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ByJarodClarke ReporterCharitonValleyNewsPressColumnJune23,2009 Thehomerunisoneofthemostexcitingplaysinsports. Thesightofaballtravelinghundredsoffeetintotheatmospherestirsaspecialemotioninbase ballfans who cannot berecreatedthroughany othersingleevent.Withoneswing ofthebat,agamecanbe changed,elevatingoneteamanddeliveringadevastatingblowtotheother. TheMajorLeagueBaseballsingleseasonhomerunrecordispossiblythemostcovetedrecordinsports. Alongwithbeingthemostexcitingplayinbaseball,thehomerunisalsooneofthemostdifficultto perform,makingtherecordthatmuchmorespecial. BabeRuthwasthefirsttruesluggerinthegame,hittingarecord60homersinthe1927season.That recordstooduntil1961,whenNewYorkYankeeteammatesMickeyMantleandRogerMarisbattledto breaktherecordandearnbaseballimmortality.MariseclipsedTheBabesrecordinthelastgameofthe season,butitwassubjectedtocriticisminsteadoffanfare. Irecentlywatchedthe2001BillyCrystalmovie61*,whichrecreatesthechaseofRuthsrecordbyMaris andMantle.IthinkitisinterestingthattherewassomuchcontroversywhenMarisbroketherecord. WhenMarisbroketherecordwith61homeruns,hediditinaseasonwith162games.Backin27when Ruthhit60,theseasonwas154gameslong,soMarishadanextraeightgamestobreaktherecord,thus creatingthecontroversytowhetherMarisrecordshouldstandorhaveanasterisknexttoitintherecord books. TimeshavedefinitelychangedinMajorLeagueBaseball,andthefussabouttheeightextragamesMaris hadtobreakRuthsrecorddoesnotcomparetosomeofthethingsallowedinrecentyears. Theintegrityofthegameanditsrecordshasbeentarnishedbysteroidsandtheplayerswhochosetouse them.Formerplayerswhoplayedin61mustbeupsetwiththeleagueandhowithasallowedthese cheaterstoclaimrecordssetbythosewhoplayedbytherules. WiththerecentnewsofCongressinvestigationofformerbaseballsluggerSammySosaandhisalleged useofperformanceenhancingdrugs,thequestionbeginstoariseagainaboutwhetherrecordssetinthe steroidyearsofMajorLeagueBaseballshouldstayintherecordbooksatall. 61*openswithformerCardinalssuperstarMarkMcGwireandSammySosabattlingeachotherinthe 1998seasonfortherecordstillownedbyMarisatthetime.Attheendofthemovie,itshowsMcGwire hittinghomerunNo.62topassMaris.McGwirefinishedtheseasonwith70,smashingtherecord.Barry BondsontheSanFranciscoGiantswouldeventuallysettherecordin2001with73homeruns. Since61*cameouteightyearsago,somuchinformationhascomeoutaboutallegeduseofsteroidsby

McGwire,SosaandBonds,aswellasotherslikeJasonGiambi,RafaelPalmeiro,AlexRodriguezand manymore. McGwirereceivedsomuchfanfarethatyear,unlikeMaris,andIwilladmitthatIwasalsobroughtinto theexcitementofthatseason.IthinkIstillhavemyMcGwire62homerunTshirtstashedawayandmy McGwirephotoballthatIhadmydadbuymeattheKauffmanStadiumgiftshopduringthe98season. Afterwatchingthemovie,IwasleftfeelinglikeIhavebeencheated.Igrewupidolizingthesebaseball starsfortheamazingthingstheydidonthefield,andnowIlookbackandwonderhowmanyofthem werecheatingwithsteroids. RogerMarishasalsobeencheatedbyMajorLeagueBaseballandsteroids.Ifanyrecordsshoulddeserve anasterisknexttothem,itshouldbetherecordssetbytheplayerslinkedtosteroiduse. Inmyopinion,therecordshouldstillbelongtoMaris.Heneverinjectedhimselfwithanyperformance enhancing drugs because they didnt exist. Why should we award these cheaters who used these substancestoearnpopularityandmillionsofdollars? ImnotaYankeesfanandamnotsayingthisbecauseIdislikeanyoftheplayerswhohavesurpassed Marisrecord.ImsayingthisasafanofMajorLeagueBaseballwhowantstoseetheintegrityofthe gamerestoredtotimesbeforesteroids. Until a player not linked to steroid use hits 62 home runs in a season, Maris is still No. 1.