Baseball is the all-American pastime we can all enjoy. Even those of us women who may not have been interested in it before marriage can start to get wrapped up in the games. After a certain number of years, the game pulls you in whether you want it to or not.

The television and radios are all playing at the same time and for the same game. That's so your husband and sons don't miss a play as they travel through the house. You can't get into a vehicle without the radio being preprogrammed to the “game.” All your friends' wives seem to know the players or about the last game.

So in order to stay in the loop, you finally surrender. It becomes a nice way for you and the family to spend time together.

And that brings me to the latest baseball topic in our house - the use of steroids by baseball players. Barry Bonds, the all-time home run king, has been indicted for lying to a grand jury about possible steroid use.

Before we get started, let's agree that Bonds deserves his day in court and is innocent until proven guilty like all Americans. But here is a regular thin kid that is playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who is a good player and shows that he can hit 20 home runs a year. Fabulous! Over a short period of time you start to notice that there are physical changes occurring. Barry's once lean physical appearance starts to bulk up until he appears to look like the Incredible Hulk.

There have been suspicions for years but we all go on watching and waiting for someone to do something. The biggest thing that happens is that while Bonds ages, instead of his athletic skills diminishing like all athletes, his appear to be increasing. He hit 73 home runs in one season at age 37.

Baseball statistics have been tainted, and we know how much hard-core fans love stats. They cannot compare somebody on steroids to an old-time player that did everything naturally. How can you compare Bonds to Hank Aaron? Or Mark McGwire to Willie Mays? You can't.

Bonds was suspected of steroid use and brought before a grand jury and now is accused of lying. It has cast a dark cloud over baseball. Nobody knows where this is going to go, but we do know that many modern day steroid users have been compared to all-time greats and it's creating a giant lie. These comparisons are worthless and the statistics have become virtually meaningless.

Baseball has always been a good reflection of American culture and ballparks used to be filled with families and children. Today it's a game for the elite and it's all about money. Using steroids is a quick way to make a lot of money if you are a baseball player.

And as far as I'm concerned, Aaron is still the home run king.

Ducayne's column appears Tuesdays in The Citizen, and she can be contacted at

sacredheart6005@hotmail.com