25
2013
The Forgotten Players: The Untold Story Of Performance Enhancing Drugs In Baseball
An article by 
I once heard an interview where a player gave his estimation of how many players were on some sort of performance enhancing drug when he played in the early 2000s. He said it was ninety percent of the players—in other words, nine out of ten guys.
Let that marinate for a second.
I don’t remember who the player was, but I certainly believe that stat to be fairly accurate. It always made me wonder why PED or steroid usage causes such an uproar if it was as common as using tobacco before a ball game. A player could get arrested for being caught with some of the drugs they were using, but there were no written rule in baseball which stated a player couldn’t use them.
For that simple fact, baseball should just build a wing in the Hall of Fame and label it the “Steroid Era.” Baseball should not run away from it’s past, but accept it, and be proud that they took steps to try and right the wrongs.
I know some people will disagree. They want these men banned because the cheated! They want their names removed from the record books! They don’t deserve it!
These same people that proclaim these things are rule breakers themselves. They are law breakers. Not only do they break laws, but their law breaking could have a bigger impact on their lives and the lives of others than the men that used PEDs during baseball.
How many of you commute to work everyday? How many of you drive in and stay at, or below the speed limit? I’m going to go out on a limb and say not many. It’s a rule of the road and a law that is easy for us to ignore. We ignore it for a variety of reasons. Some people can’t afford to be late, and fear of losing their jobs. Others just like driving fast. Regardless of the reason we break the law; the law is there for the safety of ourselves and the other people on the road. We do it because the odds of us getting caught are slim.
However, when we speed on the road and take our lives and the other people’s lives for granted around us, it’s not looked on as harshly as a man that took MLBs sacred records for granted. Not unless we get caught, and not unless something bad happens. Then the speeding person’s name is often on the cover of your local newspaper and looked on as a villain.
The same holds true when it came to PEDs, which brings me to the next point.
Why is it that we ridicule the player who was a superstar, when suspicions of PED usage arise, but the fringe major league player and middle of the road players get a free pass?
Nobody gives a rat’s ass about how PED use of these fringe players affected the game of baseball, all that is cared about is the sacred records. What a crock of crap. Has it ever dawned on anyone that these great players were already great, and while the may have used PEDs, would probably have been hall of famers to begin with?
The truly forgotten player in this mess is the player that never lived out his dream. The clean player that tried to stay on the straight and narrow and never even thought to use a PED to gain an edge. These men were robbed of their dreams, often good enough on god given talent to play professional baseball, but often overlooked because scouts marveled at the guy who was juicing.
I’ve had a few friends who played minor league and independent league baseball who would attest to seeing the other players rubbing the “cream” on in the club house. I, with my own eyes, have seen friends helping inject each other with a syringe of steroids.
It was literally everywhere.
How many young lives were ruined because young men were trying to imitate their heroes? How many young lives lost? How many dreams crushed?
I never for a second thought my heroes were ever using steroids. Not that it would have made a difference in what I was doing if I knew that they were. Call me naïve, but I really thought it was Creatine and other over the counter supplements these players were using. If you didn’t find me in a gym lifting weights, I was probably at GNC re-stocking my supplement stash.
I was a player dead-smack in the middle of the steroid era. I was a victim of the steroid era. My story is probably not much different than others. I’m sure thousands of former aspiring baseball players can tell you similar stories. As an aspiring player, I began using Creatine in an attempt to build huge bulging muscles to catch the eyes of the scouts. The result: between my sophomore and junior year in college I gained almost 20 pounds.
A funny thing happens when you gain 20 pounds in a course of two months when you aren’t using performance enhancers—you get slow as heck. I went from a guy who had the green light on the base paths the two previous years with the nickname of “Jackie” (after Jackie Robinson for my aggressive base running style and the way I wore my uniform), to a guy that should have been utilized as a designated hitter. I went from scoring from second base on passed balls to the back stop, to having someone come in to pinch run for me in certain game situations. I wasn’t fat, just didn’t realize what gaining the extra muscle weight was doing to me and my game.
It’s the year 2001. I am one year removed from college and skipped over in the major league draft, knocking around to different tryouts. I had gotten a full-time job at a prominent company right out of college, but I still had the itch to play professional baseball. I remember getting myself in the best shape of my life (naturally) and decided that a tryout I was going to attend for the Cincinnati Reds would be my last hurrah. Unless I got signed, I was walking away from the game. I would leave it all on the field. It was time to move on with my life.
