Baseball in 1998
1998 was a magical Summer. I graduated from high school and was ready for a new chapter in my life. My senior year of high school was especially good with great friends and even better times awaited in college.
Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were doing the home run race, and that was pretty damn exciting. I rooted for McGwire because Sosa came off as a whiny prick, and McGwire was freaking HUGE - like a demigod - and he had these amazing towering home runs. It was fun to follow someone's personal accomplishments and that added a whole new aspect to the game.
Speaking of personal accomplishments, Cal Ripken Jr ended his insane 2,632 game played streak. That's really more impressive than any home run record when you think of it. It was just an all round exciting time for baseball.
I was rescuing Bryce's car from a snow bank with the help of AAA just now when the radio had McGwire - The Big Hurt - crying and apologizing for his steroid use during that season. I let lose a string of cursing that I'm glad Luke couldn't understand.
I could honestly care less he did it with steroids - he probably didn't even need them to be honest. He was always big and he had always hit homeruns, unlike Sosa who suddenly started hitting and then suddenly got big.
I'm mad that he's a magician who's revealed his tricks. There has been speculation that he used steroids in addition to the HGH, but I didn't care and just wanted him to go on with lamely skirting the issue. Anything would be better than crying about it, for cripes sake!
But I suppose he feels like he should be remorseful so kids won't think they should emulate him or something.
Anyway, that magical year just feels like a joke now. Sosa's being made fun of for turning white and McGwire's a blubbering has-been.
Fortunately there will always be The Iron Man. That's why they call him that, after all. There is no way to tear down hard work and dedication. There is no way that going to work 2,632 games in a row is cheating or shady or a joke. Cal Ripken Jr is truly the baseball hero of my time.
Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were doing the home run race, and that was pretty damn exciting. I rooted for McGwire because Sosa came off as a whiny prick, and McGwire was freaking HUGE - like a demigod - and he had these amazing towering home runs. It was fun to follow someone's personal accomplishments and that added a whole new aspect to the game.
Speaking of personal accomplishments, Cal Ripken Jr ended his insane 2,632 game played streak. That's really more impressive than any home run record when you think of it. It was just an all round exciting time for baseball.
I was rescuing Bryce's car from a snow bank with the help of AAA just now when the radio had McGwire - The Big Hurt - crying and apologizing for his steroid use during that season. I let lose a string of cursing that I'm glad Luke couldn't understand.
I could honestly care less he did it with steroids - he probably didn't even need them to be honest. He was always big and he had always hit homeruns, unlike Sosa who suddenly started hitting and then suddenly got big.
I'm mad that he's a magician who's revealed his tricks. There has been speculation that he used steroids in addition to the HGH, but I didn't care and just wanted him to go on with lamely skirting the issue. Anything would be better than crying about it, for cripes sake!
But I suppose he feels like he should be remorseful so kids won't think they should emulate him or something.
Anyway, that magical year just feels like a joke now. Sosa's being made fun of for turning white and McGwire's a blubbering has-been.
Fortunately there will always be The Iron Man. That's why they call him that, after all. There is no way to tear down hard work and dedication. There is no way that going to work 2,632 games in a row is cheating or shady or a joke. Cal Ripken Jr is truly the baseball hero of my time.