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.



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This article has 49 comments.


Shawny96 said...
on Oct. 26 2012 at 10:42 am
Just because belter hit 48 home runs in whatever year doesn't mean he took steroids. He had 33 home runs this year that's lke saying buster posey is on steroids he isnt. Adrian is my fave player. Mike trout taking steroids is on steroids not

on Jan. 24 2012 at 9:36 am
your first paragraph made me want punch a whole in a wall. you can be as strong as you want and still suck at baseball? its all hand eye, sure being stronger will help players that are already good but it does not make you a good baseball player. your obviously not an athlete or you would know this

on Jan. 22 2012 at 11:37 am
Bandana56 BRONZE, Snohomish, Washington
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments
that was a good article. But just be sure you have your facts 100% correct before submitting something like this.

on Jan. 13 2012 at 10:43 am
Sdair is stupid

Sdair said...
on Jan. 12 2012 at 11:10 am
This is really bad... theres no proof of anything why whould you acuse beltre of anything... whatd he do to you... hes not a bad guy... he just had a bad year... i mean yeah he was a beast and now hes terrible at life but still... he wasn't on steroids and you know nothing about anything you have talked about

on Dec. 31 2011 at 12:45 pm
maizyiscrazy GOLD, Washington, District Of Columbia
10 articles 53 photos 261 comments

Favorite Quote:
I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe in miracles. ~Audrey Hepburn

That's really interesting. I don't really know the punishments for baseball players using steroids, but if their punishment is anything other than the things that you listed, something is wrong.

fox girl2525 said...
on Oct. 26 2011 at 11:09 am
i think that if the player decided to take steriods that is their choice. anyone could take steriods or they can do it without the steriods and workout more and it will actually be muscle from working out not steriods. but its still their choice.

on Jun. 16 2011 at 1:13 am
MasterZone BRONZE, Toronto, Other
2 articles 0 photos 39 comments

  Contrary to popular belief, steriods does not improve your physique that much at all, but its after effects will be as devastating as they say.

 

  People that use steroids only improve by less than 1% overall, and the rest is completely in the mind.

 

  I suppose it would increase the speed of you building your muscles, but you would hit the peak very early, very quickly.


on Jun. 13 2011 at 8:28 pm
Z_Wendland BRONZE, Olathe, Kansas
4 articles 0 photos 5 comments
Like I said before, the punishment for baseball players are not severe enough. If you look at sports outside of the US (Such as the Olympic Games) the consequences for being caught using a banned substance is a permanent suspension for life. Not to mention that you are stripped of any acheivements you previously earned.

ace ventura said...
on May. 17 2011 at 10:57 am
Its very true about steroieds there unfair and bad for the players. It will give them a better advantige adgents people without steroieds. it makes you faster and stronger but if you get cought your in big troble! you will get suspended a seoson at the worse or fined alot of mony.

on May. 4 2011 at 10:19 am
Its very true about the steroid and the efects. I think that people should be sued for taking steroid. because it gives a player a advantege over the others.

ALB99 BRONZE said...
on Apr. 11 2011 at 12:36 pm
ALB99 BRONZE, Houston, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 7 comments
great article completely true

shotXfatal said...
on Mar. 21 2011 at 2:25 pm
Steroids...Go away.. Its time for opening day

Blissless said...
on Feb. 26 2011 at 12:54 pm
Blissless, Milton, Vermont
0 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Kidnapping" is a strong word. I prefer "Surprise Adoption."

Great article! I loved the metaphors and the side effects really surprised me... I didn't know that men could develop breasts o.O

lollypops GOLD said...
on Dec. 22 2010 at 4:01 pm
lollypops GOLD, Pilot, Virginia
16 articles 5 photos 218 comments

Favorite Quote:
Live

i completely agree with you

X-man said...
on Nov. 11 2010 at 8:00 am
X-man, Cleveland, Ohio
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
I like this artical, this is true about some baseball players

Mitchell said...
on Oct. 18 2010 at 11:10 am
i agree 100 percent with the steroids part and how it changes the players lives

4norsemen said...
on Oct. 15 2010 at 12:41 am
Adrian Beltre also moved from Dodger stadium to Saefco field, a place where Homeruns can be few and far between.

Mr. BOb said...
on Oct. 13 2010 at 5:33 pm
Steroids are bad to began with. People shouldn't think they have to do that just to play in the MLB.

Somebody said...
on Oct. 13 2010 at 5:27 pm
I think that steroids are not good for you. Steroids only make you better by science. That is not a real acheivement. You need to earn your fame through practice.