MLB Home Run Derby is Steroid and HGH Playground

Major League Baseball stages another Home Run Derby tonight. It's another chance to see artificial muscles crush meaningless 60mph lobs into the stands. And millions of fans will tune in on TV while thousands more will pay to watch the fraud in person.

Since the Home Run Derby became a part of All Star Game festivities in 1985, far too many of the Champions and other sluggers who have participated have either tested positive for using performance enhancing drugs, confessed to using PED's, or have been suspected of cheating because of their sudden Hulk-like change in body and performance.

Sosa, McGwire, Abreu, Tejada, Giambi, Juan Gonzalez, Luis Gonzalez. Those players are all confessed, caught, or alleged steroid users. And they are Home Run Derby Champions. Almost every player who has participated in Home Run Derby since the late 1990's are also on a leaked list of players who allegedly failed a secret 2003 MLB steroid test. Manny Ramirez, Bret Boone, Carl Everett, Carlos Delgado, Jeromy Burnitz, Richie Sexson, Nomar Garciaparra, Ivan Rodriguez, Todd Helton, Troy Glaus, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, David Ortiz, Magglio Ordonez, Brady Anderson, Gary Sheffield, the list goes on and on.

And because MLB does not test for Human Growth Hormone, it is suspected that many players have simply switched to something they can't currently get busted for. Does anyone really believe Albert Pujols' body is natural? Or Josh Hamilton's 32 home runs in one round last year was just old time baseball?

After the Sosa/McGwire/Bonds era closed, may sportswriters looked back and said we should have known that those freakish bodies weren't natural. Just a few years later we have a new group of Gigantor-sized monsters and I am the only person noticing?

After Rafael Palmeiro, who wasn't built like a Roman god yet was still outed as a cheater, we can't trust any player anymore, especially when baseball hides the results of failed tests and doesn't test at all for HGH.

Home Run Derby champions by year, with total home runs hit and venue:

Year Player Team Home runs Venue
2009 Busch Stadium, St. Louis
2008 Justin Morneau Minnesota Twins 22 Yankee Stadium, New York
2007 Vladimir Guerrero Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 17 AT&T Park, San Francisco
2006 Ryan Howard Philadelphia Phillies 23 PNC Park, Pittsburgh
2005 Bobby Abreu Philadelphia Phillies 41 Comerica Park, Detroit
2004 Miguel Tejada Baltimore Orioles 27 Minute Maid Park, Houston
2003 Garret Anderson Anaheim Angels 22 U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago
2002 Jason Giambi New York Yankees 24 Miller Park, Milwaukee
2001 Luis Gonzalez Arizona Diamondbacks 16 Safeco Field, Seattle
2000 Sammy Sosa Chicago Cubs 26 Turner Field, Atlanta
1999 Ken Griffey, Jr. Seattle Mariners 16 Fenway Park, Boston
1998 Ken Griffey, Jr. Seattle Mariners 19 Coors Field, Denver
1997 Tino Martinez New York Yankees 16 Jacobs Field, Cleveland
1996 Barry Bonds San Francisco Giants 17 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
1995 Frank Thomas Chicago White Sox 15 The Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, Texas
1994 Ken Griffey, Jr. Seattle Mariners 7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh
1993 Juan González Texas Rangers 7 Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore
1992 Mark McGwire Oakland Athletics 12 Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego
1991 Cal Ripken, Jr. Baltimore Orioles 12 SkyDome, Toronto
1990 Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs 3 Wrigley Field, Chicago
1989 Eric Davis Cincinnati Reds 3 Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim
1988 Canceled due to rain Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
1987 Andre Dawson Chicago Cubs 4 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland
1986 Wally Joyner California Angels 4 Astrodome, Houston
Darryl Strawberry New York Mets
1985 Dave Parker Cincinnati Reds 6 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis

From 1985-1999 Home Run Derby consisted of only 1 round. From 2000-present it has had 3 rounds. Totals listed above are total hr's hit during that contest.

If you plan on watching tonight's Home Run Derby, can you enjoy it without questioning if it's real?