March saw a highly publicized congressional hearing about the presence of steroids in Major League Baseball. Both sides of the table, congressmen and players, talked about the need to clean up America’s pastime.

But the issue of steroids goes beyond baseball. Many competitive organizations have had problems with participants using illegal substances in an attempt to gain an advantage. Doping has appeared in all major sports and, in some cases, minor ones. Participants in world-class chess championships are now tested for drugs purported to increase awareness and concentration.

Baseball is unlike almost every other competitive event, however, because of the emphasis put on records. Players like Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Ricky Henderson and Mark McGwire are understood in the context of their statistics. The only other competition that is comparable is the Olympics.

Numbers are as important as names in the Olympic games. Many Americans have heard and understand the importance of the four-minute mile, but how many can connect that feat to Roger Bannister? Like many baseball record breakers, Bannister’s numbers transcend himself.

What happens, as is the case with a number of big-leaguers, if a specter of foul play surrounds the accomplishment? Worse still, what is to be done if an individual is found guilty of using an illegal substance for the achievement?

This is the issue that now presents itself to many baseball fans. Should a player’s records be thrown out of the books if steroids were used during those years? To have an intelligent and defensible position about this issue, there are a few conclusions that must be reached.

The effects of a given steroid must be well understood. Without a stance on how much a substance can help a player, a decision about the larger issue cannot be reached.

In the same vein of performance enhancement, a stance must be taken regarding supplements. If taking steroids can be agreed upon as cheating, how does that relate to over-the-counter drugs that claim beneficial effects?

A second conclusion that must be made regards different types of records. Should consistency streaks and home run records be considered equally fraudulent if a player used a steroid designed to increase strength? Can a player have some records allowed and some barred, based on the type of steroid used?

Finally, what is the status of a record that has been debunked? To again reference the Olympics, consider Ben Johnson’s 1988 100-meter dash world record. Though it had been abolished from the record book, the specter of 9.79 seconds continued until it was broken 14 years later.

Regardless of the conclusion drawn about suspicious records, perhaps this is the ultimate fate.

Perhaps the importance of the record book has been overstated, as the true resting place of athletic achievement is in the minds of sports fans.

Any record will remain there until it is ceremoniously replaced by the next.