tried to stop it, even for only a little while, and yet it had prevailed.
Now October of 1994 was without its festivities, and it was as unbelievable as Memorial Day without a parade, or the Fourth of July without fireworks.
The World Series, which had persisted perennially despite World Wars, an earthquake, and anything else that could stand in its way, was not held for the first time since 1904.
Had it happened, fans would likely have been treated to a series featuring the Montreal Expos and the New York Yankees, and perhaps this chance at a championship would have been the thing that saved baseball in Montreal.
Instead, it became a bitter insult to the fans of the league, because it was not war or a natural disaster or anything insurmountable attacking from the outside that prevented the end of the 1994 season—it was a disease that rotted from within.
Major League Baseball collapsed upon itself in a labor dispute and locked out many of its most loyal fans. Attendance plummeted as many fans were not eager to forgive the league and the players for being so blind in their lust for money.
There seemed to be no revival in sight. America was moving on, and Major League Baseball was being left behind.
Hope for the sullied tradition revealed itself in 1998, in the form of a year-long Home Run Derby that gripped the nation. Three players—Ken Griffey, Jr., Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire—would take aim at the single-season record of 61 home runs, set by Roger Maris in 1961, and two would surpass this most fabled mark.
Because of this chase, and because one of baseball's most hallowed records was in jeopardy, baseball became a hot topic again in America. It was debated and reveled like it hadn't been since before the player's strike, and attendance across the league began to noticeably increase.
Today, we know that at least one of those players who helped save baseball with his incredible home run tally that season, Mark McGwire, was using steroids. Although steroid use was not meant to last in baseball, its brief impact revived the league, and despite its many evils, succeeded in doing many good things.
One negative that did emerge once it became clear that players were using steroids were the dishonestly broken records, and many fans felt that they had been drawn back into their relationship with baseball under false pretenses.
Once it was revealed by the Associated Press' Steve Wilstein that McGwire had taken androstenedione, the joyous story of his home run record became a debate about greatness and integrity that has only swollen further in the decade since.
Now greats like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have also come under fire with allegations of their own steroid use. Just how good were these players? Would they have been Hall of Famers without the help of steroids? How do they compare with the hitting and pitching legends that came before and after them who did not participate in the abuse of steroids?
2 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
Tom Wilsoon about 1 year ago
Man you sound like my seven year old. One excuse after the other...
The steroid era was bad for the game. PERIOD.
Save your defensive nature for those that need it...
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Ebenezer Barnes 10 months ago
Matthew, I not only agree with you that steroids helped MLB when it needed help the most, but I believe a case can be made for permitting the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs to continue in all sports. I made an Open Mic contribution along this line just last week.
Semper Fi.
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