Baseball
Origins of Baseball
• Baseball is defined as a competitive game of
athletic skill played with a hard ball and a bat by
two opposing nine-player teams.
• It is widely regarded as the American national
sport and is among the earliest professional
games in the U.S.
• Baseball is extremely popular in America and
around the world.
Origins of Baseball
• The game attracts millions of fans to parks and
stadiums to watch games daily.
• Millions more follow the games on television,
radio or read about them in newspapers.
• It is also played by millions – amateurs of all
ages – high school, college, little league.
Origins of Baseball
• The actual origins of the game are obscure –
although the modern game developed in the
U.S.
• Most historians agree that baseball originated
out of cricket – a game played in Great Britain.
• Similarities exist – both have bat and ball and
use bases.
Origins of Baseball
• By the end of the 18th century, several
versions of baseball were being played in the
U.S.
• The games were called “One Old Cat”, “Town
Ball”, “New York Ball”.
• At first, stakes were used for bases, but
injuries led to the use of sand filled sacks.
Origins of Baseball
• The sacks were nicknamed “bases” and thus the
game earned a common name – “baseball”.
• In 1839, Abner Doubleday then a cadet in the
U.S. Military Academy established ground rules.
• Set the field up in the shape of a diamond and
placed the bases 60-feet apart.
Origins of Baseball
• This first field was created in Cooperstown,
New York – and is the current home of the
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
• In 1845 – Alexander Joy Cartwright
contributed to the rules of the game and
developed it to how it is played today.
Origins of Baseball
• Cartwright was a member of the New York
Knickerbockers baseball team and played their
first game on June 19, 1846.
• Game was played in Hoboken, NJ –
Knickerbockers lost 23-1 to the New York Nine.
• Two years later, “plugging” was removed as a
rule – or hitting a runner with the ball.
Origins of Baseball
• In 1849, the Knickerbockers became the first
team to introduce baseball uniforms.
• Baseball became increasingly popular in the
U.S. between 1850 and 1860.
• In 1859 the first collegiate game was played
between Amherst College and Williams
College – Amherst won.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• How is baseball defined?
• Why was the National Baseball Hall of Fame and
Museum established in Cooperstown, NY?
• Who played in the first baseball game, who won?
• Who played the first collegiate baseball game,
who won?
Professional Baseball Grows
• Professional baseball was introduced in 1869
by the Cincinnati Red Stockings.
• Other professional clubs were organized in
various parts of the country and in 1871 the
National Association of Professional Baseball
Players was organized.
Professional Baseball Grows
• Teams were represented from Boston,
Philadelphia, Chicago, Brooklyn, New York,
and Cleveland among others.
• Early in 1876, a new league, called the
National League of Professional Baseball Clubs
was established, causing the original
Association to collapse.
Professional Baseball Grows
• The National League (NL) still exists today and
originally consisted of teams from Boston,
Philadelphia, New York, St. Louis, Chicago and
Cincinnati.
• Other leagues formed, but represented
smaller cities and towns and were referred to
as “minor leagues”.
Professional Baseball Grows
• In 1882 the American Association was created as
a major league, and in 1884 the National League
champion played the American Association
champion in the first series of postseason games.
• However, the American Association folded in
1891. In 1900, the American League (AL) was
founded consisting of teams in Chicago,
Milwaukee, Cleveland, Detroit, Washington,
Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore.
Professional Baseball Grows
• The AL demanded the NL recognize it as an
equal.
• The NL refused, causing the AL to raid their
players.
• The AL signed 111 NL players forcing the NL to
recognize them as an equal.
Professional Baseball Grows
• In 1903, the first playoff series between the
champion of the NL and the champion of the
AL in the first World Series.
• The Boston Americans won that series 5
games to 3 over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Boston was led by star pitcher Cy Young who
won 511 career games – a MLB record.
Professional Baseball Grows
• Young is also recognized today through the Cy
Young Award which is given to the best
pitchers in the AL and NL each year.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• Review the notes – why is the National League
sometimes called “The Senior Circuit”?
• How did the American League force the
National League to recognize it as an equal?
