While I believe this Steroids Scandal to be a huge problem in baseball, it's not like there has not been problems before. And in each case, baseball moved on:
1900s: As the World Series began in 1903, this was supposed to be an annual affair, but just one year after baseball had taken then right step in becoming the national pastime, it took a huge step back as the New York Giants did not want to compete against a "Minor League" opponent in an "Exhibition Series". Fortunately, the World Series became an annual affair starting the next year. Nevertheless, I wonder how fans of the Boston Americans (as they were called) were to view this "exhibition" after 1918?
1910s: An certainly, this was no exhibition in 1919, when the Series was thrown, or earlier when a third league, the Federal League, openly competed. Fortunately, that league lasted just 2 years, and 8 White Sox players, were thrown out of baseball for life. Too bad, for two of them, Buck Weaver and Shoeless Joe Jackson, had little to do with it.
1920s: The very next year, Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch ball, which cried out for the use of batting helmets. They didn't actually become mandatory until the the late 1950s. Nonetheless, baseball had suffered a black eye
1930s: Spitballs were actually a problem, because they were legal, and dangerous. The above occurrence, sans the fatality, was becoming far to common, and the spitball just made it worst. Fortunately, the league abolished it in 1920. But the reason it is here was, those that threw it, were allowed to continue to use it, until Burleigh Grimes retired in 1934. So from 1934 on, there were NO legal spitballs thrown. Or were allowed without punishment, unless you found a way.
Also in this decade, the use of night baseball, which no doubt raised the issue of the realism of baseball. Not until 1971, however, would the World Series be played under the lights!
1940s: World War 2, obviously made baseball seem irrelevant, but when blacks were not allowed to play until 1947, it cost baseball fans the likes of a prime Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. Along came Jackie Robinson in 1947. And then Larry Doby to the American League the next year. Baseball was for everyone.
Although, having said that, the forming of the Mexican League, cost MLB some of its better players, several of whom tried to return, and were banned for almost the rest of the decade, including my favourite, Sal Maglie.
1950s: Baseball wasn't really coast to coast, but soon MLB was on the move, to Baltimore, to Milwaukee, to Kansas City, and finally, sadly for many, to the west coast, costing New York two of it's teams. But at least the National League was everywhere now. With the expansion Los Angeles Angels in 1961, the American League was now a coast to coast affair.
1960s: Baseball was an outdoor sport, until the Houston Colt .45s opened the Astrodome, and changed their names to the Houston Astos in 1965. The game would no longer be just an outdoor affair. Also, the game would now be played on artificial surfaces, such as Astroturf, something Tug McGraw said he had never smoked before and wasn't sure he liked.
MLB also adapted a draft in 1965. Suddenly, the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets would no longer have an advantage over everyone.
Also, a very turbulent decade, as United States lost both Kennedys and Martin Luther King. Baseball was declining in attendance.
Marvin Miller was appointed the very first Executive Director Of The Major League Baseball Players Association.
1970s: With the advent of the Designated hitter by the American League in 1973, baseball was now almost two different sports, rather than two different leagues.
Curt Flood took baseball to court in 1970. And while he lost his case, others would soon take up the challenge. The reserve clause, which had been in effect since the dawn of big league hardball, would soon be abolished.
After the Reds beat the Red Sox in the 1975 World Series (and an exciting one at that), two pitchers, Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith, filed for a hearing, having played a season without a contract. McNally and Messersmith won their case, and the dawn of free agency began.
1980s: Carlton Fisk tested the free agent market after the 1985 season, but received no offers. The same happened to Andre Dawson the next year and Jack Morris in 1987.
It was soon found that that there was a collusion among owners to keep contracts down during those three years. The owners were forced to pay the players 280 million.
Pete Rose was investigated as having gambled on his own team. While he did fight the case, he agreed to a lifetime suspension. Then in 2004, Rose admitted that he did, indeed, gamble on his own team. Whether or not Rose will ever make the Hall Of Fame is unknown.
1990s: The World Series was not played in 1994 due to a players strike, which was not settled until early in the 1995 season. The season had already been reduced to 144 games, but the real players returned that season, avoiding replacement players, who were slated to step in.
