Steroids In Baseball

Baseball has had quite a few issues lately that have begun to put somewhat of a black-eye on the league. Violent conduct by players on the field, the topic of revenue sharing and whether it is fair for some teams to be able to spend more money than others, and the lack of minorities in managerial positions are just a few of these concerns. However, there is one subject whose negativity far outweighs any of the aforementioned problems. The use, distribution and testing policy of steroids in baseball has long been a worry for those involved in our national pastime, and the fans and those involved in baseball at any level deserve a resolution. It is very important to take action because children and baseball players at lower levels are getting the wrong impression regarding steroid use. They see their idols, the best players in the game, and hear about their possible steroid use and begin to think that it is acceptable and even beneficial to use also. If the best home run hitters use steroids, then maybe younger children will think that if they use also, they be able to hit the ball farther just like their heroes do. As a dedicated fan who has been following baseball for a significant amount of time and cares about the integrity of the game, I think it is necessary that a firm stance be taken in opposition to steroids.

Nothing substantial has been accomplished to aid in curtailing steroid use by players in Major League Baseball as of yet. A brief summation of the testing policy in Major League Baseball is as follows; players may only be tested from March 2 until the end of the season, they can be tested no more than twice per season (one unannounced and a second, follow-up test five to seven days later if the results are positive in the first test), there are no serious consequences for first time offenders, just a referral to receive medical treatment, and if a player's test results are negative they are in the clear until the next season begins (Verducci 1). This is quite a lenient policy that players have found easy to circumvent, and must be revised in order to be effective.

The federal government has become slightly involved by bringing up the matter in Congressional hearings and President Bush even mentioned it in a State of the Union Address. Senator John McCain warned Major League Baseball by stating that if they did not clean up their act, then Congress would step in and help improve the steroid policies for them (Our Turn 1). Additionally, in the President's State of the Union Address of 2004, George W. Bush raised the issue of steroid use in Major League Baseball (Our Turn 1). He was concerned for the game of baseball both in the sense of the law and as a fan because he once owned a part of the Texas Rangers, a team in the American League West of Major League Baseball. He does not want to see the player's endangering themselves and damaging the integrity of the game just so they can gain a slight edge on the opponent.

There have even been conjectures that show that an extensive amount of players use steroids, while only a small fraction of them are ever actually discovered and held accountable for their actions. In 2002 a study was conducted where 1438 random test results showed that approximately five to seven percent of players were, indeed, using banned substances. However, this number is actually deceptively low because tests were not administered in the off-season and did not test for certain substances like THG and androstenedione (Verducci 1). Players have also recently come out to say that the majority of players use steroids. While, there is no way to prove these accusations, they have to be taken seriously because they see other players everyday and would certainly know better than any fan or even employee of Major League Baseball. It is clear that steroid use is a problem in Major League Baseball and small steps have been made toward handling it, but more progress must be made before the situation gets any worse.

The word steroid may not be clearly defined in most people's minds. Performance-enhancing drugs is larger category that includes steroids in it. However, steroids are completely different from other items that also fall under the performance-enhancing drugs group. Performance-enhancing drugs encompass every type of material that makes a player better as a result of utilizing them in their workout plan. For instance, herbal supplements would be classified as a performance-enhancing drug. Creatine, a type of acid naturally in our body, is a type of supplement that augments that acid in our body and helps to create more energy so that the athlete can lift more weights and thus increase their strength and muscle-mass, also would be classified under the performance-enhancing drug umbrella. Weight-gainer could even be considered as an item in this group. It assists a person by adding mass to him/her, which they, in turn are supposed to turn into muscle by training hard and lifting weights. On the other hand, the sub-category of steroids does not include these materials. Steroids should be defined as any illegal drug that enhances a player's ability to perform at a rate that would be impossible to achieve through natural means, and is harmful to a player's health.

Performance-enhancing drugs are a larger, separate topic, and I will focus only steroids because they are the issue currently at hand. I will argue that steroids are a significant problem in Major League Baseball and needs to be dealt with accordingly. Health risks are so great for using steroids that something must be done so that the players can be safe and lead a healthy life. As mentioned above, the current testing policy is not sufficient in policing steroid use and must be revised. Furthermore, if fans begin to realize that players are not competing fairly, they may begin to shy away from attending games or even watching them on television.

The health risks alone should be reason enough for action to be taken against steroids. There are many consequences, both physical and psychological that result from steroid use. Men are subject to many physical consequences such as high blood pressure, liver damage, urinary and bowel problems, severe acne, baldness, aching bones and joints, and nausea and vomiting (Steroids 1). The players that use are also more susceptible to more serious outcomes like heart disease, various forms of cancer, and tendon and ligament injuries (Steroids 1). They are just minor compared to some of the more disturbing side effects people can experience as a result of their steroid use. Men are vulnerable to a reduced sperm count, impotence, and enlarged prostate (Steroids 1). Psychologically, baseball players could get severe mood swings, hallucinations, paranoia, anxiety, depression and