Baseball, the sport known as "America's favorite pastime" has been played in the United States for over 120 years. The game started out as a couple to a few men picking up a stick and a rock and seeing who could hit it further. They would do so while waiting for their suits to be cleaned at the local corner cleaners. It has been over a hundred years and some of the greatest men to ever play have came and made their marks as some of the greatest baseball players in history. As time went on, the players got better and better until one day; Baseball was no longer a game of just talent. Baseball had become in some players eyes as a way to become famous. This is where the use of performance enhancing drugs came into play to give some players the extra edge to hit the ball harder or throw the ball faster. This drug was known as steroids.
In a 2007 article by Derrick Goold in the St. Louis Post, former senator George Mitchell states, "Everyone involved in baseball over the past two decades - commissioners, club officials, the players' association and players - shares to some extent the responsibility for the steroids era." Mitchell also stated that he went into a locker room where the performance enhancing drug flourished, all he could do was blame the officials. According to Mitchell, the use of steroids in the MLB is a disgrace; so he set out to change the rules and regulations regarding drugs in the MLB to be much stricter. He wanted to get rid of the rule of notifying a player 24 hours in advance prior to a drug test and expand the investigative powers to find drugs in the MLB. Mitchells report ruined the reputations of many great players such as Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Mark McGwire. Mitchells closing statement of his report is "If action is needed, action will be taken". This statement posts a very meaningful and powerful message for years to come.
