I love baseball. I love everything about it. I love the unpredictability. I love how teams with talent oozing out of the dugout can lose in a flash to an underdog. I love the mind games between the pitcher and batter and opposing managers. I love the atmosphere of sitting in the nosebleeds or behind home plate. I love baseball.
I grew up watching baseball religiously. I still do. Spring Training in my house is a time of celebration, joy. Opening Day this week is something that won’t be missed. I live for baseball. Sad, I know.
My son was swinging a bat from the time he could stand. And yes, I am one of those horrible parents that actually tries to continually better his game. From the start of the season to the last game, our TV is tuned to baseball. Yes, I am one of those rare women who love spending three hours or more engrossed in a baseball game. Those who say they don’t like baseball just don’t get it. It is a game of stats, predictions and talent that can or can’t make a difference at any given moment. I love it.
So when the talk of steroids took a more serious tone, I too was engrossed in the story. I was more concerned with how it was going to affect the teams I watched. You see- I have a hard time being so caught up in the game and players if I know they are doing something I am morally against.
Why steroids are wrong?
I am against the use of performance-enhancing steroids and I am a fan of baseball. I have read so much lately justifying players’ actions concerning this matter. Most recently on 411mania.com, I read how Barry Bonds should not be hated for taking the steroids, because he was only doing what everyone else in the business was doing.
It reminds me of that old question, “if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you?" What is sad is that when the news first broke about how many players used steroids, I actually bought into this excuse.
Barry Bonds should be hated. Mark McGwire should be hated. Sammy Sosa should be hated. They took the perfect, most amazing game or sport and drug its name through the mud. So what if everybody was doing it? There are those who don’t who could have stepped up and changed the way baseball was being played.
I can’t imagine Lance Berkman of the Houston Astros, ever taking steroids. Yet, he is successful. No, he is not breaking Hank Aaron’s homerun record, but McGwire and Bonds should not have either.
The true greats of baseball got there by hard work and rare talent. They should be respected and recognized for that achievement. I mean what are we teaching our kids? That if you can do something illegal to make you better, you should do it. UGH!!!
The game of baseball was exciting and fun on its own. Players-you never needed the steroids. God gave you talent-use it. Don’t cheapen it for a little fame. You know now, right, that your accomplishments are forever scarred? From now until the end of time, people will refer to baseball as the before steroids era and the after steroids era. We don’t need any more asterisks!
Why steroids are bad?
Should I list the side effects of steroids? Baseball players are real people. They have families. They suffer the same consequences. I predict Barry Bonds’ women trouble will just be the beginning of women and wives coming out in droves admitting to being abused by baseball players who did steroids.
Not only do they make you violent, they destroy your body. I will never be able to forget the interview years ago with Lyle Alzado talking about his steroid use. It was just depressing seeing this once football giant reduced to a weakling on camera. Why would you do this to yourself as a baseball player? Is it worth it in the long run?
Do we not care about our kids?
Kids are starting steroid use younger and younger these days because of the need to compete. Where do you think they get the idea? Kids do what is modeled. It is a sad day to me when we have to justify to our kids that, yes, such and such player has fame and fortune, but it really isn’t worth it. I want my son to be a professional ballplayer. I’m not ashamed to admit it. But not at that cost.
So my hope is that Bonds will be exposed along with everyone else who is using. Then baseball can go back to the game that it was. How nice would it be to not have any doubt that when a player hits a homerun it was because of talent as opposed to a drug? To truly get back to the real game of baseball?
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