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Baseball Takes a Hit

By Joe McGowan

When the new baseball season opens this week, fans will be buzzing. Not only will they talk about which teams will make it to the World Series and which sluggers will set records, but they will also try to guess how many of those players have used illegal steroids.

On March 17, Congress summoned a panel of baseball players and executives to Washington, D.C., to question them about players' abuse of these drugs. Steroids help athletes to build their muscles and strength. They also have many harmful side effects. The hearings were one result of a growing scandal caused by recent reports that some of the game's top players may have used the drugs. The congressional committee hoped to get baseball to clean up its act.

During 11 hours of testimony, superstars testified about steroid use. Jose Canseco, a former most valuable player, has admitted to using the drugs. He warned that baseball has "a major problem." Rafael Palmeiro of the Texas Rangers and Sammy Sosa of the Baltimore Orioles flatly denied taking steroids. Home-run king Mark McGwire refused to say under oath whether he had taken the drugs. Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig claimed that the game did not have a problem because "there is no concrete evidence of that."

Time to Rewrite the Rule Book?
The denials of players and the commissioner left congressional leaders calling for a tougher policy. Until 2002, baseball had no policy for punishing steroid users. Other sports put tough rules in place years ago. Olympic athletes who test positive for steroids are barred from competing for two years. Professional football players are forced to sit out a quarter of a season. Baseball players caught using the drugs for the first time face a 10-day suspension. Only after being caught four times would a player be prohibited from competing for up to one year. Baseball's policy does not inspire trust. "I have not been reassured one bit," said Congressman Steven Lynch.

If Major League Baseball doesn't clean up its act, some lawmakers are threatening to introduce laws that will. But for now, the scandal has stained the legacy of some of the game's best players.

Next: Eyes On The Sky