Profesional Athletes Cheating the Game They Love

I just read the article Risk, Reward, Steroids Inside a Tempting World of Easy Steroids by Michael S. Schmidt on NewYorkTimes.com it explained that over the past decade the use of performance enhancing drugs has become known to the public.  This illegal practice has been going on inside major league baseball for longer than any fan or writer can speculate.  Steroids had been banned since 1991 but there was nothing the league could do to enforce these rules until 2003.  Even after punishments had been set and implemented on some, players like all-star third baseman Troy Glaus and pitcher Scott Schoeneweis still proceeded to inject the banned substances

“Even after Major League Baseball and its players union bowed to pressure and started a testing program in 2003, the All-Star third baseman — Troy Glaus of the Anaheim Angels — and the worn-down pitcher — his teammate Scott Schoeneweis — said they continued using steroids…Glaus said he was “willing to take the risk” because he needed to play, according to a report written by the federal agent who interviewed him.”

These players began taking steroids not to become the best player to ever play the game but, instead to heal quicker to make a living for their families.  Major league baseball has been a complete victim of financialization, with these new billion dollar stadiums that have advertisements in every corner of the stadium.  Players started taking steroids because many players numbers were being inflated by players who were using steroids.  Therefore to keep up, many more began to follow so they could produce numbers which in actuality turned into a big contract.

The scariest part of this whole entire ordeal is that most of these cheaters were not to sure what they were actually putting into their bodies

“Frustrated with his rehabilitation, Glaus contacted Scruggs, whose only request was for a blood sample to see whether Glaus’s testosterone levels were low enough to warrant a prescription for steroids. Medical files seized from Scruggs’s office show the steroids were sent before Scruggs reviewed Glaus’s blood test.

Asked by the investigators whether he was concerned that Scruggs did not ask to see him, Glaus was quoted in the report as saying: “I just wanted to get better, it didn’t alarm me. I just wanted to get better and play.”

To play at the level that he needed to Glaus risked everything but all Glaus cared about was getting better to play the game he loved.  This should never be the case for America’s past time, these are men who love the game cheating and tainting the game that so many other’s truly love.  From my perspective I don’t ever seeing Major League baseball ever becoming definancialized.  There is way to much money to be made in the industry.  I do see the use of illegally band substances being used at a much lower rate in the upcoming decade from its predecessor.

The URL ishttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/sports/baseball/12steroids.html?scp=1&sq=reason%20players%20took%20steroids&st=cse