- The “age of steroids” sees another all-star fall from grace and a 50-game suspension to boot
- Jose Conseco’s bestseller “Juiced” brings baseball and steroids into the open
- The Mitchell Report names baseball players on steroids
We keep it real here at Electro-Mech, because we’re more than just an electronic scoreboards continue to light up, we’ll be there. Just read on and you’ll see what we mean.
Top baseball player Manny Ramirez of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the latest casualty in the ongoing saga of baseball’s “age of steroids.” His 50-game suspension is going to be missed by the Dodgers who obviously would like to at least repeat as NL West champions. I can’t help but wonder why a 36-year old all-star baseball player would resort to taking steroids? It can’t be for the money he already pulls in $25 million a year. It can’t be for the fame as he is one of the top sellers of baseball merchandise.
I just don’t understand the rationale of baseball players on steroids. It’s a sport that isn’t that physically demanding, I know I played it for years. I can at least begin to understand why NFL football players would use steroids due to the brute strength needed on every play. Since the 1990’s baseball and steroids seem to go hand in hand. What ever happened to disciplined training and healthy nutrition? Have baseball players with their multi-million dollar salaries become lazy?
Jose Conseco Names Baseball Players on Steroids
In 2005, Conseco’s tell-all book “Juiced” hits the shelves and soon becomes a New York Times bestseller. Admitting his own anabolic steroids abuse he goes on to name teammates that also used banned substances. Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Giambi, Ivan Rodriguez, and Juan Gonzalez were identified by Conseco as users. McGwire and Sammy Sosa had that legendary race to break Roger Maris’ single season homerun record in 1998. They are both alleged to be baseball players on steroids.
Giambi admitted using performance enhancing drugs when questioned by Congress while Palmeiro denied it. Palmeiro has since tested positive for anabolic steroids abuse and received a ten game suspension in 2005. Another top player, Alex Rodriquez, has also recently admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003. The legendary pitcher, Roger Clemens, stands accused of lying to Congress about his own anabolic steroids abuse.
Congress Gets Involved with Baseball’s “Age of Steroids”
Congress believed that Major League Baseball wasn’t doing enough to eradicate steroid use in baseball and appointed George Mitchell to head an investigation to sort it out. Barry Bonds who is now the career home run leader in addition to holding the single season homerun record was caught up in the scandal. His supplement company, BALCO, is also in the eye of the storm. More than 80 former and current players were named in the Mitchell Report for using performance enhancing drugs.
A New MLB Policy to Clean Up Baseball and Steroids
In an effort to clean up the scourge that is devaluing the game, MLB owners and players agreed to toughen up the penalties for using banned substances for the 2006 season. A first positive test would see the player suspended for 50 games which is what Ramirez received. A second positive test would double to 100-game suspension and a third would result in a lifetime suspension. Three strikes and you’re out applies to using drugs as well.
So how does the age of steroids affect the record books? Does Hank Aaron still own the career homerun record? Is Roger Maris still the single-season homerun king? Or is the record book going to be full of asterisks for questionable records?