Use of Steroids in Major League Baseball - Term Paper Example

Use of Steroids in Major League Baseball Introduction Steroid use in sports and games is increasing day by day. In order to achieve individual fame and glory or to achieve fame for their country, many of the sports personalities are using shortcuts. Steroid use is a wide spread activity among the athletes and the sports personalities which boost the energy and stamina temporarily. There are many incidents in which the athletes and other sports persons forced to return their winning medals and to leave the sports field for ever because of failed dope tests. The story of the Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson is a better example. Moreover, many people believe that the untimely death of former US women athlete Florence Griffith Joyner was also because of the excessive use of steroid injections even though she has never been caught with evidence. Major league baseball is another game in which steroids have been widely used to boost the energy and stamina. “According to the New York Times, Major League Baseball will institute blood testing for human growth hormone in the minor leagues as early as this year. MLB will also attempt to get the players union to accept blood testing at the Major League level” (MLB To Implement HGH Blood Testing in Minor Leagues, 2010). Minor league baseball players are not part of the player’s unions and hence they don’t have the responsibility to undergo drug testing or dope testing. Players and the public have different opinions about enforcing dope testing or drug testing in MLB. Some players argue that physical stamina and energy are the essential requirements for the MLB players and restricting drug usages may spoil the game. They are of the opinion that the speed, courage and power exhibited by the baseball players were the most attractive element for the spectators. Without drug usage, such attractive elements may not be achievable in the field and the spectators may not get the thrill of a close fight. On the other hand, protestors of drug use in MLB argue that excessive drug usages may spread a wrong message to the world and it is unethical also. Sports and games are meant for exhibiting the natural abilities of a person and drug usages may avoid such opportunities. Moreover, protestors believe that there is no point in achieving a glory using shortcuts or unacceptable means. This paper briefly analyses the steroid use in MLB and its pros and cons. Drug Use in MLB At least 60 current and former players of MLB, including past winners of the league's Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards, are include in the 300-page report on steroid and performance-enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball submitted by George J. Mitchell, the former Senate majority leader and his team (Shipley and Sheinin, 2007). This report clearly shows the depth of the drug problem in Major League Baseball. In fact it is difficult for the non-drug users to compete effectively with the drug users in the championship competitions. Some people use the drug at their own will whereas some others forced to use it because of the circumstantial pressure. Only the better performing players will get high market value and good sponsorships and hence it is difficult for the non-drug users to improve their performances and thereby improve their market value. MLB players are getting least punishments even if they caught positive during the drug testing which encourage them to use the illegal drugs for performance boosting. Drug use in MLB is more than a decade long story. But such things were exposed to the public only in the recent times. People adorned the MLB players for their unbelievable performances and they thought that all such performances were the natural ones. But the recent stories have revealed the futility of public thinking and exposed many of the present and past MLB celebrities. Major League Baseball is a business just like any other businesses in the world. It is a fact that many of the sports events are currently used for business purpose rather than the enjoyment purpose. For example, Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most popular cricket events in the world now because of its commercial value. In fact BCCI, (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has shown the external world the possibility of cricket for doing multimillion dollar business. We are living in a world of commercialization in which the commercial values getting upper hand even in sports events rather than the enjoyment or the sportsman spirit. In other words the intrusion of commercialization destroys true sports and games. Betting is another major business associated with sports and games. In fact many people all over the world engaged in sports betting and making money. Many of the reports have shown that the sports betters even controlled the outcome of some of the sports events. In short, sports is controlled by a commercial mafia which include players, authorities and other business savvy people. MLB is also not an exception. Jacob Cohen-Donnelly (2010) has mentioned that MLB is made to make people money. In his opinion, MLB is a business just like the Google or IBM businesses (Cohen-Donnelly 2010). Arguments in favor of steroid use in MLB Supporters of steroid use argue that steroids, taken under a doctor's supervision, will enhance one's health and well-being. They see no ethical dilemmas associated with steroid use in MLB as they perceive it as a performance enhancing drug which can be used by anybody (Robinson, 2010). Supporters