• Who was Cy Young and what is his legacy?
Baseball Politics
• Scandal hit Major League Baseball in 1919
World Series between Chicago White Sox and
Cincinnati Reds.
• Eight Chicago players conspired with gamblers
to bring about the defeat of their own team.
• The subsequent so-called Black Sox scandal
resulted in public demands for stricter control.
Baseball Politics
• An Advisory Council was established headed
by a commissioner.
• The first commissioner was Kenesaw
Mountain Landis – who held the position until
his death in 1944.
• Today, the MLB commissioner is Bud Selig who
has served since 1992.
Baseball Politics
• The baseball commissioner is elected by the
club owners for a 5-year term.
• The commissioner has the authority to
investigate any action regarded as harmful to
the sport of baseball.
• Commissioner may also penalize with fines or
suspensions the personnel involved.
Baseball Politics
• Many players have been banned for life –
among the more famous is Pete Rose who was
banned for gambling.
• There have been numerous attempts to
unionize baseball.
• One of the earliest successes was in 1946
when the American Baseball Guild was
established.
Baseball Politics
• The ABG negotiated with a team of owners for
a number of reforms.
• Including the establishment of a players’
pension fund that came from revenues from
All-Star games and World Series.
• Since 1966 players’ rights and benefits have
been protected by the Major League Baseball
Players Association.
Baseball Politics
• Brief work stoppages occurred in 1985 and
1990 with few or no games being canceled.
• However, on August 12, 1994 the players
began what became the longest strike in the
history of professional sports.
• The main issue was the owners’ plan to
impose a salary cap – which limits team’s
salaries.
Baseball Politics
• No settlement was agreed on and the
remainder of the season was canceled.
• For the first time since 1904 no World Series
was played.
• Owners fielded teams of replacement players
who played exhibition games in spring of
1995.
Baseball Politics
• Days before the start of the 1995 season a
judge ordered an injunction that blocked the
owners salary cap.
• On April 2, the owners accepted an offer by
the players to return ending the 234-day
strike.
• The 1995 season was shortened to 144games.
Baseball Politics
• To this day Major League Baseball has no
salary cap leading to lopsided team payrolls
around the league.
• In 2008 the New York Yankees had a team
payroll of $209 million – the Florida Marlins
had $21 million.
• The NFL, NBA and NHL all have salary caps.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• What powers does the commissioner of
baseball have?
• What was significant about the players strike
in 1994?
• What scandal in 1919 changed the way
baseball is governed?
Dead Ball Era
• What was the dead ball era? – It was a time in
baseball before the home run was king.
• The dead ball era refers to a period in baseball
characterized by extremely low-scoring
games.
• In fact, it was the lowest-scoring period in
major league baseball history.
Dead Ball Era
• Although baseball historians disagree of the
exact dates the general consensus is that it
began in about 1903 and continued until
about 1919.
• For example - 1906 Chicago White Sox won 93
games, took home the American League
pennant, and eventually prevailed in the
World Series.
Dead Ball Era
• They did all this while batting just .230, and
hitting a mere 7 home runs.
• The Cubs won back to back World Series titles
in 1907 and 1908 despite hitting just .248 and
managing just 32 homers.
• The two Chicago teams were more the rule
than the exception.
Dead Ball Era
• In St. Louis, the Cardinals had one of the worst
three year offensive runs in baseball history
from 1906 until 1908.
• During that three year span, the team hit .235,
.232 and .223.
• They averaged just 15 dingers a year and
scored a lowly 2.6 runs per game – no steroids
here…
Dead Ball Era
• There were three main factors contributing to
the dead ball era.
• The first factor is the ball - The baseball used
by both leagues had a rubber ball at its center
and was wrapped quite loosely compared to
modern baseballs.
• Most games were played with one ball – it
became worn out.
Dead Ball Era
• The second factor was the spitball - lubed up
the baseball with saliva, vaseline, tobacco
juice or any other substance that would make
the ball wetter and heavier.
• The spit ball could be thrown with the speed
of a fastball, but dance and move like a
knuckleball.
