The Embarrassment of America's Pastime: The Substance Abuse Policy in Major League Baseball

James Earl Jones, playing Terence Mann, explained the significant role of baseball on society in Field of Dreams when he stated:

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.

Baseball has been such a part of American society that it has been coined America's pastime. As baseball has progressed throughout time, the level of talent of the player's playing the game has increased. Stadiums are growing bigger; not just because there are more fans, but because players are now hitting baseballs further than ever. As the talent level has increased, players have become much more competitive in their goal of playing in the Major League. Over the past few decades, players have naturally gotten better and others have used performance-enhancers to better themselves. While some of the performance-enhancers were legal, the use of illegal substances has become more common in Major League Baseball. Although Major League Baseball has a substance abuse policy, it has not been strictly enforced and the punishments, compared to other sports, are not severe enough. Despite the demonstration of competitiveness, Major League Baseball should increase the punishment for players using illegal substances because they are prohibited. Illegal substances are unsafe and give an unfair advantage that is unjust to those players who previously played the game and since baseball is America's pastime, it inappropriately represents the United States.

Performance-enhancing substances have become much more common in athletics over the past two decades. While most other sports have strict policies, tests, and punishments, Major League Baseball has been very lax and lenient with its standards for players suspected of using performance-enhancing substances. Baseball's punishments are so slack that "even the fourth positive test is penalized by only a year and NFL players lose a quarter of their season for the first offense, while Olympic athletes are banned for two years" (Kingsbury). The weak substance abuse policy in major league baseball is creating an abundance of negative media for the league. Major League Baseball's policy for illegal substances has become such an issue that President Bush commented on the topic in the 2004 State of the Union Address. Since the testing for illegal substances has not been strictly enforced, the number of players that use illegal substances of the past few decades has increased. Ken Mannie, the strength and conditioning coach at Michigan State University notes, "The fight against steroids is still in extra innings. We cannot turn our backs on rampant dishonesty. We have duties and a responsibility to maintain the integrity of our game, institutions, and daily lives" (Mannie). Although some actions have been taken to stop the use of performance-enhancers in major league baseball, currently, enough action is not taken. By enforcing a more strict policy on illegal substances, Major League Baseball will stop the use of illegal performance-enhancing substances of current and future baseball players.

The use of illegal performance-enhancers by professional baseball players is not only tainting "America's pastime," it is also wrongly representing the United States. Major League Baseball is becoming more popular worldwide and is also attracting players from across the globe to play with the world's best baseball players. This year Major League Baseball is sponsoring a baseball world classic, in which each country will field a team with major leaguers with heritage from that country and a world champion will be crowned. With the increasing popularity, professional baseball game broadcasts on television and the radio are being increased in foreign countries. The publicity Major League Baseball now receives makes it a direct ambassador to United States customs, values, and beliefs. Although the United States is still a relatively young country, it took a long time to get the country functioning correctly. During this period of time many people, such as George Washington, James Madison, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, worked very hard to ensure our country would work under the Constitution and prosper, even in tough situations such as war. Now with professional baseball players using illegal performance-enhancing substances, the value and belief of hard work is no longer shown. Illegal substance users have cheated to achieve their goals of playing in the Major League, while others work hard and legally fulfill their goal. With professional baseball in the limelight, citizens of other countries now receive mass media of American professional baseball players cheating, giving Americans a bad reputation. While the overall image professional baseball gives of the United States to other countries is important, professional baseball players are now influencing America's youth more than ever.

Baseball players are viewed by many young children as heroes and as these children mature, they desire to be like their favorite player. Because Major League Baseball lacks a sufficient illegal substance policy, many of these children's favorite players are using illegal substances. While players "feel pressured to use the substances in order to remain competitive with users," (Kurlantzick) they are presenting corrupt examples for the children that idolize them. The children will begin to believe that to be accepted by others is to be perfect, and the only way to achieve perfection is to use some type of substance to aide them. If a young child views his favorite baseball player using performance-enhancers and getting away with it, the child will believe there is no problem in using an illegal substance to better themselves. When these children mature and begin to play baseball at a more competitive level, such as high school or college, they will search for ways to improve their athletic ability. In this search, the youth could recall what their favorite professional player did to increase their performance. Then in an attempt to better himself, the youth might try to obtain a performance enhancer. Performance-enhancers can be very harmful if they are not used correctly. More stories are appearing on the news about how a teenage died or was harmed by using some type of performance-enhancer. By using steroids, professional baseball players are providing dishonest morals and ideas to the young children that idolize them.

