There has been a lot of controversy about steroids in baseball.
Does it improve performance and what are the side effects? Is it so
Record your steroid result today. And the athletes are hurting
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 stimulates muscle development and growth. When supplemented with steroids, it increases muscle mass, reduces body fat, and improves endurance. Athletes use it to try to gain an advantage over the competition. It is believed that the use of steroids in baseball will make the ball hit harder. And more.
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 feeling of well-being to depression. Humor changes. And even rage. It is sometimes called ‘roid rage’. Other adverse psychological effects can include intense aggression and violence.
From a physical point of view, it can have all kinds of changes. You will have greater muscle mass and greater stamina, but the side effects can include a host of problems. The worst is liver damage and cancer. You may have acne, excessive hair growth or loss. Testicular atrophy (shrinkage), etc.
What is the reward vs. risk? The reward is a fast track to building muscle mass, increasing performance, and building endurance. 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 it worth the reward? Absolutely not! Yet 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 path of fortune and fame.
There has been a lot of controversy over whether Mark McGwire or Barry Bonds or Gary Sheffield and others have used a steroid in baseball. There’s the infamous BALCO incident where there are allegations that Barry’s old friend Greg Anderson was supplying Barry with an untraceable steroid, sometimes called “the cream” or “the clear.” 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? We can draw several conclusions from this.
First of all, is there any proof that a steroid in baseball has improved the record book with unfair records? Currently not. We have to remember a few things before trying to point fingers, etc. Barry Bonds went on to have an incredible 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 per 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 had a dream season.
Now let’s look at Roger Maris. When Roger hit 61 home runs from a guy who usually never hit that many. Did everyone in the world suddenly start saying that there must be a steroid in the baseball he’s using? Or he must be doing something to improve his game. No they did not. They assumed he had just had a magical season that only comes very often. Can we draw the same conclusions about Barry and 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 League Baseball player is how difficult it is to perform at such a high level day after day. In my opinion, whether they are on steroids or not, you still have to hit the ball over the fence. You still have to make solid contact consistently. You still have to have great fundamentals. I think what has happened on the baseball field has been extraordinary and we are fortunate to be able to witness these great athletes perform every day.
The steroids in my mind take the game away. Although they provide a quick burst of muscle mass and stamina, they will harm you in the long run. They will cause psychotic events and physical damage that will last a lifetime. The conclusion is simple. Play the game the way it should be played. Play with honor, pride and dignity. And most of all, leave the steroids out of it.