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April 08, 2005
Steroids and Baseball
by John Fischer
I do not want to distract us from the "heavy" (no pun intended) issues to which we have devoted our attention recently, but, what with the opening of baseball season and all, I thought I'd ask you to think about the following. Steroids (of the sorts used by some players and other athletes) apparently have serious health side-effects. For that reason it certainly seems reaonable to ban their use. But now suppose our wonderful pharmaceutical companies could develop side-effect free steroids--comparable medicines with (by stipulation) no bad health effects. Under such a scenario (admittedly implausible), would it still be reasonable to ban their use? Why exactly?
I believe that John and Ken had the distinguished Kant and baseball scholar Allen Wood on Philosophy Talk to discuss baseball, but unfortunately I haven't yet listened to that episode; I'll check out the archive at Philosophytalk.org.
Meanwhile, cheers, and Play Ball!
April 8, 2005 in Sports | Permalink
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Comments
Wouldn't these side-effect free steroids just be the kind of thing we now call vitamins or medicines? If they are allowed to drink Gatorade...
There are plenty of performance-enhancing-drugs ballplayers use all the time, as do all other people in modern societies, and it would be odd to ban them all.
Posted by: Brian Weatherson | Apr 8, 2005 8:34:34 AM
Right, Brian. That is one thing in the back of my mind. Also, weight-training equipment is much better now than it was in Babe Ruth's time and Hank Aaron's time, and so forth. So there would seem to be a very slippery slope here...
Posted by: John Fischer | Apr 8, 2005 11:52:27 AM
"Steroids (of the sorts used by some players and other athletes) apparently have serious health side-effects. For that reason it certainly seems reaonable to ban their use."
I've never been comfortable with this line of reasoning, and I don't imagine I ever will. My body, my health, my decision (unless I've signed a contract against steroid use).
However, I do think, from a business perspective, it behooves professional sports leagues to ban steroid use for the simple reason that there is a limit to human performance. Uninhibited use of steroids amongst players would allow (eventually, with the perfection of steroids and similar "enhancements") a geater percentange of them to reach this limit, which would reduce the rarity of stardom. Star players need to be rare since they draw crowds by means of their distinctive superiority over average players.
I suppose harmless steroids should be banned for the same shrewd reason.
Posted by: Hookflash | Apr 8, 2005 2:06:35 PM
Who really cares about athletes using steriods, there are worse problems in the world. But, here is my opinion: No one should blame professional athletes if they take steriods. If some professional athletes take steriods, how do you expect a professional athlete to keep up with competition and keep his job, if he does not take steriods. The system is screwed up more than the individual, the fans want supermen not your average joe on the stage. I think that the athletes should be looked as more as victims, and be given rehabilitation. All they want to do is play sports and keep their jobs, but to do that they have to keep up with competition, and this whole thing is guided by Adam Smith’s invisable hand, “Greed and Money.”
Posted by: Homer | Apr 10, 2005 5:31:26 AM
But with a name (or pseudonym) like "Homer," you have to care about baseball, no? (Sorry!)
By the way, the principle, "X is not the worst problem in the world" therefore "X is not worth caring about" doesn't have much of a future, in my view.
Posted by: John Fischer | Apr 10, 2005 1:51:11 PM
I know I’m sorry about that stupid argument, but really there are worse problems in the world than those problems which humans inflict on themselves willingly. I think that philosophers should attack those problems which humans don’t understand why they are confronting.
Posted by: Homer | Apr 11, 2005 10:09:37 PM
I choose X instead of Y because a choice must be made. I cannot stay undecided, because if I stay undecided then my life will mean nothing. Life is about choices. I must make a determination, or else I will wander life in complete meaninglessness. Caesar and Napoleon knew the importance of making a choice, no matter if that choice will lead them to death.
Posted by: Homer | Apr 11, 2005 10:35:32 PM
I am writing a report on steroids in baseball for my english class and i need info supporting the use of steroids in baseball but can not fing any. can someone help me.
Posted by: brooks gibson | May 3, 2005 3:17:24 PM
Steroids have been about for eons now, its just because we have testing that it has come to the surface.
My husband is ex-bodybuilder, winning the Mr Britain EFBB as a senioir back in `92.
