Steriods may have saved the game of baseball
By: Ryan C. Perry
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Opinion
Whether Major League Baseball, Congress, sports reporters or George Mitchell want to admit it, steroids probably saved baseball.
After the 1994 MLB strike, fans did not immediately return to the game. Not until the 1998 home run race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire did the game regain national prominence. McGwire, who broke the record with 70 home runs that season, all but admitted to steroid use in a 2005 congressional hearing.
I am not saying steroids made McGwire a great hitter, but the help in the weight room would definitely add power at the plate, and home runs draw crowds. The love for monstrous home runs has made the annual home run derby at the MLB All-Star Game the greatest exhibition in any professional sport.
Even though Barry Bonds is largely hated across the country, he draws in huge crowds with his power displays. The Mitchell Report named Bonds as a steroids user, but his record-breaking performances bring huge numbers of fans and revenue.
Jose Canseco, a former teammate of McGwire and admitted steroid user, was a six-time all-star and a powerful bat in any line-up. Although he has the numbers to make it into the baseball hall-of-fame, voters have shunned him.
I remember many great home runs by McGwire, Bonds and Canseco, but I only remember one defensive play involving these three players, and that was the play where Canseco lost a fly ball in the lights that bounced off his head and over the wall for a home run. Bonds is an eight-time Gold Glove winner, but he will not be remembered as much for his glove as he will for his bat.
The truth is fundamentally sound defense and solid pitching are boring to watch. Watching Greg Maddux force batter after batter into ground-outs does not make for the most exciting afternoon at the ballpark. Home runs are exciting, so MLB took its time with steroids testing when they needed fans.
Abusing steroids may lead to health risks, but so does abusing any chemical-legal or not. If these players damaged their health because they chose to abuse steroids, then they are the only ones hurt. With the new testing policies, they will also be out of a job.
After the release of the Mitchell Report, President Bush said the abuse of steroids in Major League Baseball sent a terrible message to children. It is not the MLB's responsibility to be parents.
A former basketball great put it best when he said, "I don't believe professional athletes should be role models. I believe parents should be role models."
It is ridiculous that Congress is concerning itself with figuring out exactly who did steroids and when. Baseball should just accept that steroids were part of the game for a couple of decades and move on. If current players test positive for steroids, then suspend and fine them.
People will always scrutinize the huge numbers put up by suspected steroids abuser, but the current witch-hunt will not help anyone. Major League Baseball should follow the example of the National Football League in the late 1980s, when they adopted a testing policy and did not dwell on who did what in the past.
After the 1994 MLB strike, fans did not immediately return to the game. Not until the 1998 home run race between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire did the game regain national prominence. McGwire, who broke the record with 70 home runs that season, all but admitted to steroid use in a 2005 congressional hearing.
I am not saying steroids made McGwire a great hitter, but the help in the weight room would definitely add power at the plate, and home runs draw crowds. The love for monstrous home runs has made the annual home run derby at the MLB All-Star Game the greatest exhibition in any professional sport.
Even though Barry Bonds is largely hated across the country, he draws in huge crowds with his power displays. The Mitchell Report named Bonds as a steroids user, but his record-breaking performances bring huge numbers of fans and revenue.
Jose Canseco, a former teammate of McGwire and admitted steroid user, was a six-time all-star and a powerful bat in any line-up. Although he has the numbers to make it into the baseball hall-of-fame, voters have shunned him.
I remember many great home runs by McGwire, Bonds and Canseco, but I only remember one defensive play involving these three players, and that was the play where Canseco lost a fly ball in the lights that bounced off his head and over the wall for a home run. Bonds is an eight-time Gold Glove winner, but he will not be remembered as much for his glove as he will for his bat.
The truth is fundamentally sound defense and solid pitching are boring to watch. Watching Greg Maddux force batter after batter into ground-outs does not make for the most exciting afternoon at the ballpark. Home runs are exciting, so MLB took its time with steroids testing when they needed fans.
Abusing steroids may lead to health risks, but so does abusing any chemical-legal or not. If these players damaged their health because they chose to abuse steroids, then they are the only ones hurt. With the new testing policies, they will also be out of a job.
After the release of the Mitchell Report, President Bush said the abuse of steroids in Major League Baseball sent a terrible message to children. It is not the MLB's responsibility to be parents.
A former basketball great put it best when he said, "I don't believe professional athletes should be role models. I believe parents should be role models."
It is ridiculous that Congress is concerning itself with figuring out exactly who did steroids and when. Baseball should just accept that steroids were part of the game for a couple of decades and move on. If current players test positive for steroids, then suspend and fine them.
People will always scrutinize the huge numbers put up by suspected steroids abuser, but the current witch-hunt will not help anyone. Major League Baseball should follow the example of the National Football League in the late 1980s, when they adopted a testing policy and did not dwell on who did what in the past.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
B Busby
posted 2/25/08 @ 12:56 PM CST
Major League Baseball should do as the NFL did and adopt a testing policy and not dwell on the past. All that the past can do is to learn from it. Nothing else. (Continued…)
James B. Jenkins
posted 2/25/08 @ 5:45 PM CST
Winners never cheat and cheaters never win. To the Mark McGwires and Barry Bonds of the world, I say good riddance. The thought of Bonds behind bars for lying to the courts about his steroid usage just makes me laugh. (Continued…)
Jessie Gordon
posted 2/25/08 @ 7:36 PM CST
If no one KNEW THE PLAYERS WERE USING STEROIDS, HOW COULD YOUNG PEOPLE FOLLOW THEIR LEAD? lOOK TO THE COACHES OF HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE TEAMS. iT SEEMS TO ME THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE GUILTY. (Continued…)
Desiree Kelso
posted 2/29/08 @ 11:16 AM CST
Ryan,
The true thril of baseball is the homerun, not innings pitched with no-hitters, or number of strike-outs. Anybody who knows anything about baseball can say they love to go up to bat, and that is the whole anticipation. (Continued…)
Post a Comment