Performance-enhancers, even the ones that are legal, can be harmful to ones health if they are incorrectly used. Perhaps the most commonly used performance-enhancer in professional baseball are anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids have been developed and modified over the past two decades to give athletes a physical advantage in their sport. Since anabolic steroids are relatively new, there is not much information on their harmful effects, while results such as death are known:
The long-term health risks of AAS are not clearly defined. There are only a small number of placebo-controlled studies that reliably produce evidence-based information. The most severe consequences of long-term AAS use may be found in the cardiovascular system. Pathologic AAS-induced left ventricular hypertrophy, impaired diastolic filling, and arrhythmia may lead to an increased risk of myocardial infarction. (Evans)

In more recent years, several baseball players have died from the use of steroids or other performance-enhancers. In 2003, Steven Belcher, a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, used Ephedra, a weight loss supplement, which doctors believed force a heat stroke, causing his death. According to Time, "many major leaguers told reporters last week they take Ephedra to improve performance" (Cloud). Although some legal supplements are safe when taken correctly, "not everyone takes it right, and even a single dose might not be safe for everyone" (Cloud). After Belcher's death, Major League Baseball outlawed the use of Ephedra. More and more performance-enhancers are being banned each year, but as long as performance-enhancers are used, players risk their health. Although some substances are legal, professional baseball needs to enforce a more strict steroid policy not just to keep the game fair, but to prevent players from harming themselves.

Baseball players, or any athlete, try to reach their maximum talent level as quickly as possible. Instead of reaching this goal legally, players turn to steroids so they can improve their athletic ability quickly. While steroids have proven to be unsafe, players are willing to risk their health in order to compete at the highest possible level. Before steroids or other performance enhancers were invented, players relied on a healthy diet and hard work in the weight room. Even Jose Canseco, a professional baseball player who publicly admitted to steroid use, noted one can better them self without steroids and simple "program of weight lifting, fitness, careful nutrition, and clean living"(Canseco 277). Earlier players did not even believe in bettering themselves off the field or in the weight room. These great players such as Babe Ruth are notorious for their drinking and smoking problems. Today, performance-enhancers have become very complex. Designer steroids have been created to beat the drug tests Major League Baseball has created to check players for steroid use. Players now spend large amounts of their salaries to receive and hide the steroids or other performance-enhancers that they use. They substitute steroids and performance-enhancers for the long hours, hard work, and practice earlier players used to better themselves. Although it will take more time and effort, a healthy diet and weight lifting program will produce the same results as steroids.

In his book, Jose Canseco states, "The challenge is not to find a top player who has used steroids. The challenge is to find a top player who hasn't" (Canseco). In Canseco's book, Juiced, Canseco points out several players who have recently broken records that used steroids. While all of Canseco's information might not be completely true, several of the athletes mentioned have tested positive for illegal performance-enhancers. These players have broken records that have stood for many decades, most notably were Mark McGwire breaking Roger Marris' single season home run record and then Barry Bonds breaking McGuire's newly set record. Barry Bonds, also closing in on the career home run record, is currently third behind Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron and is projected break that record in the next few seasons. Players who played before the invention of steroids were in the top three positions of career home run leaders, such as Willie Mays, George Herman "Babe" Ruth, and Henry Aaron, are moving farther down on the list because of illegal performance-enhancer users like Barry Bonds. Players who have used illegal performance-enhancers are breaking records that players who only worked hard, practiced hard, and had no advantages once held. Had players like Mays, Ruth, Marris, or Aaron had performance-enhancers their statistics would probably be much higher than they were. Had players such as Bonds and McGwire not used illegal performance-enhancers, their statistics probably would not be as high as they currently are. Curt Schilling, a former Cy Young award winner and current Boston Red Sox pitcher noted in the book When Winning Costs too Much, "Is it a problem? (Steroids) It depends on what you consider a problem. It certainly has tainted records, there's no doubt about that" (Bailes 73). Illegal performance-enhancers are allowing players to rewrite the record books. Older players are being unfairly cheated out of their records because players are now using illegal performance-enhancers to maximize their playing potential.
Baseball has become much more complicated as the game has gotten older, especially in the past few decades, in which performance-enhancers have been created to assist athletes. As the game continues to progress, more performance-enhancers will be made available for athletes to use. While "it is easy to identify the hazards that performance-enhancing drugs bring to sport, it is hard to agree on an appropriate course of action and follow it" (Cowart 187). Different professional sports have different policies, but baseball's policy, of not suspending a player until their fourth offense, is the most lenient. While it might be difficult to set a standard for those who have used illegal performance-enhancers, baseball definitely must amend its current policy and make it more severe. One of the main reasons baseball's substance abuse policy is so lenient is the owners and league decide the punishments for abuses. Jose Canseco notes, "the real problem is: Baseball doesn't know how to sell itself to people" (Canseco 272). Owners believe steroids allow players to hit homeruns, which will attract more people to the game, thus generating a greater profit. The owners and league officials have allowed the goal of an increased salary to embarrass the game. Now that baseball is receiving negative publicity, the substance abuse policy is slowly beginning to change. Over the last few years, the steroid scandal owners and league officials have allowed to go on, by not enforcing a punishment, has been put in the national spotlight by the media. Raphael Palmeiro, a professional baseball player who hit over five hundred career homeruns who was accused of using steroids, told a senate committee he had never used any illegal performance enhancers, but latter tests proved he had used performance enhancers. Charges were not pressed for lying under oath and Palmeiro was only suspended for ten games and fined approximately one hundred thousand dollars. Baseball's owner's and league official's have allowed the steroid scandal to go on for far too long, the substance abuse policy must be made more strict because it has become an embarrassment to the game.

