Baseball can now level the playing field by incorporating steroids as a requirement.

by ololo3 on Dec 18, 2007 11:20 AM PST Comment 48 comments

Think about it. The biggest reason steroids are such a concern right now (aside from the "integrity of records" tripe) is that Baseball has no real way of being sure that everyone is clean. Anyone familiar with drug testing can tell you just how easy it is to get around, so there's really NO WAY to know which players have given into the temptation to use steroids game in, game out. Great players may only just APPEAR great, when in reality, they're just OK players that have used steroids to become great (and, of course, ensure a few extra million when they become free agents). It's unfair to the players that aren't juicing, and unfair to the fans who want a level playing field. The only way I can see to ensure that players Don't feel tempted by 'roids is to eliminate free agency, but that's far from perfect and even further from realistic. The only viable solution left for baseball is to embrace these substances and make them fully a part of the game. Fans will freak out at first, but we'll all grow to love this new brand of Baseball where you can get a souvenir baseball in ANY seat, players celebrate a big win by tearing off their jersey and snapping a bat like a twig over their pecs, and the lowest ERA in the league will be 8.56 ("wow, that guy can PITCH! His ERA isn't even in double digits!") Teams won't just "take the field," they'll charge out of the dugouts screaming viciously and postulating endlessly. When someone charges the mound, they'll bodyslam the pitcher onto the mound before both benches clear in a storm and Summer Slam ensues. The future is NOW, people.

This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

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Re: Baseball can now level the playing field by in

I think you underestimate how many pitchers take steroids (arguably more than hitters).

Also, the last 15 years or so has been pretty much a free-for-all and the game is making more money now than ever. Now there are many factors involved in that (nicluding the evolution of media), but it's hard to say that PEDs hurt the game.

by mxmob33 on Dec 18, 2007 11:20 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field by in

I think this is more Modest Proposal-ly than anything else.

Dave Righetti: You Know You Want It. / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Dec 18, 2007 11:40 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Send that to the Onion

Well done.

***

Succumb to the Enchanted t-shirt! Adopted dad of Minor Izzy

by hairball on Dec 18, 2007 11:28 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Analogous

Hey, just like the NFL!

Didn't you used to be Barry Zito?

by VidaWantsYourCar on Dec 18, 2007 11:32 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Analogous

Exactly!!! Someone will hit a homer, then dive into the crowd after crossing home. The old fuddy duddies (is that spelled right?) might hang their heads, but that's going into the high-light reels baby! Years later, when the sport is officially named "ESPN presents Major League Baseball," if a player DOESN'T dive into the crowd, or point somewhere (himself, the sky, the crowd, the other team's dugout) or at least flex his biceps for the camera, The commentators will be chastizing his lack of showmanship. "He needs to realize, this is just entertainment. Step on home, then just go right back to the dugout? He's taking himself too seriously." Of course, this is also after Baseball has decided to employ a new style of commentary in which both commentators down a six pack of beer before the game...

by ololo3 on Dec 18, 2007 12:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Analogous

First we'll have to deal with a decade or so of MLB trying to put showmanship down, earning it the nickname of the Major League of Boring.

Dave Righetti: You Know You Want It. / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Dec 18, 2007 12:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Analogous

A nickname created, then sold of course by ESPN, heart and soul of American Sports. Those news briefs are so easy to picture, it's scary. "People are wondering where the spirit has gone in MLB. Sure, it may be more competitive, but the players rarely show emotion or any knack of showmanship out on the field, leading People to wonder if it has become the Major League of Boring? Sports Center is brought to you by..."

by ololo3 on Dec 18, 2007 12:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Analogous

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, some have greatness thrust upon them"...and with each passing year in sports, more simply act as though they're great.

Didn't you used to be Barry Zito?

by VidaWantsYourCar on Dec 18, 2007 1:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Analogous

"and with each passing year in sports, more simply act as though they're great."

+1
This is why I find it increasingly difficult to watch the NFL.

My adopted son Matt Downs. Because face it, everybody else was already taken by the time I got here.

by nvsfg on Dec 19, 2007 5:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Analogous

Actually, that's just you getting old

by zenbitz on Dec 19, 2007 10:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Analogous

Ouch ! I am getting older, not old :-)

I just have a hard time with all of the celebration crap after every, friggin' play.

My adopted son Matt Downs. Because face it, everybody else was already taken by the time I got here.

by nvsfg on Dec 19, 2007 2:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field...

Didn't help FP.

Face first with Aaron Rowand.

by SoFa King Mike on Dec 18, 2007 11:49 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field...

