On A-Rod, Steroids, And Counter-Arguments

It's surprising to me that someone with enough natural talent and work ethic that they're already among the top players in the game would feel the need to take a chance on cheating, especially since there really is so little to gain. In 2003, when Alex Rodriguez reportedly tested positive for steroids he had already signed his 10 year $250 million contract. At that point don't you say to yourself, "Self, my hair tips are the finest shade of gold, my teeth are whiter than Screech on Saved By The Bell, and I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams. I'm going to take my $250 million, my still-in-tact reputation, and my slightly shrunken doo-dads and go clean. Job well done!"

Maybe that is the logical thing to do, but Rodriguez's decision to use obviously was never based on logic. As Steven Goldman of Yesnetwork.com observed, "We already knew, or suspected, that Rodriguez was something of a narcissist. This is the confirmation."

It should be noted that I regard Goldman as one of the premiere writers on this series of tubes called the interweb, and as such I don't want this to appear as a hit piece on him, ah-la Jon Heyman. In fact, I'm going to pick on some of Goldman's points precisely because they are so logical and well-made, whereas critiquing Heyman's contribution to this story would be like critiquing a Jon Heyman column.*

Goldman contends that steroids haven't been proven to increase any one's ability to hit a baseball. While that is true, they can certainly make you stronger more quickly than if you did not use them. Of that I hope we all can agree.

Anything that can make your torso, legs, arms, shoulders and/or wrists stronger will help you swing a bat harder and faster. When you can swing a bat harder and faster you will hit the ball farther. I don't see how anyone can argue this point. If steroids are able to produce this effect beyond that which is normally associated with weight training then there is some sort of benefit to the user.

But even if steroids don't cause any improvement in a player's ability to hit, run, or throw, the perception of steroids is that they will, making their use still an attempt to, shall we say, circumnavigate fairness.

In whatever terms you chose to see it, it seems Alex Rodriguez cheated. In doing so he placed what many will see as, deservedly or not, an asterisk over his entire career. That is many things, but mostly it is sad.**

*You know you suck when the go-to metaphor to point out how easy it is to find logical holes in an argument is your column.

**Another argument often heard, though not from Goldman, is that steroids weren't specifically outlawed by Major League Baseball at the time Rodriguez tested positive. While this is undoubtedly true, many steroids were specifically outlawed by the United States government. To my knowledge Major League Baseball hasn't outlawed speeding or murder either but as they are both covered under the laws of the United States (and Canada) it's almost a moot point, isn't it? While this is not an argument for suspension or any other punishment fromMLB, it speaks to a moral failing.