What's More American than a Home Run Hitter on Steroids?

The world awaits the words of George Mitchell. His report is expected before the end of the month. Were our baseball heroes really "junkies?" Did they do everything they could to improve their performance for our enjoyment and their financial gain? What could be more American than a home run hitter on steroids!

Mitchell's report on drug use in our National Pastime is unlikely to put an end to office discussions about how every one of those baseball players are phonies. Did you see that error he made at third base? He was paid millions of dollars to field the ground ball he booted. The ubiquitous criticism is normally reserved for the most highly paid stars as long as they are not on our team and our team is winning.

I must admit that I have some problems with a system that allows players to take cortisone shots to enhance their performance and high caffeine drinks to stay awake, but prohibits other substances that aid healing and amphetamines used after a red-eye flight from the west coast. The lines of permissibility, to use Justice Frankfurter's phrase, "are more nice than obvious." In any case, fans will bitch about almost anything, and they have for a very long time. With no real baseball in sight for months, the Mitchell Report is the only game in town.

Senator Mitchell is an honorable man who was asked to perform an impossible job. We should be kind about his report and take it for what it is - a management document produced without union or (with few exceptions) player input and not subject to cross examination. It is sure to be sensational.

Read more news and blog posts on the Mitchell report on steroids in baseball here.