Steroids in Baseball

Steroid Use in Major League Baseball

The constant yearning for athletes to be the best and the greatest has led some sports players to drug use , despite all the health-related risks and legal implications connected to it . The use of steroids in sports has become widespread over the years that it has raised strong concern from the government and the public in general . This maintains that this problem is serious and its cause is deeply rooted in a society that places high regard to winning and being the best at all cost

. This attitude causes steroid users to believe that the health risks associated with steroids are minimal compared to the fame and achievement they would attain in their careers and social standing

The use of steroids among sports athletes became commonplace after it was discovered that the substance can enhance physical strength and build muscle tissues . It has been used for such a purpose since the 1950s , although it was not until the 1980s that physicians acknowledged their performance-enhancing capabilities (Dawson , 2001 ,

.55 . Steroid use has afterwards become rampant among athletes , including several Olympic players , especially those in weightlifting and track and field The abuse of steroids is also being linked to baseball and football players , bodybuilders , and wrestlers

Mark McGwire revived baseball enthusiasm in 1998 when he broke the record for the most number of home runs in a single season , but currently , his feat is being mired by allegations that he used anabolic steroids during that time . For years , there have been rumors circulating about steroid use among Major League players , but the issue took off after Jose Canseco , McGwire 's former teammate , wrote a book detailing his life and touching on the subject of steroid use in the professional baseball league . This raises concern over the prevalence of the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball and intensifies the call for action to establish stricter rules covering the use of anabolic steroids in the baseball league

Recently , the United States Congress summoned some Major League players to a series of hearings regarding the matter . Among them are superstars McGwire , Rafael Palmeiro , Sammy Sosa and Frank Thomas , all of whom did not admit to using steroids during their careers . Also invited to the hearings was Canseco , who previously declared that he used two varieties of steroids -- including pills and needle injections . He also told publishers he used steroids with , and helped obtain them for , other players . [He added that] some of the major leaguers he helped procure the drugs for were still playing (ESPN .com News Services . CNN .com reports that McGwire did admit there has been a problem with steroid use in baseball

The public reaction to this issue is strong . It draws concerns from parents who are aware of the influence that Major League players have on their young children , some of whom have become attracted to the idea of using performance-enhancing drugs to become great athletes themselves...