Steroid report affects baseball lovers
By Nick Hytrek Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, December 15, 2007
Mike Bisenius may never watch baseball the same again.
Thursday's release of the Mitchell Report, which named dozens of current and former major league baseball players who reportedly used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, puts other players' achievements in question, the former Bishop Heelan all-stater said.
"The biggest surprise was Roger Clemens and Chuck Knoblauch, a guy that really wasn't that big. You hear he's on steroids and you wonder who else is on steroids. It does make you suspicious of who's out there playing hard naturally and who's cheating," said Bisenius, now a freshman outfielder at Wayne State College.
The report topped off former Sen. George Mitchell's 20-month investigation of steroid use in baseball and accuses some of the sport's biggest stars -- Clemens, Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Miguel Tejada -- of using steroids or human growth hormones. The much-anticipated report could result in changes to how baseball tests its players for those drugs. It also could turn off fans who may now believe many players are cheaters.
"I think long term it puts the real problem in the forefront where it needs to be. In the short term, it could very much be a witch hunt for a few people," Heelan baseball coach Brian Atchison said.
Morningside College baseball coach Jim Scholten emphasized the "few." Most baseball fans realize that those listed in Mitchell's report probably aren't the only violators.
"I think he just mentioned the tip of the iceberg to what the problems are," Scholten said.
The report brings the issue to life for kids who idolize players who were named in the report, Atchison said. When high schoolers see a 45-year-old Clemens still throwing 93-94 mph fastballs and Bonds continue to hit tape-measure home runs well into his 40s, they wonder if what they're seeing is real.
"As a coach, I think you have to embrace the issues that kids care about," Atchison said. "They've made inquiries as to what are they, where do you get them to what do they do to your body and do they work? I tell them they're illegal."
Despite all the media coverage about steroids in baseball, Atchison said kids still don't hear a necessary message about the drugs.
"They label them performance-enhancers. They never emphasize that steroids are a health hazard and they are illegal because they can hurt you and kill you. I think the emphasis isn't focused on that enough," Atchison said.
"I don't like to refer to them as performance-enhancing because it sounds too positive."
At college and professional levels of baseball in Sioux City, players are tested for steroids.
Shane Tritz, general manager of the independent minor league Sioux City Explorers, said the club randomly tests for steroids and has not had a positive test. Players who may have tested positive at other levels of professional baseball are scrutinized when the Explorers consider signing them.
"Any known violator would not be able to sign until he tests clean," Tritz said.
Morningside players are tested randomly, and Scholten said he has never had a player test positive in his 24 years as coach.
"I just don't think at our level it's an issue. I think some of our proactive programs have helped," he said. "There's really a difference between professional baseball and our level. Most of our guys are playing for the love of the game, and that's the way professionals used to be."
The Mitchell Report probably will turn some fans against the sport, Scholten said. But it won't kill baseball, which has lived through the 1919 Black Sox cheating scandal and numerous labor stoppages.
"It does hurt the sport, I have no doubt about it," Scholten said. "But through all the greedy owners, greedy ballplayers and inept administrators over the years, the game still survives."
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.
Thursday's release of the Mitchell Report, which named dozens of current and former major league baseball players who reportedly used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, puts other players' achievements in question, the former Bishop Heelan all-stater said.
"The biggest surprise was Roger Clemens and Chuck Knoblauch, a guy that really wasn't that big. You hear he's on steroids and you wonder who else is on steroids. It does make you suspicious of who's out there playing hard naturally and who's cheating," said Bisenius, now a freshman outfielder at Wayne State College.
The report topped off former Sen. George Mitchell's 20-month investigation of steroid use in baseball and accuses some of the sport's biggest stars -- Clemens, Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Miguel Tejada -- of using steroids or human growth hormones. The much-anticipated report could result in changes to how baseball tests its players for those drugs. It also could turn off fans who may now believe many players are cheaters.
"I think long term it puts the real problem in the forefront where it needs to be. In the short term, it could very much be a witch hunt for a few people," Heelan baseball coach Brian Atchison said.
Morningside College baseball coach Jim Scholten emphasized the "few." Most baseball fans realize that those listed in Mitchell's report probably aren't the only violators.
"I think he just mentioned the tip of the iceberg to what the problems are," Scholten said.
The report brings the issue to life for kids who idolize players who were named in the report, Atchison said. When high schoolers see a 45-year-old Clemens still throwing 93-94 mph fastballs and Bonds continue to hit tape-measure home runs well into his 40s, they wonder if what they're seeing is real.
"As a coach, I think you have to embrace the issues that kids care about," Atchison said. "They've made inquiries as to what are they, where do you get them to what do they do to your body and do they work? I tell them they're illegal."
Despite all the media coverage about steroids in baseball, Atchison said kids still don't hear a necessary message about the drugs.
"They label them performance-enhancers. They never emphasize that steroids are a health hazard and they are illegal because they can hurt you and kill you. I think the emphasis isn't focused on that enough," Atchison said.
"I don't like to refer to them as performance-enhancing because it sounds too positive."
At college and professional levels of baseball in Sioux City, players are tested for steroids.
Shane Tritz, general manager of the independent minor league Sioux City Explorers, said the club randomly tests for steroids and has not had a positive test. Players who may have tested positive at other levels of professional baseball are scrutinized when the Explorers consider signing them.
"Any known violator would not be able to sign until he tests clean," Tritz said.
Morningside players are tested randomly, and Scholten said he has never had a player test positive in his 24 years as coach.
"I just don't think at our level it's an issue. I think some of our proactive programs have helped," he said. "There's really a difference between professional baseball and our level. Most of our guys are playing for the love of the game, and that's the way professionals used to be."
The Mitchell Report probably will turn some fans against the sport, Scholten said. But it won't kill baseball, which has lived through the 1919 Black Sox cheating scandal and numerous labor stoppages.
"It does hurt the sport, I have no doubt about it," Scholten said. "But through all the greedy owners, greedy ballplayers and inept administrators over the years, the game still survives."
Nick Hytrek can be reached at 712-293-4226 or nickhytrek@siouxcityjournal.
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