Dead Ball Era
• The third factor was popular baseball strategy
– most teams played “small ball.”
• Batters didn't swing for the fences - they
feared striking out above all else.
• Solid contact, good base running, sacrifices,
hitting behind runners and driving singles and
doubles were the key points of the game.
Dead Ball Era
• The dead-ball era ended suddenly - by 1921,
offenses were scoring 40% more runs and
hitting four times as many home runs as they
did in 1918.
• Baseball historians have debated as to why
the change occurred – there are a few
different theories.
Dead Ball Era
• The first theory claims that owners replaced
the ball with a newer, livelier ball – to boost
offense and ticket sales.
• The second theory is based on the fact that
the spitball was outlawed at this time.
• More baseballs were being used per game too
because of injury concerns – new balls were
not worn out.
Dead Ball Era
• A fourth theory is that ball park dimensions
changed – stadiums became smaller and
homeruns did not have to travel as far.
• The last theory was based on one man – Babe
Ruth.
• Ruth’s free-swinging mentality changed the
record books and how batters approached
hitting.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• Explain (in detail!) the three main factors that
contributed to the dead ball era.
• Explain (in detail!) at least three main factors
that contributed to the end of the dead ball
era.
Dead Ball Legends
• Christy Mathewson became the darling of the
professional baseball world in the early 1900s.
• Intelligent, hard-working and clean-living,
Mathewson gave baseball a clean image.
• He had tremendous poise and a killer outpitch—his famous “fadeaway” (a screwball).
Dead Ball Legends
• Mathewson led the New York Giants to new
levels of success between 1900 and 1915.
• His three shutouts against the Philadelphia
Athletics in the 1905 World Series is a feat of
nearly unimaginable scope.
• He wrote a book - Pitching in a Pinch (1912)
and his frequent newspaper contributions
made him very popular.
Dead Ball Legends
• Ty Cobb was the dominant player during the
second half of the dead-ball era and the first
southerner to attain superstar status.
• Described by historians as a “psychopath on
spikes,” and nicknamed “The Georgia Peach”.
• Cobb battled everyone, including his own
teammates, both on and off the field of play.
Dead Ball Legends
• Cobb batted over .400 three times during his
24-year career and retired with the highest
career batting average of any player (.366) in
major-league history.
• A betting scandal led to his departure from
the game in the late 1920s.
• Died at 74 in 1961, only three representatives
from organized baseball attended his funeral.
Dead Ball Legends
• Tips from Ty Cobb:
– Leave an inch or more space between your hands
allows you to place your hits.
– Don’t pull a curve ball from a right-hander – the
ball is revolving away from you.
– If high fast balls inside bother you – crouch over
from the waist to force the pitcher to throw lower.
– Never pull a speedy left-hander, and move up in
the box and always pull a slower left-hander.
Dead Ball Legends
• Cobb wasn’t alone during the dead ball era –
there were other players who had a dirty
image.
• John McGraw, Baltimore Orioles impeded
base runners by blocking them or pulling on
their belts, and maddened umpires and the
opposition with his short fuse and sharp
tongue.
Dead Ball Legends
• Jake “Eagle Eye” Beckley used the hidden ball
trick - hiding the baseball under a corner of
first base and then tagging base runners out.
• Ed Walsh used spitball to post a 40-win season
and pitched 464 innings.
• The spitball is thrown by wetting your fingers
so there is minimal contact with the baseball –
reduces spin and ball drops dramatically.
Dead Ball Legends
• Jack Norworth wrote “Take Me Out to the Ball
Game” in 1908.
• Norworth was an actor and wrote the song
without ever attending an actual game.
• Norworth attended his first game in 1940 –
but his lyrics captured the essence of what
games were all about.
Dead Ball Legends
• Cigarettes were sold with a carboard
“stiffener” to keep the pack from being
crushed.
• Most people simply threw these “stiffeners”
away when they were out of cigarettes.
• Executive tobacco owners began printing
pictures and messages on the “stiffeners” to
persuade people to buy their cigarettes.
Dead Ball Legends
• The pictures and names of baseball players
became the most popular of the cards.