of steroid use in MLB believe that it is the duty of the players to deliver maximum for the teams for which they were playing and for that purpose it is their duty to keep their body in good shape. Supporters of steroid use in MLB argue that people smoke even though they know the consequences of it. No governments in the world have prohibited smoking even though smoking in public places might be prohibited in some countries. It is a scientifically proved fact that smoking is injurious to health and all the cigarette manufacturers forced to put that slogan in cigarette packets because of the legal requirements. Same way, if a player was ready to accept the risk involved in steroid use to improve his performance, there is no point in preventing him from doing so. Sometimes, a player might think that instead of living as an ordinary person for a longer period, it is better to live as a celebrity for a shorter period. Under such circumstance, it is illegal and unethical to prevent him from doing so as it is against the principles of personal freedom and liberty. Thus supporters of steroid use in MLB believe that the decision to use or not use steroids for enhancing performance should primarily be the decision of the player and the authorities should not prevent them from that. “If athletes prefer the gains in performance allegedly provided by the use of steroids, along with the increased risk of harm to the alternative of less risk and worse performance, what gives anyone the right to interfere with their choice”(Sports and drugs, 2009) Arguments against steroid use in MLB Anti steroid camp believe that steroids have dangerous side effects, which could even, in extreme cases, result in death (Robinson, 2010). Encouraging steroid use in MLB will ultimately affect the physical health of the players and will ruin their future. In other words, MLB players were forced to use the steroids in order to improve their performances which will ultimately lead them to future health problems. In ancient Kingdom of Rome, gladiator events (Fight between two fighters till the death of one) were there in order to impress the emperors. The winner of these gladiator events got many prizes and rewards from the emperor whereas the loser will lose his life. The current MLB championships have lot of similarities to the gladiator events. Here the players were forced to use the steroid like harmful drugs to impress the public and the club management, jeopardizing their life and future. Recommendations Commercialization of sports and games should be prevented at any cost in order to remove the evils from the MLB like sports events. The influence of money and fame force the players to do anything for achieving both. Sports should be performed by the ordinary human beings, not by the super naturals. The influence of steroid like drugs will destroy the neutrality and reliability of the results of the sports events. Sports events should be performed for relaxation and enjoyment purposes for the spectators, not for the business purposes of some people. Drug testing or dope testing should be enforced before and after the event and the culprits should be banned for the life time. There are lots of sports bodies functioning in every sports and games events and most of these bodies are headed by pure business people rather than the sports loving people. For example, as mentioned earlier, in IPL each club is sponsored by the prominent business people in India. Same way most of the clubs in English premier league is controlled by the business people rather than the sportsman or sports loving people. These club managers have commitments towards their superiors rather than towards sports. So, they will encourage the players to use the steroid like drugs to improve their performances in order to win the matches and to make more money. Total eradication of commercialization is the only way to prevent the steroid like drug use in MLB like sports events. Conclusions Most of the current and past MLB players were using steroids for enhancing their performances. Even though there are many supporters who favor drug use in MLB, majority of the public are against the steroid use by players in MLB. Sports & games events are an occasion to exhibit one’s natural ability rather than the abilities of the drugs or steroids. It is difficult to judge a winner in a match if some of the players use steroids while others stayed away from it. Many scientific studies have shown that steroids can destroy health if not used without the supervision of a doctor. Most of the MLB players use steroids at their will and risking their future career for the short term goals. In short, steroids should stay away from all forms of sports, especially from the MLB like popular events. References 1. Cohen-Donnelly Jacob (2010), Should Major League Baseball develop a salary-cap system? Retrieved on 30 May 2010 from http://www.helium.com/items/363356-should-major-league-baseball-develop-a-salary-cap-system 2. MLB To Implement HGH Blood Testing in Minor Leagues, (2010), Retrieved on 30 May 2010 from http://thesteroidera.blogspot.com/ 3. Robinson David (2010), The Anthony Catanzaro Approach to Natural Bodybuilding The Pros & Cons of Steroids Retrieved on 30 May 2010 from http://www.criticalbench.com/pros-cons-steroids.htm 4. Shipley Amy and Sheinin Dave (2007), Report To Detail Drug Use In Baseball, Retrieved on 30 May 2010 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/12/AR2007121202698.html 5. Sports and drugs, (2009), Retrieved on 30 May 2010 from http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002352 Read More