Barry Bonds Steroid Scandal

The Major League Baseball organization is one of many sport organizations that takes a strong stance on athletes that use performance enhancing drugs. Mark McGwire played for the Cardinals in 1998. He had an amazing career as he broke the homerun record with 70 homeruns. Through his accomplishments, there was speculation that he took steroids. He was questioned about it in Federal Court and at first, he denied it. Later on, he admitted using Andro, which is a form of anabolic steroids. Another baseball player had a very similar story. Barry Bonds played for the San Francisco Giants. He likewise had very notable achievements, such as beating McGuire for the homeroom record and he passed Hank Aaron as the career all-time home run hitter.

In Major League Baseball, numerous players have put up tremendous statistics and record breaking numbers. There are a great amount of players in the league that have done this naturally, however it is not uncommon to see star players get caught taking performance enhancing drugs or steroids. Steroid use in baseball has been an issue since the earliest days of the game, and can be seen very frequently in players today. Jose Canseco was a star hitter in the major leagues, who had admitted to steroid later in his career. Canseco once estimated that 85% of other players were also taking performance enhancing drugs. Though that estimate is not proven, there are still many players today that are taking these steroids, and it needs to remain an issue in the eyes of the MLB. Taking these drugs not only promotes the risk of significant side effects and health problems to the player consuming them, but it makes changes to the game itself as well. The way the game is being played has changed over time due to this issue, and players are receiving advantages that other players are not. Overall, these illegal drugs are unfair to other players in the game and simply are not safe, and should never become legal in the league.

Steroids are a hot topic of debate and controversy in the world of athletes and sports. Steroids fall under the umbrella of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and are a dark cloud that have been hovering over the sports world for a long time. In the world today, steroids are the most relevant in major league baseball. Many baseball players, such as Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, and Mark McGwire, just to name a few, have ruined their reputations because of steroids. There are repercussions for PED use in major league baseball, which have cut down on the substance abuse by players but have nowhere near eliminated the problem.

Since Major League Baseball all-star Ken Caminiti openly admitted to Sports Illustrated to have used steroids during his career, steroid use as a muscle and performance enhancer has been uncovered and become a big issue Major League Baseball is wrestling with. The “ongoing and delicate subject, baseball’s dirty, little secret that is no secret anymore,” is a huge and growing problem (Curry B20). Now that light has been shed on the issue, critics are beginning to realize the magnitude of this problem and do not like it. Steroids are a cheating virus that is spreading quickly. Users cheat other players, themselves, the fans, and the game itself. Action must be taken to rid Major League Baseball of this virus

Baseball is known as America’s pastime and is one of the most popular, respected sports on earth. Since the beginning of the sport, it seemingly advances with technology every year making faster and stronger players. The use of steroids became rampant and spread among players and has carried them away from the true history of the game they play. Controversy still today runs around the sport today about fines, punishments and record breaking. The past two decades of Major League Baseball have been tainted because of the use of performance enhancing drugs, also known as steroids, causing the loss of many fans and the true meaning of America’s favorite sport.

           Today in the United States, millions and millions of kids, teens, and adults watch and play in the sport of baseball. It is probably the number one sport looked upon and what is happening to it is a bit discouraging. Players have started “cheating” by using steroids to help them play stronger and better. They are in league where you have to be the best at what you do to play, and if your using drugs to cheat your way in, then it ruins the ethics of the game of baseball.

“Bacsik 3-2 again. There’s a swing and a high fly ball, right-center field. Back it goes. Racing back, Logan jumping up, and that ball is gone! (Four-second pause) No. 756. Barry Bonds stands alone. And on the night of August 7, 2007, in San Francisco, California, Barry Lamar Bonds has hit more home runs than any major leaguer in the history of baseball.” (Times Union, ESPN). Barry Bonds hold the record for the most homeruns in baseball. His legacy is very well known, but it is also tainted. Barry Bonds took performance enhancing drugs, to get to where he is today. Performance Enhancing Drugs are hurting sports, and people. It defines the word “cheating” in all aspects.

