Babe Ruth: Steroids In American Sports

“For while Bonds ' alliance with the weight trainer and the nutritionist may have helped him hit 73 home runs in 2001, it also involved him in what may become sports ' worst doping scandal.” (Fainaru-Wada, Williams 2003) Barry Bonds is now the hitting instructor for the Miami Marlins. Barry Bonds to this day still denies ever using

STEROIDS IN BASEBALL 2 Steroids in Baseball Steroids have been used a lot longer than some may realize. Steroids have even been dated back to Ancient Greece, where Greeks used testicular and plant extracts to get an edge on their opponents (Walker,2008). Major League Baseball has been around since 1869, which is why baseball is considered America’s pastime. Recently, those players have looked for an edge on other players, and will do anything to get that edge. This is why performance-enhancing drugs became a problem in Major League Baseball.

Through the late 90s and early 2000s, steroid use came into the forefront of Major League Baseball. When high school athletes see their role models abusing these drugs and getting away with it, it can cause a negative impact on their decisions. In a 2002 National Institute of Drug Abuse study, 2.5% of 8th graders, 2.5% of 10th graders, and 4% of 12th graders admitted to using steroids at some time. It is reported that 6% of athletes have used steroids, but the actual number is thought to be much higher.

“I’m not saying it was right, but you could tell he wasn’t the only person using steroids at the time. They were illegal for regular people to do it, still illegal for him to do it, but baseball didn’t really have a ban against them, so every player was trying to gain an edge, but it didn’t really change my opinion of him. I just think at the time they were all doing them, that it was the thing to do,”

WRI 110 College Composition Dr. Hoag 11/2/17 Performance Enhancing Drugs Barry Bonds. What a controversial name. A name that shook a whole league, and a name that brings a taint to the sports world surrounding drugs. As a baseball player for the San Francisco Giants, Bonds had one of the biggest bats in the league and quickly became one of the most popular. Throughout his years with the Giants he shattered several MLB records: most notably through his home runs, which could infatuate a whole stadium from their sheer distance.

Steroid usage in sports has been a controversial issue since it began sometime around the 1940’s. The conflicting opinions of how steroids in sports should be managed has eventually created what can be accurately described as a whirlwind of confusion. In the two articles “Destroyed” by Peter F. Martin, and “The Designer Player” by Rodrigo Villagomez, the authors differ in their opinions about steroid usage in sports. While Martin believes that steroid users are ruining the game and their bodies, Villagomez thinks that living itself is harming our bodies and that steroid users are heroes for making the game more interesting. However, both authors are attempting to persuade their audiences into believing what they think.

Turns out they were doing witchcraft and got taken to court over the problem. The people included Abigale, Betty, Tituba, Marry Warren, Sussana, Sarah Good, all got caught for witchcraft. When it comes to baseball and getting caught for steroids, they all wanted to get buff at once and everyone found out. The word got around considering everybody was doing them. Alex Rodriguez used steroids as an early as highschool, and continued to used HGH even when he joined the Yankees.

About the same time that I met Bonnie I was also introduced to an element of major league baseball of which I had heard of, but knew very little about. It became part of the professional game long before I arrived and became more widespread over the course of my career. I am referring to the use of "greenies," tiny green pills, which were the popular PED (performance enhancing drug) of the time. Commonly known as speed or amphetamines, this drug was given to military personnel during World War II to help them work efficiently and stay alert. However, they later showed up in baseball clubhouses and were taken by players to sharpen reflexes and boost energy levels.

Most Athletes Do Drugs, But Who Really Cares Athletes using performance enhancing drugs have always been in the media. When a beloved athlete is caught using drugs the media tears them apart. Any one’s favorite athlete could become nothing to them after a drug test. The articles “Cheating and CHEATING” by Joe Posnasnski and “We, the Public, Place the Best Athletes on Pedestals” by William Moller, show two sides of the effects of media as well as fame for athletes. As mentioned, “Cheating and CHEATING” by Posnanski gives its own side to the effects of media.

For the fans, the juiced era was exhilarating, but for the game of baseball it was horrifically dark. This era tarnished the name of the great game that was one time formed around the honesty and character of it’s players. Steroid users harmed not only their own careers and chances of joining the brotherhood of the HOF, but the careers and chances of numerous other players who strived to obtain their own ticket to join the prestigious group. The juiced era was ten years of broken records and padded stats. Names like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa,and Mark McGwire, went from HOF bound to disgraces to the name of baseball.

Mostly power hitters and pitchers will use these steroids. Performance-enhancing drugs have been around for quite awhile. The first use of performance-enhancing drugs can be traced back to the eighth century BC Greek Olympics where they would eat sheep

No Steroids in the Hall of Fame Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), are substances that are used to improve any form of activity performance in humans. The steroids era of baseball refers to a period of time in Major League Baseball in the late 1980s through the late 2000s. This was when a number of players were believed to have used performance-enhancing drugs, resulting in increased offense production throughout the game. The statistics produced by the players using PEDs were unlike any other era in Major League Baseball.

However only .5%-2% of drug tests are found to be positive, but the estimated percentage of athletes using PEDs is 14%-39% 3. Coaches and athletes suggest that the actual percentage of users is much higher. This is evidence that even though PEDs are banned from professional sports, they are still being used, and drug tests are barely effective. PEDs should be allowed to level the playing field for all athletes, because they will be used regardless if they are allowed.

“Before steroids, records were made to be broken. Now they’re stolen,” is a quote that many know. The number of athletes who use steroids is staggering. First of all, the health effects could create huge problems for the athletes. Next, the consequences for using steroids are huge.

Mr. J. Hirby of lawdictionary.org states: Many professional athletes take steroids illegally, which not only represent a potential felony convictions but may also result in permanent career damages. People take steroids because it helps them build muscle quickly and perform more effectively at top levels. However, they are considered cheating by many sports enthusiasts, and they are banned from use because no organization wants to lend its support to a practice that leads to severe health risks for the sake of improved athletic performance (Hirby). This quote stated above describes how it is in-fact cheating to use steroids in pro sports as believed by sport enthusiasts and many fans.