The question of steroid use, performance-enhancing drugs which have been banned from Major League Baseball, gained momentum in the mid 1990s and continued into the 21st century.
While rumors of drug use by players have persisted for years, the controversy over steroids mushroomed due to the drastic rise in home runs since 1995. During the decade after the 1994 Major League Baseball strike, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds each surpassed Roger Maris' home run record, which had stood largely unchallenged for over 30 years.
While there are many theories to explain the dramatic increase in home runs, including the "juiced ball" theory, the replacement of pitcher-friendly parks with hitter-friendly venues, and the dilution of the pitching ranks via expansion, steroid use remains the most commonly cited explanation for the power surge.
Several players have come forward in recent years to suggest that drug use is rampant in baseball. Pitcher David Wells stated that "25 to 40 percent of all Major Leaguers are juiced." José Canseco stated on 60 Minutes and in his book "Juiced" that as many as 85 percent of players used steroids, and he credited steroid use for his entire career. Ken Caminiti revealed that he won the 1996 NL MVP award while on steroids.
During the 1998 season, Sosa and McGwire competed in an epic race to set the home run mark previously set by Maris. By the season's end, Sosa had eclipsed the record with 66 home runs while McGwire set the single season record with 70. Both players were dogged by suspicion over their use of supplements — in McGwire's case, androstenedione and in Sosa's case creatine.
The next year the two were in a similar race and McGwire hit 65 homers and Sosa 63. By 2001 Bonds was hitting home runs at an incredible pace. Bonds would break McGwire's record by hitting 73 home runs. It seemed unlikely to many observers that he could continue hitting home runs at such a pace at his age without some sort of supplementary help.
Baseball attempted to toughen its drug policy, beginning a random testing program. Players who tested positive were handed suspensions as short as ten days. A Congressional panel argued that the penalties were not tough enough, and took action.
Many top players, including Rafael Palmeiro, McGwire, Sosa, Canseco and Curt Schilling were summoned to testify before the Congressional panel. During the session, Canseco admitted his steroid use which he claims was perfectly acceptable during the 1980s and early 90's. Palmeiro denied all steroid use during his career, while McGwire refused to discuss the issue, repeatedly stating "I'm not here to discuss the past."
Palmeiro, who was listed in Canseco's book as a user along with McGwire, denied Canseco's claims and told Congress that those claims were absolutely erroneous and that he had never had relations with Jose. Five months after the hearing, Palmeiro tested positive for steroids.
Former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell was chosen by the league to head an investigation into past steroid use by Major League Baseball players. Mitchell was appointed by baseball commissioner Bud Selig in the wake of controversy over the book "Game of Shadows," which chronicles alleged extensive use of performance-enhancing drugs, including several different types of steroids and growth hormone by Barry Bonds.
Selig did not refer to Bonds by name in announcing the investigation, and many past and present players will be investigated. Mitchell will take on a role similar to that of John Dowd, who investigated Pete Rose's alleged gambling in the late 1980s.
|
|
|
