
Through all the changes that come with an evolving American society there has been one constant over the last century. Baseball. America’s pastime has reflected cultural values across the country throughout many eras. It has quietly been an integral component in civil rights, support of veterans, and the “American Dream” reputation that is still so commonly believed in. In the lifespan of the MLB there have been 5 wars, and two major recessions. It seems that nothing could stop baseball. Except maybe, itself. The one glaring flaw in the game of baseball has been the influence of steroids and performance enhancing drugs on players of all ages. In the 1990s and early 2000s, macho-man superstars were all the rage among fans, but as those same superstars now become eligible for Hall of Fame voting they’ve been vilified as cheats in the public eye. As we now move on from the “steroid era”, the baseball world must come to a consensus. (Waldstein) How do we handle players from the past so that current and future players make the sport what it once was? A model of the American Dream. 

A legend in the sporting world, Charles Barkley, once said that professional athletes shouldn’t be role models, and the people that surround a young athlete must be those who they look up to. Of course, that is not a popular opinion. Think about how many kids in their backyard have tried to imitate Derek Jeter and his iconic jump-throw. Now, think about how many parents would be upset by that. Other than those Red Sox fan parents, not one would be mad, and for good reason. It’s easy to see why too. Derek Jeter is a small-town kid who comes from a racially mixed family, who grew up playing in the biggest market in the world in New York City. In a 20-year career, Jeter never once was the subject of scandal, while also being one of the greatest players in the history of the game without a trace of ego. Every kid wanted to be like Jeter, but so too did they want to be like Bonds, and Clemens, and Sosa among so many other PED users. The on-field version of those players is legendary, but their off-field version is shady. As these guys’ names once again come into the spotlight, we see now that Hall of Fame voters are putting a premium on morality. With that, they are recognizing the weight of decisions regarding PEDs have on the future of baseball in terms of how young men develop their bodies and minds. 

There is no denying how exciting the Steroid Era was for fans of all ages, home runs were hit left and right, while an elite few pitchers found a way to dominate the game simultaneously. The peak of the era was the year 2001, where Barry Bonds hit a record 73 home runs, while 11 other players hit 41+ including three others totaling 53+ during the 162-game season. (Baseball Reference) Those power numbers had never been seen before, and haven’t been approached since. Undisputedly, fans were in love with this incredible showing of brawn. They were infatuated to the point where they seemed to ignore the fact that Bonds was 35-years old in 2001, well past most players prime. Not only was Bonds old, but he was fat too. As a young star, Bonds was a skinny outfielder who always had modest power, and could run like the wind too. After his age-30 season however, he grew into a monster of a man whose veins swelled almost as much as his head did. Two major signs of PED use. (Carise) As some grew suspect, the mases simply basked in the glory of such unprecedented numbers. As the numbers grew bigger, so did the revenues and so the MLB decided to push their “discipline” under the rug and allow the new style of game to be the money-monger it was. 

In the “Post-Steroid Era”, statistics have returned to previous levels. Only now with the development of uber-efficient training, and scientific testing of mechanics in pitching and hitting are we seeing a resurgence in superstardom. Science has pushed the game to new heights as analytics are helping athletes throw harder, swing faster, and hit the ball farther. With such breakthroughs, guys like Jose Altuve, a 5foot-7inch man, can hit baseballs 400 feet! But what makes, analytics any different from anabolics? The question of the legality of steroids is on the same plane. 

Baseball purists, fans who believe baseball was at its best when were raw, and looked like they just walked off their family farm in Nowhere, Iowa, will point to the idea that baseball provides a different kind of excitement than basketball or football. Home runs are baseballs equivalent to a three from way downtown or a last second hail-Mary touchdown. They’re the most exciting things in sports! It was an absolute blast as a kid to watch Barry Bonds consistently crush balls into the McCovey Cove. We all love to see homeruns! In a league where PEDs were allowed, captivating record chases would once again be a part of the game, as would a higher level of excitement in the sport.

