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Daniel Pedersen
Professor Emilia Grant
UWRT 1102
August 2, 2015
Steroid Use in the MLB
The Steroid Era refers to the period in the late 1990s to early 2000s when
performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) were most prevalent in the MLB. It was believed
that a large amount of major league baseball players were using illegal substances at
this time. This directly resulted in a major increase of offensive production. For
reference, three players hit 50 homeruns or more in a season from 1961 to 1994. From
1995 to 2003 (the year the MLB began implementing mandatory banned substance
tests) there were 18 players to join the single season 50 homerun club. This was no
coincidence as in 2003 the league revealed 5 to 7 percent of 1438 tests returned
positive results (The Steroids).
The indirect consequences brought up controversy throughout the league
management and fans. Some fans actually encouraged this new era due to the
excitement that came with more homeruns, while others were outraged for the lack of
integrity that seemed to be corrupting the game. There was much debate from everyone
around the MLB. Many believed that the outbreak of steroids ruins the MLB, but there
were a number who can see a future where steroids improve the game. The viable
good and bad outcomes from the legalization of steroids are what I will examine in this
paper.

The MLB has made much progress in decreasing the use of performance
enhancing drugs by enforcing the amount of drug tests and increasing the
consequences. Recently, there have been a few athletes that have been caught for
steroid use which puts into question if the Steroid Era still exists to this day. It was
said by many different retired major league baseball players that up to 80% of players
used illegal substances before team drug tests were enforced (Carise). Currently, these
numbers are not as high, but steroids are still prevalent. The MLB is in agreement that
the use of steroids should be put to an end, but there is still debate outside of the
league that they could be a positive thing.
One of the lead reasons preventing the legalization of steroids are the dangerous
side effects they have on ones body. The major short term effects for men include
breast development, infertility, baldness, acne, high blood pressure, rage, and
aggression. The major long range effects include heart attacks, liver problems,
hepatitis, and shortened life span (Volcow). Some would dispute that there is a small
risk that comes with everything in sports. Just as there is the risk of injury every time
you step on the baseball field, it would be worth the risk of getting these side effects that
come with using steroids (Beck). But no matter how large or small the chance is, there
would be many players who would not put their health at risk using steroids, which
would in turn create inequalities. This is one of the biggest reasons why steroids and
other performance enhancing drugs are banned from the MLB.
Not only due to the health problems that come with the use of steroids, there are
many other ways inequalities would be formed from steroids being legal. Steroids are
not cheap. This is the basis of the biggest problem that would arise. For example,

some players in the minor league, trying to make it to the majors simply could not afford
the same supplements as others, creating a huge talent gap completely based on
money. Not only from the players standpoint, there would be an inequality set within
the teams also. The baseball analyst Jacob Beck says PEDs generate a vicious arms
race. This is what I believe is the real problem with PEDs in sports. By an arms race
he means there would be a bigger focus on getting the best medicines and doctors
available. He explains how the race to the best performance enhancing drugs would
take over the game.
The legalization of PEDs in baseball would likewise generate a vicious arms
race. The game would become a competition to find the best drugs. Even players
who wanted to compete drug free would be coerced into taking PEDs to keep up
with their peers. And there is no stable stopping point. If two players are
competing for a starting spot on the Yankees, neither player can rest content with
yesterday's pharmaceutical technology. Each one needs to get the latest and
greatest PEDs or risk losing his job to the other. And so they're off to the races,
with the finish line set only by the ingenuity of bioengineers. (Beck)
This plays a huge factor in the MLBs decision of making steroids legal. If
steroids were legalized, the game would be controlled by getting the best resources
rather than the best players. This is the biggest inequality the MLB would face. It would
create major complications for the players and teams.
Potentially, it could overall attract more viewers, but at the same time it would
negatively some viewers. The kids that grow up around the sport built upon hard work,
would have a changed outlook on how to achieve their goals. Watching professional

athletes who are allowed to use steroids, naturally they would want to do the same.
They would put more effort to find the best drugs to make them play better. The focus
around baseball, the game with a rich past for playing with fairness, would shift to
playing for something unnatural to an athletes body.
A fair argument could be made for why steroids should be legal in professional
sports. But it seems for every reason they could be beneficial, taking a deeper look will
prove it would only create bigger problems. It is not easy to put a finger on one problem
that insists in why they are banned. It is the combination of the possible negative
effects in why steroids are illegal to this day.

Works Cited
Beck, Jacob. "The Only Good Reason to Ban Steroids in Baseball: To Prevent an Arms
Race." The Atlantic. N.p. 17 June 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
Berg, Ted. "If MLB Is Serious about Stopping Steroids, Teams Should Be Punished
Too." For The Win. N.p. 21 Nov. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Carise, Deni. "Baseball and Steroids: What's the Big Deal?" The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com. n.p. 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
Stevens, Chris. "Stevens: Steroids in Pro Sports? Maybe It's Time to Say 'yes'" Midland
Daily News. N.p. 18 Aug. 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.
"The Steroids Era." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.p. 5 Dec. 2012. Web. 1 Apr.
2015.
Volkow, Nora. "Anabolic Steroid Abuse." What Are the Health Consequences of Steroid
Abuse? N.p. n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2015.