Olson 1

Zachary Olson
Leslie Drake
Research Techniques
4 November 2015

Abstract
Steroids affect not only the game, but the players both mentally and physically. Its also
about how using steroids can tarnish the players name as well as making it hard for them to make
it to the Baseball Hall of Fame even if they are one of the best to ever play the game. The
physical effects of the use of steroids on the body are talked about as well as how steroids affect
the athlete mentally. The effects of the use of steroids are greatly shown through the body and
can cause very major problems in everyday life, and can cause ever lasting effects on your body.
Many of baseballs big names like Barry Bonds, and Rodger Clemons got caught and it also gives
other players who have gotten caught using steroids and what kind of steroids they were on when
they got in trouble. Steroids have been in the game of baseball since the 1970s, the history of the
use of steroids in baseball and how steroids have affected the integrity of the game will be
addressed. The use of steroids can make a good player great and how steroids can be used. There
are many types of steroids that a athlete can use. There is many different ways for athletes to take
steroids and in this paper it tells you how to get them and what kinds there are. Drug testing has
evolved throughout the years in baseball, evolution of how testing has been happenings

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throughout the years and how different testing is now rather than in the earlier days. Some of the
great records are now being tarnished because of steroids.

Steroids in Baseball
Introduction
Baseball is a game thats been around since the 1840s and something that Americans
cannot seem to get enough of. Baseball has evolved into one of the most popular games in the
world and throughout the years weve seen players get bigger and better in such a short amount
of time. Athletes want something that makes them the best at what they do; by taking steroids an
average baseball player can easily turn into a great one, but it can also damage the person
physically and mentally. It can also ruin the players name if he is caught taking steroids. Steroids
give athletes time to grow muscle quickly by allowing the athlete to not get tired throughout the
work out. It can also help grow massive muscles in a short period of time; this method has been
proven to work in many athletes because they gained good results, research shows this method
worked because steroids act as a hormone inside the body which allows muscle tissues to grow
faster. ("How Can Steroids Affect Athletes Benefits & Side Effects." WhatSteroids. N.p.).
Steroids in Baseball
Why are steroids such a big deal in baseball? Who are the players who have been caught
using steroids? How does it affect the body of the athletes who have used steroids? Just like
Rodger Clemens who is said to have taken steroids and was taking to trial for it, he is now being

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charged with perjury for lying in court about using steroids.( (n.d). Baseball's Roger Clemens
charged with perjury, obstruction of Congress in steroids scandal.). He is also one of the most
successful pitchers in MLB history, but because he was caught using steroids he has yet to be
inducted into the baseball hall of fame. Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jose Canseco, Jason
Giambi, Rafeal Palmerio, Curt Shilling, and Frank Thomas, were among some of the players
subpoenaed. These are other players who were thought to use steroids or proven to use steroids
(N.A. (n.d.) Baseball Gives U.S. Feds Records on Steroid Testing). Major league baseball listed
steroids to the banned substance list in 1991, however the testing of steroids did not begin until
2003. Major league baseball had an outburst of homerun power starting in 1996 with Mark
McGwire leading Major League baseball with 52 homeruns, even after missing part of the
season. While only three players reached the 50 homerun mark in any season between 1961 and
1994. But during the 90s sluggers started to surpass that total on a regular basis. The 500
homerun club is one of baseballs most prestigious groups, however with the great increase of
homeruns during the 1990s to the 2000s it took some of the luster off of the club. There were
15 members of the club until 10 more players reached the 500 career homerun club between
1998 and 2009. This was the largest increase in memberships in baseball history, however six of
the ten new members, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriquez, Mark McGwire, Manny Ramirez, Rafael
Palmerio, and Gary Sheffield have been linked to steroids, this time period was called the steroid
era.( (ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web.). Steroid have very much impacted the game of
baseball and have tarnished some of the great players of the decade.
Psychical and Mental Effects of using Steroids