I won’t bore you with the details of the tryout, but I was invited with two other young aspiring ball players to stay after the tryout. We were pulled into the dugout when everyone else had vacated the field. The Reds scout walked over to us, he began to speak, and I will never forget what he said. He looked at us and said “you three guys are good enough to play in the Cincinnati Reds organization right now. The problem is I can’t sign any of you, although I would like to, because then we would have to release an established player that we have already invested time and money in. However, I can have you placed on an independent team, and if a spot opens up in our organization or a player gets injured, we can give you a call.”
I heard all I had to hear. I was happy I heard the words that I was good enough to play in the organization. I walked up to the scout, shook his hand, and thanked him for the opportunity. I walked off the field for what I thought was going to be the last time in my life. I had closure. At least I thought I did.
Fast forward a few years to all the steroid allegations. All these men I looked up to growing up are now being accused of using steroids. I’m hearing that ninety percent of ball players were on some sort of steroid or PED. The closure I thought I had slowly started drifting away. The closure began to turn to anger. I started to question if the reason why I didn’t get a chance to live my dream was because some other guy that was cheating was holding me back. I started to wonder if I had decided to put that needle to my ass cheek, would things have been different. I started to hate the game.
So while some people out there are angry that the star players used these PEDs to pad their stats, those stats can be fixed with an asterisk. The fringe player gets a free pass in all of this, but why? How can we fix the broken dreams? How can we help the grieving mother or father who lost their son because he was using PEDs?
While everyone worries about the sacred records, and argues about players that should not be in the hall of fame, try to remember that there was more at stake. PED usage affected more than just the record books.
About the Author: Mitch Petanick
Mitch is currently an Editor and Minor League Analyst for Mets Merized Online. His baseball experience includes being a former All-Conference collegiate baseball player who had numerous professional tryouts, and he is currently a hitting instructor. He has been involved with the game of baseball for over 30 years now as a player, coach, and consultant. Mitch is also a former Featured Columnist on Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @FirstPitchMitch.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 23 | 18 | .561 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 19 | .548 | 0.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 22 | .476 | 3.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 23 | .410 | 6.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 31 | .262 | 12.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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Not all PEDs are steroids. Steroids have been illegal in this country since the 1970s. HGH, as an example, was not illegal nor banned by baseball. So what’s the difference? In my view, how can you attack someone for taking something that was neither illegal nor banned by baseball. Steroids, yes. But, take a guy like Pettite. He owned up to taking HGH, not steroids. Was he “cheating” by taking something that wasnt out of bounds of society?
Again, the dilemma rages on. But I think we can conclude that almost all of professional baseball from the mid 90s to early 2000s was on something.
I’ve read several stories like this Mitch, from ML players themselves. Those that claimed they didn’t use and were affected by those that were.
The blame – IMO – goes all on Selig and MLB. For turning a blind eye in the ’90s, for the good of baseball, they created this controversy that exists today and won’t go away anytime soon. They knew what they were doing and either didn’t think about the consequences down the road or didn’t much care.
didn’t much care”
THIS^^^
Basically they were getting money out the wazoooo due to all the HR being hit, people were watching, going to the games etc… money was coming in, people don’t think long term conse when making money NOW! it’s the way a lof of people think…
The fans get the blame too. You have a habit of selectively placing blame where you think it fits your point of view I see.
Bayonne, but let’s be fair here, as a fan, most of us (98% didn’t know) knew nothing about this, we were led to believe that the balls have been changed, i not one were suspicios of anything like that, a guy i knew and played together did tell me of a few players in DR who were using stuff to grow, but i not at one moment were thinking PED’s in baseball, also, the difference between the fans and the owners is they were getting paid, fans were spending their hard earned money going to games etc to watch them cheat their way into the record books
This.
It wasn’t the fans responsibility to police this.
Along with Selig, most of the beat writers and media had to have known as well. That’s why I have to laugh at some of them on their soap box now yammering about it. If they weren’t willing to blow the whistle back then – for whatever their reasons – they shouldn’t be hypocritical about it now.