Major League baseball must employ a more strict policy for illegal performance-enhancers. "America's pastime" is not only giving America a bad reputation, but it is also negatively affecting Americans. People, especially American children, greatly respect professional athletes. It has even been said "the American boy starts swinging the bat as soon as he can lift one" (Tris Speaker). With children idolizing professional baseball players and the lack of an effective substance abuse policy, a continuous cycle is being created and it will be tough to break. With this cycle, former players that did not use illegal performance-enhancers continue to be cheated. Their records are being broken by those being taught to chase something, at all costs, which is unattainable - perfection. Performance-enhancers are changing baseball into a game that it is not meant to be. Baseball is a game of failure. The greatest hitters are those who only succeed forty percent of the time they are at bat. At one time it was remarkable to hit forty home runs in a single season. Now team owners expect their power hitters to hit at least forty homeruns, if not more, in a single season. A strict steroid policy would clean up baseball and return it to its pure state before it was taken over by performance-enhancers. With baseball returned to its original form, players could once again chase perfection. This perfection would not involve illegal performance-enhancers, but rather hard work while having fun, teamwork, and live through being "able to look your friends (teammates) in the eye and know you did everything that you could. That there wasn't one more thing that you could have done" (Gary Gaines) on the field.

Bailes, Julian, and John McCloskey. When Winning Costs Too Much. Maryland: Taylor Trade, 2005.

Although this book is not directly directed at baseball, the information provided will help me prove the negative effects of steroids in professional sports. One of the authors of the book, Julian Bailes, is a M.D. and gives valuable information on the negative effects the body receives when an athlete uses steroids. When an athlete believes that he/she is at a disadvantage, they want to better themselves as much as they can. As shown in the book, some coaches believe that performance enhancers are the best way for their athletes to perform at their top level. These coaches then pressure their players to use performance-enhancers, some of which are illegal. Players are encouraged to win at all costs, even if they must cheat or use illegal substances to do so. While there is tremendous pressure placed on athletes, even at a high school level, I believe that illegal performance enhancers are not the only or correct solution to better oneself as an athlete.

Canseco, Jose. Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big.
New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

This book describes Jose Canseco's experience in professional baseball. Canseco played professional baseball for more than a decade. In the book Canseco admits to using steroids and witnessing other professional baseball players use steroids. While some major league officials do not believe Canseco's credibility, several of the players Canseco convicts in his book were recently required to testify in the congressional steroid hearing. I plan to use the information from this book to illustrate the competitiveness and use of steroids in major league baseball. While I previously thought some performance enhancers were used in baseball, I did not realize how large the steroid issue had become in baseball. I believe this book was intended for anyone that desires to view the use of steroids in baseball from a player's perspective.

Cloud, John. "A Major League Loss: Baseball may ban ephedra after a pitcher's death. But the move to penalize the herb may be premature.(Health)(Steven Bechler)." Time 161.9 3 March 2003 60. Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Clemson University. 02 February 2006 .

This article is about Steven Belcher, a major league pitcher, who died of complications from using the drug, ephedra. Belcher was trying to lose weight in hope to better himself as an athlete and improve his status a pitcher. Every year, there are many players on the verge of making it to the major league but are sent back down to the minor leagues. These players, like Belcher, will do anything in their power to make it to the big leagues. While many players use legal substances, the substances they use are not completely safe and Belcher found this out the hard way. Performance-enhancers, even the legal ones can be unsafe. I will use this information to show all performance enhancers should be outlawed and the substance abuse policy in major league baseball should be enforced.

Cowart, Virginia, and Charles Yesalis. The Steroids Game. Illinois: Human Kinetics, 1998.

This book describes the pressures athletes feel to perform at the highest possible level. How and why steroids have become more commonly used is also discussed in the book. Statements from numerous players and coaches are given in the text. The negative and positive effects of steroids are discussed as well as safer alternatives. I believe this is a wonderful source because of the numerous statements from the players and coaches. I will mainly use this source for the alternatives for steroids it provides. This book is intended for athletes because of the information provided. It tries to persuade the reader to better themselves but not with illegal performance-enhancers. While this source has good information, it was published in 1998 so some of the statistics and data might not be up to date.

