by John Coury

Created on: June 14, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

Baseball has been America's past time ever since Abner Doubleday invented the game back in 1839. Players played with an immeasurable passion and pure love for the game. They didn't care how much money they made. They didn't care about becoming famous. All they cared about was playing baseball the way it was meant to be played. It was the game that kept this country together during the Great Depression Era. It was the game that included historical figures such as Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson. It was the game that fathers and sons shared together in their own back yards. Baseball became a game of purity.

In 1994, this purity was overtaken by greed. A players' strike called for a raise in already lucrative salaries. The game began to revolve around home runs rather than singles. Fans flocked to cathedral-like stadiums only to await a towering home run. No longer was the game played with finesse and precision. Now it was played with raw power. Pitchers threw harder. Batters hit the ball farther. This made the game much more exciting for the casual fan who can't distinguish between a bunt and a ground ball. Owners greedily took advantage of this yearning for power by encouraging players to get bigger and strong whatever the cost may be. This rapid burst of colossal strength is all thanks to one thing: steroids.
Anabolic steroids are not only banned from all sports, but are illegal through Congress. The reason for this banishment is because steroids allow an athlete to gain
50% more muscle mass than they could ever achieve naturally, and at an incredible rate. Steroids cause certain cells to begin synthesizing new protein into muscles (Hirshberg). While steroids make an athlete bigger and stronger, there are various side effects. Minor short term effects include the shrinking of the testicles, acne, hair loss, and sometimes the growth of female breast tissue. Far more serious side effects occur in the brain. Scientists estimate that at least one in every ten steroid users are subject to "'Roid Rage", which are spells of irrational, uncontrollable fury (Hirshberg). Depression is also a common symptom of steroid use which, in many cases, results in suicide. Long term side effects include heart disease and greatly improving the risk of cancerous tumors in the brain (Hirshberg). Anabolic steroids are illegal because they put users in danger, as well as other people.
It is extremely easy for players to use steroids in Major League Baseball. Players are able to beat the

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