Inge by Inge: The End of the Steroid Era

It’s difficult to discern the moment when an era comes to an end. They’re not exactly tangible as, say, a pitcher’s ERA.

When Brandon Inge, however, steps into the batter’s box at Busch Stadium III tonight for the 2009 All-Star Game Home Run Derby, the embattled Steroid Era may officially be kaput.

It appears baseball has finally spoken.

Inge—who’s averaged 12 long balls a year in his eight-year, 115-dinger career—is certainly All-Star worthy this season. But he’s not the face of intimidation at the plate. The Mighty Brandon at the Bat won’t be a fairy tale with which we regale our kids when we sit them down on our laps years from now to bore them to sleep.

Consider the case of Mark Reynolds and his 24 round trippers this year. If the Arizona Diamondbacks’ third baseman played in the American League, he’d sit tied atop the AL in the home run race. Unfortunately for Reynolds, he plays in the National League, where he’s an All-Star snub.

The man Reynolds would be tied with, Carlos Pena, needed a final-minute stay-of-execution to kill his all-star break plans. The Rays’ first baseman needed Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia's withdrawal to punch his own ticket for St. Louis' Summer Classic.

The phone never rang for Russell Branyon. He and his 22 homers (second overall in the AL) will stay at home in Seattle. Couple other all-star snubs Ian Kinsler and Jermaine Dye (20 homers apiece) with last minute additions Inge and Pena and nearly half of the AL’s top-10 home run leaders aren’t all-stars.

Round-tripper racism doesn’t run as rampant in the National League as it does in the American. Three of the top-10 home run leaders—Adam Dunn (23 homers), Lance Berkman (18), and Reynolds—in the NL will spend the break in their cozy homes.

It stands to argue that the fans’ affinity for juiced-up bashers may be waning. Pena finished fifth overall in voting among first basemen and was beaten out in votes by the Rangers' Chris Davis, he of 32 career dingers.

Of course, there’s still Albert Pujols, who has as many homers this year as Davis has in his career. The St. Louis Cardinals’ first baseman is on a pace to eke by Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961, a mark many fans regard as the un-asterisked record.

Pujols has seemingly dodged all steroid allegations thus far in his career. Come late September, perhaps he can chase Maris'—if not Barry Bonds’—single-season record for homers. Perhaps then we’ll have another home run watch on our hands—the kind that harkens back to a forgotten era.