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Baseballs Lost Integrity to Steroids Zach Stecko COMM 1133 D. Bartlett November 18, 2013

This year (2013) was the first time in 53 years that not one living person was inducted into baseballs Hall of Fame. Those players, who would have been eligible, were caught using steroids. The players, who could have been inducted to the hall of fame, are some of the first eligible hall of famers to come out of the steroid era of baseball. With so many MLB players admitting to, or being caught using steroids and PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs), it has ruined the reputation and integrity of baseball. It has come to a point where a player has a breakout season, or preforms really well, in the back of peoples minds there is a sneaking suspicion of steroid use. This shows how the integrity of the game has been lost since it seems no player can be trusted as playing a clean steroid free game. While there has been a big uproar from baseball fans over steroid use, the steroids themselves only boost a players performance by a small percent. The authors suggest the estimated effect of steroids ranges from about a 4% to about an 18% increase in offensive performance. (Schmotzer, Kilgo & Switchenko 2009 p.26). These small margins however, can be the difference in winning or losing as Schmotzer, Kilgo, and Switchenko give perspective that in the 2007 season, four of the six divisions of baseball were decided by a margin of fewer than four games between the first and second place teams. (p.28, 2009). This gives perspective into why some players chose to use steroids with the competition being so close. With so many players choosing the risk of taking steroids, there is more talk about the vast amount of players taking steroids then there is talk about their actual performance. The fact that players choose to cheat just to be better than the rest is a testament to the lost integrity of the sport, and damage to its reputation.

Not all baseball players have the same motive for using steroids and PEDs. A players motive for using steroids can depend on their age, their skill level, their financial situation and much more. Certain things drive and influence people regardless of the law that motivates people to do certain things. Zacharias categorized players into five different types of players which are; Cheaters, who dont care for rules; nuanced ration actors, who consider all possible outcomes; complementary rational actors, who are rational but can be prone to being dubious; clean rational actor, who puts high value on behaving properly; and socialized person who follows rules and doesnt ask questions. (Zacharias 2010). This list represents the different types of players in the MLB as categorized by Zacharias. These different types of players all have different motives but at the end of the day they are all putting their careers at risk, and the reputation of league at risk. Since players are justifying to themselves that so many other players are using steroids that they have a better chance of not getting caught, this shows again how the integrity of the game has been lost. Recently, in the last decade or so more and more players have been caught using steroids. With an increase in players being caught, it has damaged baseballs reputation. While steroids have boosted the players performance, its had a great impact of the reputation and image of baseball. The cause of greater competition has lead to more players choosing to take steroids. Older players want to keep up with the younger players while the younger players are gunning to outdo the older players and make a bigger name for themselves. The integrity of baseball has been lost with players using steroids to cheat their way to trying to be the best and not giving any respect at all to the rules and ethics of baseball.

Reference Page Schmotzer, B., Kilgo, P. D., & Switchenko, J. (2009). 'The natural'? the effect of steroids on offensive performance in baseball.Chance, 22(2), 21-32. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00144-009-0016-z Zacharias, F. C. (2010, February). Steroids and legal ethics codes: are lawyers rational actors? Notre Dame Law Review, 85(2), 671+. Retrieved fromhttp://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA221020503&v=2.1&u=ko_acd_ nic&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=53b4cd8e51224f899bfe9e94e12707d1