During Sunday’s Red Sox/Orioles game, which I watched on MLB.TV, the league ran a promotional commercial for Ken Griffey’s approach to 600 home runs. Backed by maudlin piano music, a Costas-like narrator says the following script, to the accompaniment of pictures and video:

“Willie Mays, September 22, 1969…600.
Babe Ruth, August 21, 1931…600.
Hank Aaron, April 27, 1971…600.”

Then the screen flips to Griffey, who sits at 599, and he says, “Ken Griffey Jr…. keep watching.”

Only five men in Major League Baseball history have hit 600 home runs – the aforementioned three, plus Barry Bonds (762) and Sammy Sosa (609). So, why weren’t the dates of their 600th home runs included in MLB’s tribute to Griffey’s pursuit? I guess it’s possible that mentioning all five players would take too long for a quick, effective commercial. And I guess it’s possible that Barry Bonds will make the Hall of Fame someday. What’s more likely, however, is that Major League Baseball is whitewashing history.

Rather than group Griffey together with three Hall of Famers and two alleged steroids cheats, the league decided to exclude Bonds (the all-time home run champion) and Sosa, who reached 600 just last year. Now, I’m no steroids apologist, but that’s deceitful, dumb, and the act of a weenie (Mr. Selig). Bonds and Sosa’s numbers haven’t been stricken from the record. Moreover, they were the last two players to reach this cherished plateau. Yet to watch MLB.TV, you’d think a hitter hadn’t reached 600 since (cue the solemn piano music)… “Hank Aaron, April 27, 1971.”  Why make the commercial at all if you’re going to insult the intelligence of baseball fans?

The players, the owners, the managers, the trainers, the umpires, the reporters, the fans – everyone who’s maintained any association with baseball over the last two decades bears some responsibility for the steroids culture. Everyone. Earlier this year, it irked me when pitchers like Mike Mussina and Pedro Martinez bragged about how successful they’d been pitching during that era. They honestly tried to sell the idea that their personal achievements were unblemished; that they didn’t benefit from the contributions of teammates who used performance-enhancing drugs. Please.

You can say it’s honorable that Mussina and Martinez didn’t rat out their teammates; I say it’s more honorable to act like you’re not above the fray. Mike Mussina, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Roger Clemens, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter and Sammy Sosa all share one thing in common – they all played during the steroids era. No one escaped unblemished. Consequently, Griffey shouldn’t get the velvet rope treatment as he approaches 600, and Bonds and Sosa shouldn’t get wiped from the slate. I mean, what’s gonna happen when Derek Jeter approaches 4,000 hits? Is Ty Cobb gonna get a 30-second commercial all to himself? Ya know, since Cobb is the Hall of Famer, but Pete Rose is the douche bag?

“MLB.TV…keep whitewashing history.”