Baseball is the greatest game ever played in the history of sports, it has a long tradition of being the Great American Pastime. In the past, the players relied on their skills and luck to pitch, field, run, but above all they had fun. Rivalries were created between teams that still exist today, the biggest being the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Baseball is a game for everyone, everyone can play it, watch it, and enjoy it. There’s nothing like the sound of the crack of a bat when a home run has been hit, the pop of the catcher’s mitt after a pitcher threw a 100 mph fastball right down the pipe, and then the umpire call of steeerrrike three!!!
Yet for the past five years, baseball has become the object of controversy, arguably the biggest scandal in sports history, and this is the issue of steroids. It all started with the release of the book “Juiced” by Jose Canseco, who was coincidentally a baseball player. The book talked about steroid usage in the Major’s, and it shed light on many all start players like Mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, and Gary Sheffield. Canseco did admit to using steroids himself, but why did he write this book? In 2004, Canseco attended an open try out for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who pretty much told him to get lost. He was never a great player, in fact the only thing he could really do was hit home runs, that’s it. He had 462 career home runs, which ranks him 26th on the All Time Home run list, but he did admit to wanting to reach the 500 mark, which usually lands someone in the Baseball Hall of Fame. There are three numbers that almost guarantee a player in the Hall of Fame, 3000 hits, 500 home runs, or 300 wins for a pitcher. Ironically a year after getting rejected by the Dodgers, Mr. Canseco released his book “Juiced”, which has started the biggest sports scandal in the decade. Baseball has had its share of scandals in the past, like the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, when 8 players for the Chicago White Sox fixed the 1919 World Series, which resulted in the teams loss. Then in the 1980’s, Pete Rose was caught with his gambling ring, and as a result was banned from ever being elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Pete Rose has the highest number of career hits.
But the question is why, why did he release this book? By writing this book he pretty much destroyed the face of baseball, everyone knew that stuff like this takes place, but they either ignore it or refuse to believe it. The book ended up starting a Congressional Investigation in the MLB, and called a number of All Star Players to testify before the Government Committee that was heading this investigation. Mark McGuire was called to testify before Congress, and like everyone else denied ever using steroids, but nobody’s ever really heard anything from him since. The biggest let down was Rafael Palmeiro, who’s one a few Gold Gloves at First Base, has over 500 career home runs and 3000 career hits. When he testified to Congress, he adamantly pointed his finger at them denying the accusations of steroid use. However, in August 2005, five months after pointing his finger at Congress, he tested positive for steroids and was suspended for 10 days. He never offered an explanation as to why he tested positive and even blamed his fellow teammate, Miguel Tejada, for his failed test.
As the debate grows, and more and more players are being accused of taking steroids, baseball seems to be losing its tradition as a great game for anyone. Right now Roger Clemens, who seemed to have had a lock on the Hall of Fame, is facing the demise of his entire career. He was recently named in the Mitchell Report as a player who has used steroids during his Major League Career. Clemens has denied these accusations, but his former trainer, Brian McNamee, has produced evidence to prove that he is lying. People remember Clemens as being a tough, competitive pitcher, who would buzz a 96 mph fastball under a batter’s chin to keep him from crowding the plate. He was involved in a previous scandal back in 2000, when he accidentally hit Mike Piazza in the head with a fastball. Piazza ended up suffering from a concussion, thankfully he was wearing a helmet.
The big issue with this scandal is that the government is getting involved. Why? What exactly are they going to change? Major League Baseball got itself into this mess for one reason, the player’s union. The Baseball Player’s Union is one of the most (if not the most) powerful unions in the United States. It started the 1994 players strike which practically destroyed the ’94 baseball season. The strike started because the players wanted higher pay. The players wanted higher pay, and now look how much they’re getting paid. Alex Rodriguez is going to be making over $25 million a year with the Yankees. Baseball players are the highest paid athletes in professional sports. The Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, has tried to implement a salary cap, but the union will fight against this and start another baseball strike. The Player’s Union will not work with Selig to fight against steroid use in the MLB. Selig wanted to severely punish any players who tested positive with steroids, and he also wanted to make players take 1 mandatory, random drug test a month. The union forced him to limit the drug tests to twice a year at scheduled appointed times. Now because of union pressure, the commissioner of baseball has to follow this policy to keep the players from striking. Now, because of the union’s policies, the government has to step in and investigate the steroid scandal. Players’ careers are being tarnished because of the Mitchell Report, the MLB is pretty much powerless because of the union, and the government is stepping in to make things right. But they’re not making things right, because it’ll only cause more problems, because eventually the MLB won’t be able to operate as an independent entity. The government will feel that it’ll have to take control of the MLB to keep the steroid issue under control, and that’ll be the only reason.
Baseball is a sport that relies mainly on skill and not strength. A juiced up batter could step up to the plate 4 times in a game, hit the ball on the screws all 4 times, and still go 0 for 4. A batter who doesn’t juice up could go up the same amount of times and go 4 for 4. Steroids doesn’t improve a players performance at all, it doesn’t make the ball go farther, it doesn’t add more velocity to your fastball, it doesn’t make you run faster, it ruins your career if not your life. There was one player 6 years ago who got banned from baseball for being caught multiple times with steroids, his name was Kent Caminiti. He was a really good 2nd baseman for the San Francisco Giants, but it was all built on steroids. He had the talent to be a great baseball player, he didn’t need the steroids. 2 years after being banned he died of drug overdose. He wasn’t remembered for his baseball career, only for being banned.
