Bruinius, Harry. "Will Steroids Alter Baseball Records, Too?" The Christian Science Monitor. 24 Mar. 2005. 17 Apr. 2008
This article for the Christian Science Monitor reflects the opinions of fans on the subject of steroids in baseball. They use percentages to show that they believe that steroids are a big problem in the game, and think the records of the steroid era should not be in the record books. It shows the huge bump in homeruns hit by major players such as Bonds, Mcgwire, and Sosa, and how the numbers never used to be that high. The article also discusses the effects pros using steroids can have on our young society.
I find this article to be helpful in establishing the thoughts of the casual fan. Baseball is america’s pastime, so the opinion of its fans represent America and their opinions are very important. It gives some good numbers and uses credible sources to share its message that the records shouldn’t stand. The asterisk is also used in the article as another means for helping with the problem, and I think its good that the article looks at many solutions.
Canseco, Jose. Juiced. New York: ReganBooks, 2005.
This book is Canseco’s coming out to the world that he took steroids and that it greatly increased his skills at the game of baseball. He explains how to use steroids and the advantages to doing so. He discusses the life as a professional athlete and all the off the field things like partying and such that you never hear about in the media. Probably the most important part in this book is the way Canseco talked about other players in the game such as Mcgwire and Brett Boone. There are also numerous pictures of Canseco in the book. He pretty much just describes the whole era and how many players juiced and that it was a common thing.
This book pretty much is a really good source if for nothing else then for names. He doesn’t just call out a few no name players, but big ones also. He calls out Roger Clemens and Mark Mcgwire as both steroid users. It’s thanks to this book that a whole congressional hearing was set up years ago. Its good to see the perspective of a player who is inside the game and knows a lot of current players. It helps lots with the argument that records now shouldn’t count because he has quotes from players saying that everyone was doing it. With Canseco also being a steroid user, he had nothing to lose, so it is more logical that he take down as many people as he could with him. He says his MVP and stats are a lie, and I think that works with the others as well even if its only because of the era they play in.
Fainaru-Wada, Mark, and Lance Williams. Game of Shadows. New York: Gotham Books, 2006.
This book focuses on the company called Balco and their experience dealing steroids to not just major league baseball players, but to other athletes as well. It brings into question the names of high profile athletes such as Marion Jones( a world class runner), Bill Romanowski ( professional football player), and Barry Bonds ( homerun champ and alleged user). It goes through the whole ordeal of getting steroids to the athletes to the now famous Balco trial. The book also has interviews with Bonds himself and discusses his alleged cream and clear steroids he took near the end of his career. There are also pictures and charts that measure up bonds early career and his sudden jump in numbers.
I find this book to be very interesting and helpful in the case against Bond’s record standing unasterisked. I think the pictures tell huge stories. It shows him back in the early 90’s as a guy who is very twig like and not very strong. The new pictures show him as a monster beast who looks as the book says “like a football linebacker.” Also, the book shows a partial admittance by Bonds to have taken steroids, and so there is proof he has cheated. There are a lot of stats as well that are helpful like his homerun per at bat ratio and the sheets of steroid order forms for him and other athletes.
"Mitchell Report" Baseball Slow to React to Players' Steroid Use." ESPN. 14 Dec. 2007. 17 Apr. 2008
This article focuses more on the Mitchell Report that identified 86 players current and past of Major League Baseball that have in some way been connected with steroids. It puts the names of high profile players such as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Barry Bonds out in the open as potential enhancer users and cheaters. This is the first we hear about Brian Mcnamee, Roger’s trainer, and how he gave drugs to players he was trying to help. It also shows the number of players accused in the Government report per team, and explains who George Mitchell is.
I think this is a very effective source because it uses names of players who have been caught. There isn’t just speculation going on at this point, but there is evidence starting to pile up against some of these players who the public thought was innocent until now. Some more importance was that the report brought out some more big names that were sure to go into the hall of fame, but now that is not looking likely. Credibility is also given to another source I used in Jose Canseco because he is referenced in the report and is said to be a reliable source from the government.
Phillips, Rich. "Baseball Old-Timers Swing Away At Steroids Issue." CNN. 29 Mar. 2008. 17 Apr. 2008
This work was a small article used to show the opinions of older retired players on the issue of steroids in their game. The author interviews the ex-players and comes to find out that they don’t like that the new players are using drugs to get an advantage. It shows the older generation originally thought that all that was happening was that the players were just working out all the time and getting better that way. Now, the elders think that the players are cheating, and hate to see their records fall.
This article had its moments of helpfulness, but was not overly filled with important points for this essay. It was good to see another person’s perspective and not just the media’s or current ball players, but the ones that are having their records broken. The former players discuss their workout regimens and it allows the reader to be able to see the difference between the players then and now, which I think is helpful for comparing the two periods in time.
Rhoden, William C. "Steroids Inquiry Must Start with Old Scars." The New York Times 14 June 2006, Late ed., sec. D: 3. Lexis Nexis Academic. LSU, Baton Rouge. 17 Apr. 2008. Keyword: Steroids and Baseball.
This article brings into play the thoughts of the former commissioner of baseball, Fay Vincent. He discusses that there has been a lot of steroid problems in baseball and that it isn’t helping the game. There is a story in the piece about how it was a slight issue when he was commissioner because he heard stories that a man named Jose Canseco was using them at the time. Vincent did not know what a steroid was at the time, and knew of nothing he could do. The article discusses that the fans want the truth on the matter, and would prefer that over baseball being at a morally higher ground. The Mitchell investigation is discussed a little as is the search by athletes to get an edge on the competition in any way possible, and at any cost.
I find this piece to be effective in proving that the baseball steroid era has lasted a very long time. By discussing Canseco, that shows the problem was starting to occur in the late 1980s when Jose was a good ball player for the Oakland A’s. I don’t think it helps baseball by using the excuse that people are looking for an edge whatever it takes. The fans don’t want the whatever it takes method, but instead they want the hard work and fair way. The author uses the example of Barry Bonds and others to show that the drug problem is continuing to increase, and is not going away soon.
Sheinin, Dave. "A History Question: How Bond's Record Holds Up as Part of the Steroid Era Remains to Be Seen." Washington Post, sec. E11. Lexis Nexis Academic. LSU, Baton Rouge. 17 Apr. 2008. Keyword: steroids and baseball.
This article discusses the relevance of Barry Bonds homerun record he set last year. The issue is that Bonds is an alleged steroid user and so by breaking a held by a man who almost for sure did no performance enhancing substances it brings into question whether it should count. The author discusses how all of a sudden there was an increase in home runs especially by those who are linked to steroids. Bonds also is now being accused of perjury for lying about taking steroids and is having a hard time getting respect from the retired players of the league who think the end of his career is a lie. The article ends by saying that the steroid controversy will continue to linger and could even get worse if the game isn’t cleaned up.
I think this is an important and helpful article. It focuses on the main person and problem of the steroid era which is the issue with whether records of current day players should be considered equal to those of the past. It compares Bonds to some of the other suspects in the steroid era, Mcgwire and Sosa. The article pays particular attention to the defining moment for the steroid era in Bonds hitting the home run. The author never takes a side, but just displays the facts that there has defiantly been something going on that has caused the increase in production and the increase in skepticism.
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