The Steroid Legacy
http://www.atomicsportsmedia.com/articles/465/1/The-Steroid-Legacy.html
Kevin Ezell
By Kevin Ezell
Published on 06/19/2006
The big names like Bonds, Sosa and Giambi get the press, but Atomic Sports columnist Kevin Ezell says it's the widespread use of steroids among baseball's lesser-known players that illustrated just how big a problem doping has become.
Major League Baseball continues to face one scandal after another, which raises the question: Who has not used performance-enhancing drugs?
Though the names Jason Grimley has provided federal investigators have not been released, it seems that this epidemic has spread much further then many could have guessed. It also will put to bed the idea that baseball is out of the “steroid era.” This provided solid proof that baseball is not clean and is far from it.
I find it hard to blame players for giving in to the temptation to use performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids or HGH (which the league does not test for, though it is banned). Though I must make it clear that I am in no way endorsing the use of drugs but with the huge pressures these athletes face, some athletes will deviate from the straight and honest path. If your whole life has been devoted to playing baseball, and the people around you are doping, the lure may become too much. It also may be the difference between you having a place in the starting lineup or even a spot on the roster.
We all have heard the suspicions surrounding superstars such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Raphael Palmeiro. But now with the allegations surrounding a marginal player such as Grimsley, it shows that even the role players are using these drugs.
The use of drugs is also enticing not just because it will allow you to knock the ball 500 feet but because it allows these athletes to recover faster. With the grueling 162-game schedule that a baseball player must endure, the body takes a lot of punishment, and if there is a substance that allows you to recover quicker, you have to think that it could be quite appealing.
It’s no coincidence that players are playing and excelling well into their 40s. Prime examples would be Bonds hitting 73 homeruns in his late thirties and the continued dominance of Roger Clemens. Now I am not pointing fingers at these players or meaning to make any allegations. I am just saying if there is a drug that allows you to play longer and to excel at a later age, many players are going to give into that temptation.
One of the main reasons is money. If you play longer, you are going to continue to get paid. Also, if doping is positively affecting your play, most players are going to be rewarded with a huge contract. That seems pretty encouraging. If you are doping and not getting exposed for it, many GMs are going to reward the player with a huge contract and that allows the player to get paid for many years to come.
I am sure that many players weigh the pros and cons of using these drugs. Obviously on the pro side, doping could earn you a spot on the roster, allow you to play longer, and to get a bigger contract. The big downside is the fear of exposure. As we have seen with players like Palmeiro, baseball quickly turns their back on players that are revealed as cheats. (Though it seems an exception has been made for Giambi.)
All the accomplishments would be tainted and questioned if any player was found to be guilty of using these drugs. All the sweat and hard work they put into the game would amount to nothing. They would forever be branded a cheat and most likely would not be able to escape the enormous shadow that doping casts.
It will be interesting to see how records such as Bonds’ will be dealt with or looked at after he has left the game, with all the speculation surrounding him. Will players that have the steroid stigma ever be allowed to enter the Hall of Fame?
These questions will be answered in the coming years, but judging from the reactions from the media, it seems unlikely these players will ever be viewed as something other then a fraud.
Still, it seems that many players are more than willing to put their reputation on the line and use these drugs. And in many cases, these players seem to be getting these drugs from fellow teammates. This is an alarming trend that helps to show the great pressures that these players face in an attempt to perform at the highest level.
It also seems that this problem may never go away, because if the pros are using steroids, then the players trying to make to the MLB will almost feel obligated to dope because those trying to make it to the big leagues will be at a major disadvantage if the league is full of players who are doping.
This was evident by the alarming amount of suspensions that were handed out last year in the minor leagues. And when these young players enter the league, they will already have developed the habit. The behavior of these major leaguers almost sends the message to kids, “hey, do what you have to do.”
Obviously many feel they are not role models, which is fine. But it does not take a role model to understand that endorsing drugs or cheating is just plain wrong. But as the saying goes, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” It seems that many Major Baseball players have taken this to heart.
