The Link Between Steroids and Achievements

As of today, July 30, 2009, three of baseball's most celebrated superstars have tested positive for steroids, performance-enhancing drugs, or whatever you call them. Not only are these three individuals celebrated, but they hold some of the most impressive achievements in baseball history and Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez were almost certain locks for the Hall of Fame. The third player's name released today being David Ortiz had a killer season stretch of 31 homers, 41 homers, 47 homers, and capping it off with an outrageous 54 homerun output in 2006. Starting with the 31 in 2003, Ortiz blasted 173 of his career 302 homers, accounting for about 57% of his career total in only 4 of his 12 major league seasons. These numbers are certainly staggering as it is reported that 2003 was when Ortiz tested positive. Ironically, Ortiz was interviewed this Spring Training saying anyone caught "cheating" should be banned for at least a season and if caught again should be banned from the game forever. Interesting how things sort of work themselves out and we will see where all this goes from here...

The real question remains however - is there a direct link between steroids and the enhancement of performance? While there is no clear answer, the accepted response is yes there is a link AND the usage of such illicit materials does in fact enhance performance. Until evidence shows whether or not this link is accurate, there ought to be some sort of reprimanding for these individuals and their clubs who are just as guilty because I am certain they turned the blind eye to it all.

While college football and professional baseball are not linked just stay with me on this one. In recent years in college football both at the University of Southern California and Florida State University, alleged recruiting and academic scandals have surfaced regarding some high-profile athletes and mediocre ones alike. These young men and their schools cheated off the field in the classroom or before even attending school. None of their acts are directly related to their on-field performance. What happened when this was discovered? People were questioning regular season wins, postseason wins, and even a national championship. If their proposed plan to strip the respected school of its achievement due to "cheating", then how can we not penalize a baseball organization where those player's "cheating" is supposedly directly affecting one's performance. If people can attempt to strip Bobby Bowden of up to 14 wins, can these same people strip the Boston Red Sox of a World Series title? Was it Michigan and their "Fab Five" who were caught up in a similar scandal and stripped of their on-court achievements? Would the loss of something like a championship be a legitimate penalty to organizations that win with players who "cheated?" It truly is a sad day in baseball as too many of the stars are tainting the game let alone their own reputations by attempting to shortcut their way into record books...