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Book Review of Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report

Luluette avatar reviewed on + 47 more book reviews


This was a quick, interesting read about a subject that interests most people about the sports world. Even if you aren't a sports "fan", for most folks, there's always at least a passing interest in the various steroid scandals. This book gives you a nice glimpse into not only the steroid world in particular, but the transition of baseball from a "fat man's sport" in the 70's and 80's to the buff, sculpted and powerful game it has become. The author talks about the vital differences in how the owner's, manager's and player's viewpoints of the game morphed over the decades and how this change influenced the tide of steroid use that began in earnest in the 1990's. It also shares some fun and interesting tidbits about what a "clubbie" (a team clubhouse employee) does and how they are perceived by the players.

One of the things that intrigued me the most about Kirk Radomski's story when I read the flap description is how he said he truly didn't see how procuring steroids and human growth hormones for players could be perceived as a bad thing in the beginning. My eyebrows went up and I said..."Yeah, right, whatever...:

However, while reading the book and learning about his background, it started to make more and more sense how he could perceive it that way. Enlightening, really.

If you have any interest in this subject matter at all, invest a little time in this quick read.