The Milwaukee Brewers are waiting on an important decision regarding their last prized possession, Ryan Braun. After Prince Fielder left the Brewers, they were left with their left outfielder and National League MVP, Braun. However, now the Brewers may be with out Braun for 50 games because he was caught with performance enhancing drugs. Thus without the Brewers' heavy hitters, the season doesn't look too promising. So once again a team is stuck to deal with the steroid talk. The old game verse the new game. The traditionalist verse the modernist. The traditionalist believe the MLB needs to keep the game clean and pure, while the modernist are ready for change, which includes updated statistics and possibly not even banning performance enhancers. If everyone was able to take a performance enhancer what would that really do to the game? Most likely there would be more deep threats on teams and possibly a player could play longer. So what really is wrong with that? As we see in Cover's The Universal Baseball Association tradition and The Game are parts of our culture. Henry, the main character in The Universal Baseball Association, finds the game to be something bigger than just men trying to hit a baseball. He sees it as a way of life. For one of his players to be doing steroids would be unheard of and a blow to his Game. It is hard for a traditionalist, like Henry, to image a game where steroids are accepted. In his mind and other traditionalist it ruins the purity of the game. Thus Ryan Braun has betrayed the purity and the traditions of the game. So for that reason it becomes bad, just because it takes away from what our culture was told about the game, baseball. Thus all eyes are on Ryan Braun and the Brewers to see if another great player will go down wearing the scarlet letter of steroids.
Milwaukee Brewers waiting on outcome of Ryan Braun hearing
I am not sure that anyone is arguing for steroids in baseball. The "modernists" as you call them might argue for a more rigorous thinking through about them rather than the "OMG THEY RUINED BASEBALL FOREVER AND ARE EVIL" rhetoric of some of the purists.
ReplyDeleteI am for one an advocate for allowed usage of performance enhancers in sports and specifically baseball. For one it is happening everywhere else, yet nobody cares unless its baseball. People go to games to see big hits big plays. Why deny them of that? The actual usage of steroids themselves don't make a player better (in terms of fundamentals of hitting the ball and fielding etc.) so why deny that to a player if a fan wants to see those big results. Steroids, as I have viewed it, is just another way to make the game exciting. The mindset would need to shift in order for this to be implemented obviously, but look at Barry Bonds. While doing steroids (and nobody knowing until later) he was San Francisco's biggest star. Same goes for players who are using, but just haven't gotten caught yet. The Brewers are going to suffer indefinitely without Braun, but why should they have to? I say let him play as well as all others who "use."
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