Steroid use in a younger generation of baseball players is possibly the worst choice they can make. They think using steroids will help them excel at their craft, but what it really does is rot joints and tendons and stunt their growth and development. If the use of performance enhancing drugs continues on in their lives, the athlete runs the risk of even worse problems. But, even when the use stops, they will still have emotional problems from withdrawal. Insomnia, weaker sex drive, depression, fatigue, and mood swings are some emotional problems that former steroid users experience. But, perhaps the worst problem is suicide attempts, which can continue up to a year or even longer after the athlete has stopped taking a steroid.
However, the upside of steroid use is plentiful too. Strength is greatly heightened, as well as speed and overall power ("Steroids"). Through these raised attributes, players' stats tend to increase as well. For instance, Major League Baseball has seen a spike in home runs. They have also seen a drastic growth in individual batting average. Even though steroids make players faster, stolen bases haven't gone up much as all, partially because stolen bases have become a lesser used part of the game. Many experts have gone as far enough to say that the career stolen base record will never be broken. Journeyman Ricky Henderson holds this record. He totaled 1,406 stolen bases for his career (468 more than the previous record holder). Henderson held the Major League record for most stolen bases in a single season when he swiped 130 bags in 1983 when he was with the Oakland Athletics ("Rickey Henderson").
The game has grown throughout the 20th century, mostly for the good. The 1920's saw the great Babe Ruth swat homerun, after homerun, totaling 714 for his career. The 1940's saw the beauty and grace of Yankee great Joe DiMaggio. The 1960's featured San Francisco Giant's Centerfielder Willie Mays roam the outfield and Roger Maris hit an overwhelming 61 home runs in one season.