• This eventually led to baseball cards as we
know them today – boomed in the 1960s.
• Baseball cards are collectables and can be very
expensive – a 1909 Honus Wagner card sold
for over $2 million.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• Imagine Ty Cobb played baseball today. In
your opinion, how would sports media, like
ESPN treat him? How would fans around the
country treat him? Would kids idolize him?
Explain your answer.
• If you had the money – what would you pay
$2 million dollars for?
Babe Ruth
• George Herman Ruth Jr., was born on
February 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Md.
• He was one of eight children – however only
two survived past infancy – George and
Mamie.
• He had a hard childhood and eventually
ended up in a Catholic orphanage.
Babe Ruth
• A mischievous boy, George latched on to
Brother Matthias at the orphanage.
• Matthias helped George with growing up and
with baseball.
• His talent was clear early on – especially as a
pitcher for his school baseball team.
Babe Ruth
• When he was 19-years old, Jack Dunn owner
and manager of the Baltimore Orioles signed
George to a contract.
• When he was introduced to his new team, the
other Orioles called him “Jack’s newest babe.”
• Thus the nickname stuck – Babe Ruth.
Babe Ruth
• Ruth played his first full season with the
Boston Red Sox in 1915.
• He went 18-8 as a pitcher and hit his first four
homeruns – The Red Sox won 101 games and
the World Series.
• He followed up the 1915 season by going 2312 with 9 shutouts in 1916.
Babe Ruth
• In 1918, Ruth still was pitching with success –
but led the league in home runs too with 11.
• In 1919 Ruth pitched less and played outfield
more – broke the season record for homers
with 29.
• This was his last season with the Red Sox.
Babe Ruth
• In 1920, the Boston Red Sox sold Ruth to the
New York Yankees.
• The Yankees would go on to win 39 AL
Pennants and 26 World Series Titles – the Red
Sox did not win a World Series until 2004.
• During most of the 20th century this was
referred to as “The Curse of the Bambino”.
Babe Ruth
• His first year with the Yankees, Ruth hit 54
home runs and batted .376 – only the
Philadelphia Phillies team hit more homers.
• On July 18, 1921 Ruth hit his 139th homer
breaking the career record of homers set by
Roger Connor.
• His homers were majestic blasts – traveling
450-500 feet.
Babe Ruth
• Recent historians claim that under current
rules of baseball – Ruth would have hit 104
homers in 1921.
• After 1921 season, Ruth began having off field
problems.
• 1923 Yankees moved from the Polo Grounds
to Yankee Stadium – “The House that Ruth
Built”.
Babe Ruth
• That same year the Yankees won their first
World Series over the New York Giants.
• 1927 the Yankees and Ruth experienced their
greatest year – won World Series and Ruth hit
60 home runs – a new record.
• In 1932 an older Ruth hit his last World Series
homer – a “called shot” 490-feet at Wrigley
Field.
Babe Ruth
• Ruth was traded to Boston Braves in 1935 –
and was named team Vice President.
• On May 25th, Ruth went 4-4 hit 3 homers in an
11-7 loss to Pittsburgh – his last homers.
• He finished with 714 – at the time an MLB
record.
Babe Ruth
• In 1936 Ruth was one of the first five players
elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• In 1946 he was diagnosed with a malignant
tumor in his neck – Yankees held a ceremony
on April 27, 1947 for him.
• He died on August 16, 1948.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• Write a Babe Ruth tribute. Include the
following terms: Brother Matthias, Jack
Dunn, “The House that Ruth Built”, 60 home
runs, 1927, Boston Red Sox, Boston Braves,
New York Yankees.
Jackie Robinson
• Since 1889, Major League Baseball had been
segregated – no black players could play.
• In 1947, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn
Dodgers broke the color line.
• From there, Robinson would go on to have an
exceptional baseball career.
Jackie Robinson
• Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson was born on
January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia.
• He was the youngest of five children, and was
raised by his mother – father left.
• Grew up in poverty, and was a tremendous
natural athlete – starring in football,
basketball, track, and baseball.
