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Steroids Remain an Issue in Major League Baseball

Author: Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC

Date: January 6, 2014

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The 1998 Major League Baseball season was seen as one of the most exciting in history, as both Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were hitting home runs at a record pace.

That excitement eventually turned to shame when the suspicion of steroid and human-growth-hormone use clouded the players’ accomplishments. Baseball has had more than a decade to clear up the performance enhancing drug problem, but it is clear that it is still in the game to this day with Ryan Braun’s recent suspension.

The MLB Player’s Association and owners agreed to make PED against the rules in collective bargaining agreements for quite some time now, but that hasn’t deterred players from using. According to MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the first positive test results in a 50 game suspension, followed by a 100 game suspension for the second positive test and lifetime ban for the third.

How effective are these penalties?

One would think that such harsh penalties would keep players from using. However, recent events show that there could some incentive to taking HGH. Jhonny Peralta was suspended for 50 games this past season while playing for the Detroit Tigers.

Despite his positive test, Peralta received a four-year $53 million contract this offseason, according to Baseball Reference. Other players may look at this situation and think that it could be worth the risk of taking steroids, putting up good numbers, getting suspended and  cashing in on a massive contract.

In response, MLB may need to consider stricter penalties for offenders. For example, the league could make the first positive test a full season suspension and the second a lifetime ban. This is just a suggestion, but it is clear something more needs to be done to deter steroid use in baseball or the game could have a dark cloud over it for quite some time.

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