What makes an individual sport great will differ in the minds of fans, but one problem Major League Baseball seemed to be having is a lack of marketable stars. This year, the rookie trio of Corey Seager, Trea Turner, and Mookie Betts are taking the reigns as the next marketable players, and that has come because of the youth movement the league is seeing. Where young players are becoming instant stars. Recently, power numbers in the MLB have surged and the ratings have as well. In 2016 there were more players that hit 20 or more home runs than there had ever been in one season. Though the spread of power has become more broad around the league, there still aren’t the compelling seasons where players are putting up 55+ home runs. Beyond the players who are gaining power numbers, there isn’t really anyone for young fans to get excited about the way they did Bonds, Sosa, Piazza, and Canseco. Those guys were a can’t miss spectacle back in the day. You didn’t want to miss a pitch of their at-bats. Now, there isn’t no one captivates you enough to make you want to stay in your seat to see them hit rather than go get a hot dog, or use the bathroom. Back in the late 1990s-early 2000s there were a lot of players to become fans of, and most of them were the guys hitting all the home runs. Baseball need more players who are consistently hitting 50+ dingers

In many ways humans are not perfect, and Hall of Famers are no different. Voters for the Hall of Fame should recognize that, and understand that over the course of the history of the league, many HOFers have done some questionable things. In a USA Today article about how steroid users should be handled, author Ted Berg writes, “Hall of Fame owner Tom Yawkey worked to keep baseball segregated. Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry admitted to doctoring baseballs. Hall of Fame outfielder and widely considered the best hitter of all time, Ty Cobb once climbed into the stands to beat up a man with no hands. Too many Hall of Famers to bother listing have admitted to using now-banned “greenies”, also known as amphetamines, to endure baseball’s long seasons. All those men impacted the game in ways the Hall of Fame and its voters thought meaningful enough to honor in Cooperstown. And those are only the accessible examples.” This goes to show that these godlike athletes Americans idolize aren’t as clean as history would make them out to be. Included in the vast array of players, coaches, and owners who have contributed to the expansion of baseball are some guys that just aren’t as squeaky clean as we wish they were. For the sake of the Hall of Fame, the idea of purging the bronze plaques which immortalize men of those who have done wrong is outrageous. The walls would be empty save for guys like Lou Gehrig or Ted Williams. Yes, the oh so sacred game of baseball “deserves” to be clean, but the harsh truth is that it simply never has been, and never will be. 

Think about how the automotive industry has changed over the last 100 years. We’ve gone from driving Model-Ts 10 miles an hour to driving 120 miles an hour no problem. Now, think about how nutrition, exercise science, and athletic training in general has changed over the last century. In the 1920s guys like Babe Ruth would drink a couple beers before and even during games! Nowadays the thought of such is ludicrous it’s hard to imagine that so little time separates us from that. Societal changes across the country also helped the MLB gain size, talent, and popularity. Chris Smith highlighted such a point in his Forbes article advocating the legalization of steroids. “The talent pool widened considerably when the league was racially integrated in the 1940s and African-Americans, Latin-American, and Asian players were allowed into the league.” The main point of arguing a point so many people have stances that are immovable is that in 100 years, athletes will be created, not taught or trained. There are progressions of how technology, and science advance sports and baseball, and maybe the steroid era was just part of that progression. Giving a glimpse into how “perfect” an athlete can be. 

People are people and in an era when Major League Baseball did not actively police steroids use, many players took steroids. In the infamous Mitchell Report, a 20-month investigation into PEDs in the MLB conducted by former U.S. senator George Mitchell, there were 75 players who were revealed to have been tied to a clinic in San Francisco that distributed Human Growth Hormone. The report was unable to directly catch any of the players using the drugs, but could prove their purchasing or handling of such. In almost all cases the players claimed to have needed such drugs to keep them healthy, or get them healthy faster. The most troubling part in my eyes is that we as fans consumers let these athletes use injections like cortisone, a short-term fix to swelling which causes degeneration of cartilage in the long-run, to limit swelling and speed up the recovery process, even in the middle of a game to make money for big bosses. Athletes study themselves in labs to focus on heart rates, breathing, and perfecting their techniques. Peak performance is presented as the only acceptable outcome and then fans, and other players have the audacity to get mad when someone finds a shortcut to better performance. Who says success must be a process you struggle through? Especially if so many people are dedicated to making it easier “naturally”.

