Baseball is a game that needs speed and strength besides the skill. It is therefore not a wonder that the players got into the trap of using steroids, so that they can deliver the hardest throws and perform fast moves, all with the aim of rising to fame and becoming celebrity models. The players also tend to recover fast from injury, thus making the steroid usage common among he players. Berkow (2) indicates that the best home runs that were ever made in the game were made by players who were under the influence of steroids. These runs were made by celebrated players Sosa, Bond and MacGwire.
The use of steroids has actually changed the face of baseball in various ways, both positive and negative. On the positive note, it has led to better earnings for both the players and the club owners. Berkow (3) observes that as the strikes become harder and the players become faster, the fans become more entertained. This then forms a huge fan base which generates quite some money when they turn up for matches. The players also become celebrities and can bargain for greater benefits, as so do their managers.
The negative repercussions however seem to be more. Burkhard and Greliner (1) observe that in the 1990s, the steroids started to gradually enter the baseball major leagues. This was brought about by the shift of the game to powerful hits and numerous home runs. The players stopped putting much effort in their training and hoped that the steroids would help them deliver. However, the players became champions for a while and then started exhibiting some negative signs. With the help of scientists and medics, it was discovered that the steroids had long term risks on the players, and were banned. The players were who used the steroids could be banned. However, before being banned, the steroids left an indelible mark on the game, making people believe that the more power and speed involved the better.
At the time during which the steroids were still famous in the sport, they at one time painted a bad picture of the game, branding its superstars as unreal. This was seen through the case of a celebrated Baseball player Roger Clemens, who circulated in one of the most infamous steroid scandals. Clemens had achieved great success in the game and was a darling to many. This was until the then Senator George Mitchell started an investigation into the issue of steroids, and later enlisted the help of the House of Representatives. Clemens had been in the scandal with his trainer McNamee. The discoveries of the investigations ruined their reputations and painted quite a bad picture of the baseball stars, as indicated in Thompson, Vinton, O’Keefe and Red (34) in describing the fall of Roger Clemens.
Works Cited
Thompson, Teri, Vinton, Nathaniel, O’Keefe, Michael and Red, Christian. American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America. 2009. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Berkow, Baseball Owners as Comedians.1992. New York Times, Dec. 15 1992. Web, 25th Jan 2012, http://proquest.umi.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/pqdweb?did=965515661&sid=8&Fmt
=3&clientId=9874&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Madea, Burkhard and Wolfgang Greliner, Long-term cardiovascular effects of anabolic steroids. The Lancet. 1998, Vol. 33. Web, 25th Jan 2012,
