Yesterday, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez became the latest in the long line of baseball superstars to fall under the dark cloud of steroids.
Ramirez was suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games due to a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. The drug, according to sources, is commonly used as a women's fertility drug, but it is well-known that that same drug is used by steroid users to restart their testosterone production after coming off a steroid cycle,
My first question is, if that if it's true, and Manny has been using, I'd ask how long he's been using, because this certainly isn't something he'd have just started doing. Secondly, I'd ask why he felt the need to use, and if he regretted the using or the getting caught.
My real question, though, is does it even matter? As each day passes, it becomes more clear that the majority of players in the last decade or so have either used or are still using performance-enhancing drugs. So if everybody is doing it, then techinally there shouldn't be anything wrong with it.
I think baseball turned it's head in the 90s when steroid use became prevelant, because balls were flying out of the ballpark and fans were packing each stadium. The clubs were making millions upon millions of dollars, and ownership and the league turned a blind eye as they watched the money pour in.
As far as the Hall of Fame goes for most of these players, I think you just have to compare all the players of this era (the "steroid era") against each other. If one assumes that the majority of players in that timeframe, say 1995-2005, were users, than if Mark McGwire, Raffy Palmiero, Barry Bonds, A-Rod, Sammy Sosa, Manny and Roger Clemens were the best of that bunch, then they should merit strong Hall of Fame consideration. Plus, Clemens, Bonds and A-Rod had careers worthy of Cooperstown before this steroid stuff.
If baseball truly wants to clean up the game, they should implement a zero-tolerance policy. One positive test should equal a ban of 162 games. No questions asked. A second positive test should result in the lifetime ban of that player. That's the only thing I can think of that might discourage players from continuing the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Or they could just make them legal. Baseball will do whichever is more profitable.
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