Barry Bonds hit 762 home runs that will never be taken away. Roger Clemens won 321 games that will always be in the record books, and there are World Series Championships won by  roided-up players that will never be stripped. (Berg) With such monumental accomplishments, comes monumental celebration, and fans were on the Bonds bandwagon like he was baseball’s Jesus. So many people celebrated then, but now they cower at the mention of the “Homerun King” because they can’t bear to accept that a cheater earned such a plateau. What happened is irreversible. In 2003, Major League Baseball began its anti-steroid and PED testing. Clearly this was too little too late as the monstrous statistics had already been put up. (Mitchell) There is no way to revoke the records. What has been done will always be done, and the MLB and its players will have to deal with the ramifications

 It’s a shame so many fans see guys who did cocaine throughout the long season to “energize” themselves, but are in the Hall of Fame as higher on the morality spectrum than guys who took steroids, and are not in the Hall. The whole question of why the drugs are banned is based on the idea that getting good fast is bad. It’s incredible to see that any time a rookie, or any player for that matter, finds early or sudden success in their careers, steroids are to blame. Such a phenomenon devalues the great learning processes these men go through in their quest to become better. In the end, we want our kids to look with admiration at pristine players who used their natural given ability to succeed. We praise the Derek Jeters and denounce the Alex Rodriguezes and for what? To say that there is only one way to achieve success? 

Health isn’t a concern that should defend not allowing baseball players to use steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Leagues like the MLB and NFL will argue that steroids and doping can pose health risks to the athletes involved, but athletes undertake serious health risks by simply walking onto the field or going through their normal workout routine. Injuries occur to players each day in baseball. Pitchers expose themselves to comeback line drives that can be hit as hard 115 miles per hour, and when they connect with one’s head or body can cause brain swelling, internal bleeding, and broken bones. An outrageous amount of stress also goes on not only their arms, but their back and necks as well causing countless season/ career ending injuries. Batters and fielders have even more places to chances to injure themselves during games. Making a diving play, getting hit by a pitch, covering a base on a play where the runner slides into a bag, running into the fence, sliding, running the bases and colliding with players are all major sources for injury in Major League baseball that guys put their bodies on the line to do routinely every time they step on the field. (Tirado) A major leaguer doesn’t even bat an eye when they step on a field and face one of these many situations because it’s their livelihood. If these guys are willing to do so much for the game, then why does the MLB ban drugs like Human Growth Hormone, a drug unlike anabolic steroids that has shown to greatly increase recovery time in many injuries? (Smith) These leagues can advocate that they want nothing but health and safety for their players all day long, but if they’re not willing to consider the positive effects of drugs they’ve banded they’re not doing the best they can to ensure such things. A safe and regulated means of distributing PEDs would nullify all of the added dangers players encounter when hiding their drug uses. With a watered-down system of handling PEDs the MLB and health administrations could safely monitor the long- term effects PED use that have been so secretive. Though that plan seems far-fetched now with Alex Rodriguez as their scapegoat the MLB has finally made itself out to be drug free although it may never truly be. The drugs today are as hard to detect as ever so maybe it’s to change. Legalizing steroids, doping and other performance enhancers would finally set an even bar, and that would be a huge move forward in turning these leagues into places of no suspicions. 

In a consumerism society like that of today, money trumps all.(Bryant) This is evident in the way injuries, and the health of players are seemingly disregarded by leagues like the MLB despite their best efforts to disprove such. (CNN) As suspected PED users gain more respect from Hall of Fame voters, their eventual election seems to be imminent. Bonds and Clemens will surely get in, and this will be the exclamation point on the era of PEDs. Two of the greatest to do it, will finally get the recognition they deserve despite the asterisk that many believe should go up next to their records. The game of baseball may never be the same, but who says that must be a bad thing? Science and technologic advancements in sports science may lead to players gaining new levels of strength with borderline approved drugs like creatine, so why not level the playing field for all. (Hoffman) Offense leads to excitement, and that leads to money. It may just be a matter of time until we see the league turn to drugs to save the fan bases, and keep the America’s Pastime afloat.