Great heartfelt human interest (not just baseball) story …
Couple of things, yes the human toll is not really on par with the hit the record books took, but ruining the record books shouldn’t be dismissed either. From the time any of us started playing stickball as kids we’ve been taught about sportsmanship and fair play. The reason so many people get upset with those who used PED’s is because 1. They don’t really understand that just about everyone was using (as you point out), and 2. They are angry because their heroes and idols from by-gone eras are knocked down (perhaps inappropriately but that’s an ethical question) in the record books. No one feels good about putting Barry Bond’s name above Hank Aaron’s … it’s not right, and when stuff like that happens people get upset and understandably so. Now you’re absolutely right in pointing out that for all the ambiguity that steroids have added to the record books, it doesn’t compare to the toll they took on individuals. To that end it’s really a shame that clean players were never afforded a legal recourse for what they went through. They have a claim, several sources have pointed out that clean ex-minor league players could theoretically mount a strong “restraint of trade” class action lawsuit, if, and this is a big “IF,” they could somehow prove that during their stint in the minors they did not use. So if you could round up even a few players who on account of a medical condition would have been prevented from using steroids, or who could somehow prove through regular blood tests that they were clean, it would be an interesting case and could potentially cost MLB a TON of money. Some may disagree, but I think ultimately the owners owned the minor league systems and were responsible for work conditions. Problem is there is almost no way of proving these guys were clean … but the legal question remains:
“Could former non-steroid using Minor League players, who were competing at the highest level of Minor League Baseball and were denied an opportunity to play professional baseball because of competitive disadvantages caused by performance-enhancing drug use, successfully sue MLB and its club owners in an antitrust restraint of trade action, claiming that MLB’s permissive allowance of steroid use during the homerun era constituted a conspiracy that unreasonably restrained trade in violation of section 1 of the Sherman Antitrust Act? ”
http://law-journals-books.vlex.com/vid/shots-miffed-leaguers-steroid-sherman-mlb-202580459
Hi Mitch,
The record books are something special to many of us. We hate seeing what Roger Maris achieved being taken away from those who used an un-natural advantage. Same with Hank Aaron. It is not a moral question as it is one of the integrity of records that we cherish.
The players, the owners and the media all share responsiblity and it doesn’t matter what the reasons were that they took or allowed the use of these performance enhancing to happen. It does not have to be a blemish on their moral character and should not be seen as so.
It should, however, be seen as a blemish on the record books being something very important to probably the majority of fans. The players chasing those hallowed records might have truly been unaware they would be facing such a problem and sincere in their belief that they achieved those records fairly and honestly based on their own skills.
But as we know, it did – even if they won’t admit it to themselves to this day ala McGwire. So that is why I think their totals should stay in their own personal records but that they should not apear in the all-time record books. Meaning Bonds has no home runs when looked upon the list of all time home run leaders. Yes, it takes away from all those he achieved on pure skill without the corking of his body, but that is the consequence of taking the responsibility for one’s own action.
This is the only solution to a sorry situation. It does not take away any personal achievements of the player but at the same time does not take away the records achieved by those in the past. Again, it is not a moral question or putting players from past generations on any sort of pedistal. Bob Gibson openly said he would have tried PEDs had then been available to him then in order to get a more competitive edge.
If there comes a time when the majority of fans do not see the steroid era as something that causes any blemish on the records, then those records can be re-instated, just like the * that appeared so long after the number 61.
“For that simple fact, baseball should just build a wing in the Hall of Fame and label it the “Steroid Era.” Baseball should not run away from it’s past, but accept it, and be proud that they took steps to try and right the wrongs.”
Hmmm Where did I hear that suggestion before? LOL
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2013/01/fixing-the-hall-in-two-easy-steps.html
“Step 1 – Make a new wing in the hall called “The STEROID ERA” where any hall elected players who played during that era have their plaques placed.
Step 2 – Cut that section in half and call one side “POSITIVE RESULTS” where any player who tested positive goes…
Step 3 – The other section is for all those who never tested positive and deserve to be noted as players who achieved DESPITE the fact they faced but did not JOIN the other cheaters!
Step 4 – To seperate the two sections a Video Exhibit that discusses the Steroid Era, Why it’s notable, Why Kids should never do it and why the stats of hall players during that era may seem light or hyper inflated depending on which side of the Hall your plaque hangs in….
And when someone gets proved to have used in the future….Move the nail and a plaque to the appropriate side of the wing!”
Then the vote is not about Suspicions or Acne or accusations…
Anyone who COULD have used goes into that wing and leave it to the Visitors to decide who was and wasn’t out of the players who didn’t t get caught outright.
A Hall of Shame in the Hall of Fame so to speak.
And by doing so the next time some chemical method of cheating is discovered the players will be much more interested in weeding it out and testing for it so they don’t get put into a wing of the hall that says NOT REAL!
