Maybe we need steroids in baseball

[steig]

Maybe baseball fans have been wrong about steroids and PEDs being bad for baseball. Maybe PEDs are the best thing for small and middle market teams. Since drug testing has been implemented it is very rare for a player in their early to mid 30’s to receive a long term contract from teams because they know the players skills will diminish with age, as they should. Even Cashman reportedly preferred not to resign A-Rod when he opted out of his contract two years ago because he didn’t want to pay a player in his late 30’s and early 40’s and extreme salary. During the prime steroid years players it was common to give a 5- 6 year deal to players in their early thirties and expect them to produce until they turned 40. I believe part of this reason was because steroids inflated the market of above average players available to teams. The big market teams couldn’t sign all the talent because there was a lot of talent to go around. Teams were also able to completely rebuild with free agents in the off season if they wanted to spend the money, like the 1997 Marlins.
Today it seems like fewer and fewer big time free agents become available in their prime years. Teams trade them off with 1 to 2 years of arbitration remaining because the players will command to much money in arbitration and they want to get something in return. Because small and middle market teams have very little room for error in developing a winning team. They can’t afford to stupid free agent signing (See Cincinnati for an example) so the prefer to have plenty of prospects. During the steroid era it was easier for small and mid market teams to get an above average player at a decent salary to try and win, possibly leading them to hold on to there own talent through their arbitration years. Plenty of steroid players helped mid market teams win or compete, (possible players like Brady Anderson, Brian Giles, Benito Santiago, Luis Gonzales, etc). These guys weren’t super stars but they were all-star level players with the aid of steroids and there were a lot of them to go around the league. Which allowed for some room for error in building your team. It was easier to go out in free agency and add on to your team or to take on a contract in the middle of the season. Teams didn’t have to be perfect timing the development of young talent to win together.
Now with PED testing this above average tier of steroid players seems to have been greatly diminished allowing for the best players to command such high salaries that only the biggest teams can afford them and forcing the rest of the league to settle for average and below average players.
I think baseball fans may have been wrong about PEDs, maybe we need them to see our teams win and more competitive balance. It certainly seems like it would be a lot easier to allow PEDs in baseball than to get a salary cap for the league.

[Natty Redlocks]

Good luck with this. Personally, I think the whole thing is just an extension of the same drug hysteria that fills our prisons with nonviolent "offenders" so there's no room for the real criminals. Bottom line, there's so much at stake, fighting it is foolish to begin with. Not to mention the hypocrisy of condemning a trend that saved the league from fading into oblivion.

[Captain Hook]

This is a touchy subject that many hate to bring up.I for one don't mind discussing it for one reason.

It's perfectly acceptable today for any of us to go out and get drugs/prescription drugs to help us get buy and do our everyday jobs.We live in a competitive world where results alone matter. In most cases it does not matter how we get those results to a certain degree.

Now I'm talking about legal drugs and that's it.But lets define legal drugs(my definition might be wrong but it doesn't matter).Drugs that are not harmful in the short and long term and also that would not be habit forming is a legal drug.Well what happens when steroids or HGH or what ever drugs helps athletes preform at a higher level become exactly that?Me and you can take them but guys paid to preform at a high level can't?So basically 20 years from now I will be able to go to the local playground and find better athletes there then what I see on TV.Lets wake up and realize that the steroid era will not be a black eye but the beginning of what future athletics will become.I know it's hard to swallow but how else will it play out?Maybe everyone will forget that drugs can help us be better and not try to make them completely safe.

[Carin4Narron]

So you want players to risk their lives for your own entertainment and/or self worth?

Mods please close this stupid thread!

[steig]

So you want players to risk their lives for your own entertainment and/or self worth?

Mods please close this stupid thread!

You need to remember the FDA and AMA did not want steroids to be listed as narcotics when the government held hearing on the safety of steroids in the 1980's.

[Carin4Narron]

What killed Ken Caminti and Lyle Alzado,dude? Steriods short your life and nobody seems to give a s@!# !