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The effects Steroids have on athletes are it helps to grow muscle more quickly by
allowing the athlete to not get tired throughout the work out. It can also help grow massive
muscles in a short period of time; this method has been proven to work in many athletes because
they gained good results, this method worked because steroids act as a hormone inside the body
which allows muscle tissues to grow faster. ("How Can Steroids Affect Athletes Benefits &
Side Effects." WhatSteroids. N.p.). There are also bad effects that can happen from the use of
steroids which are; Acne or skin problems, Baldness or hair loss-according to research steroids
can result to hair loss because it induces male hormones, heart and liver problems, makes you
aggressive, lessens your possibility of having children because it reduces sperm count and can
make you sterile. ("How Can Steroids Affect Athletes Benefits & Side Effects." WhatSteroids.
N.p.) When using anabolic steroids there are signs that the athlete is abusing it these signs are,
rapid weight gain, unusual mood swings, may increase aggressiveness, and acne is almost always
seen while on steroids. While your body makes natural testosterone using steroids suppresses the
natural testosterone in the body of males and can reduce the testicle size, and as said before
decreased sperm production, infertility, and baldness. The excess steroid can also be converted to
estrogen in males and cause them to grow enlarged breast which is known as gynecomastia.
These steroids can also have a direct effect on numerous organs, it can cause liver damage and
liver cancer is also a risk. It also puts your heart at risk by making the heart muscle enlarge, it
can also decrease pumping ability as well as changes in the electrical conduction system in the
heart. This can cause the heart to have rhythm changes, and can potentially cause sudden cardiac
death. Steroids can also cause high blood pressure, increased cholesterol levels, and elevated
blood sugars, which can all cause a heart attack or a stroke. As for the mental effect, it can
include excitation and depression, as well as aggression in common manic episodes of aggressive

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behavior, which is known as roid rage which causes violence. Other psychiatric effects of
steroids can cause depression to which may cause suicide.( "Steroids Causes, Symptoms,
Treatment - Different Types of Steroids - EMedicineHealth." EMedicineHealth.)
Types of Steroids
When looking at steroids there are a lot of different types, some are needed by the body
and other are the illegal ones that are getting baseball players, and other professional and
younger players in trouble. The few common known examples of anabolic steroids are, Anabol,
Andriod, Androstendione, Winstrol, Deca-Durabol, THG, Genabol, and HGH. Depending on
what kind of anabolic steroid you are using it can be either injected into the body or can be taken
by a pill. When taking these medications they are metabolized so you need to have recovery
time, and to prevent detection, you have to take steroids in cycles which are used for a few weeks
at a time, then you have to stop the cycle and repeat again weeks later. In young adolescents who
havent stopped growing steroids can stunt growth and stop bones, joints, and muscles to grow
and reach full maturity. ("Steroids Causes, Symptoms, Treatment - Different Types of Steroids EMedicineHealth." EMedicineHealth.) When you look at steroids there is a lot of different kinds
that you can take for different reasons, the different types of steroids are Inject able steroids,
Oral Steroids, Steroids Cream, Steroids pills, Best steroids, British dragon steroids, bulking
steroids, cheap steroids, cutting steroids, designer steroids, doctor prescribed steroids, fat loss
steroids, fat loss steroids, horse steroids, illegal steroids, Mexican steroids, muscle building
steroids, natural steroids, oral anabolic steroids, real steroids, and safe steroids. ("Types of
Steroids - Steroid.com." RSS. N.p)
Players Caught Using Steroids

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Steroids have become a big issue in baseball and throughout the years the numbers of
players who have been caught, implicated and suspended have grown vastly. There is a list of
129 players during the steroid era, The steroid Era is the time in baseball that players were
believed to be using steroids because of the more offensive output that was happening from the
1980s to around the 2000s. The list is separated by the Mitchell report, admitted, implicated
MLB suspensions, and other. The Mitchell report had 47 players all of the players listed either
took HGH, or Steroids and HGH. Some of the players listed were Chad Allen, Jim Parque, Jeff
Williams, Howie Clark, Nook Logan, and Dan Naulty. The admitted list had 16 players listed,
and as well as the Mitchell report the players were caught using Steroids and HGH, or just HGH.
Some of the players named were Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Jose Canseco,
John Rocker, and Paul Byrd. The implicated by others list had 34 players, and the players used
Steroids and HGH, or just HGH. Some of the names on this list were Barry Bonds, Ivan
Rodriguez, Miguel Tejada, Andy Pettitte, Rick Ankiel, and Troy Glaus. The Major League
Baaeball suspensions list had 27 players on it and the substance they were suspended for were
Unknown substance, Stanozolol which is a steroid, Boldenone which is also a steroid, Steroids
and HGH, HGH, Androstenedione, or Clomiphene. Some of the names for the players on this list
is JC Romero, Sergio Mitre, Kelvin Pichardo, Manny Ramirez, and Edison Volquez. The other
list only had four players in it and the names of those players are Termel Sledge, Derrick
Turnbow, Rico Brogna, and David Bell. These players were caught with either Androstenedione
or HCG. These are just some of the players who have been caught taking steroids during the
steroid Era. ("Baseball's Steroid Era." Info, Lists, Quotes, Timelines, Statistics. N.p.)
Steroids in Major League Baseball

