Steroids and Baseball | Teen Ink

Steroids and Baseball MAG

By Anonymous

Imagine having a great baseball career available to you if wanted it. What if it was as easy as getting an injection? That dream is a reality, courtesy of steroids. As long as you have money and time to work out, you can be a great baseball player, all because of science. Imagine it – the money, the fame, the attention, anything and everything you could ever want. Is it right? I don’t think so. But people do it.

Steroids have many medical benefits. They help asthmatics, they shorten recovery time, and they help you get jacked. I don’t mean a few more pounds of muscle, I mean going from 200 pounds to 230 pounds of pure, powerful muscle. Whom do you think a baseball team will pick? The decent player with a good work ethic, or the bigger, faster, stronger player on steroids? You wouldn’t think twice. If you had to, then let the facts convince you ­otherwise.

Look at Adrián Beltré. Before 2004 he had never hit more than 20 home runs or driven in more than 80 runs in his career, nor had he hit over .450 (which represents the total number of bases divided by the player’s at-bats – essentially how much power production the player has). So Beltré ­wasn’t a power hitter, until 2004, that is, when he ­became a free agent and had his one shot at big-time money. This was also the last year that the MLB didn’t test for steroids. That year he hit 48 home runs and drove in 121 runs, with a batting average of .629. Beltré signed a five-year, $64 million contract. In 2005, however, MLB started testing for steroids. Beltré went right back to his 20 home runs and 80 RBI, and his slugging percentage dropped 200 points to .432. [Editor’s note: Beltré has never ­admitted to or been positively tested for steroid use.]

Using steroids is wrong, in my opinion, but what ­reasons do players have not to do it? First off, there are appearance-altering side effects. For men, steroid use can cause shrinking of reproductive organs, development of breasts, and ­infertility. In women it can result in masculine traits: facial hair, a lower voice, masculine facial changes, and cessation of the menstrual cycle. For both sexes it can cause cysts, acne, balding, and oily skin and hair. Steroid use can also result in serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and tumors and cysts in the liver and kidneys.

Knowing the side effects of steroids should discourage people from using them, right? Well, consider this: The minimum wage in the major leagues is $316,000, and the average salary is over $3 million, which is 1,797 times the average salary in the capital of the Dominican Republic. Would you be willing to risk the side effects of steroids in order to secure the ­future of your family?

Barry Bonds was a great baseball player before he took steroids, probably Hall of Fame caliber. But ­apparently great wasn’t enough for him. He needed more. He got more, but he paid the price.

The game has been tainted, tampered, and testosteroned to the point of questionable recovery. Science has taken players who are as thin as pancakes and made them as thick as linebackers. I am beginning to look gravely upon the once-glorious game’s future, and I wonder how it is ever going to recover.

For every armor built there is a bullet to pierce it, and steroids have become that bullet. Every time the MLB makes a new steroid policy, someone discovers a loophole. Imagine the greatest game ever, free from steroids and controversy. Why imagine? Perhaps ­because that’s all there is left for us to do.



Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 49 comments.


sarina said...
on Oct. 13 2010 at 2:16 pm
I think that steroids are a mistake. If people cared enough to work out and get healthy the right way then they got what it takes to make it to the big legues.

toothfiary said...
on Oct. 13 2010 at 10:16 am
i agree with mickle j these people were great and they through it awy

DR A said...
on Oct. 13 2010 at 10:12 am
Its a great story cause you show all the sides that not all the people know of it like why they use it and the benefiets though but also the doubt

on Oct. 13 2010 at 10:07 am
umm well this is true but ppl who do this are stupid becasue they had a chance at becoming something great and they ruind it by injecting themselfs

Jessens SILVER said...
on Jul. 21 2010 at 11:54 am
Jessens SILVER, Keosauqua, Iowa
8 articles 1 photo 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
The saying forgive and forget is only partially correct. Yes, you can forgive, but you can never forget..
-------------
"Nut Ug!" -Felix
"What the heck is Nut Ug!" -Me
"I have no idea, but it's hilarious!" -Felix
Both of us laughing soo hard!

This so very true, I want to be able to think again that these are true, to the core, baseball players who just play for the love of the game, not for money, and not so you can be bigger than the next guy. I want to know they are actually real, not fake, and injected with steroids.