Oh and i was Canseco who put out the 90% number but his assesment maybe skewed based on what he saw in Oakland (where 90% probably was true) and it could be less everywhere else…
PED usuage is all about availability and access….All it takes is one user to spread the use into the rest of the lockeroom because he knows where to get it and how to use it.
While I understand that this would solve a great deal of issues with the current system of HOF induction, it would be SO unfair to those few who did not use. The owners wouldn’t support it because it would validate the impression that use was far more widespread than anyone realized (they are perhaps somewhat less culpable if they can cling to the notion that only a select minority used), the P.A. certainly wouldn’t support it because it would also implicate them as a singular body rather than rogue individuals. The HOF probably wouldn’t support it because it would be an awkward intrusion on baseball’s historical narrative (and they’d have to build a separate room!) … without support from these institutions it won’t happen.
Would it be unfair to those who did not use?
Would it not be TOUTING them and saying these guys did this DESPITE facing a Pitcher who was using and achieved DESPITE the fact he was at an unfair advantage?
As for the Owners yes they would LOVE to sweep it all under the rug…Players too!
But it’s going to be discussed for the next 20 years most likely and they could end a lot of the discussion if they had some way of dealing with that Era that didn’t discuss who should get a vote despite having HOF numbers every year….
It’s too late to PR thier way out of this….
SO By making a Wing for the entrie ERA you squash the discussion, Note who actually got caught, and leave suspicions out of it.
And truth is as I said in that thread those players who did NOT cheat deserve to be punished in some way as well…
They voted against and refused to allow testing that could have saved thier legacy for them.
So they sort of killed thier legacy all on thier own if not by cheating than by refusing to get rid of them by allowing Testing in the CBA!
The Players must pay the highest price here….Cheat or No they were accomplices in one way or another by refusing to let them test. Or not Exposing it at the time it was being done.
WHich is why I actually believe that 90% number is probably correct!
If it was closer to 50% at the time then those who only used to keep up would have let them test and stopped using and the issue would have been nipped in the bud early and thier Legacy would have been maintained…
We can be sure it was MORE than Half the league….
A few things…
#1-MLB has had a blanket drug policy (including steroids) in place going back before the “Steroid Era” started…the problem with the program is that it didn’t have the ability to do testing or have written penalties attached to violators. It also didn’t specify what substances are forbidden like the current policy does. Basically that means that a player is not allowed to do drugs, but MLB can’t test but they also had the ability to set the punishment to what ever they wanted. The policy was more intended for cocaine and the such and Steroids weren’t a concern when the policy was created. BUT STEROIDS WERE AGAINST THE RULES.
#2. I don’t buy the 9 out of 10 players thing…could there be some teams that had high percentages of players roiding up? sure, but I don’t think the problem was as big as that…I think much less that 50% were regular users.
#3. Lets not also forget that PED’s have been around for a long time…PEDs are more than just steroids… Amphetamines have been huge in spots for over 60 years. Hell, my high school foot ball team became section 5 champs while a large portion was getting coked up before and during the game…anyone think that helped?
there are a lot of PED’s banned now in baseball that are legal and would have gotten a lot of HOF’ers busted.
#4. I hate how MLB is the poster child for PED’s in sports. We look at roided up football players and we just accept it? You want to tell me that Players in the NHL and NBA aren’t using roids? NBA’ers are getting stoned because it helps them shoot and NHL’ers love their drugs. But they gotta be clean, right?
#5. Point your fingers at who ever you want, but you really need to blame the the Media, coaches and us the fans as much as you blame Selig and MLBPA.
-Selig had to suspect something, but he (and the owners) were weakened by the strike and really didn’t have the power to do anything. Plus, MLB was recovering and growing…you really expect the owners to do anything that might cost them money?
-MLBPA, they had the most knowledge and power to stop it…but they didn’t they kept going and purposely ignored the problem
-Media- Writers knew what was going on, but other than a few guys, nobody raised any flags…I remember plenty of stories about the HR numbers were due to “tighter balls” and better “work out programs” and “smaller parks”.
-Us the fans? Yeah we take blame too…we all saw what was going on and we didn’t care. We were just happy to see Big Mac and Slamming Sammy hit some dinners.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=riNIjE-J4NQ
We have the power over the sport…if the fans don’t care, then MLB is going to keep going doing what they do and make money. It’s a simple fact.
