By Josh:
In the past week a few guys have been handed 80 game suspensions for testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs. The biggest of these names was Dee Gordon, last year’s NL batting average leader.
I’m never truly shocked whenever a player gets caught cheating by using PEDs. However, I have to admit that Dee Gordon being suspended came as more of a shock for me then other players would have been.
I know that there are PEDs that can do different things. Some help power, some help with speed and who knows what else there is. I don’t know exactly what Dee Gordon took and honestly I don’t want to know. The fact that he cheated and was caught is all I need to know.
This leads me to think about two things. First is how much of a coincidence is it that his hitting coach is Barry Bonds? Now I’m not saying Gordon started using PEDs once Bonds got to Miami. In fact I would bet that he has been doing it long before Bonds got there. However, it is more than a little disturbing that Gordon gets caught and suspended after he gets a new hitting coach who isn’t the cleanest player in history.
I may hit this more in the future but at the moment I’m just going to leave it there.
The second thing this brings up is whether or not 80 games is enough of a suspension.
I don’t think that testing positive should be a lifetime ban. Although that is a huge way to deter players from using PEDs. I also understand that the desire to get any type of step up on the competition is really tempting. In some cases too tempting for competitors willing to do anything to win. With that being said 80 games isn’t enough.
Players need to be hit where it hurts the most, the wallet. You know how much money a player would lose if they were suspended for 2 years? Gordon is 28 and in the prime of his career. Imagine if he couldn’t play baseball for two years and didn’t get paid a penny. Do you think he would have been as willing to take the risk of getting caught and being suspended?
It’s time to hit the cheaters in the one place they feel it the most.