Steroidgate
Update: It turns out that Palmeiro might have been tested as early as April or May according to the reports on ESPN this evening. If so, I am very disturbed by how baseball could allow this to go unchecked for so long. It would appear as if they felt compelled to wait until after he got 3000 hits before admitting that some part of this quest was enhanced by outside substances. The report also said that unlike the other steroid offenders, Palmeiro was given the opportunity to argue his case before the accusation was made public. What kind of message does this send? The steroids policy is not supposed to include protecting the "elite" while letting the little ones flounder.
Wow!!
Baseball's steroid policy is serious. Rafael Palmeiro, who recently broke 3000 hits and became the fourth player with 3000 hits and 500 homers, has been suspended for steroids. Not even the high-profile players are immune. Hmm, wonder what Bonds must be thinking now? Is it possible that he might be better off never coming back than to come back and be found with steroids in his system?
One point which I keep hearing over and over again is this idea that taking steroids and being lazy would theoretically go hand in hand. According to everyone involved in the Palmeiro situation, they all say he is a hard worker. The issue isn't whether taking steroids indicates hard work or laziness. The issue is what kind of edge did it give him.
I read Canseco's book, Juiced : Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big and, assuming one can believe an autobiography as being even somewhat factual, the idea of taking steroids and being lazy wouldn't have worked. Fact is, steroids is an enhancer, meaning that you can work very hard and be great or you can take a drug and being better than great. Palmeiro lasting 20 years is partially a testament to his hard work as a ballplayer but the problem is, how much of his career is a result of it being enhanced by outside substances, whether legal or not.
Wow!!
Baseball's steroid policy is serious. Rafael Palmeiro, who recently broke 3000 hits and became the fourth player with 3000 hits and 500 homers, has been suspended for steroids. Not even the high-profile players are immune. Hmm, wonder what Bonds must be thinking now? Is it possible that he might be better off never coming back than to come back and be found with steroids in his system?
One point which I keep hearing over and over again is this idea that taking steroids and being lazy would theoretically go hand in hand. According to everyone involved in the Palmeiro situation, they all say he is a hard worker. The issue isn't whether taking steroids indicates hard work or laziness. The issue is what kind of edge did it give him.
I read Canseco's book, Juiced : Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big and, assuming one can believe an autobiography as being even somewhat factual, the idea of taking steroids and being lazy wouldn't have worked. Fact is, steroids is an enhancer, meaning that you can work very hard and be great or you can take a drug and being better than great. Palmeiro lasting 20 years is partially a testament to his hard work as a ballplayer but the problem is, how much of his career is a result of it being enhanced by outside substances, whether legal or not.
Labels: sports
2 Comments:
I don't think any of the big-name juicers were lazy. Bonds, Giambi, Big Mac, etc. were always the hardest workers in the game (just look at how hard Giambi's been working this year). In fact, the one player in the steroid party who might have been lazy was, well, Canseco himself. It's no accident that he was also the only one at that Congressional hearing without serious HOF credentials.
Regarding the primary blog, it certainly seems as though MLB allowed the Palmeiro information to be withheld from the public until after he got his 3000th hit. Money still trumps all. Remember,it was MacGuire et al who revived the game after the 1994 strike which cancelled the World Series and gave the game a major black eye. Its hard to believe that they didn't know what was going on either then or now, and were only forced to address this issue because of public pressure. I heard today that the substance that Palmeiro supposedly tested positive for is not one found in supplements, poking more holes in his excuse.
Regarding the potential contempt of Congress charge that he could be facing, it should be pointed out that his "wagging the finger" denial to Congress was very reminiscent a certain occupant of the White House in the mid 1990's. If a President of the US can get away with purjuring himself in front of a court of law and the American people, why can't a lowly baseball player. And it will be the very same people who defended that President who, now that they had the same thing done to them, will probably be the most vociferous about pursuing Palmeiro for having the audacity to lie to them. I guess its OK for politicians and world leaders to lie, but not baseball players. Think about it!!!
Finally, regarding the first comment to the blog, the fact that many of the players on steroids worked hard is irrelevant. Nobody disputes that if an ordinary human being who is not gifted with the hand-eye coordination and hand size to hit a baseball at the professional level will not become a major league player just because of the drugs. But clearly, for those who are gifted and already very good, the greatness that they have achieved by taking these performance is outstanding. One wonders what Babe Ruth, who hit 60 home runs on beer and hot dogs, would have done had he taken performance enhancing drugs. The same is true for Aaron, Mays, Mantle, Williams, Musial, etc. It is a shame that the game's reputation has been damaged by this, but, then again, the game is a reflection of our society, so it also not surprising that this has happened.
A couple of other points. I heard an unsubtantiated report that Giambi had been given prescribed steroids by a physician because his body had become dependent on exogenous steroids. This is physiologically possible and may be the explanation for his clearly improved physique and performance over the last couple of months, including I think 4 home runs in two days this weekend. And finally, the question that is starting to come up is, should these players be allowed in the Hall of Fame after they retire. And if so, what about Pete Rose. True he gambled, which was against the rules, and lied, but there is no evidence that he ever did anything to affect the outcome of games to benefit his gambling, while the steroid players, while technically not breaking the rules, clearly cheated by using non-natural means to enhance their natural abilities, affecting their statistics and the outcome of games. Who did more damage to the game in the long run?
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