Yankees: Performance enhancing drugs, and the baseball hall of shame

Since the late 1800s ballplayers have been known to try to gain chemical advantages. In 1889 Pud Galvin became widely known for his use of Brown-Sequard Elixir, a testosterone supplement produced from testicles of live animals.

Babe Ruth was thought to once have injected himself with a similar extract from sheep testicles, but it made him ill and he never used it again.

In 1961 Mickey Mantle was believed to have injected himself with a chemical cocktail that included steroids and amphetamines in an effort to keep up with Roger Maris during their famous home run competition.

Former Yanks relief pitcher and HOF member Goose Gossage have admitted to using amphetamines during his playing career (1972-1994), which was illegal at the time.

Finally, Willie Mays was rumored to have used a powerful liquid amphetamine he referred to as “red juice” during his New York Mets days.

Public admissions by Jose Conseco and Mark McGuire of their heavy dependence on steroids at the turn of the 21st Century shined a bright national spotlight on the use of steroids in baseball, leading to questions about the validity of their accomplishments on the field.

In the early 2000s, a federal government investigation of a nutrition center, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), was found to have distributed anabolic steroids to a number of professional athletes (e.g., Olympic track star Marion Jones), including prominent baseball players such as Barry Bonds and former Yankee Jason Giambi.

As a result, several star players such as Conseco, McGuire, former Yankee Alex Rodriquez, Rafael Palmeiro, and Sammy Sosa were summoned to testify in front of a congressional committee in 2005. The committee was deeply concerned about the accepted use of steroids by baseball players and other elite athletes.

After hearing the testimony of the players, Congressional representatives accused MLB of failing to confront the issue of PEDs and were worried that drug use in baseball created a bad persona of players who in many cases are role models to the nation’s youth. A major fear was that the use of PEDs by MLB players would encourage high school and college students to do the same, with possible long-term, negative health effects as a result.

Bowing to congressional pressure and ensuing negative media coverage, MLB and the MLB Players Association worked closely together to review current drug policy and develop stricter regulations and penalties. They agreed to pursue a zero-tolerance approach involving the use of PEDs in November 2005.

At the same time, baseball commissioner Bud Selig appointed former Senator George J. Mitchell in 2006 to conduct an investigation into steroid use by MLB players. Mitchell’s 311-page report was released on December 13, 2007, and identified more than 80 former and current baseball players, including Bonds. (Despite Bonds’ denials, there is overwhelming circumstantial evidence that he used various types of steroids and human growth hormones during his playing days.) The integrity of America’s national pastime was at stake.

In 2013, not a single player involved with drug use was elected to the HOF. This included marquee players such as McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds, all of whom were appearing on the ballot for the first time. While some HOF voters have been forgiving with the passage of time, a large block has continued to vote to exclude drug users from inclusion in Cooperstown.

At the end of 2017, Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer and HOF board vice chair Joe Morgan sent out a letter titled, “The Hall of Fame is Special.” In the letter, Morgan strongly urged HOF voters to reject PEDs users.

He wrote, “We hope the day never comes when known steroid users are voted into the Hall of Fame. They cheated. Steroid users don’t belong here.”

Today MLB players are tested at least twice a year, including some randomly during the offseason. Urine tests are used to catch offenders of drug use rules. A large number of players have been caught and have served lengthy suspensions, costing them huge portions of their salary. Despite their extraordinary performance on the diamond during their illustrious careers, they may never be admitted into the HOF as a result of their drug use.