Rise of The Mound or Fall of The Needle?

Monday Night Matt Garza threw the first no hitter in Rays history and the fifth of 2010, joining Edwin Jackson, Roy Halladay, Dallas Braden and Ubaldo Jimenez as baseball's newest heroes. However, as the number of no-no's climbs to new heights this season, the performance of the pitchers is hardly the headline story. With every out, scoreless inning, and gem that is recorded with much more ease this season, the decline of the steroid era is unfolding before our eyes.

In 1998, at the peak of the steroid era, Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris's single season home run record of 61 when he belted 70 home runs. In that year there was one no hitter thrown, a perfect game by the Yankees' David Wells against the Minnesota Twins. In twelve years has the pitching in the Major Leagues improved so much to up the number of no hitters, a usual rarity, from one to five? Impossible. Ever since Jose Canseco and George Mitchell exposed steroid users and raised awareness among MLB officials, power numbers have deflated and pitching numbers have strengthened once again. As baseball continues to regularly test and suspend those who are found using performance enhancing drugs, offensive number will continue to dwindle until the game reaches its purest form again. Until then, it is all under speculation.

JD