In this column, you the reader won't find any statistical information or documented facts. This disaster is a complete and full eyewitness. Sports enhancing drugs are being used well before athletes get to the professional level.
I played college baseball at a competitive level for four years. During these four years, I personally encountered baseball players taking a substance called Winstrol along with many others.
If you were offered a magic pill that could make you millions of dollars and get your dreams to come true, would you do it, even if you didn't know what was in that pill? Of course without thinking most people would say; yes, of course I would take that pill. College athletes are put to the test on a daily basis with this question.
When used in the right direction, steroids can have many positive side effects with few to no negative side effects. Professional athletes have the access to these directions, that is without a doubt. Granted, some will not be safe with these products but will suffer the consequences later along in life. College athletes do not have this access and seek the results much quicker.
You the reader might ask, why not test every athlete no matter the level they're playing in. The problem is UA (Urinary Analysis) tests are very expensive and can not be conducted on many college budgets, nor do some college coaches care whether or not a player on there team is using them.
I even know a case where a college baseball coach got arrested coming back from Mexico trying to smuggle steroids in for his players. This is a disgrace to the game, and sport in general.
The punishment in professional sports is not near what it needs to be for those athletes using steroids, as I'm sure many would agree.
I propose that if a player has ever once used a drug banned by their respective professional sport at any time that they not be permitted to play at the professional level at which the drug was banned.
This might seem a little exaggerated, but how many of those athletes would actually be where they are today with out the enhancement?
The Mitchell report only listed a small percentage of users. Take a second and imagine what the game would be without those players. Less thrillseeking would probably be a fair statement, but it would be a cleaner, more respectable game.
Something drastic needs to be done in sports, not only to clean up the game but to clean up what is going on at the lower levels at which players strive to succeed.
3 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Brandon Heikoop 11 months ago
This is a very interesting take on the subject.
I do propose a few words of caution.
The first, while I am not doubting your experience, you do have to consider it is simply the experience of one person in what could be an isolated situation. While you may have been able to see this against teams your were playing, the sampling of athletes you could, with confidence, conclude were users, would probably be under 10%, and probably less then 5%. This is no knock, but it is tough to say how big of a problem it is if we are dealing with a 5% sample size.
If we put 5% into baseball perspective, consider that as 8 games in the season. What confident conclusions can you make after 8 games of a 162 game season? The Tigers, for example began the year 1 and 7. While many were correct in stating that this was not the team everyone anticipated them to be, they certainly were not a 20 win team, as they were on pace for.
Second, and in continuation with your sample, what level of college baseball are you speaking of? This is not to demean your experiences or what you have worked for, rather, it is to suggest that there may be a link between those who are at the lower levels and using anything available to become a better athlete/ballplayer.
For example, the CFL is said to be littered with steroid users. This is partially because there isn't the testing that there is in college or the NFL, but also because these players are lesser athletes and in order to look better, they need the assistance of drugs.
Third, you claim that steroids need to be removed from the game and that they are a disgrace. Yet you also claim that they hypothetically can bring positives (some that the mainstream media disagrees with, but science has already proven). Which leads me to question, how can something be a disgrace and need to be removed if it is a positive? Wouldn't it be better for colleges and professional athletes to use these steroids under strict supervision to make the game better?
Interesting article, and I am looking forward to see what you have to say in response.
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Tim Gottschalk 11 months ago
Brandon - First of all I would like to thank you for your comment to my article. This does bring up good question like are the players using it lower level college athletes trying to make the improvement to get noticed, along with how many players are using, and should steroids be removed from the game. I'll do my best to respond to these concerns as follows.
First and fore most I'm in no way shape or form accusing all college baseball players of using steroids. There are many players out there that are talented enough that do not have to use them. These players however; are not being able to shine like they should because of other bad apples from the tree. Say you take 2 players one who is extremely talented and has worked very hard there entire life to get where they are with out taking substances such as steroids. And now take a player who has been sub par and not put in the hours to become a brilliant show case. This player goes through a few cycles of steroids and is now at the top of the totem poll. Where as now the player who has true talent is being left in the dust for his honesty. So no, I will guarantee most players at the college level are not using steroids.
Now the different levels of college baseball doesn't really have much determination on who is using steroids. I played with and against players that played in the NCAA Div I world series all the way down to players at the lower end of NAIA baseball. The results were fairly evenly spread out. Baseball is probably one of very few sports that it doesn't matter what level you play at, if you have the ability you'll be given a chance to continue on. I've seen players that were already high draft picks use them and get drafted, along with players who even using them still have no chance in the world. To me the importance is removing them from the game at whatever level they are playing at.
Your question about whether they should be removed from the game might be the most intriguing. I have a close friend who is an avid Yankees fan. My friend loves to see home runs and high scoring games. He says it puts the excitement back into baseball. As a former player I would say I do have a bias point of view on what is exciting in the game of baseball. I've seen thousands of home runs in my time, and each one still looks the same in the box scores. Baseball players are not exactly actors, or WWE performers. They however are in the entertainment business. In a round about way its like asking a beautiful model actress not to eat so that she looks skinny and sexy in a movie. Then you get to the point and time when this has become a dangerous level and has gotten out of control. I'm not saying steroids are this dangerous because like I said they can be taken appropriately. But it can be dangerous.
Once again if you care to further your curiousity I will be more than happy to answer any questions. It is only my point of view and I can not speak for others. So please feel free to pick my brain on this subject. This goes for anyone else out there that has anything for me. Thank you
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bob mantz 11 months ago
Tim - great POV - it is much appreciated. I would submit this to your local papers for a letter to the editor sub. Very nicely done.
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