He was body-building not because he thought he was beautiful, but as a way to get out of poverty & hope someone notices his dedication & potential. He had been doing it `natural` for 20years, winning little before he found out the way was via steriods. By then passing his youth potential!
It made him sterile & have an over-developed heart muscle on one side (murmur).he still says the risk was worth it. It gave him a sense of achievement& a gym. He says he certainly would of ending up spending years in prison with no hope ,if it was`nt for steriods.
Even in so-called amateur (non-steroid) body-building, they sneak in small quantities of the drug. Competition is fierce in all sports & as already mentioned spectators always want more.
There is only so much a body can do naturally, despite extreme exercise. There has been no other food invented that helps a body hold onto proteins in their bodies, thats what steroids do as well. help a body hold onto protein & not lose it down the toilet!
Look at the fugures of celebs/stars/models now (females). Their bodies are a totally different shape & structure than they were say even 30 years ago.
Steroids is in ALL sports & when the public wake up to this relaity is when we will stop competitors from feeling or treated like criminals.
We have created it OURSELVES, demanding ever higher goals.
Its only when we get to world-class do they even bother to test. If they random tested ALL the body sports & body orientated careers, we would then have to acknowledge the extent of the issue.
Nor has exercise regime have anything to do with this phenomenon, just how many different exercises can a body do too?
Growth Hormone is another body-bulker, which until lately was undetectable. No doubt all those chemists out there will be creating the next drug to by-pass tests. Its cat & mouse! Thats the reality of all sports these days.
Posted by: Lynne tansey | Jun 1, 2005 5:06:02 AM
What could some benefits be for banning baseball from steroids
Posted by: Joe | Nov 29, 2005 6:23:15 PM
I think it's very serious problem!
dianabol online
Posted by: Gery | Feb 26, 2006 6:13:47 AM
The logic that i should be able to do somthing wrong because sombody else does it incredibly childish. The common phrase "would you jump off a bridge if he does it" can be applied here. Baseball is a game, and games have rules --and just because a few people greedily want to make more money(which most don't need) by cheating isn't and should never be a go ahead for everyone else to cheat. The real issue is enforcement and the steps Major League Baseball and all professional sports need to make to ensure fairness. Steroids are no different then the use of a corked bat or in gambling weighted dice.....it's cheating people and we can not condone it. It must be punished and monitored not just for the sake sports but society as a whole.
Posted by: Bret Stephenson | Jan 30, 2008 10:01:03 PM
Please feel free to respond to my comment above in this blog. I'm curious to hear views on justification for steroid use.
Posted by: Bret Stephenson | Jan 30, 2008 10:03:58 PM
We are a well-known production company that produces television movies among many other types of productions. We are looking for a true story about a teenage girl who struggled with steroid use for body image purposes. We have a long history of producing critically acclaimed programs, often based on true stories such as these, with a determination to present the material in a dignified and honest manner. If you or someone you know fits into this need, please contact us at steroidsstory@gmail.com. If we move forward in developing a movie based on the story, the life rights person can be compensated, and we can change names to protect anonymity.
Thanks very much.
Posted by: DCPI | Sep 23, 2008 11:29:32 AM
We are a well-known production company that produces television movies among many other types of productions. We are looking for a true story about a teenage girl who struggled with steroid use for body image purposes. We have a long history of producing critically acclaimed programs, often based on true stories such as these, with a determination to present the material in a dignified and honest manner. If you or someone you know fits into this need, please contact us at steroidsstory@gmail.com. If we move forward in developing a movie based on the story, the life rights person can be compensated, and we can change names to protect anonymity.
Thanks very much.
Posted by: DCPI | Sep 23, 2008 11:29:46 AM
steroids in baseball is going to happen more & more. as players have found out the effects then will keep on using it. they just need to find better ways of supplementing with other legal steroids.
Posted by: steroids | Nov 3, 2008 6:21:35 AM
Injectable testosterone has been used by sportsmen since the 1940s, the idea that only modern players cheat is plain wrong.
Posted by: Steroids Blog | Mar 2, 2010 1:14:34 AM
Yes there is a great problem with steroids and it will be more easier if the whole world would gather and say each others opinion and perspective on steroids, the problem should be solved!
Posted by: JohnnyMuscle | May 10, 2010 12:52:34 PM
We have to make some radical move to get the attention of everyone. Cheaters can't win and steroids has put us in the position that it's OK to cheat.
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