Jackie Robinson
• Jackie attended UCLA in 1939 – and became
the school’s first athlete to win varsity letters
in four sports.
• His football teammates at UCLA included
Woody Strode and Kenny Washington.
• Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Jackie
was drafted into the U.S. Army.
Jackie Robinson
• In the Army he struggled to get into Officer
Candidate School because of race.
• He was also court-martialed for an incident
involving race on a bus.
• He was acquitted by an all-white panel and
received an honorable discharge in 1944.
Jackie Robinson
• In 1945, Jackie joined the Kansas City
Monarchs – a Negro League baseball team.
• Branch Rickey – club president and general
manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers began to
scout him.
• Rickey was looking for African-American
baseball talent and Robinson was the guy.
Jackie Robinson
• In 1946 Robinson enjoyed a successful Minor
League season with the Montreal Royals.
• On April 15, 1947 Robinson made his debut
with the Dodgers – 27,000 in attendance –
14,000 were black.
• Immediately the nation became divided over
whether or not Robinson should play.
Jackie Robinson
• Robinson faced racial behavior from home
fans, visiting fans, opponents and teammates.
• He was banned from staying in certain hotels
were the rest of his team stayed.
• The St. Louis Cardinals threatened to strike if
Robinson played – NL President Ford Frick
threatened them with suspension.
Jackie Robinson
• Despite the abuse, Jackie hit .297, scored 125
runs and stole 29 bases in 1947.
• In 1948 the Dodgers had three other black
players, and Larry Doby and Satchel Paige
were playing in Cleveland.
• Robinson seemed to relax a bit from some
pressure being taken off – he exploded in
1949.
Jackie Robinson
• Robinson won the NL MVP – and the Dodgers
made it to the World Series.
• The song, “Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit
That Ball?” went to #13 on the charts.
• By 1950 his $35,000 salary was the highest
ever in Dodgers history.
Jackie Robinson
• He starred as himself in the movie – The Jackie
Robinson Story.
• Robinson also got the five-star Chase Park
Hotel in St. Louis integrated.
• In 1955, Robinson won his only World Series
championship – Dodgers beat the Yankees.
Jackie Robinson
• Robinson was traded to the Giants for Dick
Littlefield and $35,000 – but retired from
baseball.
• He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of
Fame in 1962 – first African-American.
• Struggled with heart disease and died at age
53 in 1972.
Jackie Robinson
• His legacy is long and distinguished – voted
second most popular man in the country in
1947.
• 1999 named by Time magazine on the list of
the 100 most influential people of 20th
century.
• 1987 MLB named the Rookie of the Year
Award the Jackie Robinson Award.
Jackie Robinson
• In 1997 Jackie’s #42 was retired by all Major
League teams – no one can wear it anymore.
• UCLA baseball plays in the Jackie Robinson
Stadium.
• April 15th is Jackie Robinson Day around
baseball – players wear #42 that day in his
honor.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• Imagine YOU are Jackie Robinson and it is one
hour before your first game as a Brooklyn
Dodger. Write a diary entry discussing your
feelings and expectations before your first
game.
Women in Baseball
• The All-American Girls Professional Baseball
League was founded by Philip K. Wrigley and
existed from 1943-1954.
• The teams generally played in second-tier
Midwestern cities.
• The league started when America entered
WWII – most men went to fight.
Women in Baseball
• The league held the initial tryouts at Wrigley
Field in Chicago in 1943.
• The league played a version of baseball that
was a hybrid of softball and baseball.
• The ball was 12-inches in circumference –
baseball’s are 9 to 9.25 inches.
Women in Baseball
• The pitcher’s mound was only forty feet from
home plate – much closer than the 60-feet-6inches baseball has.
• Like softball, pitchers threw underhand
windmill, and distance between bases was 65
feet.
• But there were similarities – nine player
teams, and a pitcher’s mound.
Women in Baseball
• As the league went on, more rules were
gradually modified to more closely resemble
baseball.
• The ball eventually became the same size of a
normal baseball – and the mound was moved
back to 60 feet.
• Basepaths were also extended to 85 feet –
and overhand pitching was allowed.
