Baseball and Steroids

[giantfan121262]

I was driving my son to Sunday school, and I heard an interview on the FAN (the local sports radio station in the NY area), and the interview had to do with baseball, and what else.... steroids. The interviewee (his name escapes my memory) said that the stricter punishments that Bud Selig set are just not enough. He thinks that baseball players would really clean up their act if the punishment includes making their contract null and void. That means, my friends, that the offending leaves potentially tens of millions of dollars on the table. I could not agree with that more.

I have often been against really long term contracts because I think once they sign that 10 year contract for $10 million $ per, alot of players get complacent, because they lose their sense of urgency to perform. They know the money is guananteed, so they have no more incentive. I always thought that the limit for the number of years should be three years, and those should be for the really good players, because you have to build a team around somebody, but generally one year contracts s/b the norm in my book. Most of you who have jobs get reviewed once a year, and if you don't perform like you are expected what happens to you? Sorry for the digression, but the point I was trying to make is that there would be a change in the behavior of most of the players, if there was more at stake on a more consistent basis.

This brings me to the point of the steriods issue. If the potential opportunity cost for the player in question is the remaining amount of money on his contract, I think you will see alot of players cleaning up their act really quickly. ,I have a really good friend in banking that is subject to randon drug tests, if he gets caught, there are consequences. He would give up a very handsome salary. It seems to me now that the professional athletes get way too many chances, even now.

What do you guys (and gals) think?

 

[MasterTT]

So simple

It is really very simple from my view point. People constantly say things like they can't do anything about steroid use in professional sports. That is complete bunk. They make the rules, they can do almost anything that they want. Either MLB needs to decide that steroids are ok because they make for a more entertaining game, and the fans want to see those big juiced up monsters, or they need to make a real effort to stop it. It is a simple risk reward equation. And you just need to make sure that the risk so greatly outweighs the potential reward that no one will ever do it. Now I know I am a bit extreme, but I have a real problem with cheaters. I know there are steroid users in my sport too... but again, I think it should either be agreed upon as ok, or dealt with. Here is an extreme example of what I mean, I don't think it should cost these cheaters more I think it should cost them everything. I think if they are caught as cheaters (And this doesn't just mean steroids, it means cork bats, anything that shows an unquestionable, deliberate and reoccurring intention to cheat... and that's important, maybe there should be a warning, I'm no sure.) they should be expelled form baseball, they should have ever record they ever broke struck from the book, I think there contract should be null and void, never considered for the hall of fame, striped of any titles and honors, and if it was possible to make it happen make them open to owe money to the league for money they had been paid since they were cheating while playing. I mean it is in a way a lot more fundamental than someone who works in a bank, the bank may just not want to deal with someone using drugs on staff, in baseball it is a game, there are rules and this person is breaking them... taking away from every clean player who puts on a uniform, tarnishing the games reputation even more, and anything and everything he ever got from baseball is potentially ill gotten gains. Now that is extreme, but I promise you that would give a major blow to steroid use in spots. No one should every say it can't be stopped, it is just a question - is it worth it to stop it, and honestly do people really want it to be stopped.

 

[giantfan121262]

Master TT, I appreciate your input.

I disagree with one of your points as where baseball has to make a decision. I think that perople who use steroids are cheaters, plain and simple. they fall into the category of the batter who uses a corked bat to gain an extra 20 feet on a fly ball, or the pitcher who uses a foreign substance to give his breaking ball that extra bite. IMO, cheaters have no place in the game. They ruin it for the clean player that puts on a uniform, and actually goes out an earns his living honestly. They compromise the integrity of the game. To me, it's a no brainer.

I think that is when players contract becomes null and void, it won't be necessary to expel him. No other team is going to want to touch him with a 10 foot pole. AFA the Hall of Fame goes, I think that is what is happening to McGwire. Let's face it, when McGwire hit his 500th HR, how many people thought he would be a 1st ballot HOF? I did. After the congressional hearings where he all but admitted that he used steroids, he only got 23% of the votes. I think alot of the voters were influenced be his testimony (for lack of a better word). Getting back to the null and void contract, one can make a case of having to pay back the money he received before the date of discovery.

In short, alot of the things you point out will come naturally as a fall out from the fall from grace.