Where Have All the Steroids Gone?

It has been months now since we have heard the word "steroids" uttered in the sporting news about the allegedly "cheating" baseball players. In early February, even before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, anonymous sources reported that Alex Rodrigues had used performance enhancing drugs. Months later, an illegal leak by -- say it ain't so -- lawyers connected to the BALCO investigation revealed that David Ortiz was also on the list of players who had tested positive for something in 2003. The press had a field day with the previously unblemished Big Papi.

Recently, however, the silence has been deafening. Could it be the public is no longer interested in hearing about what happened in the early years of this decade? As the 2009 championship season reaches its exciting conclusion, could it be that we will have to wait until the off-season for the next installment of this soap opera? Or, as a result of the random testing, could steroids be history?

I have reached the conclusion that this contretemps has all been the creation of the media.
This is not to suggest that there isn't some story imbedded within the carnival. Sports is the preserve of the law, where following the same rules that apply to all is essential to the level playing field. These athletes, whether they like it or not, are role models for our children. It is a grievous loss when athletic icons go to jail, as has recently been the case with some notable football players. Taking illegal drugs would certainly be a story.

That is not what has been claimed concerning baseball players, however. Ortiz, it is said, took a dietary supplement that could mask the taking of steroids. There is no evidence he took a substance prohibited under the criminal laws or the laws of baseball. Much the same was the case with A-Rod.

It is no coincidence that, for the most part, sports writers broke their steroid stories during the off-season when there is not much baseball news around. Of course, when an anonymous source dumps the Ortiz leak during the season, it must be played when it appears. Red Sox fans were worried about Big Papi's failure to start playing the game until two months into the 2009 season. The drug testing story offered an explanation for Ortiz's lackluster performance. It happened to all players who had to go off "the stuff." The faithful rallied to Papi's side. Since then he has had his usual spectacular year, although his batting average never recovered. No one has bothered to say "never mind" about the drug accusations.

The only steroid news since the shameful accusations against David Ortiz has been the court ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in August on a suit brought by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Federal authorities had seized all the 2003 drug-testing records as part of their BALCO investigation, although their subpoena only referenced information related to ten players. Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, normally a staunch conservative on criminal matters, castigated the Bush henchmen: "This was an obvious case of deliberate overreaching by the government in an effort to seize data as to which it lacked probable cause." Perhaps the government could not tell the difference between ten records and a hundred. It is refreshing to know that the Fourth Amendment is still part of the sacred covenant that is our Bill of Rights.

For ballplayers, however, there will be no redress for the injury to their reputations. Like the "A" on Hester Prynne's clothing, the accused players must wear their shame for the rest of their careers. What will compound the injury is if the only way they get to Cooperstown is as tourists.

 

 

Comments

[shawshank]

No one is talking about steroids until another black player is found. Compare A-Rod's treatment to both Bonds and Papi. A-Rod's incidence virtually vanished in a matter of days while Bonds (lest I say) and Big Papi got dragged on for as long as possible.

Even the author of this article went the same route, glancing over A-Rod and focusing on Big Papi.

[randomx6]

Wrong. The A-Rod story played out for a full month. Papi vanished in less than a week. (By the way they are both Latino)

[sealbeach]

Race has nothing to do with it. Bonds was the most despised player in the game long before he was ever suspected of using steroids. The writers, fans outside of his city, and the players cant stand the guy. Once he started putting up mind-boggling numbers, everyone really got upset and rose up against him.

If you need an example of a white player screwed over by his alleged involment with PHD's, look no further than Mark McGwire. He's the all-american white guy superhero, yet he's virtually ignored by the voters on the annual Hall of Fame ballot. The baseball writers, who are overwhelmingly old white guys, clearly have a problem with anyone associated with steroids.

[RobinSeattle]

You know that Bonds is facing a perjury charge right? And he was also affiliated with BALCO, right?

By the way, Gary Sheffield, another steroid user, has gotten little attention from the press for that.

And Roger Clemens anyone? He ain't getting into the Hall of Fame, either, and neither is Mark McGwire.

Please, race has nothing to do with this.

[Infostream]

Someone should do a chart and put the number of hours of pro sports watched against the onesity percentage of the people who watch it. Maybe if people got off their butts and got some exercise instead of watching other people play sports, this whole steroid thing wouldn't seem so friggin important.

I'm still mystified how a guy WATCHING and worshiping other guys do something athletic got defined as the standard of straight masculine behavior..­. WTF? Oh yeah... follow the money.

But here's a theory, we have a congress which WON'T investigate how this nation became a nation that tortures people but will investigate and demonize steroids? And the MSM play it all up as if steroids were some shameful unhealthy dirty scandal (when virtually every pro and Olympic athlete uses them). Maybe because testosterone is cheap, and taking a low dose gel that restores a 45+ yo guy's level to his 30yo level would keep him off of all those nice new expensive designer drugs for cholesterol, blood pressure, depression, etc etc.

[DAE]

Any player who hit more than 50 home runs during a single year from 1996-2007 was on steroids. Leave it at that and move on.

[NationalTreasure]

steroids out --- human growth hormones in, nearly impossible to detect and none of the steroid side effects

[WorldofTomorrow420]

Yeah....as­k Lyle Alzado