Abstract
In one respect the game of baseball has come full circle. The Boston Red Sox, one of baseball’s winningest teams in the past four decades as well as the immediate post-World War II era, are pre-eminent once again. Two world championships in the 21st century are akin to the four out of 12 at baseball’s beginnings 100 years ago……
But baseball, though prosperous, is by no means problem free. The most ominous of the game’s clouds on the horizon is the problem of the performance-enhancing drugs which dogged Barry Bonds’ pursuit of Hank Aaron’s home run record and emerged anew at playoff time when Cleveland pitcher Paul Byrd was revealed to have taken human growth hormone. A report by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell which may name names is expected at any time.