Good point. That speaks more to F.P.'s suckiness, though, than anything else. Imagine where he'd be if he HADN'T roided up. He'd probably be selling seashells down by the seashore. If Everyone is on roids, it becomes about skill again. Just like the NFL: Who's the most talented hulking mass of muscle?

by ololo3 on Dec 18, 2007 12:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

HGH

Has anyone done any legwork on researching HGH and its side effects?

Without knowing how it might harm you, it seems like a no-brainer in that if it helps you recover faster from injury, why wouldn't you use it? And especially in the line of work baseball and football players are in, where every game you can't play is probably costing you money (on your next contract), so getting back on the field would be a beneficial thing. This is, of course, looking at it in the vacuum of no short/long term damage to your body. Also this doesn't consider regular non-recovery, day-to-day use.

It really bugged me that Andy Pettite had to apologize for using HGH to recover faster from an injury. It just seems so counter-intuitive that you shouldn't use something to help recover from injury.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Dec 18, 2007 11:54 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

It's a no brainer

to take something that causes effects that you're unsure of?

Would it have bugged you if Pettite had used steroids? Steroids can also help people recover from injury. In fact, Nandrolone Decanoate is sometimes prescribed by doctors to help muscle tears heal.

HGH does have side effects. There is some concern that it might cause symptoms similar to diabetes. Basically, HGH can cause insulin resistance. Whether the increased insulin resistance will lead to diabetes is debatable.

The possible side effect of diabetes is much more serious than any side effect of steroid use.

by rfloh on Dec 18, 2007 12:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: It's a no brainer

The problem is that athletes, and especially bodybuilders, have been using all this stuff for a long time now with very little side effects. So they can talk all day long about the possible terrible side effects of PEDs, but until somebody dies or at least gets very ill from it's use, nobody cares.

by mxmob33 on Dec 18, 2007 12:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I am talking from the

standpoint of being a weightlifter / power lifter who has dabbled in bodybuilding.

I agree that the SIDE EFFECTS ARE EXAGGERATED by the drug nazis. I am all for completely legalising all steroids, HGH, insulin, clenbuterol, EPO.

Nonetheless, there are side effects. The fact that HGH increases insulin resistance is well known and well acknowledged. That it causes symptoms that are similar to the early onset of diabetes is known. What is debated, unknown, is whether it actually causes diabetes.

by rfloh on Dec 18, 2007 1:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: It's a no brainer

I'm sorry, flo, maybe I'm overly sensitive, it's very possible, if not likely. But your overly aggressive, pissy attitude in replies to postings just aggravates the living hell out of me. You often come across as accusatory because people don't agree with you, or maybe you just like to take contrary positions ("This isn't an argument, it's just contradiction!"). Any chance at all you could, I don't know, be cool?

As you might want to re-read in my posting, I commented that "looking at it in the vacuum of no short/long term damage to your body," it seems like a no-brainer to use something to help recover faster from injury. Hence, the purpose of my post was to find out more information about the side effects of using HGH. This can be shown in the first line of my post, when I asked, "Has anyone done any legwork on researching HGH and its side effects?"

As for Pettite, it just seems crazy and bass-ackward that he needs to apologize for trying to recover faster from an injury. This isn't commenting on what he did to break the rules or anything to that affect, just simply that he had to apologize for trying to recover from an injury faster.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Dec 18, 2007 12:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Actually, I'm not trying to argue with you

If it came off that way, I apologise.

In case you'r wondering, I'm all for comletely legalising all drugs. Clear enough?

I was just presenting what I know as a weight lifter / power lifter who has dabbled in bodybuilding and who has many friends and acquaintances who have used various substances.

Now, to Pettite: what about other injured athletes who didn't use HGH? Injuries are part of being an athlete. Being able to stay healthy IS A SKILL. It's grossly unfair to any of Pettite's competitors who did not use banned substances if Pettite could enhance his SKILL at staying healthy by using banned substances.

by rfloh on Dec 18, 2007 1:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Actually, I'm not trying to argue with you

Like I said, I'm likely overly sensitive.

My point with Pettite, sticking exclusively with him, is simply that it seems bass-ackward to have to apologize for trying to recover faster. I guess it's just the whole argument of trying to obtain an edge. On the one hand, everyone tries to obtain an advantage in one way or another, on the other hand people are trying to unlevel the playing field, thus cheating non-cheaters. It's just aggravating that anyone would have to apologize for trying to fix their body. By the same token, if there's a good chance you're going to ruin your body by trying to fix it, then that's crazy too. But it doesn't appear, from a very cursory examination, that HGH use, or even steroid use, for a short period of time, taken in recommended doses, would actually destroy ones body.

