NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for violating Major League Baseball’s steroids policy Monday, nearly five months after telling Congress that “I have never used steroids. Period.”
Jeremy loves baseball, and in particular, Jeremy loves to collect autographed balls from players when we go to games. His prized autograph is when future hall of famer Rafael Palmeiro signed a ball for him during batter practice at a Rangers-Tigers game a couple of years ago. So when Palmiero quietly collected his 500th home run, when Palmiero recently (quietly) collected his 3000th hit, Jeremy was thrilled because he felt a connection to him. And now that a hero of his has been suspended for steroids, what will my 11 year-old son think. Will the autograph or the encounter with a baseball superstar have meaning to a little kid who was in awe of a player headed to the hall?
When I was growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, we idolized players like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson and Sandy Kofax. Granted, all of these men must have their flaws and are not (except for Aaron) true heroes, but to me they were. Whether or not sports stars are worthy of being heroes is a subject for another time, but when I was a kid, our sports heroes were worthy of our worship because of their play on the field. What will it do to baseball in the future when the stars of the game are stars because their use of steroids. Perhaps Cal Ripken was the last of heroic player in the mode of Willie, Hank and Frank. For this I mourn for my son.