Why I Care

It seems a bit hypocritical of me to be criticizing Barry Bonds for cheating because I'm a Tigers fan. Admittedly, not a very big one but I'm a shameless homer and they're actually watchable again so I've clamored back aboard the bandwagon of my youth during the Roar of '84. But last year's post season run is always going to be tainted by the smudge.

I don't know what it was. I don't know if it helped his pitching. I don't think I'll ever find out. But I'll always suspect. So, yeah, I'll say the heretical thing and say that Kenny probably cheated then. Maybe all postseason long. It's not something that pitchers haven't done in the past. But that doesn't make it any more right. In a lot of ways, I'm glad the Tigers didn't win it all because it would have left a bitter taste in my mouth – even though Rogers was only one part of the team, even though he didn't swing the bats, even though there's no incontrovertible proof. Innocent until proven guilty is something for the courtrooms. In the real world, you have to make decisions and judgements from scraps and impressions all the time. And my impression here is that it's very probable something was very wrong.

There might have been more than magic in Roger's arm, after all, but there's definitely something extra in Neifi Perez's. The enduring memory of him in Tiger's lore is going to be his diving catch to save Verlander's perfect game. But the enduring fact of his career will be that he tested positive not once, not twice, but three times for banned substances. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, that means he's done for the season. And probably with the Tigers all together.

And Perez is only one player. Just like Rogers. Certainly not all of them have broken the rules to win. Right? But I can't shake the lingering feeling that I'm watching a bunch of cheaters. The suspicion is there. Doubt colors everyone on the team. In the sport. Whatever reserve of goodwill, of benefit of that doubt, I've had has been used up by the parade of stories and rumors and violations. Not just on the Tigers but everywhere in baseball. And, indeed, in other sports as well.

That's why I care about Bonds. Because he's another dagger in the illusion of innocence. Because I'd like to take my young cousins, my nieces, my nephews to a ball game one day but, as it stands, I'd rather tell them the Easter Bunny isn't real. I'd be doing less harm to their naiveté in the long run.