(The title isn't mine. Stole if from some commenter at a forum somewhere.)
There are a number of ways to think about the steroid era.
1. A few hitters got an unfair edge by cheating. Their numbers should be discounted.
2. Most batters got an unfair edge. Offensive numbers should be discounted and the numbers of pitchers should be inflated.
3. Most batters and pitchers used steroids. Then the question is whether steroids help batters more than pitchers.
With every new discovery, I lean toward 3. When everyone is a cheater, it's not cheating. When everyone else is taking steroids, your taking steroids levels the playing field. I also remain agnostic about the value of steroids. It isn't so clear to me that they make a big difference. When Manny returns it will be interesting to see if he can still get around on a fastball.
