The 2009 Baseball Season: The Make or Break Season

Remember 1998?

That was the season that saved baseball.

Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa going toe-to-toe for Roger Maris's record, big heads and all.

I was five, and I remember that race.

Today, baseball sits in a worse position than it was after the 1994 players' strike.

The casual fan looks at baseball and sees the Mitchell Report, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Tejada and says "Why bother?"

In 2009, baseball needs another 1998, minus the heroes being on steroids.

Steroids have destroyed baseball's reputation like no other sport.  People seem to overlook Deuce McAllister or Pat Williams juicing it up, but when A-Rod and Bonds do it (probably because of their proximity to cherished baseball milestones and records), it becomes the center of the 24-hour sports universe.

Baseball needs to look forward, not back.  Bud Selig doesn't seem to understand that though, seeing as how he has started threatening suspensions for things that happened five and six years ago. 

Get over yourself, Bud!  You screwed up by ignoring this problem when it first began to rear its ugly head, now the least you can do is point baseball in the right direction so it can start to get back on it's feet.

Now, back to what I was saying...

This year, we need something that creates a spectacle that at least lessens the cloud of performance-enhancing drugs.

Baseball needs the Rays, Royals, Marlins, or some other team perceived to be "clean" to rip off 100 wins.

The sport needs someone like Chipper Jones, Josh Hamilton, or Adrian Gonzalez to have a big season.

Baseball needs a good story.

However, I'm not even convinced that a .400 season from Chipper or 125 wins from the Rays could restore baseball to its pre-steroid era state, as anybody or any team will draw a lot of scrutiny and questions about their "workouts" and "operations."

Baseball, though loved by many of us, needs its casual fans' support back.

It needs a fresh start.

Let's hope 2009 is the first step towards a better, cleaner baseball.