10 People Whose Actions Ruined Baseball

Given the deep history behind the game, it's hard to say in so many words that anyone has actually "ruined" baseball.

No matter how many downs the sport experiences, it will still be America's pastime and the boys of summer will still attract millions of fans to stadiums while giving young boys dreams of their futures as big leaguers.

On the other hand, there have certainly been people whose names aren't exactly synonymous with everything good about the game, and while some may be long gone, their legacies don't appear to be changing any time soon.

There are varying degrees to which these individuals have "ruined" anything about the game, and there are also others that could be put on this list as well, so feel free to chime in if you have any additions of your own.

1919 Black Sox

Widely regarded as the biggest scandal in the longstanding history of baseball, the 1919 Black Sox scandal involved eight members of the Chicago White Sox that conspired to intentionally throw the World Series, giving the Cincinnati Reds the title.

Chick Gandil, Joe Jackson, Buck Weaver and Lefty Williams were among the eight players banned for life from baseball after their conspiracy was brought to light.

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds may be baseball's all-time home run champion, but he'll never be confused with baseball's most likeable players. His unapproachable demeanor alienated teammate after teammate, and the PED scandal hasn't in any way helped his image.

Indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in 2007, Bonds has spent just as much time in the limelight for controversy as he has for his home run-hitting tendencies.

Testifying that he used a cream provided by a strength trainer would ultimately be his demise, as that would lead to his conviction on the obstruction of justice charge.

Cap Anson

One of the game's first true stars, Cap Anson gave all he had for 27 major league seasons.

His most notorious impact on the game may be his role in using his influence to make sure racial segregation was a part of baseball. There were a number of instances in which during exhibition games he refused to take the field when the opposing team had African-American players on it.

Danny Almonte

Young pitcher Danny Almonte took the Little League World Series by storm in 2001, showcasing a fastball that was the equivalent of a 98 mph fastball.

Just after the completion of the World Series, it was noted that Almonte was too old to be eligible to pitch in the tournament he had just competed in—by a full two years.

The Bossards

Fathering an entire family of groundskeepers, Emil Bossard started the trend of home-field advantages in the 1920s, moving portable fences in Cleveland back 15 feet when power-hitting teams like the New York Yankees were in town.

Since then, the family has been notorious for taking a number of similar actions, such as keeping baseballs in humidifiers to increase their weight, messing with the baselines to throw off runners and frequently overwatering to soften up the playing surfaces.

Marge Schott

As president and CEO of the Cincinnati Reds during most of the '80s and '90s, Marge Schott was certainly no stranger to attention, as her unorthodox behavior put both her and the team in the limelight frequently.

Her slurs towards minorities, Japanese people and homosexuals weren't well received at all, and her support for the Nazis and Adolf Hitler essentially pushed her out of baseball.

Gary Sheffield

Gary Sheffield's most infamous remarks came in a 2007 issue of GQ when he called out the league as a whole for the treatment of African-American players, by virtue of noting the league's ability to "control" Latino and Hispanic players:

"

What I said is that you’re going to see more black faces, but there ain’t no English going to be coming out. ... (It’s about) being able to tell (Latin players) what to do—being able to control them. Where I’m from, you can’t control us. They have more to lose than we do. You can send them back across the island. You can’t send us back. We’re already here.

"

He also had a stake in the league's widespread PED scandal, as his testimony in front of a grand jury first brought to light his steroid usage. However, he didn't stop with a simple admission, further noting that he received the steroids from none other than baseball's home run champion, Barry Bonds.

Pete Rose

No matter what the answer ends up being, Pete Rose's eventual admission (after years of denials) of gambling on games both as a player and manager for the Cincinnati Reds has sparked a debate that every baseball fan has at least some opinion on.

The issue regarding whether or not Rose will or should be allowed back into baseball will always remain a hotly debated talking point until a new commissioner (since it won't be Bud Selig) decides to take on the topic.

John McGraw

Led by John McGraw, known as one of the biggest cheaters in baseball's early history, the Orioles won their way to three straight pennants thanks in no small part to grabbing opposing baserunners when in the field and skipping over bases themselves when up at bat.

These sort of things would be difficult to accomplish today, but with a single umpire calling games at the time, I wouldn't doubt that a number of teams regularly used such tactics to gain an advantage.

Jose Canseco

Jose Canseco's massive stature may have in itself tied him to speculation surrounding the usage of steroids during his career, but Canseco also confirmed it in 2005 with the release of his book Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big.

Canseco took his admission even further in his book, stating that around 85 percent of the league was on steroids. He also used his time in the spotlight to out former teammates Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and others on their usage.