Baseball and Steroids: The Controversy

November 30, 2022 0 Comments

There has been a lot of controversy about steroids in baseball.

Does it improve performance and what are the side effects? Are

records the result of steroids today. And they are athletes harmonizing

themselves.

First of all, we must understand what a steroid is. And why do players use it? Anabolic steroids are a synthetic version of the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone in its normal state promotes and increases muscle development and growth. When supplemented with steroids, it increases muscle mass, reduces body fat, and improves stamina. Athletes use it to try to get an edge over the competition. It is believed that using a steroid in baseball will make you hit the ball further. and longer

What are some of the side effects? They range from the psychological to the physical. From a psychological point of view, they can range from a sense of well-being to depression. Humor changes. And even anger. Sometimes called ‘roid rage’. Other adverse psychological effects may include intense aggression and violence.

From a physical point of view, you can have all kinds of changes. You will have increased muscle mass and increased stamina, but the side effects can include a whole host of problems. The worst is liver damage and cancer. You may have acne, excessive growth, or hair loss. Testicular atrophy (shrinkage), etc.

What is the reward vs. risk? The reward is a fast track to increasing muscle mass, increasing performance, and increasing stamina. A feeling of invincibility. The risk is permanent physical morbidity and psychotic episodes that include aggression, violence, and rapid mood swings. Also feelings of depression and suicide. Is the reward worth it? Absolutely not! However, today’s athletes abuse it to quickly gain fortune and fame. It is believed that the use of steroids in baseball will lead you down the road to fortune and fame.

There has been a lot of controversy as to whether Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds or Gary Sheffield and others have used a steroid in baseball. There’s the infamous BALCO incident in which there are allegations that Barry’s old friend Greg Anderson was supplying Barry with an untraceable steroid, sometimes called “the cream” or “the white.” Which raised a lot of questions in the baseball world. Did they use a steroid in baseball and is there evidence that it improved their game? From this we can draw several conclusions.

First of all, is there any proof that a steroid in baseball has improved the record books with unfair records? Currently not. We have to remember a couple of things before trying to point fingers etc. Barry Bonds went on to have an amazing season setting a single season home run record that will probably never be surpassed in my mind. This happened to a guy who usually averaged around 35 home runs a season. Can you explain the sudden jump in home runs? Probably not. But you can assume that he has matured to the top of his game and that he had a dream season.

Now, let’s take a look at Roger Maris. When Roger hit 61 home runs of a guy he usually never hit that many. Has everyone in the world suddenly started saying there must be a steroid in the baseball that he’s using? Or you must be doing something to up your game. No they did not. They assumed he had just had a magical season that only shows up once in a while. Can we draw the same conclusions about Barry and about Mark? If we can. Could it be that they had magical seasons? Absolutely.

Until the evidence comes out, we don’t know what any athlete is doing. What I do know as a former major leaguer is how difficult it is to perform at such a high level day in and day out. In my opinion, whether they’re on steroids or not, you still have to hit the ball over the fence. You still have to consistently make solid contact. You still have to have great fundamentals. I think what has happened on the baseball field has been remarkable and we are fortunate to be able to witness these great athletes perform on a daily basis.

Steroids in my mind take away the game. Although they provide a quick burst of muscle mass and stamina, in the long run, they will hurt you. They will cause psychotic events and physical damage that will last a lifetime. The conclusion is simple. Play the game the way it was meant to be played. Play with honor, pride and dignity. And most of all leave steroids out of it, using a steroid in baseball just isn’t worth it.

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