A steroid by definition is �a lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton with four fused rings� (1) This definition implies many different types of steroids. The one that is associated with the problem that Major League Baseball faces is anabolic steroids. Anabolic steroids can appear naturally or they can be made in laboratories. Anabolic steroids range from testosterone to stanozolol but all are used as enhancements to increase work out performance to gain an advantage over the competition. The Major League Baseball Association has had recent problems with steroids which has included many popular stars, a congressional hearing, and a revamped drug policy.
In the last few years Major League Baseball has had to address their policy on steroids which was established in 1991. Many people consider the 1998 chase of Roger Maris�s home run record a saving grace for baseball. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both had enormous home run totals that no one had ever seen before. Many of their homeruns were the longest anyone had ever seen, some in the 500 ft. range. During the chase questions were raised when a reporter saw that McGwire had a bottle of Androstenedione, a dietary supplement but has been deemed a steroid by many associations, in his locker. This raised some questions but it because it wasn�t on Major League Baseball�s banned substance list. This made some people think that the homerun record was tainted or should have an asterisk next to it. Although it was there and suspected McGwire never failed a drug test. Sammy Sosa, who also took part in the memorable home run chase, who hit 50 or more homeruns four years in a row, hasn�t hit more than 50 since 2001(2) After the McGwire and Sosa chase Barry Bonds of Roger Maris�s record, Bonds was chasing McGwire�s record of 71 homeruns. In 2001 Bonds broke the record set by McGwire. Bonds hit 73 homeruns in 153 games; previously Bonds had never hit more than 50 homeruns in a season, and to this date he hasn�t hot more than 50 homeruns in a season.(3) This also raised some questions but again the steroid testing wasn�t as active then as it is now. In 2002 Sports Illustrated had an issue dedicated to looking at steroids in baseball, and also brought to light the open admission from ex-Major Leaguer Ken Caminiti that he was on steroids during the 1996 season when he won the MVP award. Then in 2005 Jose Canseco wrote Juiced a tell all book that he openly admitted to using steroids, and he said names of players, like McGwire, who he had injected when they were teammates. In Juiced Canseco went into detail of going into bathroom stalls and injecting McGwire before games.(4) In his book Canseco also mentioned introducing Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro, two All-Stars on the Texas Rangers, to steroids. Although these two do not have the gaudy numbers of McGwire and Canseco, but the one thing that Palmeiro did though was test positive in 2005.
On March 17 2005 the Senate Reform Committee called a hearing on steroids and subpoenaed players like Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jose Canseco, and Rafael Palmeiro, as well as Commissioner Bud Selig. During the hearing players were asked if they had ever used steroids McGwire declined to answer while Palmeiro emphatically said he had never used steroids. Commissioner Selig said he would have a zero tolerance policy towards any steroid users caught with the Major League Baseball�s testing policy. Throughout the whole hearing the consensus was that players felt that steroids were bad a needed to be controlled. After the hearing McGwire came under fire for not offering answers to the questions he was asked. Another thing that came out of this hearing was the need for baseball to develop a tougher drug testing policy.
One person who was missing that many people had questions for was Barry Bonds. Barry Bonds was not subpoenaed because he was involved in the BALCO case. BALCO or Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative is a controversial sports nutrition center. It came under investigation after there was a raid that proved the lab provided steroids to many players as well as developed the designer steroid THG.(5) The connection to Bonds is that his trainer Greg Andersen is connected to BALCO and it was alleged that he provided Bonds with steroids. This case came to and end in July of 2005(5) when Victor Conte, the founder of BALCO, and Greg Andersen both made plea bargains to the charge of steroid distribution.
After the Congressional hearing Major League Baseball was under pressure to make a tougher drug testing policy. Originally baseball had a policy of first offense you received a 10 day suspension, a second offense 30 days, third offense 60 days, fourth offense got you a one year ban. All are without pay. Then on November 15 2005 (6) Major League Baseball, the Major League Owner, and the Player�s Union all agreed to toughening the steroid policy. Now the policy is 50 games for a first time offense, 100 for a second offense, and a lifetime ban for a third offense. The way which testing will be conducted has also changed, players will be tested at random and players who test positive will be tested monthly after their suspension. The test will be administered as a urine test. There is also an appeals process that allows player file an appeal within 24 hours of a positive test. Then a committee will rule on the specific case.(7)Major League Baseball hopes that this tougher policy will make players feel that they are missing a significant amount of time.
Since the Congressional hearing on March 17, 61 players have tested positive for 12 of them Major Leaguers. The name most prominent on the list of players who tested positive is Rafael Palmeiro. Of these 61 positive tests 49 of them are under the new policy where each player is receiving a 50 game suspension.
All in all Major League Baseball has come to see the danger of steroids, and the influence of players on their young impressionable fans. Baseball has done well in making it known that they do not want to tarnish their game anymore with cheating by enhancing yourself falsely.
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