Everyone knew. We heard of harder cores of baseballs, different kinds of covers, etc. but we saw Brady Anderson and others suddenly hit 50 homers when they never had a history of doing it in the past. Guys were hitting homers and the fans, media and baseball was celebrating a revival. Look at attendance now, people still don't care and I don't either. Sportswriters should get over it. Nobody really cares.

Baseball fans are naive and the punishment is a joke. In cycling, THE FIRST OFFENSE is an AUTOMATIC 2 YEAR BAN WITHOUT PAY. Two samples (A and B) are taken and can be taken at random and unannounced. No appeal is possible after the B sample is tested positive as a confirmation. This tough stance has dramatically cleaned up cycling and we only hear of an occasional positive test on has-beens (Tyler Hamilton, 2009) or people who obviously were cheating (Michael Rasmussen 2007 and Ricardo Ricco 2008). Baseball MUST take this stance as well IF THERE IS ANY CHANCE AT CLEANING UP THE SPORT. The players union are cheats if they do not support it....I bet this will never happen in this age where a large percentage of professional athletes are criminals anyway....They have no honor and no morality.

Its up to the league to set the limits for the players and let them know what will be tolerated and what wont. They are making millions and are competitive and we cant expect them to sacrifice their money and position on the team because they want to do the 'right' thing.

What should be done is the league should hold a press conference admitting to the past mistakes they made in enforcement of rules and clearly show what the rules are from here on out and then enforce them! THEN it would be the players fault if they continued to juice.

Who cares. It was all about money. No one complained when McGuire and Sosa were lighting it up and creating national interest. There were no baseball rules prohibiting steroids. All the complainers who want to blame someone or punish someone over a victimless crime should chevck their own morality. These players were trying to extend careers and enhance performance and that was for the money. Is someone really going to argue that the Sosa McGuire duel or the Barry Bonds home run year were not exciting. I think we should ban all additives from food to make sure our bodies don't change.

Who cares if the players take steroids, PEDs, speed...whatever. That's like saying actresses can't get breast augmentation or lip plumping because it's not natural - in both cases, it is done to enhance their attributes and earning ability, whether it be strength or "beauty". PEDs do not enhance your hand/eye coordination or smooth out your swing. Players are modern day gladiators and, just because the losing team doesn't lose their heads for failing, the drive to win is still there motivated now by money lavished on them by people that make even more money because of their deeds. Were the owners happy when Sosa and McGwire saved baseball from itself after the strike? - you bet they were. How did they do it? Home runs. Fans going to the park an hour early to watch McGwire and Sosa crush homers in batting practice. Three 60+ home run years for Sosa. Was the media drooling all over them - you bet they were; did the owners, MLB officials, players or fans mind - no.

All of you hypocrites out there that think you might not enhance your calculator or keyboarding speed if it increased your emolument ten-fold are lying through your teeth. Go look at some of the "on-the-field" interviews from the '70s - players were obviously using some amphetamines to get an edge. Getting an edge in sport or combat has a l-o-o-o-ong history, and it won't stop here.

Nobody is to blame because it doesn't matter.

It's not a problem.

If it were, we would be haling football players before Congress.

PED's are the Madoff scandal of MLB.  It probably began to take hold after the PED scandal of the Olympics in the 70's and 80's and was left unchecked through 2000.  MLB players were breaking records at an alarming pace and no one questioned the lopsided numbers. Sosa was not only using PED's but was caught with cork in his bat.  The fans loved the spectacle, the players loved the adulation, and MLB loved the money.  Pete Rose was band for gambling but the PED players are being allowed to play on, what message does that send the fans and the kids of MLB.  America's National Past Time was prostituted for the sake of greed and the game's integrity is tarnished forever.  

PED's are the Madoff scandal of MLB.  It probably began to take hold after the PED scandal of the Olympics in the 70's and 80's and was left unchecked through 2000.  MLB players were breaking records at an alarming pace and no one questioned the lopsided numbers. Sosa was not only using PED's but was caught with cork in his bat.  The fans loved the spectacle, the players loved the adulation, and MLB loved the money.  Pete Rose was band for gambling but the PED players are being allowed to play on, what message does that send the fans and the kids of MLB.  America's National Past Time was prostituted for the sake of greed and the game's integrity is tarnished forever.  

"Who's to blame...?" - the question implies that there is some sort of problem.  Everyone has known for a long, long, loooong time that the players were juiced. Big deal.

Everyone should have realized the sad state of affairs when Barry Bonds' head got so big from 'roids that his wife saw him flossing with rope!!

Everyone should have realized we were in the steroid era when Bond's head got so big. His wife was overheard asking Barry why he was flossing his teeth with rope.

There's enough blame to go around, but the bottom line is that all (or most) of those PED's were completely legal by MLB rules back then. So what's the rush to judgement? The powers that be in MLB turned a blind eye to all this situation until it became to big to shovel under the front-room rug. All they cared about was their own good name and all the $$$$$ baseball could make for them and their minions.

They should release all the names right now - the storm will blow over in less than a month, well before the world series. Next, Selig and Fehr should fire themselves - how's that for dreaming?

Lastly, Sammy I still think you were one of the greatest, but lying before congress is not cool.

Players will always try and get an edge. Selig and Fehr knew what was going on from the beginning and turned away because of the amount of money that was being generated from the rejuventaion of a sport that was dying.

Although they are all to blame you have to wonder what is in the head of the fans when they keep voting for Manny Ramirez to play in the All Start game while he is suspended. I guess we've reached the point where nobody really cares anymore

The Players...? Everyone on the list is to blame... but the main thing is the Money! Maybe the Homerun, can be blamed! I for one Love the Triple! Nothing better than seeing someone leg out a triple... that is harder than hitting the ball over the fence... one other thing i hate is the ball that hits high and bounces back in to the field... heck that ain't no HR... that drives me nutts... I say it has to be iin the seats or out of the park... Please... come on fans... everyone loves to see the long ball and that and the money they pay is what caused this mess with roids... I just hate the average fan can't see the beauty of the game... and that is with out a HR every other at bat...

please, let's not forget to include the owners and player agents in this mess. it's all about the dollar.

One comment I read said where are the owners in this?? They also share the blame for a situation that got out of control. I do believe the league has cleaned up considerably, but now if a guy gets caught, ban him for life.

Pete Rose bet on baseball and was a great player and as far as I know never took any steroids and is treated like dirt by baseball. All these big time players that juiced up and have big careers seem to slide by with no consequence of their actions. Where is the justice here?

The whole steroid era has put such a sour taste in my mouth I honestly do not watch as much baseball as I use to.