Women in Baseball
• The players were required to wear short skirts
during play – and lipstick at all times.
• Each player also was required to have long
hair and at no time could they wear pants.
• In 1947 the league enjoyed their most
successful season – 1,000,000 fans.
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for one and all
To play ball.
We come from cities near and far.
We've got Canadians, Irishmen and Swedes,
We're all for one, we're one for all
We're All-Americans!
Each girl stands, her head so proudly high,
Her motto 'Do or Die.'
She's not the one to use or need an alibi.
Our chaperones are not too soft,
They're not too tough,
Our managers are on the ball.
We've got a president who really knows his stuff,
We're all for one, we're one for all,
We're All-Americans!
Women in Baseball
• The Rockford Peaches won the most league
championships with four (1945, 1948, 1949,
1950).
• Milwaukee/Grand Rapids Chicks, Racine
Belles, South Bend Blue Sox and Kalamazoo
Lassies won the others.
• In 1992 the movie A League of Their Own
covered the founding of the league.
Women in Baseball
• The movie starred Tom Hanks, Rosie
O’Donnell, Madonna and Geena Davis.
• Although the AAGPBL was the first
professional women’s baseball league, women
had played baseball before.
• The first known women’s team played at
Vassar College in 1866.
Women in Baseball
• The league was dissolved when men returned
from war and television was introduced.
• Currently there are no women playing
professional baseball in the United States.
• In 1994 the Colorado Silver Bullets were a
professional women’s team – toured to U.S.
and played Minor League teams.
Women in Baseball
• In 1997 the Ladies League Baseball consisted
of four teams – San Jose Spitfire, Long Beach
Aces, Phoenix Peppers and Los Angeles
Legends.
• They intended to play a 56-game schedule but
low attendance, high insurance costs and high
stadium rents forced the league to fold.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• Do you believe that a women’s professional
baseball league would ever be able to exist
and sustain success today? Why or why not?
Baseball’s Golden Age
• In 1958 New York baseball market was ripped
apart.
• Yankees had become the dominant draw –
and the Dodgers and Giants looked west for
new markets.
• In 1961 the Washington Senators moved to
Minnesota and became the Twins.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• Television also revolutionized the game.
• For the first time fans could watch their
favorite teams and players play the game
without listening to the radio.
• NBC established a “Game of the Week” to
highlight the best game on each Saturday.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• Also in 1961 Roger Maris of the Yankees broke
Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs in one
season with 61.
• In 1962 expansion continued – Houston Colt
.45’s and the New York Mets were created.
• 1969 – Kansas City Royals and Seattle Pilots
were added to the league.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• The Pilots played in Seattle for one season
before moving to Milwaukee and became the
Brewers.
• Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres also
were created in 1969.
• In 1972 the Senators moved from Washington
again – this time to Texas and became the
Rangers.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• Expansion continued through 1998 to put the
total number of teams at 30.
• By the late 1960s the pitchers regained the
edge over hitters.
• In 1968 Carl Yastrzemski of the Red Sox won
the AL batting title with a .301 average –
lowest ever.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• That same year Denny McLain of the Tigers
won 31 games and Bob Gibson of the
Cardinals led in ERA with 1.12.
• In 1969 the rules were changed – pitcher’s
mound lowered and strike zone was reduced.
• In 1973 the AL was suffering from low
attendance and introduced the designated
hitter.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• In 1969 the “Miracle Mets” won the World
Series just 7 years into their existence.
• The Oakland A’s – nicknamed the “Swinging
A’s” won the World Series in 1972, 1973 and
1974.
• The 1970’s also saw the formation of the Big
Red Machine – the Cincinnati Reds.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• On April 8, 1974 Henry “Hank” Aaron of the
Atlanta Braves hit his 715th career home run –
breaking Babe Ruth’s mark of 714.
• Aaron retired in 1976 with 755 career homers.
• Between 1973 and 1975 Nolan Ryan threw 4
no-hit games – and threw a record 7 before he
retired in 1993.
Baseball’s Golden Age
• The 1980s saw some very interesting changes
to the game as well – not always good.
