Mark McGuire"Baseball Officials Announce Tougher Steroids Policy"
"Bonds Testified That Substances Didn't Work"
"Palmeiro Docked Ten Days for Steroids"
"Clemens Implicated in Steroid Scandal by Trainer"
Baseball. It’s one of America’s most cherished pastimes. For many, there is nothing quite like a Saturday or Sunday afternoon sitting in the warm spring air, eating a hot dog (or chili dog - - whichever you prefer), drinking a cold drink and enjoying a baseball game while the sun beats down. This sport has become so popular among the American people that “Little League” baseball teams have been established so that young boys and girls have the chance to participate in the great game. Little boys and little girls look up to those playing in the Major Leagues, like Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, etcetera, and many want to grow up to play baseball just “like the big boys do.” Ask a kindergarten or first grade class what they want to be when they grow up. I’d say it would be a safe bet that at least one little boy will declare he wants to play baseball just like so and so when he gets “big.” We all smile and say, “Oh, how cute!” Sadly, however, what little Johnny doesn’t know is that his hero may be on suspension for suspicion of “juicing up.” The illegal use of steroids for performance enhancement has plagued the Major Leagues and is causing that heroic reputation of baseball players to quickly fade.
Recently, several baseball players have been under scrutiny because they have been accused of using illegal steroids in order to heighten their performance abilities. One person that immediately comes to mind concerning steroid use is Barry Bonds. According to Bonds, he was given “the cream” and “the clear” steroids by his trainer. In court, Bonds, who has been indicted for obstruction of justice and perjury, said that he was told that the two substances were to help lessen the severity of the pain from playing numerous games. Barry Bonds more than likely knew what he was using, but the question arises whether players should be allowed to legally use steroids. Should a person have the right to abuse his or her own body if he or she so chooses? Maybe so. In sports, however, the use of synthetic steroids gives players an unfair advantage over those who are “playing by the rules” and abstaining from the use of steroids. If steroids were legal, baseball would no longer be a game of skill and athleticism; rather, it would become a competition of who could inject the most “juice” before the next game. Would the “heroes” still be the same if everyone was playing on the same level (drug free)?
Yes, many agree that steroids are bad and can ultimately have fatal results, and according to USA Today, several baseball officials have declared that they will enforce “a stricter steroid testing program that includes random, off-season testing and ten day suspensions for first-time offenders.” Off-season testing? Ten day suspensions? Is this really punishment for the players, or is it a mere slap on the wrist? Testing for the use of steroids during the off-season– who are they kidding?! Cameras, photographers, and millions of fans are not watching to see if a player hits that record breaking home run during off-season! Games are not on the line during off-season! Raphael Palmeiro was suspended for ten days in 2005 for “accidentally injecting” steroids. I do not believe that players should be completely banned from the Major Leagues for a first time offense, but is a ten day suspension enough? That’s almost like telling a sixteen year old to go to time out for five minutes! Marion Jones, a premier Olympian track and field athlete–who, was also found to have lied under oath- -, confessed to using steroids for performance enhancement was stripped of five Olympic medals! Additionally, Roger Clemens has been brought under Congressional speculation for suspected illegal use of steroids after his name was included in the Mitchell Report, a document detailing the results of an investigation led by former Senator George Mitchell. Clemens claims the accusations are incorrect, but several members of Congress question the validity of his testimony.
As previously discussed, baseball players (and other professional athletes, as well) are always in the public eye, and have many younger children and fans who look to them as role models. Because so many high school athletes have seen how steroids have affected professional players’ abilities, many have taken up the use of steroids as well. Unfortunately, I personally know several young people who, in an attempt to enhance their performance level , used steroids while playing high school sports. In fact, one of my friends tore ligaments in his knees in the last game of his high school football career because of the side effects of steroid use. Not only was this the end of his football career, it also precluded him from participating in basketball in his final year of high school. Also, another high school football player was stripped of his college scholarship because he was found to be using performance enhancing drugs. The sad thing is both of these young men were very talented and could have had post high school careers in sports. Was the use of steroids worth giving up what might have been a promising future in sports? We see so many professional players punished because of steroid usage, but does the punishment fit the crime? Would a more severe punishment, such as a suspension for the rest of the season, give the players a much needed “wake up call”? If they see one player lose millions of dollars because they cannot play for half a season, other players would probably be discouraged from using synthetic steroids. Because our society is so consumed with and influenced by public figures in the media, younger players (both high school and college age) would see that steroids are not necessary to excel in a particular sport and the use of them doesn’t pay. In order for little Johnny to have a professional athlete as a legitimate role model, drastic steps to discontinue the use of illegal steroids must be taken- - not only for little Johnny’s sake, but for the health of the athletes, as well as, the reputation of America’s favorite pastime.
