Surprise! Surprise! Guess what everyone; professional baseball players are using performance-enhancing drugs. Oh, the horror! Who’da thunk it?

Alright, before you all get on your high horse, let’s take a step back here and examine this closely. What everyone needs to realize is while San Fransicso Giants slugger Barry Bonds may have taken steroids to increase his power, these drugs do not manufacture hand-eye coordination. Remember that he was a more than adequate player beforehand that could already hit home runs – just not as frequently.

OK – what does this mean? Here’s a better example – when I was in high school I had a stint on my school’s swim team. In order to compete, I needed to know how to swim. This included the backstroke, breaststroke, etc. Without this core knowledge of how to perform in the sport, I would not have been chosen to be on the team. Had I taken any performance enhancing substance, this would have given me stamina, strength, and speed. This would not have made me suddenly able to do a stroke that I had not done before. If I couldn’t swim in the first place, no amount of drugs could have taught me how to.

This is the same for all athletes. ex-Los Angeles Dodgers favorite Paul LoDuca needed the inherent ability to play catcher. Eric Gagne had to have the knowledge and ability to throw a baseball effectively. Barry Bonds had to be able to connect the bat and ball. Let’s not fool ourselves folks, if all you had to do was pop a pill or take an injection – why aren’t you getting drafted into the MLB?

Now let me just clarify, I am not condoning the use of these substances in any way, shape, or form! I have lost a young friend to steroid use (yes, they died trying to be an athlete). These substances do strange things to your physiology and overall mental health. I would strongly suggest that young people treat these dangerous drugs with the same abhorrence they would give cigarettes, heroin, or cocaine.

But let’s face it; we are putting pressure on these guys to perform. How exciting would Eric Gagne have been without that amazing streak? Game over? Probably not! Would we be so captivated with these players that hit lots of home runs if they no longer did? Fans want more, better, bigger and the pressure must be immense for the players. If they lose a step it could cost them millions. In a society that has a pill for everything, how can we pass judgment? If it is not alright to take a drug to enhance performance, why does Viagra sell so well? Or drugs that cure male pattern baldness? Or birth control for that matter? We have a fix for everything to control our bodies and our lives. I’m tellin' ya, there is a vicious cycle to fix what is wrong with drugs in society and until that changes they will probably remain in professional sports.