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Major League Baseball has started to stricken its policy on steroids throughout the years
and in 2013 Major League baseball suspended 12 players for 50 games for their connection with
the Miami-based anti-aging clinic called Biogenesis, The clinic was accused of allegedly
distributing performance enhancing drugs. The players on that list were Nelson Cruz, Johnny
Peralta, Everth Cabrera, Jesus Montero, Francisco Cervelli, Fernando Martinez, Cesar Puello,
Jordan Norberto, Fautino de los Santos, Antonio Bastardo, Jordany Valdespin, and Sergio
Escalona. There are two players who are not on this list but were on the original list Bartolo
Colon and Melkey Cabera, both players already served a 50 game suspension for using PEDs.
(Manfred, Tony. "Here's The List Of MLB Players Suspended Today In The Biogenesis Steroids
Scandal." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc,) The Biogenesis bust was the biggest ever for
the steroid Era in baseball. Steroids have made it near impossible for some of the former baseball
greats to get into the hall of fame because of their tie with steroids. Some of these greats are
Rodger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire.( Greenberg, Chris. "Hall Of
Fame Voters Keeps Doors Shut To Steroid Users (And Suspected Steroid Users)." The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. ) All of these players would have been first
year inductees if it hadnt had been for there use of steroids which tarnished their names and
gave them the label of a cheater.
Steroids Use with the Youth
The positive effects that steroids can give is what can put a player whos at the edge of
being good to becoming great by using steroids. Steroids gives players the extra boost that most
players need to become great, it lets the athlete work out longer and harder and makes it harder
for the athlete to become sore. Steroids is a very appealing way for some athletes to use because

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they want to be the best at what they do and steroids can give you that, but the lasting effects it
has on your body is what stops some of the athletes from doing it. It allows hitters to become
more powerful and enable them to hit more homeruns and stay in the lineup longer because there
body doesnt get tired. It helps pitchers throw harder and helps them stay healthy also. With
some of the great players like Alex Rodriguez, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, and Rodger
Clemons just to name a few, it makes the younger community growing up playing baseball want
to be just as good as them so they think its okay to use steroids because of those players who
were all some of the best to ever play.
Conclusion
Athletes want something that makes them the best at what they do; by taking steroids it
can easily make an average baseball player into a great one, but it can also damage the person
physically and mentally. The psychical effects of taking steroids can haunt the person for the rest
of their life and shed years off of their life by the use of steroids. It can also ruin the players
name if he is caught taking steroids. There is a ton of different kinds of steroids and a lot of
baseball players have been caught using them. Major League baseball has started to tighten its
grip on the use of steroids cleaning the game up and making it a fair game for everyone. Some
players have decided to take steroids and its halted them from making the Major League hall of
fame. Steroids are and always will be a huge issue in sports and especially in baseball, it will cut
years off of the users life but the records they make will last forever.

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Works Cited.
"How Can Steroids Affect Athletes Benefits & Side Effects." WhatSteroids. N.p., 01 Feb. 2011.
Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
PETE, Y. (n.d). Baseball's Roger Clemens charged with perjury, obstruction of Congress in
steriods scandal. Canadian Press, The,
ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
"Steroids Causes, Symptoms, Treatment - Different Types of Steroids - EMedicineHealth."
EMedicineHealth. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
"Baseball's Steroid Era." Info, Lists, Quotes, Timelines, Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov.
2015.
"Types of Steroids - Steroid.com." RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
Manfred, Tony. "Here's The List Of MLB Players Suspended Today In The Biogenesis Steroids
Scandal." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 05 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.
Greenberg, Chris. "Hall Of Fame Voters Keeps Doors Shut To Steroid Users (And Suspected
Steroid Users)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.

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N.A. (n.d). BASEBALL GIVES U.S. FEDS RECORDS ON STERIOD TESTS. Hamilton
Spectator, The (ON).
Carise, Deni. "Baseball and Steroids: What's the Big Deal?" The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.
FREDERIC J. FROMMER - Associated Press, W. (2004). McCain Criticizes Baseball Over
Steriods. AP Online,
Is Baseball Tarnished?. (2004). Scholastic News -- Senior Edition, 72(19), 3.