Prof Points: What’s bugging me about sports this week – Ortiz & Ramirez

The Boston Red Sox waited 86 years for a World Series title. The improbable run was followed relentlessly by the media and the fans who had watched way too many embarrassing losses throughout the years. It was a triumphant time for not only Red Sox fans, but all fans of baseball. The 2004 World Series made baseball seem relevant again and brought some much needed excitement back into the game.

To some, the unbelievable win seemed magical; now it’s tainted.

Two of the most vital players in the Red Sox World Series titles in 2004 and 2007 were David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Now the New York Times is reporting that both Ortiz and Ramirez were on a list of around 100 players in major league baseball that tested positive for some form of performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.

The 2003 test for steroids was just a trial run and was anonymous; something Bud Selig and the rest of the league wanted to try out, but wouldn’t reveal the results of. It was like when the SAT’s decided they were going to add a writing portion to the test, but colleges said they wouldn’t use that test score to hurt any applicant.

As a baseball fan, and even more so as a Red Sox fan, this revelation kills me. It almost negates the two World Series titles the Sox won and definitely will hamper my viewing of the Drew Barrymore-Jimmy Fallon romantic-comedy “Fever Pitch.”

While this kind of behavior has unfortunately become expected of Ramirez, it is shocking for Ortiz, who has always been avidly against steroid users. Ortiz went as far to say that users should be suspended an entire season, rather then the usual punishment of approximately 50 games.

Baseball most definitely does not need another steroid scandal. With Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez and others all vilified for past steroid use, the last thing the MLB needs is another high profile player indicted or suspended. Yet, it looks like a steroid scandal is exactly what they have on their hands, just in time for the pennant race to heat up.

Maybe it is time baseball started doing more to protect the integrity of the game. Maybe the league’s players should have more integrity in the first place and maybe its fans should stop supporting players who cheat.

It bugs me that players and teams can get away with cheating, but it bugs me even more that the public has become so jaded to steroid use that Ortiz and Ramirez are unlikely to face serious repercussions.

What bothers me more than both those reasons? It is the fact that it happened to my favorite team and now I feel compelled to give excuses for them.