If the MLB's Brightest Stars Are Fading, Why Is A-Rod Still Shining?

This generation of baseball players will fondly be remembered as the ones who played during the "Steroids Era".

And why shouldn't they be?

A host of heralded stars throughout the 80's, 90's and 2000's have either been accused of, or virtually found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs, or PEDs.

Included are Home Run King Barry Bonds, "The Rocket" Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Rafael Palmeiro, among others.

Also, more than 80 names (89 to be exact) were revealed in the "Mitchell Report", the result of Senator George J. Mitchell's 20-month investigation into the use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone in baseball.

Granted, their names were supposed to remain anonymous, but somehow the "protected" names found their way onto greedy hands, and the information was leaked out into the mainstream baseball community.

Two players whom we now know used steroids are Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez.

And, like the names of those on the Mitchell Report, the list of players who had tested positive for steroids in the year 2003 were supposed to remain under wraps; but instead the names of these two baseball giants were identified.

However, the ensuing public reaction for each player couldn't have been more different.

Humans love to speculate, especially after negative events, and especially when it pertains to high-profile athletes.

So when Sammy Sosa was caught using a corked bat during a regular season game in 2003, questions aroused about the slugger's integrity.

In 2005, Sosa, before Congress, stated that he had never taken any illegal PEDs.

But sadly, last week, his name appeared as one of the 104 on the 2003 list of cheaters.

Shock, disbelief, and disgust now consumed the already stricken baseball universe.

At this point, few find the dignity to remain atop the "Sosa Bandwagon". Those who had graciously forgiven his corked bat incident now felt betrayed; betrayed for giving a player a second chance who ultimately didn't deserve one.

Sosa now finds himself in a very dangerous and potentially extremely serious predicament. Not only has he eliminated close to the last remaining ounces of credibility attached to his name and threatened his own spot in the Hall, but now he is facing a possible major run-in with the law on perjury charges from the 2005 court date.

Now when Alex Rodriguez's name appeared as one of the ones on the 2003 list, he immediately took action. He owned up to the mistake, accepted responsibility for the wronged actions that he had performed, and apologized. All in a timely fashion.

He accomplished what any decent and sensible man would've (being presented with the situation that he was), and the whole mess as an afterthought almost as quickly as it was a thought.

Perhaps A-Rod played the role as "Wise Man", learning from those who had walked the same path before him.

Perhaps he had analyzed what had happened to those who had not only chosen to break baseball's rule, but also to deny doing so as well.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens each have ended their "story book" careers on a sad chapter, failing to admit the mistakes of their past that now haunt them. And what does the public think of them?

But the true reason as to why the MLB Faithful displays disgust towards Bonds and Clemens, while finding remorse for Rodriguez, lies in how each situations was handled.

In the "Barry and Roger" scenario, continued denial met mounting evidence, and quite frankly, it just wasn't bought by the audience.

Psychologically speaking, the more a person is publicized regarding a negative event, the more they grow sour in the viewer's mind. And since the situation for each has failed to end, not only have they rotted past extinction to those who have followed the episode since day one, but to newcomers to the saga, they have given them a creaky first step to stand on.

In A-Rod's situation, no unbearable ignorance to the media was to be had. No evasive actions were taken when the fans demanded answers. There was no prolonged denial.  He manned up when the shocking news on him had broke and addressed the situation firmly.

Rodriguez had learned from the previous case that any resistance to evidence would be enough to potentially cost him a spot not only is fan's minds, but also in baseball's holiest mecca.

The fact that he exterminated the tarry so quickly—before it had a time to grow—left no room or time for negative reactions to ensue.

As a result, A-Rod remains a figure to like, and possibly still even someone to look up to. The outcome of his ingenious (and correct) detour around "Wronged Rep Ave." has kept him alive in both the eyes of baseball purists and also along the halls of Cooperstown.

Because you cannot deny mistakes, only accept them and move on; and amongst those stars plagued by PEDs, Alex Rodriguez knew this, and has benefited tremendously because of it.