Steroids: Not the only substance in question in the MLB

Steroids will always and forever have their place in MLB, whether legal or not, they are tempting substances that supposedly vastly enhance ones performance. 

            Recently though a different substance has started to move itself into the controversial area of baseball substance abuse, and it is not injected, but consumed.  Earlier this year Bobby Valentine made a decision to change the locker room of the Boston Red Sox, players are not the only thing being extradited from the team, alcohol is now something else that will leave the locker room of the Boston Red Sox.  There is really not much downside to the absence of alcohol from the locker rooms, one could argue that the camaraderie of the pitchers will diminishes, but in reality the absence of alcohol will potentially lead to a more focused, less controversial locker room altogether.

            This of course is last week’s news, Valentine’s decision has already been discussed to the death, but recently alcohol has again made the headlines, this time coming from Chicago.  This time it is the new president of the Cubs Theo Epstein.  Not to be outdone by Valentine, Epstein has taken alcohol regulations a step further, From The Chicago Tribune as seen from Rob Neyer’s post, Epstein stated that “organization would no longer tolerate players who enjoy the nightlife at the expense of getting a good night’s sleep”.  He goes on to even say that alcohol use by players is one of the factors that impede the Cubs Winning. Again though it seems like a reasonable enough request from their president, to focus on the game and their job.

            These recent stories shed light on a potential underground problem that is circulating throughout the MLB.  Steroids is mostly the substance that gets recognized due to it enhancing players abilities, but on the other side of the argument, unrecognized by society is the deteriorating effects that alcohol has on players careers.  Because alcohol is a legal substance, it is not normally cast as a total bad guy.  There are always players, who are caught with a DUI, but there is a small slap on the wrist and then people move past this.  This perhaps could show a larger problem all together.

For a second consider how it was when Jackie Robinson was introduced to the Dodgers. Granted there are a lot of factors that differ, but a foreign player introduced to the league took away from what was important, baseball and the game.  What should have been important took a back seat to something completely separate from baseball, the fact that Jackie Robinson was a black player. This is what it looks as if the managers have realized. That in the eyes of their players the game of baseball is taking a back seat to personal indulgence and pleasure.  With the way, the higher ups are treating alcohol it seems as if this substance is starting to destroy parts of their organizations and put the team in jeopardy.  It is by no means a necessary object for these players to be indulging in, instead it becomes a detractor from their true goals of their jobs, which is to win and support their team and club.

            Perhaps it is the idealized fans view, but the presence of alcohol in baseball never seemed like a problem.  Of course, the DUI’s are more public, but I never considered alcohol to be a problem for these teams.  With the Cubs and Red Sox doing what they have done though, it looks as if the underground culture of alcohol in baseball is strong.  If the trend continues alcohol could start going the way of steroids in baseball, and become the players enemy when they are discovered by the fans to be indulging in this behavior.

Theo Epstein - No Partying Valentine says no alcohol