As the dust settles from one of the more controversial decades in American history, the stench of groundbreaking cultural scandals like the continued revelations of steroid use in baseball continues to linger in the air. When Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell unleashed his 409-page report in 2007, the star-studded world of baseball was violently stripped of its glamour, mystique and professionalism. The likes of Barry Bonds, Miguel Tejada, Andy Pettitte, and most controversially Roger Clemens, were suddenly tarred and feathered on the national stage as their careers became subjects of ridicule and disrespect. Even men like Eric Gagne who had achieved some of the highest accolades in baseball were suddenly labeled as cheaters, if not traitors, by fans and enemies alike. Yet, despite the fact that the illegal use of steroids has been tied to many of the men who have defined modern baseball, I hesitate to believe that steroid use has really “sullied the game,” as former president and former owner of the Texas Rangers, George W. Bush, claimed after the release of the Mitchell Report (ESPN.go.com).
From the most fair-weather fans to Bud Selig himself, no one can deny that there was and basically still is a steroid era in baseball that has involved “the use of steroids and amphetamines” among many Major and Minor League baseball players (Schmidt). However, the fact that steroid use has been so predominant almost reflects the technologically enhanced nature of twenty-first century Western culture. In my opinion, the use of performance-enhancers, drugs or not, has become the norm across the board in society, whether it is a small dose of Ritalin for the easily distracted kindergartener or a less environment-friendly, but more consumer-oriented transatlantic jumbo jet. Unnatural enhancement has become the baseline for how one should judge the talent and expertise of everything and everyone, including the contemporary athlete. Surely it can be argued that the honor and integrity of society, or more specifically in baseball, rely on the praise of the naturally developed perfect player and condemnation of the medically enhanced mammoth on the mound. Yet, isn’t the general theme of those confessions made by Mark McGwire and other steroid-users perfectly reflective of the ambitious, capitalist principles that are found in the very foundations of our country?
Considering the nature of the times, I find the controversy over steroid-use to be mundane and useless. To act surprised that the seemingly superhuman athletes we have watched break records opted to capitalize on the resources at hand is absurd; when you are paid to do something that you are good at and find a way to do it better, to be able to deny yourself the opportunity to be more successful is in complete opposition to the ideals that the American spirit inspires. On top of this argument, we would be fools to assert that steroids are the sole reason why Roger Clemens is known as one of the greatest pitchers of all time and the recently out-ed Mark McGwire broke the home run record in 1998. Arguing that these players’ use of illegal substances is completely responsible for these achievements trivializes the records and legacies of baseball’s most renowned gems like Babe Ruth, who set the home run record in 1927 with 60 home runs in a season, and Roger Maris who hit 61 home runs in 1961 (Foxnews.com).
I do not necessarily believe that those players who have admitted to or been accused of steroid-use should be eligible for the Hall of Fame because, unlike those who have been honored by the organization, they broke a league rule and deceived their fans, coaches and teammates in doing so. In contrast however I do not believe that the media or society should condemn these players’ abilities and skills as athletes or question the integrity of the game of baseball as a whole. Surely news outlets should cover steroid use and allow those, like Mark McGwire, who want to reinvent their public image or pour their hearts out on national television continue to embarrass themselves and their teams by dancing around the fact that they did something illegal. Yet, it is essential for us to recognize that in a society that is tainted with plastic surgery and technology, doing something illegal in the baseball world is not necessarily equivalent to doing something morally wrong in the real world.
Many have tried to forget or ignore that some of the most prominent names in modern baseball have been accused of using and abusing performance-enhancing drugs. However, it seems as though every month there is a new player and a new legacy that reveal themselves to be flawed, reminding us that the ‘steroid era’ may take just as long to end as it did to become the most condemned period in the history of one of America’s greatest pastimes. So for the sake of our own sanity, the viability of the MLB and the legacies of baseball heroes past, perhaps we should consider the steroid era to be more of a phase that is reflective of an overarching superficial society rather than an overall athletic depression. Steroids or not, genius has been witnessed and amazing has occurred on diamonds across the country and around the world in the past two decades. We should recognize that performance-enhancing drugs have been a factor, but we must never assert that it has been a sole determinant.
Works Cited
"Mark McGwire's Steroid Use Tarnishes Home Run Record - Sports Medicine /Orthopedics - FOXNews.com." Breaking News | Latest News | Current News -FOXNews.com. 12 Jan. 2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2010.
"Mitchell report: Baseball slow to react to players' steroid use - MLB - ESPN." ESPN:The Worldwide Leader In Sports. 14 Dec. 2007. Web. 16 Jan. 2010.
Schmidt, Michael S. "Sports of The Times - Regarding Steroids, Baseball Should Keep Talking About the Past - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 11 Apr. 2009. Web. 16 Jan. 2010.
