Is steroid use damaging Major League Baseball?

Are steroids harming Major League Baseball? Only in the integrity department. And since our "national pastime" has about as much integrity as an Enron board of directors meeting, baseball fans need not worry. I suspect the avarice and arrogance exhibited by both management and the players union pose a greater threat than the illicit use of performance-enhancing drugs. But that's another story.

I know a thing or two about steroids. Most importantly, I know they work. I used anabolic steroids five times between 1982 and 1984. But this missive is not about the shortsighted indiscretions of a 21-year-old jock, it's about the self-destructive behavior of Major League Baseball.

Steroid use among players has been the game's dirty little secret for some time. Like an alcoholic uncle, it's openly acknowledged by those close to the game, but rarely discussed with those on the outside. Even more disturbing than the "win at any cost" corporate culture that has led to this mess is the deafening silence of baseball's rank and file. I have yet to hear one Major League player openly criticize any peer who opts for the drugstore over the batting cage in the quest to attain a competitive edge. Instead of demanding a league-wide steroid ban and accepting mandatory drug testing as part of the next collective bargaining agreement, baseball's players union (as a whole and otherwise) has refused to step up to the plate and deal with this 800-pound locker-room gorilla.

It was hand-to-eye coordination (and perhaps his position in the batting order) -- not his pharmacist -- that enabled Roger Maris to hit 61 home runs in 1961. I know Hank Aaron wasn't "on the juice" when he drove number 715 over the left field fence at Fulton County Stadium. I know Willie Mays didn't need a "cycle" to hit for the cycle. Whether one believes their use is ethical or morally justifiable, there's no denying that players who use anabolic steroids enjoy an advantage over their counterparts who are not chemically enhanced -- not to mention the drug-free athletes of the past, who relied solely on desire and talent to pitch, hit, field and run.

Owners, players and fans can deny or ignore this threat to the integrity of the game, but the box score doesn't lie. Players who use steroids are cheating, and while that may produce more prolific numbers in the record books, those numbers are as tainted as a Ken Caminiti urine sample.

Chris Renaldo liked baseball when all the players did was drink too much and chase hookers.