RJA #12a: Progress Report

What I have Accomplished:

• Thesis, Introduction
• outline for my paper
• sources that i am going to use
• visual aid, pie chart show percentage of users, and a poll that i did asking if using performance enhancing drugs, cheating?

Things I need to do:

• I need to get writing my paper
• i only have 3 pages i need 9 more
• My plan is to type at least two pages a day so i can finish my paper with some time to spare before the draft is due.

RJA #11c: Thesis Statement Check

1. Nick- http://nhlyeti303.blogspot.com/2009/10/rja-10.html#comment-form
2. Joelle- http://jalves1.blogspot.com/2009/10/research-journal-assignment-10a.html#comment-form

RJA #11b: Visual Aids

1. A graph on how many MLB have tested positive for illegal performance enhancing drugs
2. The poll that i did asking strangers if they think using performance enhancing drugs is a form of cheating
3. A pie chart of players who use and admit using performance enhancing drugs
4. A picture of players who have used illegal PED. (Jose Canseco, Mark Mcgwire)
5. A timeline from the beginning of the use of PED in the MLB.

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.

RJA #10b: Argument

Research question: Why are performance enhancing drugs acceptable in Major league baseball but steroids are not?

Answer/thesis/claim: 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 athletes 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.

Ethos: adding stats, examples, to my logos

Pathos: applying emotion by sharing a personal story or an effective image that persuade my audience to my argument.

Logos: stating my reasons and following by my ethos which is my supporting evidence

Reason 1: Harmful physically and emotionally
warrant: Performance enhancing drugs are harmful and shouldnt be acceptable.
Evidence 1: Jose Canseco's life experience with drugs
warrant:
Reason 2: Form of cheating
warrant: performance enhancing drugs make atheletes stronger, better stamina
Evidence 2:

RJA #10a: Thesis Statement

Research question: Why are performance enhancing drugs acceptable in Major league baseball but steroids are not?


Precise claim: Performance enhancing drugs should not be acceptable in Major League Baseball.


Reasons/blueprint: Performance enhancing drugs are a weaker form of steroids, that in the long run will affect athletes physical health and emotional health. Using performance enhancing drugs is a form of cheating and is tainting the game of baseball due to the unnatural enhancing of the athletes through use of chemicals to promote strength and stamina.


Complete thesis statement: 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 athletes 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.

RJA #9: Evaluation of Sources

1. Mitchell, George J. REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER OF BASEBALL OF AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE ILLEGAL USE OF STEROIDS AND OTHER
PERFORMANCE ENHANCING SUBSTANCES BY PLAYERS IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. 13 Dec. 2007 <http://files.mlb.com/mitchrpt.pdf>.

2. Mccloskey, John., and Julian Bailes, M.D. When Winning Costs Too Much. Lunham: Taylor Trade Publishing, 2005.

3. McCallum, Jack. "The Real Dope." Sports Illustrated March 2008. 19 Oct. 2009 <http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/03/11/steroids1/index.html>

4. Epstein, David. "The ABC's of HGH." Sports Illustrated March 2008. 19 Oct. 2009 <http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/03/11/hgh/>

5. Millar AP. Should Drug Testing be Banned. The Doping Journal Vol. 4, 1 (2007) Available at: http://dopingjournal.org/content/4/1/ <http://dopingjournal.org/content/4/1/dopingj042007-01.html>

6. Anabolic steroids. 6 Sept. 2007. Espn., 19 Oct. 2009 <http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/steroids.html>