2000s: Jose Canseco retired in 2002, and told Fox Sports Net. that 85 percent of major league baseball players used steroids.
Then two years later, he released his book, Juiced, where he admitted that he took steroids, along with sluggers, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi Rafael Palmerio, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez.
Palmerio would fail a drug test in 2005, while McGwire would admit to steriod use in 2010. Earlier in 2002, Ken Caminitti would admit to steroid use in 1996. In 2004, Caminitti died of a drug overdose.
Baseball instituted a random drug test in 2003 to see how bad the problem was. Over 100 major leaguers tested positive. Then in 2007, a 409 page report (The Mitchell Report) investigating the use of performance enhancing drugs, named 89 major leaguers.
Today, major league players are tested twice a year. A player failing one test is suspended 50 games. If twice, 100 games. Three times and your out, lifetime suspension.
2010s: Hall Of Fame Debate. With so many of the games legends, in recent years, linked to steroids, it bears the question, if it was legal to do at the time, should they be allowed in the Hall Of Fame. And just how close, or not close, would the players be to Hall Of Fame caliber if they hadn't taken PEDs. This is one subject the has no right or wrong answer.
Who knows what other scandals baseball will experience in the coming decades to come? Rest assured though, MLB will once again reassert itself on us fans, as always, with it's integrity never questioned!
References
Frommer, Harvey. Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. Dallas, TX: Taylor Pub., 1992. Print.
Kalb, Elliott. The 25 Greatest Sports Conspiracy Theories of All Time: Ranking Sports' Most Notorious Fixes, Cover-ups, and Scandals. New York: Skyhorse Pub., 2007. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball. Vers. 1994. Portland, OR: Creative Multimedia Corp., 1994. Computer software. CD-ROM.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 23 Dec. 2012. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.
1900s: As the World Series began in 1903, this was supposed to be an annual affair, but just one year after baseball had taken then right step in becoming the national pastime, it took a huge step back as the New York Giants did not want to compete against a "Minor League" opponent in an "Exhibition Series". Fortunately, the World Series became an annual affair starting the next year. Nevertheless, I wonder how fans of the Boston Americans (as they were called) were to view this "exhibition" after 1918?
1910s: An certainly, this was no exhibition in 1919, when the Series was thrown, or earlier when a third league, the Federal League, openly competed. Fortunately, that league lasted just 2 years, and 8 White Sox players, were thrown out of baseball for life. Too bad, for two of them, Buck Weaver and Shoeless Joe Jackson, had little to do with it.
1920s: The very next year, Ray Chapman was killed by a pitch ball, which cried out for the use of batting helmets. They didn't actually become mandatory until the the late 1950s. Nonetheless, baseball had suffered a black eye
1930s: Spitballs were actually a problem, because they were legal, and dangerous. The above occurrence, sans the fatality, was becoming far to common, and the spitball just made it worst. Fortunately, the league abolished it in 1920. But the reason it is here was, those that threw it, were allowed to continue to use it, until Burleigh Grimes retired in 1934. So from 1934 on, there were NO legal spitballs thrown. Or were allowed without punishment, unless you found a way.
Also in this decade, the use of night baseball, which no doubt raised the issue of the realism of baseball. Not until 1971, however, would the World Series be played under the lights!
1940s: World War 2, obviously made baseball seem irrelevant, but when blacks were not allowed to play until 1947, it cost baseball fans the likes of a prime Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. Along came Jackie Robinson in 1947. And then Larry Doby to the American League the next year. Baseball was for everyone.
Although, having said that, the forming of the Mexican League, cost MLB some of its better players, several of whom tried to return, and were banned for almost the rest of the decade, including my favourite, Sal Maglie.
1950s: Baseball wasn't really coast to coast, but soon MLB was on the move, to Baltimore, to Milwaukee, to Kansas City, and finally, sadly for many, to the west coast, costing New York two of it's teams. But at least the National League was everywhere now. With the expansion Los Angeles Angels in 1961, the American League was now a coast to coast affair.
1960s: Baseball was an outdoor sport, until the Houston Colt .45s opened the Astrodome, and changed their names to the Houston Astos in 1965. The game would no longer be just an outdoor affair. Also, the game would now be played on artificial surfaces, such as Astroturf, something Tug McGraw said he had never smoked before and wasn't sure he liked.
