Monday, August 3, 2009

Juiced

It's certainly come to a point where I have heard enough about steroid use in Major League Baseball. The recent reports of former Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez, and current Red Sox DH David Ortiz testing positive for now banned substances in 2003 has been the final straw. These reports have circulated a few short weeks after Ramirez had just finished serving a 50 game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, to improve his mini-Manny's performance.


Here's the problem I have with these names becoming public knowledge. It happened in 2003, and during that time, these performance-enhancing drugs were not banned. Now, MLB commissioner Bud Selig has done an admirable job in developing a new program to punish those players who do not follow the rules. Nonetheless, this program was not in place in 2003, so why embarrass and tarnish the reputation of these ball players? Major League Baseball is currently down on the ground with regards to steroids, and releasing these names is only beating a dead horse.


Steroids was becoming very newsworthy, with the help of the release of Jose Canseco's best-selling novel "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits and How Baseball Got Big" in 2005. With this book, and several investigations, names like Canseco, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Barry Bonds were linked to steroids.


It was this time that I distinctly remember saying to people: "Well at least we know A-Rod won't test positive, he's been hitting home runs ever since he's been in the league." This proved to be true as his name was released prior to the 2009 season. I also remember saying in the past: "Ortiz isn't on steroids, he's fat."


But if you look harder, Alex Rodriguez had arguably 3 of his better seasons while he was considered to be on steroids. The Minnesota Twins gave up on a struggling Ortiz, and he broke out in 2003 with the Red Sox and became a feared power hitter. I am not a scientist, like one of my roommates is, but this is what I think:


Steroids won't make you hit home runs. That takes preicse hand-eye coordination and bat speed. But what it can do is make those long fly balls go a little further and over the walls. And this is an issue.


Now, my point. Stop bringing up these names from the past. You have developed a strong anti-doping policy, and if anyone tests positive, then they deserve to have their suspension. But when the MLB did not think steroids was a problem, (when they actually were) you cannot hold that against those who wanted that extra boost. It was not illegal, so forget about it.


Predictions:

  • Ken Griffey Jr. never tests positive and is considered the best (or cleanest) home run hitter of the last 20 years. That is until Albert Pujols takes over that title after passing Barry Bonds all-time HR record.
  • Jim Thome is the next high profile slugger to have his name reported as a past steroid user.