We’ve heard every argument imaginable for the elimination of steroids in Major League Baseball. The speculation over possible steroid users in America’s favorite past time has been rampant. The U.S. Congress has even stepped in on behalf of MLB to put a stop to steroid usage. But let’s suppose for a moment that steroid usage could have good qualities or for once not actually be the reason for our displeasure with baseball’s current state. The top five reasons steroids aren’t baseball’s problem are:
5. Baseball needs stars. Steroids make better players in some regard, so why can’t Major League Baseball embrace that and use it to its advantage? With football taking over as sport of favor in America, the MLB needs star power to attract more fans. After the baseball labor strike in the mid-1990’s, America was reluctant to return to the sport deemed to be “America’s favorite past-time.” The Summer of 1998 was a remarkable chase for Roger Maris’ single season homerun record of 62, which undoubtedly renewed our love for baseball. But some conjecture that without steroids the Summer of 1998 wouldn’t have been possible. But why shouldn’t we embrace the cause of one of baseball’s greatest stretch instead of viewing it as a negative. Some may argue that the Summer of 1998 was artificial, yet something was so real and captivating about the experience and we should relish the greatness of those moments instead of scrutinizing them.
4. Shorter fences are the reason for increased power numbers. The general public has a consensus that steroids are the reason for the increase in power numbers. But is that really the case? Any knowledgeable fan should be able to determine for themselves that the shorter fences in the new generation of ballparks are the reason for the balloon in power statistics. One of baseball’s most famed ballparks the Polo Grounds, which had a short porch in leftfield, had one of the largest outfield areas ever because of its 483 ft. centerfield wall. Also, baseball has expanded to areas such as Denver, Colorado where the ball flies farther due to the mile-high atmosphere. Coors Field in Denver is single-handedly increasing the numbers in the National League. So it’s easy to blame steroids for the increased power numbers, but take a look elsewhere first.
3. Baseball players have always been cheaters. Steroids aren’t the first form of “cheating” in baseball, and they won’t be the last. The earliest forms of cheating bring to mind the infamous 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal with Shoeless Joe Jackson. Baseball is a game of winning at any cost. Cheaters have long since prospered and been accepted. Who’s to say that the Yankees didn’t pay opposing pitchers to lob fat pitches down the middle to Babe Ruth? That most likely didn’t happen but if it had, wouldn’t that be just as bad as the steroids scandals these days. Baseball is a game where stealing signs is considered gamesmanship, so why shouldn’t steroids just be considered to be the same. If some cheating is acceptable, all cheating is acceptable.
2. Less injuries is a good thing. If there is one fact about steroids, it’s that recovery time for those taking steroids is significantly decreased. So if the best aspect of steroids is decreased recovery time, why are we complaining? Who doesn’t want to see your favorite player out on the diamond every night? No one likes to see their favorite player “on the shelf” for long periods of time. Take for instance Ken Griffey Jr. who has spent the better part of the latter half of his career on the disabled list. Junior was once poised to take on the massive homerun record of Hank Aaron, but injuries have long since derailed that bid. Had steroids been used for medical reasons in his case, we may well have seen the greatest player ever.
1. Strength doesn’t equal bat speed. Steroids are rumored to increase strength and homerun power, but could this be a myth? Any one who has ever hit a homerun, whether it be at the Little League level, the high school level, or even the professional level, knows that homerun power doesn’t come from brute strength alone. Bat speed is the essential element to the power stroke. Most players have the necessary hand-eye coordination to hit a baseball, but yet most don’t hit for power. For example, Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is a master at putting the ball in play, who has more hits than anyone in the MLB over the past five seasons, yet his power numbers aren’t significant. On the other hand, some of the greatest power hitters of all time have also topped the strikeout lists. The sole reason for homeruns is bat speed, not brute strength, so can steroids really help hitters that much? If we conclude that bat speed is the necessary component to a homerun, then the answer is probably not.
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