I’m only putting a small amount of the blame on the fans…but we were as guilty as anyone in looking the other way.
HI USMF,
I don’t think we can blame the fans – if many of them shared the same experience I was having.
Baseball is my thing so I do not follow or remember too much what happens with others, thus the Olympic testing and the tragedy of Lyle Alzaio.
When I saw Canseco hit that blast in Toronto during the ALCS, I just felt he was probably the strongest player in the game.
With the McGwire/Sosa thing, I just believed what I had been reading – that batters had been using new weight-training excercise techniques to get more muscle and this was the result. I also felt that pitching had thinned out by that time due to more expansion and thus we had in quantity something that was not matched in quality (that was one argument against Roger Maris in 1961).
I first got suspicious – and I will admit that when I heard the news I was HOPING that it would lead to something – was when that bottle of steroids was found in McGwire’s locker. Unfortunately, that was explained and not pursued much further – but then I started having my doubts.
Until then, there was little reporting about one’s overall body getting bigger – including the un-natural increase in head and shoe size. Being that I did not collect baseball cards I was unaware of this increase in body mass. As it started being explored more in the press is when I became more aware of the issue.
So I cannot speak for the majority of the fan base – only myself. But I was fooled. I really truly believed these guys were conditioning themselves so much better that 35 was the new 30.
Anybody else have the similar experience or actually did suspect something was wrong as the freenzy was happening?
#1 – Rules that can’t be enforced or simply say you can’t do SOMETHING where something isn’t defined ar merely OUT clauses and suggestions not rules. An Owner could say you took cold medicine I’m cancelling your contract the way it was defined so poorly and if you can’t test someone to see if they broke the rules there is no point in even having the rule. Imagine how effective a Drunk Driving law would be if you couldn’t test them for alcohol and the work Drink was not defined as Alcohol and could be interoreted as Fruit Juice which you can also drink….
#2 – Doesn’t really matter what percentage the actual was…You can say it was more than 50% because CBAs were held up and went unsigned over the testing issues. The Union would not allow testing and it takes more than 50% of the union to vote YES TEST before you can get it in the CBA.
#3 – PEDs may be defined as more than Steroids but lets be real here….A guy smoking Pot is NOT enhancing his performance and If you have ever seen a guy on speed you know it’s not really going to make you faster or better at the plate. If anything it’s a detriment because your body and heart are pumping harder even when your at rest and therefore will crash faster than you would without….Anyone who thinks taking speed is a help has obviously never taken it! LOL
#4 – MLB isn’t really the poster child the NFL was but MLB has the focus now due to the Union refusing and holding out on testing far longer than any other Sport Union and the NFL implemented Testing before the MLB and NBA.
#5 – Here is the order I lay the blame and the higher in the order the more blame you get…
A – Players/MLBPA – They dont use there is no issue, They allow Testing also no more issue!
B – Agents – Who probably did MORE to urge clients to use than any teamate did, More numbers, more Money, Higher Commission
C – PRESS – They knew it was happening and ignored it and they are the Biggest Hypocracy because now they say what was ignorable to them before is a travesty now!
D – Owners – For not holding the line on the CBA until Testing was allowed. I can’t blame them for not stopping it sooner because how can you punish someone without proof? They didn’t hold the line on getting testing in the CBA because too much money was at stake and they saw no reason to hurt themselves to stop a practice that was hurting and more against the Player’s interest than theirs.
E – The Fans for loving guys who hit the most HRs, throw the hardest Fastball and raise those feats more “WORTH PAYING TO SEE” and “ADORING: Than players who play hard, Give their all regardless of the numbers they are physically capable of…You can get a chimp to pass a simple test provided you give him the proper reward as incentive. We gave the Players the incentive to take the roids, Increase their stats because we were willing to pay more often to see those things happen during a game and we didn’t care how they got them until we cared how they got them. Before we cared we put them up on a pedestal. Thats all the incentive a player needs.
There are a lot of drugs out there that can build up strength but are not necessarily considered a steroid. From what I understand, there is a ton of stuff you can buy at GNC that is considered banned now by MLB. Of course lets not forget the huge list of masking agents that are now banned.