Evans, Nick A. "Anabolic steroids: answers to the bigger questions: widely used agents
Can have powerful effects, both positive and negative." The Journal of
Musculoskeletal Medicine 21.3 March 2004: 166(8). Expanded Academic
ASAP. Thomson Gale. Clemson University 29 January 2006 Galegroup.com>.

This article defines and informs the reader of the positives and negatives of anabolic steroid use. Although the article does not specifically relate to professional baseball, the information give provides valuable insight on the negative effects of anabolic steroids. Presented in the article is an explanation of how anabolic steroids work and how athletes use them. While anabolic steroids do have medical use, they can cause serious problems if they are not needed or abused. Some of the most common negative effects of steroids are behavioral, cardiovascular, and reproductive problems. In my argument, I will use this article to explain why anabolic steroids cause more negative effects than they do positive effects. Because of the complicated information presented in the article, it is intended to give analysis of anabolic steroids to educated people.

Field of Dreams. Dir. Phil Robinson. Perf. Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones. MCA. 1989.

This is a movie about a farmer in Iowa, who builds a baseball field in the middle of a corn field. Ray, played by Kevin Costner, had a bad relationship with his father, who was a professional baseball player. Ray builds the field so the ghosts of former players, such as his father, that were banned from the game can play again. Ray later travels across the country in search of more information and finds Terence Mann. Mann delivers a moving speech to Ray and his family when they are pressured to sell their farm. I will use an excerpt from his speech because it shows baseball's importance in American society.

Friday Night Lights. Dir. Peter Berg. Perf. Billy Bob Thorton. Universal. 2004.

Although this is a football movie, some of the training and approaches used in football are similar to those in baseball. I will use part of a pre-game speech from the movie in the closing of my argument. This movie is about a high school football team in Texas that is chasing perfection and a state championship. Once there star running back is injured, the remaining players must work together and harder to remain in contention for the playoffs. I believe this movie is an excellent example of a team becoming "perfect" and to legally overcome the problems and hardships a season brings.

Kingsbury, Alex. "Throwing some heat.(congressional session on baseball and
steroids)." U.S. News & World Report138.11 28 March 2005:41.
Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Clemson University. 29
January 2006 .

The lenient policy for performance enhancers is pointed out in this article. Other sports have strict policies for performance enhancers, while baseball is only now beginning to strictly enforce policy on performance enhancers. Also shown is the effect steroid use in major league baseball has had on society. It has gone to the point that President Bush commented on the matter in his 2004 state of the union address. Because of the statistics and information used, the article is probably intended for anyone interested with performance enhancers in baseball. Statistics are given on the increase in steroid use of teenagers accompanied by statements of dishonest players who are denying their use when they later tested positive. Having parents inform their children on the injustice of steroids while they are young might prevent them from ever using steroids.

Kurlantzick, Lewis. "Is there a steroids problem?(usage of steroids by athletes)."
Regulation 28.2 Summer 2005: 6(2). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson
Gale. Clemson University. 29 January 2006

Lewis Kurlantzick is a professor at the University Of Connecticut School Of Law. In his article, Professor Kurlantzick discusses the punishment for the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. He refers to a pair of famous players convicted of using steroids in his article. These players have broken numerous records and are respected by many youth, yet they cheated to break the records. While these players are mentioned, the main concern of the article is defining what the justifications of a ban for steroid use. Like most people Professor Kurlantzick believes that finding a definition will be impossible because of the numerous types and strengths of the substances. Although steroids provide strength, they do not give the coordination and ability to play baseball at a professional level. With this information known, determining the punishment for steroid use will be very complicated.

Mannie, Ken. "Slugging it out on the Hill: time to strike out the steroid menace.
(POWERLINE; baseball)." Coach and Athletic Director 75.1 August 2005
: 70(2). Expanded Academic ASAP. Thomson Gale. Clemson University. 29
January 2006 .

Ken Mannie's article is intended for any person that desires to gain insight on anabolic steroids in professional baseball. Mr. Mannie's points should be taken seriously because he is the strength and conditioning coach at Michigan State University. Being the strength and conditioning coach at a division one University, Mr. Mannie has great experience with athletes trying to better themselves and compete at the highest level of competition. The article criticizes the current steroid policy in Major League Baseball and the player's responsibilities as role models. Perhaps Mr. Mannie's best point is criticism and lack of a steroid policy in professional baseball until recent years. While most other professional sports have outlawed numerous performance enhancers, the MLB has been very lenient with its policies for performance enhancers. I believe that Mr. Mannie arguments are valid and I will use them as primary evidence in my essay.