Steroids+In+Baseball

Steroid use in the MLB has been exposed, and is now out in the open. Although steroids have been used in baseball for decades, it has just recently become a major sports topic. For one to play in the MLB, they are required to have the most elite baseball talent. Steroids can give players an edge that won't be found at practice or in a weight room. Many players are willing to do anything to get the edge over their competition, even if this means risking suspension, their reputation, or even their career. The era of steroids in baseball has had a weighty effect on sports in America and has helped to define our society.

The MLB was the last major sports organization in the United States to implement a comprehensive drug testing policy. This all started with a bottle of a nutritional supplement seen in Mark McGwire’s locker in 1998. At this time McGwire was on pace to break the single season home run record which had been standing for decades. He retired at the end of the season after he broke the record. It is unfortunate that he had to step away from the game at the height of his career. He was regarded by many to be the Michael Jordan of baseball, and is partially responsible for the popularity of the MLB today. There is no telling what he could have done with his career as a baseball player had he stayed away from performance enhancing drugs. Many fans were disgusted that McGwire cheated his way into stardom. It has taken years for the former player to forgive himself for what he did.

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A few years after McGwire was found to have used steroids, former player Ken Caminiti revealed to Sports Illustrated that he used steroids, and that he estimated roughly 50% of players in the MLB were using them. This opened the floodgates for the media and for the questioning of individual steroid usage. Shortly after, the widely popular player Jose Conseco published a book in which he revealed that he too was using steroids. In his book, he claimed that he believed up to 85% of the league was using them also. The differences in these percentage estimates is a testament to the absolute uncertainty surrounding steroids in baseball. Over the years many famous players have been called out for using performance enhancing drugs, such as Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, and Barry Bonds. And because of this, their reputations have taken a beating.

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It has been heartbreaking for many fans to find out that their favorite player was hitting crushing home runs, throwing high heat, and making amazing diving catches only because they were cheating. There is an expectation in our society for professional athletes to serve as respectable role models. Many parents are concerned that their child’s favorite player will influence them to use harmful substances. Several organizations are now dedicated to talking to young teens about steroid side effects, steroid abuse, and dangers of anabolic steroids. There are also retired players that were once steroid users such as Jose Conseco, who are now dedicated to warning children and teens about the dangers of using steroids.

The era of steroids in baseball is surrounded with controversy and uncertainty. Do star players that were busted for using steroids have to give back MVP awards? Should certain major broken records such as Barry Bonds’ all time home run record be taken away? Since there is no way of knowing for sure who was actually using steroids before drug testing was implemented, should every record that was broken in the last twenty years be wiped away? Unfortunately, no one has come up with an effective answer to any of these questions. Only time will tell what the future of steroid use in the MLB holds in store.

Jenkins, Chris. //Players admit steroids changed baseball.// Baseball, 17 March 2005. Web. 28 Dec. 2011 []
 * __Resources__**

//Steroids In Baseball.// Steroids In Baseball. Web. 28 Dec. 2011 [|http://www.steroidsinbaseball.org]

//Steroids In Sports.// Steroid.com. Web. 28 Dec. 2011 []