If Derek Jeter was indeed using HGH...

By: Joseph Landini

Yankees longtime captain Derek Jeter has been having one of the best years of his career in 2012. Sporting a .324 average with 13 HR and 43 RBIs in his 17th season, Jeter is leading the Yankees to another postseason. At the age of 38 though, a question has arisen whether or not Jeter is clean.

On August 22nd on ESPN2's program First Take, analyst Skip Bayless questioned Jeter's cleanliness by saying, "I would have to be sight and hearing impaired not to at least wonder, because there is no HGH (human growth hormone) test in the sport of baseball. How could I not wonder is he using something." Since these comments it has come into question whether or not baseball's golden boy is indeed all pure. It also makes you wonder what if Bayless' comments were true.

First and foremost, what would it mean to the New York Yankees as an organization if Jeter was doping? Jeter already is a Yankee great, and basically has a spot ready for him in the pinstripes legendary Monument Park. He has never played a game in any other Major League uniform, and is at the top of most Yankee offensive categories all time. In the most decorated franchise in baseball, with 27 World Series championships, the Yankees biggest tragedy ever would boil down to Jeter cheating. New York has had players test positive before, such as Alex Rodriguez, but no Yankee has been loved as much as Jeter.

For the game of baseball, a positive test for Jeter does two major things. Ruin the image of the game for certain and question it's future as a whole. Without a shadow of a doubt Derek Jeter is an ultimate icon in baseball because of his image. Jeter is a solid star on the field, and the ultimate citizen off. He is never in the news for anything bad off the field, which makes him so valuable to the sport. The image of baseball, which has been tarnished already by players such as Rodriguez, Sosa, McGwire, and Clemens, could be thrown over the edge if the acqusation is true.

The future of the game could also be thrown into flux, if it is proven that Jeter was using HGH. With no tests in place for HGH, only one could assume something could be done regarding this. A new war could be started between the owners and players could be started over this , which could eventutally throw the league into a lockout phase, just like the NBA, NFL, and soon to be NHL. The image and future of America's game would be in heavy jeapordy.

For all the sports world knows, Skip Bayless may be just throwing another wrench for no reason at all but to bring attention to himself. Bayless has been known to go after sports stars like Chad Johnson (Ochocinco), Terrell Suggs, and Lebron James. Despite success of players, Bayless has always been the analyst who will never give credit where it is due, unless of course it is to one of his "favorites." This could easily be a media ploy for more ratings and more attention to go Bayless' way.

In the past twenty years the game has not seen a player play with more intensity, quality, and hustle. Derek Jeter is an icon on and off the field and a player that children have been taught to grow up to be like. My personal feeling is that Derek Jeter is as clean as they come, but if not the game of baseball will be in its biggest trouble yet.