I've not followed all this A-Rod steroids nonsense too closely, but it has raised the question again of whom to blame. And while various people are lining up various villains, I have yet to hear the name of the one person who is clearly to blame for the steroids mess.

Cal Ripken, Jr.

Go back to 1995. Baseball is back after a season cut short by a player's strike. No World Series, no Tony Gwynn chasing .400, nothing. Fans are angry, and attendance figures are down. The national pastime is getting passed by football and basketball in popularity. Baseball is in trouble.

Then September 6 happens, Ripken passes Lou Gehrig to take the record for consecutive games played. The game is aired on ESPN and becomes one of its highest-rated games ever. There's a 22 minute standing ovation and a victory lap, with both President Clinton and Vice President Gore in attendance.

That, I think, is when the light bulb went off over various heads. The league and owners realize the power of having milestone records broken, and players see how breaking them will give them adulation in the short term and lasting fame - in the record and in an increased likelihood of making the Hall of Fame - in the longer term.

And what records are the most cherished in baseball? The ones involving home runs, of course. From there, we get andro, creatine, cream, clear, and a hierarchy that's more than willing to turn a blind eye to even the scant rules then on the books.

So thanks, Cal. This mess is all your fault.