[Griffey012]

What killed Ken Caminti and Lyle Alzado,dude? Steriods short your life and nobody seems to give a s@!# !

Alcohol and Cocaine had a lot more to do with it than steroids. The problem with steroids is with people begin to abuse them, which is the same thing with any sort of substance.

[Carin4Narron]

alcohol and cocaine had a lot more to do with it than steroids. The problem with steroids is with people begin to abuse them, which is the same thing with any sort of substance.

you can't not be serious??????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????

[Griffey012]

you can't not be serious??????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????

Nope, I am serious. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6252095/

[steig]

What killed Ken Caminti and Lyle Alzado,dude? Steriods short your life and nobody seems to give a s@!# !

Alzado's own doctors stated that his steroid use would not have caused the brain tumor. The media chose to buy Alzado's story, swaying Americans against steroids. The biggest problem with steroids is liver toxicity and becoming addicted and using to much, much like alcoholism.

Many Americans including a lot of baseball players have already shown a willingness to use steroids. I'm not going to determine whether steroid use is right or wrong because you can go around that issue for a long time. I'm just trying to point out that removing PEDs from baseball may have made it harder for small to mid market teams to win. The game has changed with the removal of PEDs and will require teams to adjust. I just think it will be harder on small teams to compete now than it was in the 90's and early 00's.

[FlyerFanatic]

Alzado's own doctors stated that his steroid use would not have caused the brain tumor. The media chose to buy Alzado's story, swaying Americans against steroids. The biggest problem with steroids is liver toxicity and becoming addicted and using to much, much like alcoholism.

Many Americans including a lot of baseball players have already shown a willingness to use steroids. I'm not going to determine whether steroid use is right or wrong because you can go around that issue for a long time. I'm just trying to point out that removing PEDs from baseball may have made it harder for small to mid market teams to win. The game has changed with the removal of PEDs and will require teams to adjust. I just think it will be harder on small teams to compete now than it was in the 90's and early 00's.

I dont think PEDs are gone as much as you'd like to think. I do imagine it has slimmed down a lot compared to the 90s early 00's but give it time, say 10-15 yrs it wouldnt surprise me to see HGH being used widespread. By that time something else will be on the rise waiting. Athletes are extreme competitors, always looking for an edge above everyone else, they'll find a way to maximize that.

[Carin4Narron]

Nope, I am serious. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/6252095/

What made him take the drugs?

[Carin4Narron]

Alzado's own doctors stated that his steroid use would not have caused the brain tumor. The media chose to buy Alzado's story, swaying Americans against steroids.
.

What? Maybe his doctor's were trying to cover their own butt because they gave him the steriods. Ever think of that? I saw a interview with Alzado on the ESPN show UP CLOSE with Roy Firestone, Alzado himself said taking steriods was a cause of his health problems.

[steig]

What? Maybe his doctor's were trying to cover their own butt because they gave him the steriods. Ever think of that? I saw a interview with Alzado on the ESPN show UP CLOSE with Roy Firestone, Alzado himself said taking steriods was a cause of his health problems.

THat was the entire point about Alzado, he claimed steroids caused his cancer, doctors never did. I also believe if it was true he would be the only person ever to have gotten a brain tumor from steroids.

Fans have no problem with the idea of football players taking steroids. We only care about how long they are suspended for and when they can return to the field because fans just want to see their team win. Why isn't baseball this way?

[Carin4Narron]

THat was the entire point about Alzado, he claimed steroids caused his cancer, doctors never did. I also believe if it was true he would be the only person ever to have gotten a brain tumor from steroids.

Fans have no problem with the idea of football players taking steroids. We only care about how long they are suspended for and when they can return to the field because fans just want to see their team win. Why isn't baseball this way?

Personally, I have a problem with both baseball players and football players taking steroids. It's cheating, but more importantly they are taking their own health in their own hands for personal wealth. It saddens me that I seem to be in the minority while discussing this issue!