The PED question is interesting because of the varied definitions of "performance-enhancing" and "drugs." Some people, quite literally, can't get going in the morning without caffeine. They can't perform without it. And caffeine is a drug. So for them, caffeine (usually in the form of coffee) is a performance-enhancing drug.
And what about human growth hormone (HGH)? A lot of people use it because it speeds up the healing process. Isn't that a good thing? I think so.
Andro wasn't banned by MLB when McGwire was using it, so I can't see how his use of it can be held against him.
Maybe guys shouldn't use Icy Hot, because it contains drugs and it helps them feel better, thus enhancing their performance.
From where I sit, it's hard to know where to draw the line on what's acceptable vs. unacceptable, fairly enhancing performance vs. unfairly enhancing performance. Why is weight training allowed? Imagine how many fewer homers McGwire would've hit if he'd never lifted weights. Imagine how many more Babe Ruth would've hit if he had today's weightlifting and strength training technology.
Critics say using PEDs is cheating because it's like finding talent in a bottle. Well, I find headache relief in a bottle (of ibuprofen), and that enhances my performance at work.
On top of that, guys have to have talent to be in the pros in the first place; it's not like Joe Schmo can hop on a roid regimen and become an all-star.
I understand that certain substances enhance people in certain physical ways that lead to out-of-place results—think Brady Anderson hitting 50 home runs. I also understand that guys need to stay away from unhealthy things—anabolic steroids will mess you up and eventually kill you. But what about things that enhance performance while not hurting or killing? And if those things are allowed to all players, then no one is at an unfair advantage.
I fully admit to being a Sox homer, but David Ortiz has never been caught using something that was illegal at the time he was using it, and he's been tested a billion times.
He's also one of the greatest hitters of all time, bar none. Period.
And it's not like baseball is the only pro sport that faces this issue, so why pick on baseball?