• Steroids and performance-enhancing drugs
have been credited with inflating player’s
statistics from the mid-1980s to the present.
• Thus the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s is often
considered baseball’s “golden age”.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• In your opinion, why was baseball able to
become so popular in the United States?
• Why was the pitcher’s mound lowered in
1969?
• What accomplishment is Roger Maris best
known for? Hank Aaron?
Steroids in Baseball
• Steroids in sports is nothing new – been going
on since the 1950s.
• First developed in Germany 1930s for German
soldiers.
• Soviet and European weightlifters began using
them – broke records at 1952 Olympics.
Steroids in Baseball
• Dr. John Ziegler of United States investigated
rapid success of Soviets.
• He was told about manipulating the
testosterone levels of the athletes.
• Four years later Ziegler was supplying U.S.
weightlifters with steroids.
Steroids in Baseball
• Use grew throughout sports that uses physical
strength.
• In 1963 Alvin Roy – strength coach – San Diego
Chargers of the NFL began supplying his
players.
• By 1970s steroids were being used in all US
major league sports – including baseball.
Steroids in Baseball
• Once it was revealed that steroids were being
used in high school athletics – Congress
stepped in.
• Anabolic Steroid Control Act 1990 – made
unauthorized distribution and use of anabolic
steroids a federal offense.
• Punished by – up to one year in prison and
$1,000 fine.
Steroids in Baseball
• In 2004 the Act was altered to double the
penalty and prevent possession within 1,000
feet of a sports facility.
• In 2005 Jose Canseco – former MLB player –
admitted to using anabolic steroids.
• He wrote a book: Juiced: Wild Times,
Rampant Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball
Got Big.
Steroids in Baseball
• Canseco claimed that 85% of baseball players
used steroids.
• Canseco revealed that Mark McGwire, Jason
Giambi, Rafael Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez and
Juan Gonzalez used – he injected them.
• Most players denied allegations – except
Giambi when he was under oath.
Steroids in Baseball
• Congressional hearing was held to confront
steroid use in baseball.
• McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Palmeiro and Curt
Schilling answered questions from Congress.
• Hearing was broadcast on television and
radio.
Steroids in Baseball
• McGwire refused to talk about the past –
looked sad and uneasy.
• Sosa had a hard time understanding English
and gave broken English answers.
• Palmeiro emphatically denied using – but later
that year tested positive for steroids.
Steroids in Baseball
• In 2006 MLB commissioner Bud Selig hired
George Mitchell to investigate steroid use in
baseball.
• The Mitchell Report was released in December
of 2007 naming more than 80 former and
current players as users.
• Fans and media began questioning and
suspecting every successful player.
Steroids in Baseball
• Sports Illustrated article broke in early 2009
claiming that Alex Rodriguez – arguably games
best player – tested positive in 2003.
• In 2003 “A-Rod” hit 47 home runs and won his
first AL MVP Award.
• A-Rod denied at first – but then admitted his
use and took full blame.
Steroids in Baseball
• Current home run king Barry Bonds became
part of the scandal in 2003.
• Bonds’ trainer Greg Anderson was indicted by
federal grand jury for supplying steroids to
athletes.
• Bonds denied allegations – admitted to using
a “clear cream” given to him to help arthritis.
Steroids in Baseball
• Bonds has been scrutinized ever since – media
and fans analyzing photos.
• Bonds never was a “big” home run hitter until
he turned 37 years old – most players decline
then.
• Investigation on Bonds is on-going, and not
yet 100% resolved.
Steroids in Baseball
• Steroids affect the body by helping it grow
lean muscle and aids in training endurance.
• Also has been proven to cause liver tumors
and high blood pressure.
• Men are also affected – shrinking and
retracting of testicles, infertility, baldness and
development of breasts.
Steroids in Baseball
• Women grow increased facial hair and
deepened voice.
• Emotional affects – paranoid, jealousy,
irritability.
• Scariest part – long-term effects are unknown.
YOUR TURN TO WRITE
• Should steroids be banned from sports? Why
or why not?
• Should all steroid testing for professional and
amateur athletes be made public? Why or
why not?