From your knowledge or experience, would short term HGH or steroid use, for the sole intention of recovering from something such as a muscle tear, be something that's actually likely to harm your body in other ways? I've seen that the link between HGH and diabetes is pretty statistically insignificant at this point.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Dec 18, 2007 1:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, I agree with

you about it being stupid having to apologise for wanting to fix one's bodies.

That argument is how some have argued against bans and for the legalisation of all A(nabolic) A(ndrogenic) S(teroids), HGH, etc.

The issue is one of fairness. Yes, I'm aware that many athletes, not just MLB players, use banned substances. But, for a player who was genuinely clean, it is unfair that Pettite could recover faster by using a banned substance. Being able to stay healthy is a big part of being an athlete. Being able to recover from training, competition and injuries is part of sports. Pettite had an unfair advantage over anyone who didn't use.

As for safety, that's a complex issue. It's nowhere as simplistic as the MLB "Steroids are Evil" ads would want people to believe.

It's ironic that the safest steroids tend to be the easiest to detect steroids.

Upthread, I mentioned Nandrolone Decanoate. It is a very mild steroid. It is sometimes known as a "chick" steroid. Principally because it's androgenic and virilising, ie masculinising" side effects are pretty much non-existent. The only notable virilising side effect is increased sex drive. Which many would not consider a side effect at all. It's other side effects are negligible. The problem? You can test positive for it one year of you last used. Thus, no sane athlete subject to drug testing will use it.

OTOH, certain orals, that is steroids that are taken orally, instead of being injected, like Anadrol can clear the body very quickly. Depending on the athlete, a week is a reasonable timeframe. The problem is that these steroids are VERY toxic on the liver.

by rfloh on Dec 18, 2007 1:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Forgot to add a part about HGH

Like I said, whether HGH actually causes diabetes is debatable and unknown. It causes some symptoms that appear to be similar to early onset diabetes.

by rfloh on Dec 18, 2007 1:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Don't make him angry.

You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Rockies juggernaut rolls o...ver , dead. NL West TempestTeapot CASE IN POINT!

by victor frankenstein on Dec 18, 2007 6:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field by in

This is the best post I've seen in a long time. I think you have it all figured out and hope to see you make inroads to this being implemented.

by positiveuphemism on Dec 18, 2007 12:16 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field by in

What's funny is that today I was thinking that if Bonds was really on PEDs 2000-2004 then they should be puttin' that shit in the water supply.

by zenbitz on Dec 18, 2007 12:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field...

They already tried this in the Olympics. The results were not good.

"natto is just weird and gross in smell, texture, and taste" - BVCE

by SF Pete on Dec 18, 2007 12:48 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field by in

Good thought, but that's not fair. I think they should be optional. I understand they might be harmful for your body, but when you getting paid 20 mil per to play a friggin game, I think it's the least you could do. But the logic doesn't totally fit; steroids could ruin some pitchers, and the players that establish themselves being really fast would end up being weighed down. And another few would choose not to take them because they know they ruin joints. I think maybe they should be optional for players over 35? It's usually when the players get older and more ineffective that they choose to take steroids; Barry, Clemens, Pettite, etc.

by boonitez on Dec 18, 2007 1:23 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field by in

If they're optional, they need to be optional for all players, regardless of age because then you wouldn't know which of the young guys is legit. Making them optional could keep some strategy going on, though. Players would bulk different levels based on ther position. The CF needs to cover lots of ground, so he can be clean and spry. Corner infielders, though, would be the absolute prime specimen of modern science. 7 feet tall, 450 lbs of pure, solid muscle, a bat would look like a toothpick in their hands. Their swings would be pure uppercuts, and when they make contact, the ball becomes a lethal weapon.

by ololo3 on Dec 18, 2007 3:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

But seriously though....

as long as big money is at stake, people will cheat to get it. that fact is as old as the tao.

so, why don't we just impose an income cap for all athletes?

legislate that ownership of sports teams has to be not-for-profit, and legislate that no-one can make more than, say, $100k/year as an national athlete.

If less money is at stake, maybe less cheating occurs

Now that i think about it, we have a minimum wage... there should be a maximum income for everyone. Nobody needs to make a million dollars a year. NOBODY.

"cynical yet whimsical giants related signature"

by The Gene Hackman on Dec 18, 2007 3:11 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: But seriously though....

The argument against a salary cap is basically the same argument rich people make as to why this country shouldn't have any kind of universal healthcare plan: If you put a cap on how much money someone can make, in theory, the quality of the product goes down. For a rich person, something is the most expensive because it must be the best. If ballplayers can only make so much money, there's no incentive for them to get better and make even MORE money. Remember, life is a product that only the BEST get to own.

by ololo3 on Dec 18, 2007 3:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: But seriously though....

