Amid the annual spring routines of batting practice and defensive drills, head baseball coach Rich Krivanek plans to pause for a serious talk about steroids with his Central Catholic High School players.

He said he'll tell them the game is still a great sport in need of strong leadership to restore integrity in a time of crisis.

He'll point out the good guys worth rooting for, even if the list of disappointing role models and smeared reputations has grown.

"I will be saying there is a reason why these [drugs] are illegal,'' Mr. Krivanek said. "You don't see Jack Wilson or Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter in there. I think baseball should now promote guys who didn't use [steroids] to show the younger kids and fans that there are a lot more successful players who didn't resort to this to succeed.''

Steroids is part of the conversation in the sports community like never before, especially in baseball, a game so steeped in tradition and reverence for statistical records.

"I think my guys feel like [steroids] taint the sport," Duquesne baseball coach Mike Wilson said. "Baseball is a game of numbers."

Mr. Wilson said his school hires a nutritionist to talk with athletes about the dangers of steroid use, and regular speakers sent by the NCAA also address the issue.

That type of education should be provided early and often, said Brendan Scioscia, a senior catcher and first baseman on the Pine-Richland High School baseball team. He said he and other athletes his age have been warned about the dangers of steroids "not much at all, to be honest."

"Even from the high school level to the major leagues they should be talking to players about it and trying to keep them away from it as much as possible," he said. "Just talk to them and talk about the effects that it has."

Brendan has a closer view of the baseball world than most teenagers. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Manager Mike Scioscia is his father's cousin. Former Pirates outfielder Brian Giles used to be his neighbor. And former Pirate first baseman Craig Wilson lived with his family during his stint with the team.

Mr. Wilson became a mentor to Brendan and the two still talk about once a week, sometimes discussing the steroid issue.

"He just thinks it's unfair for all the guys who work their tails off and don't cheat," Brendan said.

Kurt Wolfe, 38, baseball coach at Pine-Richland, wonders whether most youths share Brendan's reverence for the game. Mr Wolfe grew up in Brentwood idolizing the play of Tony Gwynn and Kirby Puckett. He has seen a lot of the luster fade from the game he loves.

But steroid use isn't the only issue.

"It's difficult with baseball," he said. "No salary cap and the same teams, the ones that make the most money, always winning it. It's given baseball a sour taste."

Pine-Richland is the smallest Quad-A school in Western Pennsylvania, and finding youths with the talent and commitment to play baseball can be difficult. And most of the kids, he said, couldn't name the winners of the past two World Series.

"I still think they're just scratching the surface with it," Mr. Wolfe said of the steroid investigation and baseball's problems. "How many people can sit and even watch a nine-inning baseball game? You have to love the sport."

Steroids have even had an impact on the baseball memorabilia business.

Dan Means, owner of Sports World Specialties on Smithfield Street, Downtown, said the scandal probably would affect the value of memorabilia connected to the players involved. Former St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire's baseball card values tumbled after he evaded questions about steroid use at a congressional hearing nearly three years ago.

"McGwire is as cold as could be," Mr. Means said. "His rookie card is like 25 bucks. No one wants anything McGwire. Same as Bonds. There's no question that part of this is steroids. McGwire was really popular, especially autographed balls. But not so much anymore."