Steroids In Professional Sports

For as long as sports have been around, countless numbers of athletes have been driven towards being the best. As sports become more competitive, many athletes find several ways to improve their strengths and abilities. One possible solution to the problem is the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Specifically Steroids, which flourished in Major League Baseball in the 1970s. During the 1900s steroids quickly became much more excessively used and widespread. Awareness of the problem was initially ignored, however; the statistical evidence on the issue had become much too strong too and the problem was brought to the attention of the public. The awareness of the issue left the public with questions on how the drugs work. Steroids have
caused many effects on the players, lead to greater corruption in baseball and proceed to changed baseball forever.
Players who have used steroids to advance in their sport usually end up paying the price with unwanted side-effects. PEDs which have been available since the mid-1930’s are synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone. The most commonly used drug is the Anabolic steroid, which is most often combined with weight training. There are 30 types of Anabolic steroids, which can increase endurance, strength and muscle mass. All of these allow quicker recovery time and much more frequent workouts for the athlete. Anabolic steroids can be taken by needle injections, in addition to creams, patches, and gels that absorb through the skin. While these characteristics of Anabolics may seem positive the negatives are much too severe. Side-effects build up over time and are dependent on the person, amount, and length of use. The use of steroids can cause smaller testicles, infertility, hair loss, depression and much more. Despite the dangers and long lasting effects, many athletes continue to use and abuse these dangerous drugs.
In1995, Chicago physician Bob Goldman had conducted a questionnaire for 198 athletes presenting the case on the use of steroids. The athletes that participated were all Olympic level athletes and were asked the question, “If there was a drug that leads to no negative consequences to them and guaranteed to win, would you take it?” (Goldman) All but two players said yes. Then a different question was asked, what if this time the situation could be repeated for five consecutive years? This time however, death would be a certainty caused by the effects of the drugs. More than half of the athletes had answered yes once again. The chance of winning had trumped the price of life. The corruption in baseball did not just happen overnight or with the advancement of
drugs.
Baseball’s break could have begun in 1877, with the Louisville Grays scandal, or with the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, or maybe even with the Pete Rose scandal in the 1980s. Baseball being said to be a sport full of the history of and miracles, the home-run chase in 98’ was one miracle to remember. In 1961, Roger Maris held the home-run record of 61 home runs. However, in 1998, Sammy Sosa with 66 home-runs,Mark McGwire with 70 home runs, and later on in 2001 Barry Bonds had hit 73 home-runs, knocking Maris’s record out of the park. Michael S. Schmidt, a journalist for The New York Times, had emphasised the 2003 discovery of drug use during such a historic time in Baseball and America shocked many. In the article, “Sosa Is Said to have tested Positive in 2003, "the disclosure that Sosa tested positive makes him the latest baseball star of the last two decades to be linked to performance enhancers, a group that now includes McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Rafael Palmeiro.” ( Schmidt) In spite of all the drug use and corruption, the restrictions of PEDs and other drugs in baseball have been majorly reduced as time goes on, resulting in our advancement as a society.
“Anabolics steroids, which fall under the general category of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED), have been a banned substance for Major League Baseball (MLB) players since 1991. However, despite being illegal, MLB did not implement a league-wide testing policy for PED until 2003.” Brandon J Erickson MD. Drugs have changed baseball forever and the culture that surrounds professional athletics.In 2003, the consequences of testing positive for PEDs in were not as severe. First offenses of testing positive received a 10-day suspension, one year for the fourth offense, and a lifetime suspension of baseball for the fifth offense. However, under the release of the Mitchell Report on December 13 2007, and the massive media coverage surrounding the topic, the penalties for illegal drug use in MLB had been upped. The number of by-products tested for steroids increased, as well as the number of tests per season for each player increased from only one test per season to two. As the awareness of PEDs and other drugs increases, people have become more conscious of drug problem in professional sports.
Steroids and other drugs have shined the light on the effects they have on players and the ability to perform, brought a great deal of corruption but nonetheless changed the shape of the game.
From the discovery of steroids in the 1930s, to the ban in Major League Baseball in 91’ up to the drug testing that begun in 03’ steroids have created change in baseball. The history of baseball and performance-enhancing drugs have not only affected the players but the people who pay to see a great game. Baseball is known to be America's sport, a sport that sailed Americans through the hardships and struggles of life and a sport built on tough lessons and beautiful wins. A sport invented by Abner Doubleday during the summer of 1839, and which became America's highly regarded national pastime for many years to
come.