If I have a job that brings in two million a year for me, what would happen to the excess money? Would it go to the government? Does that mean no more taxes, only the heads of industry and other really smart people pay for everything, and I get to live virtually tax free?

I can't imagine rich people liking that.

"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler

by JRPhillips on Dec 18, 2007 5:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: But seriously though....

how bout the surplus wealth goes back into things we all need like infrastructure and education and parks?

i understand the rich won't care for my proposals. they don't care for much except getting richer.

"cynical yet whimsical giants related signature"

by The Gene Hackman on Dec 18, 2007 5:54 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: But seriously though....

Communism is expressly forbidden by Major League Baseball. All opinions that voice the opposition should be drawn and quartered.

Brian Sabean is akin to a treatable form of cancer... just get rid of it before it kills you

by milesntrane on Dec 18, 2007 10:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: But seriously though....

Which is funny because MLB, i believe, is the only enterprise in america which is exempt from anti-trust legislation. The only legit monopoly in America.

It's also funny because the players union is the closest we'll come, in this country, to labor actually having some sway over mgmt.

"cynical yet whimsical giants related signature"

by The Gene Hackman on Dec 19, 2007 12:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

steroids as a requirement.

Did anybody else think satire?

Dave Righetti: You Know You Want It. / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Dec 18, 2007 3:24 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Are you sure?

He seems pretty serious to me. Which is why I needed to point out the glaring flaw in his otherwise senseable plan.

Only 972 games until the end of Zito's contract.

by thehavenot on Dec 18, 2007 3:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Are you sure?

I don't know. When he started talking about players ripping their shirts off and getting all silly about it, I stopped thinking it was very serious.

Dave Righetti: You Know You Want It. / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Dec 18, 2007 9:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Are you sure?

Yeah, I agree with you. I was just trying to play along.

Only 972 games until the end of Zito's contract.

by thehavenot on Dec 19, 2007 8:41 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Are you sure?

Oh, I see. Your sarchasm is far too sophisticated for my primitive detecting technology.

Dave Righetti: You Know You Want It. / Also, my blog. For writers.

by howtheyscored on Dec 19, 2007 10:04 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: steroids as a requirement.

isn't satire, like, a jewish feast or something?

"cynical yet whimsical giants related signature"

by The Gene Hackman on Dec 18, 2007 3:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

This is clearly unrelistic!

The only problem I have with this proposal is that it won't end there. Once everybody is on steroids, somebody will just take it to the next step.

Who will be the first to get bionic implants? Will it be a pitcher or a hitter? And with the all pervasive nature of steroids, it will be easy to hide for quite a while. When a centerfielder makes a 30 foot vertical leap to snag what would have been an easy home-run, he (or she!) could simply say they have a new, secret, and better brand of steroid. It will take quite a while until it gets out into the open. And until then, only a few select and secretive ballplayers will have access to this new bionic technology.

No, no, my friend. This is the first step on a slippery slope. I'm surprised nobody else saw such an obvious flaw in your plan.

Only 972 games until the end of Zito's contract.

by thehavenot on Dec 18, 2007 3:27 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Re: This is clearly unrelistic!

You mean like Tommy-John surgery?

by mxmob33 on Dec 18, 2007 3:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: This is clearly unrelistic!

When the technology is there, they can make bionic implants and genetic modification part of the game, too. The players will wear capes and fight evil on off days.

by ololo3 on Dec 18, 2007 5:49 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: This is clearly unrelistic!

The problem is that the evil they will fight will come from their fellow major league baseball players. Roger Clemens for instance. As soon as bionic implants become available, you know he's going to be in on that. And Roger Clemens is pretty much the epitome of evil.

Only 972 games until the end of Zito's contract.

by thehavenot on Dec 18, 2007 6:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: This is clearly unrelistic!

"Yesterday, the Giants put an end to the international evil ring run by super-villan Captain Hatred (formerly known as reviled Atlanta Braves closer John Rocker). Today, they were back in action, losing in a hard fought pitcher's duel to the Reds, 24 to 18."

by ololo3 on Dec 19, 2007 10:59 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Baseball can now level the playing field by in

Me, I just want to see all the postulating that'll go on. Will they argue about Perelman's proof of the Poincare conjecture, or the M-Theory vis-a-vis Little Higgs? The possibilities are endless...

"Mow bwiefings?" "More briefings."

by stobgopper on Dec 18, 2007 4:33 PM PST reply actions 0 recs