MLB also adapted a draft in 1965. Suddenly, the Yankees, Dodgers and Mets would no longer have an advantage over everyone.
Also, a very turbulent decade, as United States lost both Kennedys and Martin Luther King. Baseball was declining in attendance.
Marvin Miller was appointed the very first Executive Director Of The Major League Baseball Players Association.
1970s: With the advent of the Designated hitter by the American League in 1973, baseball was now almost two different sports, rather than two different leagues.
Curt Flood took baseball to court in 1970. And while he lost his case, others would soon take up the challenge. The reserve clause, which had been in effect since the dawn of big league hardball, would soon be abolished.
After the Reds beat the Red Sox in the 1975 World Series (and an exciting one at that), two pitchers, Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith, filed for a hearing, having played a season without a contract. McNally and Messersmith won their case, and the dawn of free agency began.
1980s: Carlton Fisk tested the free agent market after the 1985 season, but received no offers. The same happened to Andre Dawson the next year and Jack Morris in 1987.
It was soon found that that there was a collusion among owners to keep contracts down during those three years. The owners were forced to pay the players 280 million.
Pete Rose was investigated as having gambled on his own team. While he did fight the case, he agreed to a lifetime suspension. Then in 2004, Rose admitted that he did, indeed, gamble on his own team. Whether or not Rose will ever make the Hall Of Fame is unknown.
1990s: The World Series was not played in 1994 due to a players strike, which was not settled until early in the 1995 season. The season had already been reduced to 144 games, but the real players returned that season, avoiding replacement players, who were slated to step in.
2000s: Jose Canseco retired in 2002, and told Fox Sports Net. that 85 percent of major league baseball players used steroids.
Then two years later, he released his book, Juiced, where he admitted that he took steroids, along with sluggers, Mark McGwire, Jason Giambi Rafael Palmerio, Juan Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez.
Palmerio would fail a drug test in 2005, while McGwire would admit to steriod use in 2010. Earlier in 2002, Ken Caminitti would admit to steroid use in 1996. In 2004, Caminitti died of a drug overdose.
Baseball instituted a random drug test in 2003 to see how bad the problem was. Over 100 major leaguers tested positive. Then in 2007, a 409 page report (The Mitchell Report) investigating the use of performance enhancing drugs, named 89 major leaguers.
Today, major league players are tested twice a year. A player failing one test is suspended 50 games. If twice, 100 games. Three times and your out, lifetime suspension.
2010s: Hall Of Fame Debate. With so many of the games legends, in recent years, linked to steroids, it bears the question, if it was legal to do at the time, should they be allowed in the Hall Of Fame. And just how close, or not close, would the players be to Hall Of Fame caliber if they hadn't taken PEDs. This is one subject the has no right or wrong answer.
References
Anderson, Dave. Pennant Races: Baseball At Its Best. New
York: Doubleday, 1994. Print.
Baseball: A Film By Ken Burns. Prod.
Ken Burns. PBS. 1994. Television.
Baseball's Greatest Moments.
Prod. Major League Baseball Home Video. Perf. Warner Fusselle. Major League
Baseball, 1991. Videocassette. Narrated by Warner Fusselle.
Press, From Associated. “Canseco: Steroid Use By Players At 85%.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times. Web. 18 May 2002, <articles.latimes.com/2002/may/18/sports/sp-bbnotes18>.
Press, From Associated. “Canseco: Steroid Use By Players At 85%.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times. Web. 18 May 2002, <articles.latimes.com/2002/may/18/sports/sp-bbnotes18>.
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
2005. Print.
Frommer, Harvey. Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball. Dallas, TX: Taylor Pub., 1992. Print.
Kalb, Elliott. The 25 Greatest Sports Conspiracy Theories of All Time: Ranking Sports' Most Notorious Fixes, Cover-ups, and Scandals. New York: Skyhorse Pub., 2007. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Thorn, John, and Pete Palmer. Total Baseball. Vers. 1994. Portland, OR: Creative Multimedia Corp., 1994. Computer software. CD-ROM.
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 23 Dec. 2012. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.