As a ballplayer myself, stimulants can be important. It’s not so much that taking speed will increase your performance by making you faster or stronger directly. If done correctly, it helps players keep energy up through a long season. We sometimes fail to realize the stress of playing pro ball is on a player. They may have one month off where they can relax, then they start their winter workouts (or winter ball) By the time ST starts these guys have been putting in 7 day weeks for two-three months. Then once the season starts, they’re either playing at the park everyday or they are traveling. That’s a huge grind. Any little thing you can take to keep you energy levels up gives you an advantage. I know, for me, I play two-four games a week and (usually) have a full time job…those games during the week, having a cup of coffee, a Dew or 5 hour became a necessity.
As far as weed and playing ball-I could never do it, but NBA’ers have admitted (I think Oakley was one) to smoking pot because it helps them focus shooting the ball. But we should really ask DocK Ellis about drugs and baseball.
Well it all comes down to what do you call enhancing….
Working out is enhancing as well….
So is eating that big fat steak….
As for Doc Elllis and the NBA did the drugs enhance them?
Or was it more of a proccess where thier brain stopped getting in the way of what they have for so many years been drilled on and they just let the body do what it is supposed to do and has done over and over again without the brain getting in the way?
There are some players we know (Pelfrey) who if he just stopped thinking he might be a good pitcher but his head gets in the way of his success!
Great article. I’ve always had the same argument, that it was the clean guys that never got past AAA that were the real victims.
Also, it is a shame that my two favorite sports, baseball and cycling, get a bad reputation because they are actually trying to expose the PED issue and do something to clean up their sport. Someday the NFL, NBA, and NHL will be forced to deal with the same PED issues. Whatever “drug testing” they currently do in those leagues is a farce.
Mitch — I agree that the players who stayed clean were victims of the system and were robbed of jobs and money by the players who cheated with steroids. I would strongly disagree with you, however, that the number of players who cheated with anabolic steroids, at the major league level, was anywhere close to 90%.
Why do I think you are far far off? Well some players at around the time of the Mitchell report came out and disputed the high numbers that others were bandying about. Both Jeter and Al Leiter have commented on this question, and neither agree with the high number. Leiter gave his estimate as somewhere around 25%. Jeter said it was much less than even that. I think he said about 15%.
And then there is the survey testing in the spring of 2003. That is the closest I think to telling the real truth as to how many players were cheating with anabolic steroids at the time. The survey testing was anonymous. There was no reason for any player to stop using steroids that winter/spring because they were promised anonymity at the time Amazingly, only about 7-8% came up dirty. Even if you account for the players who stopped using steroids prior to the test, that would likely be no more than twice the number who tested positive. So perhaps, at most, 15-20% were using in 2003. That is not a lot.
Of course, players like Canseco and others who have already been caught are always going to give a high number for usage because it makes them feel less guilty to say “everyone was doing it.”
So there is no evidence that up to 90% juiced, and some evidence to the contrary. It wasn’t an even playing field during the steroids era. The cheaters who were likely in the minority, had the biggest advantage.
Well the 90% stat wasn’t mine. Like I said in the article I heard it in an interview and it was quite awhile back so I don’t remember the player. It wasn’t a very prominant player either.
It also didn’t specify what substances are forbidden like the current policy does.
In 1991, Fay Vincent issued a memo expressly listing steroids as against MLB’s drug policy (source: Mitchell report). Obviously, there was no testing at the time as the union refused to consider it. But these bans — with specific reference to “steroids” — were written into MLB’s joint drug prevention and treatment program, which has always been part of the CBA.
So the players always knew what they were doing was against the rules of baseball. They just figured — correctly — that because there was no testing, there wouldn’t be any consequences at the time.
Good going, Metro.
Great point!
Putting a rule into effect, and then never enforcing it, is practically the same as not having the rule to begin with. Like the example I used about speeding on the highway – if there were speed limit laws, but there were never any cops on the side of the road to enforce it, it would be like not having the law because everyone would be driving as fast as they wanted.
Mitch — to a large degree, yes, but not exactly.
First, having the rule at least acts as a deterrent. While most players inclined to cheat did so anyway because there was no testing, I would think that some decided not to because there were still penalties in place for usage. For example, if you were caught at the time literally shooting up in a bathroom stall and you were later reported to MLB, then you could be liable for suspension or other forms of punishment.
Second, in your speeding analogy, the cops are free to monitor or not any stretch of highway they want to. But in MLB at the time, the “cops” were not allowed to monitor the “highway” because the “speeders” had the power to tell the “cops” to take a hike! And that’s exactly what happened in MLB. The commissioner and owners sought PEDs testing but were denied by the union until Congress got involved.
Good point, Metro