From the mailbag

Reader R.M. offers a different take on PEDs in baseball ...

Can't agree with you on this one. It's almost as if you are saying that we can't re-evaluate the steroid era now that we have more information about what was actually going on at the time. I will agree that it's going a bit far to call the titles tainted since, lacking better info, he kind of have to assume that players from all of the teams were juiced. I also agree that the players are being blamed a bit too much given MLBs willingness to look the other way. However, that being said, I think that every individual accomplishment during that era is tainted. I loved the Sosa-McGuire home run chase as much as anyone but now am embarrassed by my naivety. I do not consider Barry Bonds the major league home run champion. If A-Rod surpasses Bonds or Aaron, I will still consider Hank Aaron to be the true career home run leader.

I love baseball as much as anyone and I think that looking back I will consider the steroid era to be a time when the game itself was tainted. Because of this, I probably won't consider any individual achievements to be legit unless they come from a player who played their career in the post-PED era.