Jparks said...
on May. 17 2010 at 5:23 pm
Because the red sox are just terrible. Its the yankess all the way

JacobC GOLD said...
on May. 16 2010 at 6:39 am
JacobC GOLD, Belgium, Wisconsin
10 articles 4 photos 69 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Am I indecisive? Well, yes and no." -Anonymous

Great job on the article.  I totally agree.

on May. 9 2010 at 2:22 pm
1fitzy17 BRONZE, Not Telling :p, Other
2 articles 0 photos 44 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."- Vince Lombardi

Beltre is terrible. Why did we take him? I think its 6 errors through like 25 games or so?

on May. 9 2010 at 2:21 pm
1fitzy17 BRONZE, Not Telling :p, Other
2 articles 0 photos 44 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary."- Vince Lombardi

definetly. thats just as hard as hitting .400

twingirl4 said...
on Apr. 29 2010 at 7:32 pm
Basketball chick is so right! You dont need steriods to be a good player, just work out and try extra hard to be your best. All you have to do is try hard and give it yyour all. That's what i do every time i step on to a softball feild to play a game or practice, and it works for me!! Steriods aren't nessecary(sorry if spelled wrong, i am ot the best speller in the world (: !!) Loved the article

twingirl4 said...
on Apr. 29 2010 at 7:29 pm
I agree with basketball chick! It is seriously not worth it to use steriods to get good!! Just work out and work extra hard on trying your best. That's whta i do every time i step on to the softball feild before a game or practice and it works, i dont need steriods for that. Practice is all i need. The artical was good and i really enjoyed it! :)

on Mar. 11 2010 at 7:34 am
BasketballChick5, San Diego, California
0 articles 1 photo 114 comments

Favorite Quote:
:)Just Do It:) <3

I agree i think its wrng to use them just to get muscle thats dumb.....Go work out gezzzz!!!!!!!!!!And good artical!!!

on Mar. 9 2010 at 12:56 pm
indeed. indeed.

cavalier87 said...
on Mar. 9 2010 at 12:50 pm
i know right?

Baker BRONZE said...
on Mar. 5 2010 at 3:20 pm
Baker BRONZE, Selma, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live the life you love, love the life you live

I have to agree with you there and I'm sure that a lot of people would agree with you.

Baker BRONZE said...
on Mar. 5 2010 at 3:18 pm
Baker BRONZE, Selma, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live the life you love, love the life you live

I also agree with what I had read but I think it is wrong for any body to use drugs of any sort.I dont think baseball players should use because poeple look up to the players.

Baker BRONZE said...
on Mar. 5 2010 at 3:14 pm
Baker BRONZE, Selma, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live the life you love, love the life you live

I don't think that baseball players should use steroids because it takes the fun out of watching baseball.

on Mar. 3 2010 at 9:51 pm
mehnyehmeh BRONZE, Fairfield, Connecticut
2 articles 0 photos 2 comments
Very interesting, and I agree with a lot of what you said. However, **when it comes to** such a controversial **topic** I believe there are two groups of users: the ones who know they took it, wont admit it, or continue to not think it's wrong (wrong as in letting down the fans, HOF, etc.) OR the ones who now speak out against it and use themselves as examples of what not to be like as a player (ex. could **be** A-Rod, Wally Joyner, Brian Roberts, and Jose Canseco). All in all though a great article!

on Mar. 3 2010 at 9:47 pm
mehnyehmeh BRONZE, Fairfield, Connecticut
2 articles 0 photos 2 comments
Very interesting, and I agree with a lot of what you said. However, with such a controversial subject I believe there are two groups of users: the ones who know they took it, wont admit it, or continue to not think it's wrong (wrong as in letting down the fans, HOF, etc.) OR the ones who now speak out against it and use themselves as examples of what not to be like as a player (ex. could A-Rod, Wally Joyner, Brian Roberts, and Jose Canseco). All in all though a great article!

Ejayf BRONZE said...
on Jan. 4 2010 at 7:20 pm
Ejayf BRONZE, Dallas, Georgia
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
<>< Don\\\'t let any one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, and in purity. - 1 Timothy 4:12 ><>

This was areally good paper! I enjoyed reading alot!