Kevin Ezell is a regular contributor to Atomic Sports Media. He can be reached at kevin.ezell@atomicsportsmedia.com.
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The big names like Bonds, Sosa and Giambi get the press, but Atomic Sports columnist Kevin Ezell says it's the widespread use of steroids among baseball's lesser-known players that illustrated just how big a problem doping has become.
|
Major League Baseball continues to face one scandal after another, which raises the question: Who has not used performance-enhancing drugs?
Though the names Jason Grimley has provided federal investigators have not been released, it seems that this epidemic has spread much further then many could have guessed. It also will put to bed the idea that baseball is out of the “steroid era.” This provided solid proof that baseball is not clean and is far from it.
I find it hard to blame players for giving in to the temptation to use performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids or HGH (which the league does not test for, though it is banned). Though I must make it clear that I am in no way endorsing the use of drugs but with the huge pressures these athletes face, some athletes will deviate from the straight and honest path. If your whole life has been devoted to playing baseball, and the people around you are doping, the lure may become too much. It also may be the difference between you having a place in the starting lineup or even a spot on the roster.
We all have heard the suspicions surrounding superstars such as Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Raphael Palmeiro. But now with the allegations surrounding a marginal player such as Grimsley, it shows that even the role players are using these drugs.
The use of drugs is also enticing not just because it will allow you to knock the ball 500 feet but because it allows these athletes to recover faster. With the grueling 162-game schedule that a baseball player must endure, the body takes a lot of punishment, and if there is a substance that allows you to recover quicker, you have to think that it could be quite appealing.
It’s no coincidence that players are playing and excelling well into their 40s. Prime examples would be Bonds hitting 73 homeruns in his late thirties and the continued dominance of Roger Clemens. Now I am not pointing fingers at these players or meaning to make any allegations. I am just saying if there is a drug that allows you to play longer and to excel at a later age, many players are going to give into that temptation.
One of the main reasons is money. If you play longer, you are going to continue to get paid. Also, if doping is positively affecting your play, most players are going to be rewarded with a huge contract. That seems pretty encouraging. If you are doping and not getting exposed for it, many GMs are going to reward the player with a huge contract and that allows the player to get paid for many years to come.
I am sure that many players weigh the pros and cons of using these drugs. Obviously on the pro side, doping could earn you a spot on the roster, allow you to play longer, and to get a bigger contract. The big downside is the fear of exposure. As we have seen with players like Palmeiro, baseball quickly turns their back on players that are revealed as cheats. (Though it seems an exception has been made for Giambi.)
All the accomplishments would be tainted and questioned if any player was found to be guilty of using these drugs. All the sweat and hard work they put into the game would amount to nothing. They would forever be branded a cheat and most likely would not be able to escape the enormous shadow that doping casts.
It will be interesting to see how records such as Bonds’ will be dealt with or looked at after he has left the game, with all the speculation surrounding him. Will players that have the steroid stigma ever be allowed to enter the Hall of Fame?
These questions will be answered in the coming years, but judging from the reactions from the media, it seems unlikely these players will ever be viewed as something other then a fraud.
Still, it seems that many players are more than willing to put their reputation on the line and use these drugs. And in many cases, these players seem to be getting these drugs from fellow teammates. This is an alarming trend that helps to show the great pressures that these players face in an attempt to perform at the highest level.
It also seems that this problem may never go away, because if the pros are using steroids, then the players trying to make to the MLB will almost feel obligated to dope because those trying to make it to the big leagues will be at a major disadvantage if the league is full of players who are doping.
This was evident by the alarming amount of suspensions that were handed out last year in the minor leagues. And when these young players enter the league, they will already have developed the habit. The behavior of these major leaguers almost sends the message to kids, “hey, do what you have to do.”
Obviously many feel they are not role models, which is fine. But it does not take a role model to understand that endorsing drugs or cheating is just plain wrong. But as the saying goes, “if you can’t beat them, join them.” It seems that many Major Baseball players have taken this to heart.
Kevin Ezell is a regular contributor to Atomic Sports Media. He can be reached at kevin.ezell@atomicsportsmedia.com.