As if baseball didn’t have enough problems in recent years, out comes the recent scandal of steroid use in the league. Some say that the use of the performance-enhancing drugs is quite common among players. They even go as far as to argue the case that some supplements have steroidlike qualities, but are not truly steroids. Nevertheless, any unfair advantage in a competitive setting is simply cheating.
Gold medals have been stripped from athletes and others have been banned from sports teams for the use of drugs. The truth of the matter is that performance is enhanced to a degree that is obviously unfair. In baseball, the use of steroids means that a routine pop-fly would “mutate” into a home run.
So why is it that baseball is the last of the four major sports organizations to start implementing testing? According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, anonymous testing began in 2002.
Baseball is starting to do something about the problem, but some players say steroids are a major fact of life and of baseball. In the past decade alone, major records have been broken by players who are rumored to be using steroids. Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti, former league MVPs and icons, have come out and said that 50 percent to 80 percent of players are using steroids. Barry Bonds, who just slid into third place in the all-time home run record, is facing boos and cheers for a career that may be tainted with the use of steroids. The Independent, a London newspaper, reports America’s favorite pastime is becoming a fraud in the eyes of the American people.
Gary Anderson, Bonds’ personal trainer, was indicted by a federal grand jury recently for steroid distribution. Unless Bonds clears his own name, his career is in jeopardy.
The other alarming aspect of this problem is that the players’ union has been against testing. Again, baseball is a major sporting event in the world today, and the union is fighting to keep an imbalance. It is not enough to “randomly” test players. Testing should be a requirement, especially in the case where an unfair advantage is gained. Penalties should be implemented across the league, no matter who the player is.
Equal opportunity and balance are needed for leagues to survive. If Ben Johnson, former Olympic Canadian sprinter, can have his gold medal and respect taken away for steroid use, then it should be the same for those in all sports. Baseball is finally taking steps toward action, but officials need to do more. If not, then they could lose fans, players and the respect that this national pastime has gained over the years.