Performance Enhancing Drugs and Baseball
May 1st By Landy Quaill
Baseball is considered by many to be Americas pastime, being one of the oldest sports in America dating back to 1839. The old cliché goes “if you aren’t cheating you aren’t trying” this rings true in every aspect in life but in this case it pertains particularly to the sport of baseball. With over fifty suspensions related to PED’S or (performance enhancing drugs) it is safe to say baseball and major sports for that matter have a problem on there hands.
Now it is important to understand the differences in performance enhancing drugs and how each effects the body, steroids are the most commonly known among the group but they are not the most commonly used. Anabolic steroids can be found in the history books as early as the late 1930’s, they were developed for men who could not produce enough testosterone on there own. Steroids have worked their way from the battlefield in which soldiers were administered the synthetic testosterone to improve functionality and focus to now being used at your local gym. The most commonly used performance enhancing drug in the sport today are “amphetamines”.
Now there are multiple amphetamines that are popular in the sport of baseball, one that has taken the league by storm is ‘Adderall”. Adderall is a prescription drug that is used to treat those who suffer from ADHD a condition that does not allow for a person to focus and have constant anxiety. So for a person who does not suffer from ADHD the results are exponential, the ability to stay on task and focus will happen more than ever before. Chris “Crush” Davis is a professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, in 2013 Davis led the major leagues in homeruns with 53. Why is this relevant? Well the next year in 2014 Davis tested positive for Adderall, if the homerun king of baseball is susceptible to amphetamines who isn’t?
Austin Byler is a professional baseball player currently at the single-A level for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Byler was a two-time all-mountain west selection while playing first base for the University of Nevada Reno, he was drafted in the 11th round of the 2015 MLB first year player draft. Unfortunately, Byler fell victim to the hope that amphetamines offered, being a professional baseball is not easy by any means there are day games after night games, constant bus rides as well as terrible food.
The game can take a toll on a person’s body and mind, baseball is a taxing sport that tests internal and external will. With such a grueling schedule it can be tough to stay focused which is why so many players turn to amphetamines and primarily Adderall. When asked if there was any education on the use of Amphetamines or even just a picture of banned substances in the locker room, Byler responded by stating “there are a few pictures that are posted throughout the clubhouse, so its not a mystery to most guys we know what is legal and what’s not its just up to us to enforce it.” Byler said. The punishment was a 50-game suspension without pay, a very hefty punishment for someone who relies on there check as a source of income.
As it stands Major League Baseballs current policy on PED’s is fairly simple, for a first time user it is a 50 game suspension followed by a full season ban for a second time offense and finally a lifetime ban for a third offense.` Rob Anderson was a former pitcher at the University of Nevada Reno, he was asked on a scale of 1–10 how many collegiate players use amphetamines or at least try them he responded with “On a scale of 1–10 I would have to say at least a seven, with college testing nowadays we have an idea when we will be tested and on top of that the testing is random”. Anderson said.
With the risk of being caught being so minimal why not try to gain an advantage over your opponent was a common statement that was made. Although the short term benefits are excellent few players realize the risk they are taking when taking amphetamines, the risk of becoming addicted is abnormally high. Tyler Walls was a former reliever for the University of Nevada he was drafted than later released due to injury. When asked how easy it is to become addicted to Adderall and other amphetamines like it his reply was “Since my sophomore year of college until now being two years removed from college I have to take an Adderall a day just to function in my everyday life, I have tried to quit before and it so painful I just can’t imagine my life without Adderall.” So with so much risk involved why take it was the question that was imposed to both sources who both replied with similar answers “I felt like a god when taking Adderall, it felt as if though I could do absolutely no wrong and I could not be stopped” Walls said “When I was on…there was no one capable of stopping me but myself in my mind the buck stopped at me” Anderson said. Its easy to understand why one would use an amphetamine while playing a sport with answers like that.
References
Adderall: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Safety Info — Drugs.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2016, from http://www.drugs.com/adderall.html
Ex-Pack star Byler suspended for amphetamines use. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2016, from http://www.rgj.com/story/sports/college/nevada/2015/09/28/ex-pack-star-byler-suspended-amphetamines-use/73000238/
Chris Davis Statistics and History | Baseball-Reference.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2016, from http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisch02.shtml