Baseball. It has a very long history in the United States. Some of it good and some of it not so good. But all of it has made the game what it has become today, for better or for worse. We're going to examine some of the events that have shaped the game over the years, not all of them on the field.

Most recently, probably the greatest effect anything has had on the game of baseball has been the controversy surrounding steroid use. While nobody really knows when the use of steroids started, we do know that since we have begun testing for these illegal substances many ball players have tested positive, some of which have had a profound effect on the way fans look at the game.

Probably the most famous of these is Barry Bonds. While he is by no means the first and probably not the last, with his chase of both Ruth's and Aaron's home run records, his steroid use, which he denies he did knowingly, has led to quite a bit of controversy. Many fans don't believe his records should count.

But more important than just the fact that players use steroids to jack up their stats is how steroid use has diminished the game itself. Fans are disgusted with the player's conduct, old records are falling like flies hitting a bug zapper and new records seem to have very little meaning.

Steroids aren't the only thing that has helped diminish the game of baseball. Rising players' salaries have driven ticket prices through the roof. The average American family can't even afford to go to a ball game anymore. Add to that the fact that many ball players, in spite of their overblown salaries, act like children, complain about every little thing and don't play as hard as they should.

The recent baseball strikes, something that was non existent in the early years of the game, have also hurt the game. Fans, cheated out of whole seasons, have not returned to the ball parks in the numbers that they once enjoyed. If not for the revival of the game, thanks to Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, they may have never come back at all.

Right about now you're probably wondering where the good comes in. Well, there's more of it than you realize. It's just with all the bad going around the good tends to go unnoticed. But it's there. Just take a look at some of the newer stadiums. Some of them are beautiful enough to be used for sight seeing alone. And there still are some ball players like Jeter and Glavin and a number of others who play hard and bring a level of respect back to the game itself. And, while not everybody agrees with the designated hitter, there are many who believe that it has added excitement to the game.

The game of baseball has certainly taken its lumps. But an institution as old as this isn't going to just wither away and die. Problems will no doubt continue, with new ones popping up all the time. But as long as there are little boys with sparkles in their eyes and a glove on their hand, the game of baseball, good and bad, will always be around.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Baseball