RJA #11a: Introduction

Imagine being one of most respected and admired baseball player of all time. You are respected because it is believed that you are one of the few major league baseball players to have naturally tuned skills and never used performance enhancing drugs. Than one day, thanks to a survey, your name appears on a report which was supposed to be confidential, that states that you have used illegal performance enhancing drugs. “That was when baseball granted players immunity while it conducted survey testing with the hope that the number of cheats would be infinitesimal and that the whole sordid performance-enhancement problem would go away” (Araton). Thanks to a book written by Jose Canseco which names players who used steroids the government becomes involved and investigates players who tested positive. Your name is one of those who received immunity. Once it is out that you are a cheater and user The media begins to bash your credibility and call you a fraud, you lose fans and respect from your peers, and you bring shame to America’s pastime for lying and putting up a front about how clean cut you are.
This story is what Alex Rodriguez went through in the beginning of the year 2007. Alex was once considered to be, “possibly the most naturally gifted player ever to step onto a major league field. And his work ethic is off the charts” (Araton). 2007 was the first time America and the world heard about players who were using performance enhancing drugs through government investigations. Alex Rodriguez was one of the players who were granted immunity in 2003 when he was tested for performance enhancing drugs which was arguably his best season. Four years later and the truth came out; Alex has lost much of his respect through the baseball community and America and is considered a cheat and a fraud.
Performance enhancing drugs should not be acceptable in Major League Baseball because they resemble steroids, in that they are characterized as a weaker form of them. Even though, performance enhancing drugs are a lesser form of steroids, both supplements can potentially harm the athlete’s physical and emotional health in the long run and in most cases are considered a form of cheating. Through the use of chemicals to promote strength and stamina, the game of baseball is being tainted due to the unnatural enhancement of the athletes. With that said, performance enhancing drugs should not be tolerated in Major League Baseball.