A prime example of steroid controversy on the Hall of Fame ballot is Mark McGwire. McGwire (pictured left) hit 583 home runs, including what was once a record of 70 in the 1998 season for the St. Louis Cardinals. McGwire’s career was tainted when he was caught with Androstenedione in his locker during the 1998 season. Androstenedione better known as Andro, is a steroid precursor which is banned from baseball. When McGwire was questioned about steroid use at a Congressional hearing on March 17, 2005, he repeatedly said, “I’m not here to discuss the past” (qtd. in McGwire Unlikely). This damaged McGwire’s candidacy for the Hall of Fame ballot by raising the suspicion of drug use, influencing BBWAA writers not to vote for him. McGwire has received close to a 25 percent vote on the ballot the three-years running up to 2012. Not nearly the 75 percent needed for induction. Several BBWAA writers discussed their stance on McGwire’s silence at the Congressional hearing; that it was a tacit admission that he used steroids while playing. McGwire needs to clarify his past and explain whether or not he used steroids, in order to maintain his integrity and character. When evaluating McGwire’s 16 year

Arguably one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the game, Barry Bonds is most widely known as the all-time homerun leader in Major League Baseball. Over his 22 year career, he hit more homeruns than anyone, and was also one of the most widely hated players in baseball. The way that Barry carried himself was unique, and the league’s viewers made him out to be something that he wasn’t. At times he was even disrespected by his own teammates and coaches, something a player should never have to go through.

The purpose in constructing this report is to take a look and study the illegal steroid use in Major League Baseball, and possible ways it can be exempt from the game forever. Use of performance enhancing drugs is cheating and causes inequalities, in which new repercussions should be implemented. These new rules should include a zero tolerance level, records stripped and not being rewarded of their accomplishments; which is to include banishment from an admittance into the Hall of Fame. Furthermore, it causes major health concerns and could end a player’s career, along with mitigating health problems down the road. The total elimination of steroids in MLB (Major League Baseball) would make the atmosphere and fans appreciate the game as it

“The Steroids Era” refers to a period of time in Major League Baseball when a number of players were believed to have used performance enhancing drugs, resulting in increased offensive output throughout the game. During the 1990’s, Major League Baseball experience an increase in

“Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, all of these baseball players have admitted to the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs)” (“Performance Enhancing Drugs”). “Mark McGwire broke Roger Maris’s 37 year old record of 61 home runs. McGwire hit a total of 70 home runs in 1998. Sammy Sosa also broke Maris’s record with 66 homeruns.” In “2001 Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire’s home run record by hitting 73”. “In 2009 Sosa, Bonds, and McGwire all admitted to using PEDs during their careers” (“Sports Tarninshed”). Many professional baseball players have admitted to the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs through out their career. Performance Enhancing Drugs have given these players an unfair advantage

The MLB has had an uproar of issues when it comes to the use of substances. The biggest issue that the MLB focuses primarily on is the use of steroids. An even bigger issue that should be highlighted is the use of chewing tobacco while playing the game. When something becomes known as possibly life threatening, the logical explanation is that it is illegal or illegal for people under a certain age. In this case being illegal is not the explanation, when in fact this substance is the cause of over 400,000 deaths every year. Tobacco is the commonly used substance responsible for these hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. In response to the many hazards that come with tobacco use, the Major League Baseball Association is trying to outlaw

“Biogenesis Owner and A-Rod Cousin among 9 Arrested in Steroids Scandal.” Fox News, Fox News Network, 5 Aug. 2014, www.foxnews.com/world/2014/08/05/biogenesis-owner-rod-cousin-among-arrested-in-steroid-scandal.html. Accessed 13 Jan. 2017. The article is about Alex Rodriguez PED scandal during 2013. Alex Rodriguez was accused of using performance enhancing drugs to better his game but he was caught and tried working over it as if it never happened. With this happening 9 people were arrested including his cousin. I can use the article to show that so many people were involved showing that this is a huge deal so they had to try so many things to cover it up. People were arrested for the acquisitions including his cousin.. I can also use it to

The sport that has gotten the most attention on the subject of steroids is Major League Baseball. Due to the suspected prevalence of them from the late 80’s up until the present day, the so-called baseball purists now question all the records and achievements